Insane, Poetic, Lovable: Creativity and Endorsement of the “Mad Genius” Stereotype

Abstract

The nature and extent to which creativity and mental illness are actually connected is a contentious matter that has been frequently debated. Yet regardless of whether the connection is real or romanticized, the idea of the mad genius has been prevalent in the research literature and in popular culture. This study examined how people's opinions about the “mad genius” stereotype were associated with their own creativity, as measured by the Creative Personality Scale (CPS) and the Remote Associates Test (RAT). Both high-endorsers and low-endorsers rated themselves as more creative than did those with a neutral opinion. On the RAT, those with higher creativity were more likely to endorse the stereotype. Reasons and implications are then discussed.