The Black Hole & CreativityProf. Donna DeWittSport / Performance Psychologist

Academic Year2015

• The Black Hole and causal factorsThe Black Hole and causal factors

• ‘ ‘Know thyself’; The Black Hole & IdentityKnow thyself’; The Black Hole & Identity

• Avoiding the B. H.: preventative stepsAvoiding the B. H.: preventative steps • Creative thinking Creative thinking

• Enhancing personal creativityEnhancing personal creativity

The Black Hole

What is the What is the Black Hole? Black Hole?

Can it be Can it be prevented?prevented?

How?How?

Theoretical Perspectives of Career Termination

“Social death”: Social isolation and rejection from the former in-group

Criticism?Criticism?

Theoretical Perspectives of Career Termination…

Social gerontology: Emphasis on aging and considers life satisfaction as dependent upon characteristics of the sport experience

Disengagement theory Activity theory Continuity theory Social breakdown theory

Multidimensional conceptualizationMultidimensional conceptualization Individual motives, values, goals, problem solving skills

Situational circumstances of retirement, prior planning, retirement income

Structural social class, marital status, availability of social systems

Career Termination: A transition

Social family, friends, extended social support

Boundary constraints social definitions, economic cycles, employer attitudes

Seven-step model of transitionSeven-step model of transition

Immobilization, shock from the event

Minimization, negative emotions are downplayed

Self-doubt, self-esteem threatened & depression

Letting go, individual works through feelings of loss, anger, and disappointment

Testing out groundwork for a new direction is laid

Searching for meaning, individual gains perspective on difficulties of earlier stages

Internalization, when this insight is accepted and the transition is complete

Kubler-Ross’s human grieving modelKubler-Ross’s human grieving model

Denial against the initial trauma

Anger about the perceived injustice and lack of control

Bargaining to delay the inevitable

Depression over acceptance of the loss

Full acceptance and a re-orientation toward the future

Causes of career termination

Factors contributing to ‘crisis’ of career termination

Self-identitySelf-identity

Self-worth

Uni-dimensionality

Contributing factors…

Perceptions of controlPerceptions of control

Social identitySocial identity

Social supportSocial support

Pre-retirement Pre-retirement planningplanning

““Know thyself”Know thyself”

Prevention & ‘treatment’Research…Due to the relative scarcity of systematic investigation into the area of career termination, there is considerable room for contribution to the theoretical and empirical literature. To date, there has been little empirical research examining the significant factors in this process. As Landers (1983) has argued, there is a significant need in sport psychology for more theory-driven study of important issues. In addition, there is a noticeable lack of empirical data to substantiate the positions held by the leading thinkers in the area. As a consequence, a program of empirical research based on a sound working model of the career termination process should be the goal.

Creative ThinkingThe act of producing an idea or product that changes an existing domain or that transforms an existing domain into a new one.

A creative person is someone whose thoughts or actions change a domain, or establish a new domain.

System’s Model

Creativity can be observed in the interrelations of a system made up of three main parts:

Domain

Field

Person

Enhancing personal creativity

Curiosity and Interest

Try to be surprised by something every day Try to surprise at least one person every day

Write down each day what surprised you and how you surprised others

When something strikes a spark of interest, follow it..

Enhancing personal creativity

Cultivating Flow in Everyday Life Wake up with a specific goal to look forward to

If you do anything well it becomes enjoyable

To keep enjoying something, you need to increase its complexity

Enhancing personal creativity

Habits of Strength

Take charge of your schedule

Make time for reflection and relaxation

Shape your space

Find out what you like and hate about life

Start doing more of what you love, less of what you hate