The relationship between anxiety and creativity: evidence based on a daily diary study

Creativity is a necessary quality for contemporary students, which helps them to cope with real-life pressures. However, students often experience anxiety when faced with stress, and there is a strong link between this anxiety and creativity. To analyze gender differences in creativity and investigate the impact of anxiety on creativity, this study employed a multilevel regression model. The gender of students was recorded, and the diaries of 248 randomly selected students from a high school in Shanxi Province, China were followed for seven days, using the daily creativity and daily anxiety inventories. The data was analyzed with SPSS 26.0 and Mplus 8.3. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the level of creativity between males and females. However, the level of anxiety was a negative predictor of creativity for both males and females. This study examined the relationship between anxiety and creativity and the role gender factors play in this relationship. Based on the findings, this study provides theoretical support to enhance students' creativity.