Creativity is making something new and unique, and involves divergent thinking rather than convergent thinking. It depends on previously acquired knowledge and intelligence, though exceptions exist. Creativity is thought to be 20% inherited but 80% developed through environment and experiences. Conditions that foster creativity include free time, solitude, encouragement, stimulating materials and environments, unpossessive parenting, and democratic child-rearing. Creativity is expressed through play, imagination, daydreaming, humor and storytelling in childhood. Hazards to creativity development include failure to stimulate it, inability to recognize it, and unfavorable social or home/school environments.

1. Creativity
#2: Creativity Development

2. Whyresearch in creativity has
been neglected?
Traditional belief that creativity washereditary, and
hence, nothing could be done to make some “Creative”
It wasbelieved that only a fewpeople had the ability to
create, so no need to focus on that minority
Hard workers were more likely to be successful than the
creative types, and hence little incentive there.
Creative people were considered “sexinappropriate”,
and hence focus more on “practical” skills
Creativity is difficult to study and measure
Child Development – Elizabeth Hurlock

3. Hurlock
Creativity is making something new and different, and thus unique (even if others
might have made something very similar)
However, creativity doesn’t always(have to) lead to products that can be observed
and judged. E.g., in daydreaming
Hence creativity is more of a process – it is the act of producing than the end result
of the act!
Creativity is more goal-directed, even though the goal might be no more than the
immediate pleasure the person derives from the activities.
Requires “divergent thinking” (Guilford) while conformity and everyday problem
solving comes from convergent thinking
Creativity is often synonymous with imagination and fantasy, and is a form of
mental play.Aform of controlled imagination.
The ability to create depends on the acquisition of accepted knowledge.

4. Is Creativity inherited?
It wasearlier believed that creativity wasinherited, and
nothing needs to be done to develop it – it will develop
“automatically”
However, now werecognize that all children have the
potential to be creative, though they differ in the
degree of creativity they possess
In 2009, a HBR study published that Creativity is 20%
inherited and 80% learned behavior.
Recent research seems to suggest that heredity might
have little more role than thought previously!

5. Is Creativity same as
Intelligence?
Creativity makes use of knowledge previously acquired,
and hence depends on the intellectual capabilities of
the individual
To that end, there is a positive correlation
However, wedo seeexceptions!

6. Creativity Syndrome
Acluster of related traits among the creative people
Flexibility, nonconformity, need for autonomy, need for
independence, high aspiration, self-discipline,
playfulness, liking the manipulation of ideas,
assertiveness, reserve, self-assurance, sense of humor,
open-mindedness, intellectual persistence, self-
confidence, curiosity, enjoyment of calculated risk
when success depends on own ability, sex-inappropriate
interests, timidity in social situations, preference for
fantasy over real adventures, venturesomeness, and
pursuit of self-chosen interests

7. Critical Periods in
Development of Creativity
5-6years:getting ready to school, they must learn to accept
authority – the more stricter it is, the more it could stifle
creativity
8-10years:desire to be accepted bythe social group forces
conformance to the group’s set norms
13-15years:peer acceptance, especially from opposite sex,
controls the adolescent behavior
17-19years:preparation for the vocation could require
conforming to a standard pattern
Normally peak during 30s and 40s, and either pleateu or
gradually decline

8. Variations in Creativity
Gender: Boysshow greater creativity than girls, especially as
childhood advances – perhaps because of how they are treated
differently than girls (e.g., take risks, be more independent, take
more initiative, etc.)
Socioeconomic Status: children from higher socioeconomic status
tends to be more creative – however more due to democratic child-
training than authoritarian training, and environmental factors /
accessto resources
Ordinal Position: order of birth seems to have an impact on
creativity due to differential environment. Middle, later-born and only
children are likely to be more creative than the first-born. Typically,
first-born is subjected to more pressure to confirm to parental
expectations, which encourage a child to be a “conformer” rather
than a “creator”

9. Variations in Creativity
Family Size: Children from small families tend to be more creative. In
large families, authoritarian child-training controls and less favorable
socioeconomic conditions are more likely to prevail and mitigate
against the development of creativity.
Urban vsRural: Children from urban environments tend to be
more creative. It could be attributed, in general, to authoritarian
training being more common in rural homes, and also the rural
environment offering lessstimulation than the large environments
of cities
Intelligence: at everyage, brighter children show more creativity
compared to their peers.

10. Conditions that foster
creativity
Time: have low regimentation to provide for free time to play and try out things
Solitude:awayfrom pressures imposed bythe socialgroups
Encouragement: unconditional encouragement free from criticism and ridicule
Materials: materials to play with and stimulate experimentation and exploration
Stimulating Environment: providing the environment of encourage and support
UnpossessiveParent-Child Relationhsip:Balance between overprotective and
overpossessive
Child-training methods:Democratic and permissive child training at home and
school
Opportunities to acquireknowledge:Create opportunities to acquire the
knowledge to build the foundations for further creativity

11. Expression of Creativity in
Childhood
Animism: tendency to ascribe consciousness to inanimate objects. Begins ~2 years
and peaks ~4-5 years before rapidly disappearing as the child enters school
Dramatic Play:parallels the animistic thinking, and they accept and assign roles
and play them out. Generally tapers off while entering school, unless considered ok
in thire social groups. Mostly reproductive.
Constructive Play:When children lost interest in dramatic play, the turn to
constructive play, e.g. making things (from mud, clay, blocks, paper, etc.) and
drawing. Initially, it is mostly reproductive, and mostly solitary.
Imaginary Companions:could be a person, or animal or something a child creates
in fantasy to play the role of companion, though most tend to be of their own age
and sex, have a name and obey the child! Found more prevalent in brighter
children, but most common in timid or sensitive, etc.
Daydreaming:Aform of mental play, usually called “fantasy”, it provides an escape
or defensive mechanism from unsatisfying reality, with the dreamer mostly being
the central character. It peaks around puberty.

12. Expression of Creativity in
Childhood
White Lies:a white lie is a falsehood that the person telling actually believes
in, and not the same as an adult lying. The intent is not to deceive others, but
self aggrandizement, as opposed to lied that are for self-protection.
Humor: ability to perceive something comic and to produce it, could show a
level of personal adjustment but also has a high creative quotiant
Storytelling: starts as reproductive initially, and later on become creative.
Tends to be more with those who have had imaginary companions. Is also less
prone to criticism, compared to say,drawing, this creating better social
interactions.
AspirationsforAchievement:aspirations for achievement, though unrealistic
initially, tend to help a child make personal and social adjustments, and also
limit the “impossible dreamer”
ConceptsofIdeal Self:what would they rather be, their physical self-concepts
and psychological self-concepts, they provide for better social adjustment
opportunities

13. Hazards to Creativity
Failure to Stimulate Creativity
Inability to Detect Creativity in Time
Unfavorable SocialAttitudes towards Creativity
Unfavorable Home Conditions
Unfavorable School Conditions
Excessive Daydreaming