How does feedback seeking behavior lead to creativity?

Feedback seeking behavior has been identified as a meaningful facilitator of individual creative performance. The issue has grown in importance in light of recent studies on contributing factors of creativity. Nonetheless, there has been little examination on cognitive processing of feedback seekers, or in other words, how feedback seeking precipitates creativity. In light of these limitations, this study examines, on the basis of the dual pathway to creativity model (DPCM), the process of feedback seeking behavior leading to creativity. The study proposes feedback seeking frequency/breadth increases feedback seekers’ cognitive persistence/flexibility which in turn positively influences their creative performance. More specifically, the study theorizes cognitive persistence as the main intervening mechanism for feedback seeking frequency-creativity and cognitive flexibility for feedback seeking breadth-creativity. Uncovering the perception of a feedback seeker as a black box, this study develops and validates a more integrated theoretical framework for feedback seeking behavior-creativity relationship.