CR =ƒ(3 elements).           [CR = Creativity]										 Page 1
		1) response generalization (or “behavioral slop” or “behavioral mutations,” (BPEL p. 218f)
			2) differential reinforcement helps select and keep the better versions of your CR 
				3) multiple repetitions of steps 1 and 2 allow for shaping over time
HOW TO INCR CR: You can enhance your CR by expanding all 3 sub-components of CR.
1)	INCREASE YOUR BEHAVIORAL VARIABILITY (the raw material of CR):
a) imperfect replication of behavior:  Allow imperfect replications of behavior. Perfect habits have very little variation. Perfectionists often strive minimize the “slop” and variability in their behavior; and there times for that. But when it is time to be creative, encourage the variability. Help create it by being playful, exaggerating your responses, experimenting. Hang loose. Do not be afraid of behavioral “slop.” Dave Brubeck once said: “If a cat doesn't goof he's not creating.” Don't be afraid, just because many “behavioral mutations” are not perfect full-blown beauties. 
b) complex SD collage:  Mix up your SDs. Add new SDs that will evoke new combinations of behavior. Ask questions. Find problems. Create problems for yourself (esp. solvable problems). Ask yourself, “What are all the possibilities for me right now in life?” Use lateral thinking--listing all the properties of current problems, and using the lists as new SDs. Keep notebooks of your ideas and “petite-CR” thoughts. Bounce your ideas off of other people: Their responses = new SDs.
c) think about building a larger creative whole:  Juggle all sorts of petite-CR units, bouncing them around in your head to see which petite-CRs fit into larger wholes (or bigger patterns). Attention to “the big picture” will increase the chances of coming up with CR ideas that build to a large production (eg, a long song or poem, a well choreographed dance, a polished term paper and maybe a book). 
d) increase the size of your behavior repertoire:  The more different behaviors you can do, the more possible behavioral combinations and re-combinations you can make; and odd or unusual mixes of behaviors often lead to new CR productions.
e) models --> imperfect copies:  i) Use models to learn new responses. ii) Multiple models help us learn numbers of possible CR combinations of behavior. Don't worry about making exact copies of the modeled behavior: Always allow your own unique personal style to shine through.
f) rules --> imperfect copies:  Use multiple rules to learn new skills. Seek good rules. Take lessons. Use rules in your internal monologue to encourage CR. Rehearse the rules on this handout.
g) multiple prompts can increase CR:  Seek multiple prompts (for reasons similar to e & f). 
h) reinforce creativity:  Every time you see yourself (or other people) do a CR behavior, reinforce it, perhaps saying: “That was a nice touch!” This will strengthen the habits of CR. 
i) punish non-creativity:  Hassle yourself (gently) when you see that you are not being very CR. “John, you’re slipping into ruts. Not good. Plan on doing some CR activity this afternoon.”
j) overcome useless inhibitions.  Little children are often quite uninhibited about e&p, which can lead to some wild and crazy CR that adults often find surprising. Remember the child who is drawing a picture of God. …………………… It is good to feel inhibited about hurting or insulting other Ps; so inhibitions are not always bad. But many of us fear making mistakes, looking foolish, not being “cool” in front of our peers, and much more; & these can inhibit us from being more CR.
k) avoid punishment for CR:  Avoid people who put down playful, silly and CR acts.  Avoid cynics who make fun of anyone’s attempts at CR behavior: You might be their next target.
l) avoid competing responses: Getting stuck with monotonous jobs, heavy obligations, tiring work, and other stultifying activities can decrease CR by filling your time with competing responses (which are responses or activities that eat up your time and leave less time for CR activities).
m) erroneous learning:  Don't feel bad if you fail to learn perfectly. Imperfect learning can be a source of CR, because slop is the raw material of behavioral CR.
((PS: There are several “facilitators” of CR that help: Have a broad number of life experiences: Travel. Read broadly. Meet all sorts of different people. Do a year abroad. Try internships. Be a generalist: You do not have to be a perfectionist all the time. Develop a love of challenge: When problems arise, think: “This will help me grow.”))

