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Vaisarova J, Lucca K. A developmental account of curiosity and creativity. Behav Brain Sci 2024; 47:e116. [PMID: 38770858 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x23003485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Ivancovsky et al.'s Novelty-Seeking Model suggests several mechanisms that might underlie developmental change in creativity and curiosity. We discuss how these implications both do and do not align with extant developmental findings, suggest two further elements that can provide a more complete developmental account, and discuss current methodological barriers to formulating an integrated developmental model of curiosity and creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Vaisarova
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA ://www.emergingmindslab.org
| | - Kelsey Lucca
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA ://www.emergingmindslab.org
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2
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Zhou S, Xu X, Li D, Luo J, Zhang M. Joint Developmental Trajectories of Novelty and Usefulness in Chinese Children's Creativity. J Youth Adolesc 2024; 53:609-620. [PMID: 38157184 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01935-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Creativity encompasses both novelty and usefulness, with novelty referring to the generation of unique and uncommon ideas, while usefulness pertains to the effectiveness and appropriateness of these ideas in addressing the given task. The comprehension of the process of coordinated development for children's novelty and usefulness, including the potential gender differences, is crucial; however, it still lacks clarity in the current academic discourse. To address these gaps, this study investigated the joint developmental trajectories of novelty and usefulness as well as the gender differences in trajectory group membership among Chinese children. A sample of primary school children (initial grade 3, N = 665; 46.4% girls; initial Mage = 8.60 years) were followed for three years. The results revealed a negative association between novelty and usefulness across all three time points. Through parallel-process latent class growth modeling, three distinct trajectories of novelty and usefulness were identified: the High Novelty Decline-Medium Usefulness Increase-Stability Group (66%), the Low Novelty Increase-High Usefulness Decline-Convergence Group (19%), and the Low Novelty Decline-High Usefulness Increase-Divergence Group (15%). These findings suggest that the development of children's creativity is influenced by a multifaceted pattern involving both novelty and usefulness. Moreover, gender differences in trajectory group membership were examined and discussed within the context of creativity development in Chinese children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujin Zhou
- School of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Xinpei Xu
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Dan Li
- School of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China.
| | - Junlong Luo
- School of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Mingming Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
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Gerver CR, Griffin JW, Dennis NA, Beaty RE. Memory and creativity: A meta-analytic examination of the relationship between memory systems and creative cognition. Psychon Bull Rev 2023; 30:2116-2154. [PMID: 37231179 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02303-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that specific memory systems (e.g., semantic vs. episodic) may support specific creative thought processes. However, there are a number of inconsistencies in the literature regarding the strength, direction, and influence of different memory (semantic, episodic, working, and short-term) and creativity (divergent and convergent thinking) types, as well as the influence of external factors (age, stimuli modality) on this purported relationship. In this meta-analysis, we examined 525 correlations from 79 published studies and unpublished datasets, representing data from 12,846 individual participants. We found a small but significant (r = .19) correlation between memory and creative cognition. Among semantic, episodic, working, and short-term memory, all correlations were significant, but semantic memory - particularly verbal fluency, the ability to strategically retrieve information from long-term memory - was found to drive this relationship. Further, working memory capacity was found to be more strongly related to convergent than divergent creative thinking. We also found that within visual creativity, the relationship with visual memory was greater than that of verbal memory, but within verbal creativity, the relationship with verbal memory was greater than that of visual memory. Finally, the memory-creativity correlation was larger for children compared to young adults despite no impact of age on the overall effect size. These results yield three key conclusions: (1) semantic memory supports both verbal and nonverbal creative thinking, (2) working memory supports convergent creative thinking, and (3) the cognitive control of memory is central to performance on creative thinking tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney R Gerver
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jason W Griffin
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nancy A Dennis
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Roger E Beaty
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, 140 Moore Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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Rogers CJ, Tolmie A, Massonnié J, Thomas MSC. Complex cognition and individual variability: a mixed methods study of the relationship between creativity and executive control. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1191893. [PMID: 37425186 PMCID: PMC10323225 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1191893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the methodological challenges of educational neuroscience is understanding real world cognition in the multifaceted environment of the classroom. Complex cognition does not simplify to processes (which might be satisfactorily measured in the lab) but to sets of activities, likely to vary between individuals, which involve the iterative use of multiple processes, as well as the environment, over an extended period of time. As such, studying complex cognition requires methodological flexibility; any single method is unlikely to provide complete answers. We illustrate this idea with our research exploring the relationship between executive control (EC) and creativity in primary school age children; in it, we used both qualitative and quantitative tools and a novel approach to bringing both sets of findings together. Quantitative findings helped inform 'how much' a participant could deploy EC or creative thinking, while qualitative findings told us more about 'how' they deployed EC in their creativity. Through triangulating findings, we gained insights which would have remained obscure using either approach alone; namely, first, that wide variation in how children deploy EC in creativity means that the same creative results can be achieved with very different levels of EC involvement, and second, that high levels of EC can limit creativity. We argue that, beyond the specific findings of this study, there might be useful broader methodological lessons for educational neuroscience. We also attempt to demystify mixed methods by showing that a multi-pronged approach is more feasible than many assume; for example, by using existing, familiar tools in novel ways. In our work, we redeployed well-established quantitative tests used in creativity research as stimuli for qualitative investigation. For educational neuroscience to evolve its understanding of complex cognition, we suggest it might benefit from being innovative, open-minded and ambitious in how it exploits the diversity of methodological tools available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy J. Rogers
