ArticleFrontiers in psychology2026
Cognitive underpinnings of malevolent creativity: the role of problem construction.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Introduction: Malevolent creativity (MC), the generation of ideas that are both novel and intentionally harmful, poses significant risks in organizational settings due to its unexpected nature. While research has examined individual differences and situational factors that predict MC, cognitive processes underlying harmful ideation remain underexplored. Problem construction, the early-stage process of defining goals and parameters before generating solutions, is established as critical to creative performance, but its role in MC is unknown. This study examined whether problem construction fluency (the number of unique ways individuals reframe a problem) predicts the generation of harmful ideas, original ideas, and malevolently creative ideas (both harmful and original). Methods: Working adults ( Results: Problem construction fluency positively predicted original ideas (β = 0.41, Discussion: Findings suggest that MC may operate through similar cognitive processes as general creative problem solving rather than representing impulsive responses to provocation. Deeper engagement with the problem space during problem construction was associated with a higher likelihood of generating ideas that are original, harmful, or both. These results suggest MC may involve sophisticated cognitive processing that is associated with effortful engagement in early stages of the creative process.
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