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2)	INCREASE SELECTION BY DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENT:
a) sensory stimulation is the automatic and natural reinforcer for CR: CR behavior is always novel; hence it naturally leads to the SS reinforcers of novelty. It brings the subjective feelings of excitement, enthusiasm, joi de vivre, & “flow.” Non-CR behavior quickly becomes boring and boredom motivates us to seek more varied experience, be it a petite-CR or a BIG-CR. 
b) self-reinforcement and self-punishment: 
	i) (via PAV):  Conditioned reinforcers will provide automatic self-reinforcement if you have learned to value CR. Thus, learn to value originality, novelty, playfulness, mastery, sense of accomplishment and creativity, so these +CSs will be well conditioned and capable of rewarding any CR behaviors you may do as soon as you do them.
	ii) (via OP):  You should also learn to reward yourself with some kind of positive words or thoughts when you see yourself being CR. “Aha! What a nice effect! I’m getting more CR each day!” You should also be self-critical enough to punish the really lousy CR efforts; but do not be overly critical. The true artist scorns nothing. Keep the ratio of (+++++) to (-) comments highly (+).
c)	social reinforcement and punishment:
	i) automatic: People like many types of CR and often automatically respond with (+)s.
	ii) planned: You can ask your friends to reward your more CR behavior, and their (+) comments can help you learn CR habits. You can offer to do the same for them, and (+) their CR.
	iii) formal rewards:  Promotions, prizes, contracts, bonuses and incentives are often offered by society for CR winners. Success in capitalist ventures makes our society more CR than most. 
	iv) competitiveness can stimulate CR, but so can cooperation.
	v) social values: The things that society calls “good” and “bad” serve as +CSs and -CSs that steer our CR in certain directions, but not others. We can, of course, be critical of current social values and help steer them in directions we think most desirable.

3)	INCREASE YOUR REPEATED STEPS: 
One BIG-CR act (without many prior little steps of CR) is not very common. So get used to taking many little petite-CR steps. Enjoy each little petite-CR act and the juggling needed to organize these into larger BIG-CR productions. But even the petite-CRs are novel and rewarding. In order to increase the multiple repeated steps that shape your creativity to higher levels. 
a) practice: Work on your CR behavior. Practice your drawing, singing, writing (or any other CR behavior) for many hours—working toward the goal of 10,000 hours of total practice.
b) multiple repetitions: Do multiple repetitions of any behavior that you hope to make more CR, allowing new variations to arise where ever possible—then rewarding your self for them. The more you do steps “1” and “2,” the more you allow the shaping process to advance your behavior. 
c) sleep on it: Let your brain activities during dream sleep add CR elements to your thinking.
Over time, you will find that your CR behavior becomes smoother, easier and more polished. The length of your CR behavioral chains will increase: E.g., your ability to write will expand from writing essays to writing books, which is BIG-CR. You will gain an ever-larger repertoire of CR beh and skill at generating CR beh. You will also gain in “good taste” such that you will produce fewer and fewer “stupid” or “junky” behavioral variations and more and more “good stuff.” Thereby, the quality of your CR will increase. Between ages 20 and 30, you will notice major shifts in your CR behavior if you work at it regularly and allow the shaping process to improve the quality of your behavior. 

These are the only 6 test questions that John could ask from this 2-page handout: 
i) Explain topic 1-a (how to increase behavioral variability). See your lecture notes also. ii) Explain topic 1-b (mix up the SDs). See your lectures notes also. iii) Explain topic 1-c (how to get from petite-CR elements to BIG-CR. There are several things to note.) iv) Explain any 6 of the 10 topics presented on page 1 as topics d through m. v) Explain topic 2 (the sources of differential reinforcement for CR). vi) Explain topic 3 (the role of repeated steps in shaping CR).