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Tolmie
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Massonnié
- School of Education, Languages and Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Michael S. C. Thomas
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Plucker JA. The Patient is Thriving! Current Issues, Recent Advances, and Future Directions in Creativity Assessment. CREATIVITY RESEARCH JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2022.2110415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Fan H, Ma Y, Xu J, Chang Y, Guo S. Effects of homework creativity on academic achievement and creativity disposition: Evidence from comparisons with homework time and completion based on two independent Chinese samples. Front Psychol 2022; 13:923882. [PMID: 36033015 PMCID: PMC9417817 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During the past several decades, the previous studies have been focusing on the related theoretical issues and measuring tool of homework behaviors (mainly including homework time, completion, and homework creativity). However, the effects of these homework behaviors on general creativity remain unknown. Employing a number of questionnaires, this study investigated two samples from middle schools of Mainland China. The results showed that (1) the eight-item version of Homework Creativity Behaviors Scale had acceptable validity and reliability; (2) compared with homework completion and homework time, homework creativity explained less variety of academic achievement (3.7% for homework creativity; 5.4% for completion and time); (3) homework creativity explained more variance of general creativity than that of homework completion and homework time accounted (7.0% for homework creativity; 1.3% for completion and time); and (4) homework creativity was negatively associated with grade level. Contrary to the popular beliefs, homework completion and homework creativity have positive effects on the students' general creativity. Several issues that need further studies were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyong Fan
- College of Educational Science, Bohai University, Jinzhou, China
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, China
| | - Yidan Ma
- College of Educational Science, Bohai University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Jianzhong Xu
- Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, and Foundations, College of Education, Mississippi State University, MS, United States
| | - Ying Chang
- College of Educational Science, Bohai University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Shengli Guo
- College of Educational Science, Bohai University, Jinzhou, China
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van Broekhoven K, Belfi B, Borghans L. Instructing children to construct ideas into products alters children’s creative idea selection in a randomized field experiment. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271621. [PMID: 35925913 PMCID: PMC9352014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many popular pedagogical approaches instruct children to construct their ideas into tangible and physical products. With the prospect of implementation, do children decide to go for the most creative ideas or do they shift towards ideas that are perhaps less creative but easier to construct? We conducted a field experiment to test whether expected construction affects children’s creative idea selection. In this experiment, 403 children were asked to select the most original ideas to make a toy elephant more fun to play with. We randomly assigned them to a treatment condition—in which they were informed they had to construct one of the original ideas that they selected—and a control group—in which children were informed that, after idea selection, they had to perform another task. Children who were instructed to construct the selected idea into a tangible product turned a blind eye to original ideas and preferred the more feasible ideas. Thus, pedagogical approaches that aim to stimulate creativity by instructing children to construct original ideas into tangible and physical products may unintentionally change children’s choices for creative ideas. This finding highlights the importance for educators of guiding children’s decision-making process in creative problem solving, and to be aware of children’s bias against original ideas when designing creative assignments for them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim van Broekhoven
- Radboud Teachers Academy, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Barbara Belfi
- Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lex Borghans
- School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Divergent thinking in Italian elementary school children: the key role of probabilistic reasoning style. Cogn Process 2022; 23:637-645. [PMID: 35881317 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-022-01104-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Divergent thinking is widely recognised as an individual creative potential and an essential factor in fostering creativity since the early stages of life. Albeit previous research revealed that creativity could be pursued through controlled mental processes (e.g. reasoning), the debate about the impact of children's reasoning on divergent thinking and, ultimately, creativity is still open. The present study sought to deepen the relationships between probabilistic reasoning and divergent thinking in a sample of 106 Italian children (meanage = 8.64, SDage = 1.34; 58 F). The Beads Task was used to evaluate probabilistic reasoning, whereas the Alternative Uses Task was administered to assess divergent thinking. Results revealed that analytical, slow, and effortful forms of thought underpinned by high probabilistic competencies predict children's divergent production. These findings suggest that a higher score for divergence of thinking depends on a high involvement of reasoning style, which in this study relies on the ability to make probabilistic decisions in ambiguous situations. Future research directions were discussed.
