This study aimed to portray insightful problem solvers. Participants solved classic insight problems and rebuses and completed cognitive and creativity tasks. Grouping the participants based on their success in solving insight problems of different modalities revealed that 95% of the spatial problem solvers succeeded in solving verbal ones…

There is broad agreement among executives on the importance of innovation and creativity in organizations. The paper aimed to provide information on the effectiveness of a new cognitive style inventory, the Productive-Reproductive Thinking Inventory (P-R), in identifying people with creative problem-solving potential. Participants completed the…

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship among self-construal, achievement goals, and creativity. A total of 464 junior high school students (mean age = 12.81 years; 44.2% male; 51.8% in seventh grade; and 48.2% in eighth grade) completed the Self-Construal Scale, Goal Orientation Scales, Divergent Feeling Scale, and Kirton's…

This study investigated the personality facets that underpin the construct of problem-solving style, particularly when approaching more creative kinds of problem-solving. Cattell's Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire and VIEW--An Assessment of Problem Solving Style were administered to 165 students from the Norwegian Business School. We…

Building upon previously developed and more general dual-process models, this paper provides empirical support for a multidimensional thinking style construct comprised of linear thinking and multiple dimensions of nonlinear thinking. A self-report assessment instrument (Linear/Nonlinear Thinking Style Profile; LNTSP) is presented and…

The present experiment examined whether or not the type of associations (close (e.g. apple-pear) and distant (e.g. apple-fish) word associations) and memory instruction (paying attention to the ideas of others) had effects on the idea generation performances in the brainwriting paradigm in which all participants shared their ideas by using paper…

Creativity and Creative Problem Solving are globally important. This study examined the cross-cultural applicability of creative problem solving styles by translating VIEW: An Assessment of Problem Solving Style from its native English into Dutch and examining its psychometric properties and preliminary validation evidence. In general, support was…

A relationship is commonly reported between high levels of artistic creativity and mental health problems (e.g., depression or psychosis), and it is now becoming clearer that the divergent cognitive style associated with creativity has commonalities with some of the processes involved in the development and maintenance of some psychological…

A study of 147 Westinghouse Science Talent Search winners classified 57 subjects as independent problem finders. They were asked to select five of the 31 factors in Guilford's Structure of Intellect model which best described the process of choosing their research question. Implications for educating secondary science students are discussed. (VW)

An experiment was conducted to investigate the innovative performance of problem solving groups (n=196) with three different blends of cognitive styles. As predicted, groups with a heterogeneous blend of styles outperformed groups with completely or partially homogeneous blends. Participant satisfaction, however, was lower for heterogeneous teams.…

An instrument for self-analysis of creative problem-solving style is introduced. A circular flow model of dynamic tension establishes a profile based on one's orientation toward generation, conceptualization, implementation, and optimization of knowledge. Preliminary tests with 130 businesspeople and undergraduate students indicate high…

The discovery of penicillin is cited in a discussion of the role of serendipity as it relates to scientific discovery. The importance of sagacity as a personality trait is noted. Successful researchers have questioning minds, are willing to view data from several perspectives, and recognize and appreciate the unexpected. (JW)

Thirty-two high school students were categorized by creativity style (adaptor or innovator) and completed two musical composition problems involving two different degrees of problem-finding behaviors: an open, and a closed, problem. No significant differences due to problem type, creativity style, or the interaction of the two factors was found.…

Two hundred gifted and talented secondary students received an intensive exposure to a diverse array of learning and thinking experiences (indirect training) while 68 graduate students received intensive training in creative problem solving with emphasis on right cerebral hemisphere functions (direct training). (CL)

Subjects (n=156) completed the Kirton Adaptation-Innovation Inventory as well as Guilford's Consequences and Alternate Uses tests. Compared to adaptors, innovators produced a higher number of uncommon responses on the Consequences test and produced more responses on the Alternate Uses test. Results are discussed with reference to the distinction…