Innovative and artistic: Conceptions of creativity among the American public

Abstract

As the prominence and expressed need for creativity grows across multiple facets of society, so too do interests in understanding and enabling individuals’ own creative potential. These notions extend broadly to individuals living in myriad communities and contexts, highlighting the need to develop insights on creativity within the general population. To provide foundational insights, this study examines the general public's perspectives on what “creativity” is and the prevalence of conceptualizations of creativity from psychology and sociology literatures in these perspectives. We utilize a nationally representative sample of 3,298 adults living in the United States and code their open-ended responses to the question, “When you hear the word ‘creativity’, what do you think of?” Responses relate creativity to the generation of new thoughts and ideas (31.56%) and to art, artistry, and artistic practices (27.5%) with highest frequency, but only weakly correlate these conceptualizations of creativity. For further examination, this study uses logistic regressions to test for differences across socio-demographic characteristics and the degree to which they explain perceptions of creativity as artistic. Perceptions of creativity as artistic are more likely among White adults, women, and individuals with a college education; the strongest predictor is direct engagement in arts-making activities. This study reorients inquiry about creativity toward understanding the meaning that creativity has within the general population and speaks to the prevalence of persistent links between creativity and the arts.