Study Finds Challenging Short Films Boost Creativity More Than Viral Social Media Videos

At the University of California, Santa Barbara, researchers Jonathan Schooler and Madeleine Gross carried out a study involving nearly 500 participants to explore how media consumption affects cognition. The participants were split into two groups: one group watched ambiguous animated shorts from the Short of the Week platform, while the other viewed typical viral content from social media. Those who watched the challenging films exhibited notably higher creativity and openness scores right after, even though they reported enjoying the viral videos more. The study assessed conceptual flexibility and expansion through tasks such as crafting short stories and finding links between unrelated ideas. Results will be published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, highlighting that brief exposure to complex media can enhance cognitive abilities in adults. The researchers noted that ambiguous narratives encourage the brain to explore innovative possibilities instead of adhering to predictable thought patterns.