CHAPTER 10 - Creativity

Abstract

This chapter discusses the definition, source, process, and measurement of creativity. The definition of creativity involves primarily novelty and appropriateness but is influenced by the quality, importance, and production history of a piece of work. In future research, the behavior of judges could be examined further to refine the definition of creativity. The source of creativity involves intelligence, knowledge, thinking styles, personality attributes, motivation, and the environment. These components work together to yield creative performance. Each component deserves further study, and the interaction of components especially needs to be explored. The chapter describes the creative process and the theoretical range of process models. The examination of the four-stage process model points to the need for more specification and development of creative process models in general. In particular, differences between the creative and routine problem-solving process need to be determined, and the use of intellectual abilities, knowledge, and other components of creativity need to be linked to the process in more detailed ways. The chapter also discusses creativity assessment methods. Each method has positive features, negative features, and room for improvement.