The cognitive tuning theory suggests how an individual interprets their
environment is based on their perception of it. These interpretations then influence the
way the individual think and have an effect on cognitive task performance. Zhu and
Meyers-Levy (2007) explain these differences through two elaborations that an individual
can do to the perceived information. The individual can either elaborate on the relational
aspects or on the item-specific aspects. Individuals using an approach motivation tend to
focus on the relational elaborations while individuals using an avoidance motivation tend
to focus on the item-specific elaborations. When elaborating on item-specific features, an
individual is more focused on the details and will not be as creative. When elaborating on
the relational features, an individual will be more creative in their solutions