Get Those Global Experiences!: Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Outcomes of Creative Thinking in Conflict Resolution

To investigate differential effects of multicultural interactions (MIs) and exposures (MEs) and to test Maddux et al.’s new structural model of multicultural experience, this research examines the impact of MIs and MEs on intrapersonal versus interpersonal creative thinking. Study 1 tests the associations of MIs and MEs with creative thinking in idea generation and conceptual conflict resolution. Study 2 examines MIs’ and MEs’ relationship with creative thinking in applied conflict resolution (i.e., international business negotiation), with closed-mindedness as a mediator. Results show that MIs (but not MEs) were positively associated with self-reported (intrapersonal) measures of creative thinking in conflict resolution (CTCR), whereas MEs (but not MIs) were positively associated with creative thinking (interpersonal) outcomes in realistic, business conflict resolution contexts. Closed-mindedness fully mediated the former and partially mediated the latter association.