The purposes of this article are (1) to report empirical findings of studies of original or creative thinking in preschoolers, (2) to point out important issues to be considered in measuring the creativity of preschool children, and (3) to discuss the practical implications of these findings and issues. Research conducted at the Virginia…

The lack of a universal definition of creativity has led to the assessment of creativity according to the definition favored by the evaluator. These assessments fall into four groups. The first centers around the concept of the creative product; it assesses a tangible event or relationship that results from the creative process, which is implied…

This article reviews the history of divergent thinking tests and provides a projection of current research suggesting a bright outlook for creativity tests. A model relating problem finding and problem solving is described, as are approaches to increasing test reliability. (DB)

Viewing a videotaped model giving responses to a creativity test did have an effect on sixth graders' creativity performance in this study, but the effect varied with sex, race, creativity traits measured, and test used. (MJB)

General theories and process models of behavior are analyzed relative to vessels creative functioning, creativity is defined, and theoretical concepts for six phases of the creative process are presented. (MC)

This paper examines the nature and evaluation of creative behavior, tracing the origins of creativity research and developing an interdisciplinary framework for such research. The first part of the paper is devoted to identifying the nature of some common misconceptions regarding the nature and evaluation of creative behaviors, and tracing their…

While little is known about the processes of creative cognition or about the structure of human memory, scholars do understand the immense task of unraveling the cortical structure and function of the human brain. Existing literature on creativity appears to obscure the processes of creativity far more than it clarifies the creative act. However,…

Shakespeare's genius as a creative playwright can be judged both subjectively and objectively. Cognitive psychology uses specific behavioral measures to assess performance. A product is marked by latency, quantity, and quality. When college students engage in tests of originality, these measures support many theories of creativity. A similar…

The author presents a two-factor conception of creativity, which is defined as an idea possessing both originality and feasibility. (IM)

In considering an ethnographic perspective on creativity research, this article briefly discusses and reviews sample studies on (1) the cultural context of creativity, (2) creativity and cultural transmission and transformation, and (3) creativity in the context of cultural anthropology. (DB)

This introductory article discusses a blind-variation and selective-retention model of the creative process developed by Donald Campbell. According to Campbell, creativity contains three conditions: a mechanism for introducing variation, a consistent selection process, and a mechanism for preserving and reproducing selected variations. (Author/CR)

The major purpose of this study is to further the development of procedures which minimize current limitations of creativity instruments, thus yielding a reliable and functional means for assessing creativity. Computerized content analysis and multiple regression are employed to simulate the creativity ratings of trained judges. The computerized…

An examination of the introspective evidence of artists and scientists on their creative processes suggests that determining the causes underlying the transformation of material in thought is the key for understanding creativity. A similar problem underlies the transformational process of understanding metaphor. T.S. Kuhn's view of scientific…

Describes recent neurophysical theories regarding the different functions of the brain's left hemisphere (linear, time-oriented, rational, and analytic) and right hemisphere (intuitive, artistic, and creative) and discusses their implications for management science. (Available from Office of Publications, Graduate School of Business…