The articles in this issue of "New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development" nicely summarize recent findings about creativity and development. This commentary underscores some of the key ideas and puts them into a larger context (i.e., the corpus of creativity research). It pinpoints areas of agreement (e.g., the need to take…

This article attempts to address the question of how to make gifted education more equitable and productive by shifting priorities to talent development for all rather than confining itself to the "gifted." I first present an overview of political and ethical considerations in selecting a few for talent or creativity development. I then…

Mitchel Resnick is a researcher, inventor, and professor at MIT's Media Laboratory in Cambridge, MA, and the founder of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT. He is the lead innovator behind many cutting-edge learning technologies and projects for children, including the Computer Clubhouse, PicoCrickets, and the wildly successful consumer…

Creativity theory supports the conclusion that when a person recognizes the isomorphism in an analogic construct, that insight is the essentially creative act. Infraconscious mentation is more likely to produce insightful analogies than is rigorous, willful, consciously rational mentation, because infraconscious mentation, operating in the mode of…

The author examines various definitions of creativity, from broad global statements to narrow views of testable traits. Concluding that none of these definitions can be operationalized in education, he suggests that educators concentrate on more definable components of creativity, such as critical thinking, aesthetics, and the imagination. (SJL)

The authors' recent theoretical work has focused on developing the construct of mini-c creativity and illustrating how all levels of creative performance follow a trajectory that starts with novel and personally meaningful interpretations (mini-c), which can then progress to intrapersonally judged novel and meaningful contributions (little-c) and…

Makes recommendations regarded cross-sectional and longitudinal research needed on creativity, developmental trends and processes related to creativity, and determinants of the development of creativity. (DR)

What are creative people like? There is evidence that four personality traits appear to differentiate more creative from less creative people: devotion to work, independence, drive for originality, and flexibility. Creative people do not have higher intelligence quotients (IQs) or get better school grades than others--in fact, no cognitive…

This paper outlines cognitive processes underpinning creative ability, considers their development, and discusses the creative potential of the individual at various life stages. Creativity is viewed as an outcome of self-directed transformational activity. The roles of fantasy and imagination are discussed, as is the contrast between public and…

Reviews the perspective of Donald Campbell on creative thought and argues that the role of blind variation and selective retention in Darwinian evaluation and human invention is different. Proposes that a contrast can be drawn between "smart" and "not so smart" blind variation. (CR)

Argues that while blind variation and selective retention (BVSR) may not be involved in all forms of human behavior and thought, Donald Campbell has made a compelling case that human creativity and invention involve BVSR. The complementary nature of prior and current BVSR in creative human endeavor is discussed. (Author/CR)

Schools can promote creative thinking by focusing on aesthetics, purpose, mobility, objectivity, and intrinsic motivation and by encouraging students to work at the edge of their competence. All elements of knowledge can be presented as the products of design, involving purpose, structure, model cases, and arguments. (TE)

Argues that the cognitive mechanisms in human creativity are, for the most part, sighted rather than blind. Reviews attempts to apply evolutionary ideas to psychology and argues that these ideas do not apply to the psychology of human creativity. An alternative sighted-variation framework is then proposed. (Author/CR)

The article suggests that creativity is the interaction of external and internal input, resulting in a unique, purposive, and communicable product. Facilitation of creativity is considered. (CL)

The article examines the concept of creativity from a philosophical point of view and discusses how to teach creativity through humor and metaphor. (Author/DLS)