Creativity Theories Overview

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Questions and Answers

What metaphor does the APT model of creativity use to explain creative expression?

Choosing an amusement park (correct)

A journey through a forest

Writing a story

Building a house

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an initial requirement for creativity in the APT model?

A specific level of intelligence

A supportive environment

Access to transportation

Creativity-relevant processes (correct)

Which model proposes that three interconnected variables are key to individual creativity?

Four P's model

Componential model of creativity (correct)

Five A's model

Amusement Park theoretical model

What does the term 'domain-relevant skills' refer to in the context of the componential model of creativity?

Technical skills and specific knowledge Signup and view all the answers

According to creativity theories, what is one of the key circumstances necessary for creativity to emerge?

Willingness to take risks Signup and view all the answers

The category of theories that explore the necessary ingredients for creativity focuses on what?

Attributes, abilities, and circumstances Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a creativity-relevant process?

Tolerating ambiguity Signup and view all the answers

What is a core issue reflected in the structural models of creativity discussed?

Requirements for creative action to take place Signup and view all the answers

What does Gruber's Evolving Systems Approach emphasize in the creative process?

The holistic view of the creative individual Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of the 'Flow' experience described by Csikszentmihalyi?

Pleasurable absorption in challenging activities Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the Matrix Model, what is 'responsive creativity' associated with?

Extrinsic motivation and closed problems Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the use of creativity to help others in a tangible way?

Giving Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes 'expected creativity' in the Matrix Model?

Responding to external instructions to be creative Signup and view all the answers

How does the Evolving Systems Approach view the relationship between knowledge, affect, and purpose?

As dynamic components that interact over time Signup and view all the answers

What is a possible outcome of experiencing 'Flow' according to Csikszentmihalyi?

Creativity driven by internal satisfaction rather than external goals Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of creativity does the Matrix Model specifically evaluate?

The context and reason behind creative actions Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key component in the definition of creativity?

It is both new and task-appropriate Signup and view all the answers

What does the definition of creativity typically include beyond the basic definition?

Surprise and authenticity Signup and view all the answers

What are the primary categories defined in the Four P framework of creativity research?

Person, Product, Process, and Press Signup and view all the answers

How does the overview portray the complexity of creativity?

It indicates that cataloguing theories is insufficient Signup and view all the answers

According to Rhodes' Four P framework, which question addresses the role of environment in creativity?

How does the environment shape creativity? Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a category included in Glăveanu's Five A framework?

Attitudes Signup and view all the answers

What is implied by the statement about the absence of a dominant theory in the field of creativity?

The field may have diverse perspectives and theories Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the theories mentioned in the overview?

How creativity relates to other constructs Signup and view all the answers

The Five A framework includes which component that emphasizes the relationship between environment and creativity?

Affordances Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a component that could be added to the definition of creativity?

Memorability Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the function of the 'Product' in the Four P framework?

The tangible output of creative efforts Signup and view all the answers

What analogy is used to describe the challenge of understanding creativity?

Learning modern cinema by seeing minute-long clips Signup and view all the answers

What critical aspect does the Five A framework address that the Four P framework does not?

The social dynamics between creators and their audiences Signup and view all the answers

What is the ultimate goal of outlining key questions in creativity theories?

To cover fewer theories comprehensively Signup and view all the answers

What are the four primary questions that the Four P framework seeks to answer?

What type of person is creative, What is considered creative, How do we create, How does the environment influence creativity? Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best captures the essence of creativity as expressed in both the Four P and Five A frameworks?

Creativity requires a combination of individual and environmental factors. Signup and view all the answers

What is the first stage of Wallas's five-stage model of creativity?

Preparation Signup and view all the answers

Which stage in Wallas's model is characterized by the 'aha' moment?

Illumination Signup and view all the answers

What type of thinking involves generating multiple possible solutions to a problem?

Divergent thinking Signup and view all the answers

In Guilford's structure of intellect model, what does convergent thinking focus on?

Evaluating the best idea Signup and view all the answers

What is proactive creativity best characterized by?

Creating for personal reasons and specifications Signup and view all the answers

Which phase of Wallas's model involves the testing and refining of an idea?