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Mirucka B, Kisielewska M. The Effect of Experimental Manipulation of Self-Objectification on Creative Potential in Adolescents. CREATIVITY RESEARCH JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2022.2059918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Abstract
Abstract. Individual differences perspectives have dominated the scientific study of creativity since the 1950’s. These perspectives, however, mainly emphasize group-level variations or inter-individual differences, with limited interest in individual-level variations. Yet, (1) group-level findings are often used to make inferences at the person-level, which might not apply consistently across individuals, and (2) a focus on intra-individual variations could supplement knowledge based on inter-individual differences and accurately inform creativity as a dynamic and multifaceted psychological construct. Indeed, when observed at the individual level, creativity can vary from moment to moment, task to task, and even item to item, which is not well reflected in the current understanding of creativity. After introducing the historical context for the study of individual differences in creativity, this article presents and illustrates three fundamental and distinct aspects of intra-individual variability as they apply to creativity, namely (in)consistency (or processing fluctuation), dispersion, and intraindividual change. While doing so, recent developments in apparatus and methods to assess creativity as a more dynamic phenomenon are presented. The article concludes by discussing the promise of accounting for intra-individual variability in creative performance and potential and the new knowledge it may elicit for both creativity research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Barbot
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Belgium
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Fletcher A, Benveniste M. A new method for training creativity: narrative as an alternative to divergent thinking. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1512:29-45. [PMID: 35267201 PMCID: PMC9313823 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Creativity is a major source of innovation, growth, adaptability, and psychological resilience, making it a top priority of governments, global corporations, educational institutions, and other organizations that collectively invest hundreds of millions of dollars annually into training. The current foundation of creativity training is the technique known as divergent thinking; yet for decades, concerns have been raised about the adequacy of divergent thinking: it is incongruent with the creative processes of children and most adult creatives, and it has failed to yield expected downstream results in creative production. In this article, we present an alternative approach to creativity training, based in neural processes different from those involved in divergent thinking and drawing upon a previously unused resource for creativity research: narrative theory. We outline a narrative theory of creativity training; illustrate with examples of training and assessment from our ongoing work with the U.S. Department of Defense, Fortune 50 companies, and graduate and professional schools; and explain how the theory can help fill prominent lacunae and gaps in existing creativity research, including the creativity of children, the psychological mechanisms of scientific and technological innovation, and the failure of computer artificial intelligence to replicate human creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus Fletcher
- Project Narrative, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Mike Benveniste
- Project Narrative, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
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Abstract
Abstract. Based on meta-analyses, intervention studies, and investigations outside of the creativity literature, this paper makes seven evidence-informed propositions about the relationships between creativity and school functioning. First, creative abilities are drivers, not brakes of school achievement. Second, the negative attitudes toward creative students sometimes observed in schools usually concern a small and particular group of creative students: those who are most impulsive and nonconforming. Third, creativity-relevant mental processes support learning. Fourth, creative learning occurs when students can co-discover new, meaningful knowledge. Fifth, school education supports – albeit likely to a different degree – both intelligence and creativity. Sixth, both creative and learning processes are most effective when accompanied by agency and value: feeling confident and valuing creativity and learning are instrumental for generating and directing motivation. Seventh, in both creativity and learning processes, self-regulation is vital.
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Alves‐Oliveira P, Arriaga P, Xavier C, Hoffman G, Paiva A. Creativity Landscapes: Systematic Review Spanning 70 Years of Creativity Interventions for Children. JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jocb.514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ana Paiva
- INESC‐ID
- Universidade de Lisboa
- Harvard University
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Rastelli C, Greco A, Finocchiaro C. Revealing the Role of Divergent Thinking and Fluid Intelligence in Children's Semantic Memory Organization. J Intell 2020; 8:E43. [PMID: 33327564 PMCID: PMC7768431 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence8040043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The current theories suggest the fundamental role of semantic memory in creativity, mediating bottom-up (divergent thinking) and top-down (fluid intelligence) cognitive processes. However, the relationship between creativity, intelligence, and the organization of the semantic memory remains poorly-characterized in children. We investigated the ways in which individual differences in children's semantic memory structures are influenced by their divergent thinking and fluid intelligence abilities. The participants (mean age 10) were grouped by their levels (high/low) of divergent thinking and fluid intelligence. We applied a recently-developed Network Science approach in order to examine group-based semantic memory graphs. Networks were constructed from a semantic fluency task. The results revealed that divergent thinking abilities are related to a more flexible structure of the semantic network, while fluid intelligence corresponds to a more structured semantic network, in line with the previous findings from the adult sample. Our findings confirm the crucial role of semantic memory organization in creative performance, and demonstrate that this phenomenon can be traced back to childhood. Finally, we also corroborate the network science methodology as a valid approach to the study of creative cognition in the developmental population.
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