Creative identity asymmetry: When and how it impacts psychological strain and creative performance

Drawing on the identity asymmetry literature, transactional stress theory, and creativity literature, we investigate how a perceived discrepancy between an individual’s creative role identity and others’ views toward his/her creative role identity (i.e., creative identity asymmetry) influences individual’s creative performance via psychological strain. We also examine how perceived creativity requirement and self-monitoring alter the relationships between creative identity asymmetry, psychological strain, and creative performance. Based on two studies (an experimental study and a field study), we found that creative identity asymmetry was positively related to psychological strain and negatively and indirectly related to creative performance. We also found that the effects of negative asymmetry were stronger than positive asymmetry, while perceived creativity requirement and self-monitoring significantly strengthened most of these relationships. Hence, this study contributes to the literature on creativity, identity asymmetry, and stress.