Verification Signup and view all the answers

What can be considered the 'spark' that enables creative action?

Motivation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a stage in Wallas's five-stage model of creativity?

Execution Signup and view all the answers

What concept did Vygotsky introduce to describe children's ability to perform tasks with help from others?

Zone of Proximal Development Signup and view all the answers

According to John-Steiner, what characterizes productive collaborations?

Tensions and complementarity Signup and view all the answers

In the Perspectival Model by Glăveanu, which two processes are critical for fostering creativity?

Perspective-taking and reflexivity Signup and view all the answers

What motivates group creativity and innovation according to Dreu and colleagues?

Epistemic and prosocial motivation Signup and view all the answers

What aspect does Vygotsky's theory emphasize in children's learning?

Interaction with others Signup and view all the answers

What conclusion did John-Steiner reach regarding social interaction?

It enhances both creativity and collaboration Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the Perspectival Model in creativity?

Dialogues between perspectives Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor in Dreu and colleagues' model?

Task complexity Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Topic 4: A Review of Creativity Theories

This topic reviews different theories of creativity
The key questions being addressed in these theories range from the underlying structure of creativity, its prerequisites and drivers, to how people create individually and collectively, and what factors contribute to the longevity of creative works.
A basic definition of creativity is widely accepted as being something that is both novel and task-appropriate
There are additional possible components, including high quality, surprise, aesthetics, authenticity, and product creation

Chapter Outline

Overview
Category 1: Underlying Structure of Creativity
Category 2: What is Needed to be Creative?
Category 3: What Drives People to Be Creative?
Category 4: How Do We Create?
Category 5: How Do We Create Together?
What Makes Creative Work Last?
Conclusion

Overview

Defining and categorizing creativity is quite complex
Simply listing the most cited theories would be as coherent as summarizing every Oscar-winning movie with a short clip
Instead, more key questions about creativity are outlined in this topic.
There is no singular dominant theory, but multiple theories provide different perspectives
Existing theories are often covered in detail in separate chapters

Category One: Underlying Structure of Creativity

Some theories aim to uncover the underlying structure of creativity
Approaches in this category explore how creativity is conceptualized, its development within a person, and how its domains align together.

The Four P Framework

This framework is a foundational element in creativity research, categorizing creativity into Person, Product, Process, and Press (environment)
This framework leads to several key questions about creativity, such as the type of person that is creative, what counts as creative work, how creative work is produced, and how the environment shapes creativity

The Five A Framework

This framework, an update to the Four P's, introduces Actors, Audiences, Actions, Artifacts, and Affordances
It suggests that the environment (social and material) is deeply interwoven within creativity
The framework is useful for understanding the relationships between different elements of creativity and how they influence one another

Four C's Theory

The Four C's build on the structure of creativity to more specifically focus on individual qualities.
This theory differentiates between little-c (everyday creativity) and Big-C (eminent creativity) and it is a developmental trajectory
It begins with mini-c insights and eventually progresses to Pro-c and Big-C stages
Throughout this process, there is an emphasis on the importance of feedback and guidance to foster creativity

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

Gardner's theory considers how creativity manifests across various domains
Different intelligences (interpersonal, intrapersonal, visual-spatial, naturalistic, linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily kinesthetic, musical, and potentially existential) are identified
These intelligences could represent potential domains of creativity

Amusement Park Theoretical (APT) Model of Creativity

This model uses the analogy of choosing an amusement park to illustrate how people create
It highlights initial requirements and elements that need to be in place before any sort of creative output can be generated (including intelligence, motivation, and a supportive environment)

Category Two: What Is Needed To Be Creative?

This category of theories focuses on the necessary components for creativity to emerge
It identifies the attributes, abilities, and circumstances that need to align for creative output

The Componential Model of Creativity

Amabile's model suggests three interconnected variables crucial for individual creativity
These are domain-relevant skills and knowledge, creative processes (tolerance of ambiguity and willingness to take risks) and intrinsic motivation (enjoyment or meaning in the activity)

The Revised Componential Model of Creativity

This revised model has added additional elements to existing ones such as more types of motivation, work orientation and the role of affect
These additions enhance the understanding of the factors motivating individuals and how they influence creativity

Investment Theory of Creativity

This theory compares creativity to financial investments
It identifies six key components: motivation, intelligence, knowledge, personality, thinking styles, and environment

Category Three: What Drives People To Be Creative?

