When asked to brainstorm new and creative uses for a common object, many people’s first instinct may be to search online and see what ideas already exist before putting pen to paper. Interestingly, doing so might come at a cost to collective creativity, according to research out of Carnegie Mellon University.

In new research, Ehud Ronn, professor of finance at Texas McCombs, tests a long-held belief about the VIX: that volatility can be profitable. Over time, the theory goes, the market tends to reward higher levels of systemic risk with higher returns.

Ronn finds that it does, but with some caveats. He offers fresh insights into how the index might factor into investment decisions.