Building a flexible and creative mindset: U of A experts discuss LEGO's impact on adults
Engaging in creative play like LEGO encourages the brain to become more spontaneous, adopt a different perspective, and get out of a rut, says Jessica Andrews-Hanna, associate professor of psychology.
For LEGO enthusiasts, Jan. 28 holds a special significance. It's International LEGO Day, which marks the anniversary of the patent submission for the LEGO brick in 1958.
LEGO sets have traditionally been toys that stimulate creativity, imagination and problem-solving skills. Each LEGO set comes with different types of interlocking bricks. These are called "LEGO bricks" or just "LEGO" but not "legos," which is an incorrect term that's commonly used. Most sets include minifigures, which resemble people, and a detailed instruction manual.
LEGO is not about just kids anymore, especially in the last few years. In the age of increasing competition from electronic entertainment, LEGO products have gained a significant adult fan following who are referred to as AFOL or Adult Fans of LEGO. The LEGO company offers intricate and sophisticated adult-oriented sets depicting architectural landmarks, vehicles and television shows. What's more, LEGO sets that represent movies like Star Wars and Harry Potter are also available – allowing movie buffs to re-create their favorite scenes using the bricks.
But what makes LEGO interesting for adults?
Jessica Andrews-Hanna, an associate professor of psychology, says there are a few reasons why adults like to get into creative play like LEGO. In the U.S. and most Western societies, where work takes up a significant amount of time, it's natural for adults to be drawn to play to give themselves a break and feel less pressured, she said.
"It might be an example of us reaching the critical need for relaxing. Things like adults LEGO sets could be a manifestation of our fundamental need to take care of ourselves," she said.
Jessica Andrews-Hanna, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Secondly, Andrews-Hanna said play as such is highly rewarding, an act that activates the brain's feel-good hormones – dopamine and endorphin. Also, there is scientific evidence to say that these hormones regulate creativity. A 2019 article in the journal Frontiers in Neural Circuits highlights the importance of dopamine in influencing creativity, motivation and cognition.
In 2022, Liam Mohajeri Norris, then a first-year University of Arizona student, gained national attention for competing in Season Three of FOX's "LEGO Masters" alongside his mother, where he tackled large-scale LEGO construction under intense conditions, and showcased creativity, problem-solving and teamwork.
Engaging in creative play like LEGO encourages the brain to become more spontaneous, adopt a different perspective, and get out of a rut, Andrews-Hanna said. It becomes much easier to let the pressing concerns in the mind go away by spending time with something like LEGO that's rewarding but not too demanding necessarily. People might notice some benefit for adopting a more flexible mindset and turn to these kinds of play consciously or unconsciously, which can then help them be more creative in their work or something else.
"Also, the level at which we can encourage our mind to be more flexible and let our thoughts flow and not really censor every move that we're making encourages flexibility in our brain," Andrews-Hanna said.
Mark Peterson, a senior lecturer in the Eller College of Management, has had a close association with LEGO for more than a decade and has been incorporating LEGO into his teaching for eight years. Peterson – who teaches entrepreneurship for undergraduate and master's students – has obtained a certification in LEGO Serious Play, a methodology that uses LEGO bricks as a tool to encourage creative thinking, problem solving and collaboration.
Mark Peterson, Senior Lecturer, Eller College of Management
"People sometimes think of entrepreneurship as something that involves learning to start a business. But I think it's much more about creativity and innovation and thinking out of the box. LEGO fits in really nicely with that," Peterson said.
In Peterson's LEGO-building class, every student gets an identical bag with exactly the same LEGO pieces. They are assigned three different tasks. For the first one, students are asked to create a vehicle such as a snowmobile. The second task is all about challenging their own imagination and creating another snow-related product that doesn't yet exist. For the third task, students are given a scenario such as global warming and encouraged to think of a product that can add value to that particular situation.
Even with the same exact pieces and the same instructions, students can end up with very different looking finished products, Peterson said.
"LEGO is being used as a strategic tool," Peterson said. "It's not just like me liking LEGO when I was a kid. There actually is a methodology behind it."