This category addresses the internal factors driving creative endeavors
This category focuses on understanding the motivations behind creativity and exploring the need to answer questions, the role of curiosity, and the interplay among knowledge, affect, and purpose

The Optimal Experience or Flow Theory

Csíkszentmihalyi's "flow" theory suggests that people often engage in creative endeavors simply to experience the exciting pleasurable moments of complete absorption
The feelings associated with this model are rewarding

The Matrix Model

There are four types of creativity within this model
This model from Industrial and organizational psychology focuses on the reasons behind the motivations and focuses on context (whether the problem is closed or open)

Category Four: How Do We Create?

This focus is on the process of creating
Early theories on the creative process, such as Wallas's five stage model, focused on the sequence of steps involved in generating creative ideas

Wallas's Five Stages Model

This model suggests a five-stage process: preparation, incubation, intimation, illumination, and verification
These steps represent the process of problem-solving

Guilfords' Structure of Intellect Model

This model distinguishes two key thinking processes for the creative process.
Divergent thinking involves generating many different solutions, while convergent thinking focuses on choosing the best solution.
Idea generation and idea exploration are the processes sometimes called

Creative Problem Solving Models

Current expansions on Guilford's model provide more detail on the creative process and include the Geneplore and Campbell's Blind Variation and Selective Retention (BVSR) Theory

Mednick's Associate Theory

This theory emphasizes the ability to make connections between remote concepts, including the capacity to produce less obvious associations between concepts, for example, to associate the word "milk" with "mustache"

Galenson's Conceptual and Experimental Creators

This theory highlights two main types of creators: conceptual (those who start with an idea and aim to implement it) and experimental (those who continuously refine their approaches through trial and error)

Category Five: How Do We Create Together?

This category investigates collaborative creativity and the mechanisms and implications of such activity

Osborn (1957) introduced brainstorming, suggesting that creative ideas can spark by bringing people together. However, his assertions are not always verified

Vygotsky's Perspective (1978).

Inspired by sociocultural scholarship, Vygotsky's work suggests that interacting with others helps individuals to develop knowledge and skills, fostering creativity in real-world situations

John-Steiner's Collaborative Creativity Research

This work focused on the potential for social interaction to facilitate learning and creativity in real-life, long-term collaborations
It has been found that high-performing collaborations often involve tensions, complementarity, and emergent properties

Perspective-Taking and Reflexivity

Research now suggests that this dynamic is a key element in fostering creativity in group interactions
It is believed that collaboration is influenced by participants understanding different perspectives and the ability to reflect on their own position, leading to increased productivity

Drey and Colleagues' Motivated Information Processing Model

In this model, creativity is influenced by epistemic motivation and prosocial motivation
Different conditions, such as time constraints, open-ness to experiences, and the presence of shared identity influence collaborative activities

Creative Climate and Contextual Factors

Factors like team and interpersonal cohesiveness are important for a creative climate
Cultural factors influence what is considered creative

What Makes Creative Work Last?

Four types of creative contributions preserve existing knowledge (conceptual replications, redefinitions, forward incrementations, and advance forward incrementations)
Other types (redirections, reconstructions/redirections, integrations, and reinitiations) create changes in the domain

Conclusion

The future of creativity research will involve continued theoretical development and empirical studies to deepen our understanding of the underlying forces involved in the creative process
Further questions that are yet to be explored in the research include what personal, situational, and contextual factors are needed to further encourage creative thought and output and how creativity can lead to positive societal change

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Description

This quiz explores various theories of creativity, examining the underlying structures, prerequisites, and drivers that influence individual and collective creativity. It highlights the components that contribute to the quality and longevity of creative works, providing a comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of creativity.