Exploring the use of AI text-to-image generation to downregulate negative emotions in an expressive writing application

Conventional writing therapies are versatile, accessible and easy to facilitate online, but often require participants to self-disclose traumatic experiences. To make expressive writing therapies safer for online, unsupervised environments, we explored the use of text-to-image generation as a means to downregulate negative emotions during a fictional writing exercise. We developed a writing tool, StoryWriter, that uses Generative Adversarial Network models to generate artwork from users' narratives in real time. These images were intended to positively distract users from their negative emotions throughout the writing task. In this paper, we report the outcomes of two user studies: Study 1 (N = 388), which experimentally examined the efficacy of this application via negative versus neutral emotion induction and image generation versus no image generation control groups; and Study 2 (N = 54), which qualitatively examined open-ended feedback. Our results are heterogeneous: both studies suggested that StoryWriter somewhat contributed to improved emotion outcomes for participants with pre-existing negative emotions, but users' open-ended responses indicated that these outcomes may be adversely modulated by the generated images, which could undermine the therapeutic benefits of the writing task itself.

Using design strategies from microfluidic device patents to support idea generation

Microfluidics has been an important method in providing answers to a wide variety of research questions in chemistry, biochemistry, and biology. Microfluidic designers benefit from instructional textbooks describing foundational principles and practices in developing microfluidic devices; however, these texts do not offer guidance about how to generate design concepts for microfluidic devices. Research on design in related fields, such as mechanical engineering, documents the difficulties engineers face when attempting to generate novel ideas. For microfluidic device designers, support during idea generation may lead to greater exploration of potential innovations in design. To investigate successful idea generation in microfluidics, we analyzed successful microfluidic US patents, selecting those with the key word "microfluidic" over a 2-year period. After analyzing the features and functions of 235 patents, we identified 36 distinct design strategies in microfluidic devices. We document each strategy, and demonstrate their usefulness in a concept generation study of practitioners in microfluidic design. While some of the identified design strategies may be familiar to microfluidic designers, exposure to this large set of strategies helped participants generate more diverse, creative, and unique microfluidic design concepts, which are considered best practices in idea generation.

Flow, affect and visual creativity

Flow (being in the zone) is purported to have positive consequences in terms of affect and performance; however, there is no empirical evidence about these links in visual creativity. Positive affect often--but inconsistently--facilitates creativity, and both may be linked to experiencing flow. This study aimed to determine relationships between these variables within visual creativity. Participants performed the creative mental synthesis task to simulate the creative process. Affect change (pre- vs. post-task) and flow were measured via questionnaires. The creativity of synthesis drawings was rated objectively and subjectively by judges. Findings empirically demonstrate that flow is related to affect improvement during visual creativity. Affect change was linked to productivity and self-rated creativity, but no other objective or subjective performance measures. Flow was unrelated to all external performance measures but was highly correlated with self-rated creativity; flow may therefore motivate perseverance towards eventual excellence rather than provide direct cognitive enhancement.