Abstract
This study investigated change in divergent thinking (DT), an indicator of creative potential, at two gender-specific residential summer camps. Additionally, this study examined whether the change in DT varied by gender and by the type of activities campers self-select. Quantitative methods, using a quasi-experimental design was used in order to understand differences in camper scores. A total of 189 youth, 100 girls, 89 boys, between the ages of 9 and 14 years participated in the current study. Participants were administered a modified version of Guilford's (1967) alternate uses task, a measure of DT, in which respondents were asked questions such as name all of the uses for a brick or name all of the uses for a plate before the camp session started, and then again at the end of the two-week session. Results indicate overall mean significant increases in DT across all scoring methods of fluency, flexibility, and originality. Participants who self-selected one or more artistic activities (e.g., drama, arts and crafts, dance) had significant increases on the tasks as opposed to participants who did not select any artistic activities (e.g., basketball, baseball, archery). Finally, girls significantly increased across all scoring methods, whereas boys slightly increased in fluency and flexibility but not in originality. These results indicate residential summer camp may provide a creativity "benefit" for youth in attendance, especially those who participate in certain activities. Practitioners should use this study to understand their own programming in terms of creativity, activity offerings, and camp culture.
Highlights
Imaginative free play, openness to experience, confidence in abilities, time spent in natural settings, and self-efficacy beliefs are some key ingredients that help promote creativity and creative problem solving (Atchley, Strayer, & Atchley, 2012; Brown & Vaughan, 2009; Feist 2010; McCrae, 1987; Russ, 2014)
Despite the increased attention being paid to creativity, traditional school settings, in which high stakes testing, standardization, and rote memorization are favored, are not effectively preparing youth to develop their own creativity, which is a key component for 21st century problem solving (Robinson & Aronica, 2015; Starko, 1995)
The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in camper fluency, flexibility, and originality, measures of divergent thinking (DT), in a traditional residential camp setting over a 2-week program
Summary
Imaginative free play, openness to experience, confidence in abilities, time spent in natural settings, and self-efficacy beliefs are some key ingredients that help promote creativity and creative problem solving (Atchley, Strayer, & Atchley, 2012; Brown & Vaughan, 2009; Feist 2010; McCrae, 1987; Russ, 2014). In order to meet the complex demands of a dynamic, fastpaced society, people are required to think and act in creative ways. This is true for people young and old, those in school or in the workplace. Creativity, divergent thinking, has been on the decline in the United States since 1990, based on results from thousands of Torrance Tests for Creative Thinking (TTCT), (Kim, 2011) Organizations such as the Partnership for 21st Century Skills are starting to promote the need for youth and adults to have “the ability to produce and implement new, useful ideas . Summer camp may provide an optimal, out of school, informal educational option for youth to enhance and develop their own creativity
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