Big C Research – The Big Challenge? Reflections from Research into Eminent Creativity in the Light of the Investment Theory of Creativity

In this article, based on personal experience, I present the challenges , associated with the study of eminent creativity (Big-C creativity) in the light of the investment theory of creativity (Sternberg & Lubart, 1991, 1996). I point out the difficulties and costs (obstacles specific to this area of research) that the researcher needs to take into consideration and I try to determine the potential profits (in the form of publications in leading journals) associated with the decision to explore this field. Reflections and impressions related to conducting a research project about eminent creativity are complement ed by statements from professional art critics, renowned Polish artists, excerpts from correspondence with prominent artists, their managers, and researchers of eminent creativity, and a comparison of publications devoted to potential and realized creativity in four leading creativity journals. Based on the analyses of this diverse information, studying eminent creativity would seem to be a risky investment, requiring specific research efforts while giving uncertain profits in the form of publication of the results.This study was supported by a grant DEC-2011/03/N/HS6/05137 from the National Science Centre, Poland. I thank Maciej Karwowski for his [email protected] of Educational Sciences, Academy of Special Education, 40 Szczesliwicka St., 02-353 Warsaw, Poland11334

Are creativity teachers creative? A 6-year qualitative follow-up

AbstractPsycho-pedagogy of Creativity, a continual five-year undergraduate and graduate course of studies, was established in 1997, in Poland, at the Warsaw Academy of Special Education. The main goal of this specialization is to educate specialists who are well-prepared to develop children's creativity and who know how to identify and solve educational problems. But are the graduates fulfilling their potential? Are they self-actualizing in real life? These are the main questions of the presented study. Six years after the first graduation of educators for creativity, I checked how they use their creative skills in everyday life. Qualitative methods such as biographical sketches and narrations ware used in the research. Results show high diversity of lifestyles and vocational activities among creative adults and significant similarities between them. Their common characteristics are high life approval, balance between work and family, and seeking challenges. This study proves the effectiveness of long-term education of and for creativity

Personality predictors of creative achievement and lawbreaking behavior

This article investigates how Big Five personality traits are related to creative achievements and lawbreaking behavior in a large sample (N = 1669) of Polish adults. Structural equation modelling with personality modelled as a bi-factor structure demonstrated a weak, yet significant link (r = .21) between latent factors of creative achievements and lawbreaking behavior. A general factor of personality was unrelated to creative achievement, but negatively linked to lawbreaking behavior. Lawbreaking behavior was also negatively predicted by conscientiousness and agreeableness, while only openness positively predicted creative achievement. A person-centered analysis illustrated three distinct personality profiles: resilient, undercontrolled, and overcontrolled that differed in both lawbreaking behavior and creative achievements

Exploring the Creative Process: Integrating Psychometric and Eye-Tracking Approaches

This exploratory study aims at integrating the psychometric approach to studying creativity with an eye-tracking methodology and thinking-aloud protocols to potentially untangle the nuances of the creative process. Wearing eye-tracking glasses, one hundred adults solved a drawing creativity test – The Test of Creative Thinking-Drawing Production (TCT-DP) – and provided spontaneous comments during this process. Indices of visual activity collected during the eye-tracking phase explained a substantial amount of variance in psychometric scores obtained in the test. More importantly, however, clear signs of methodological synergy were observed when all three sources (psychometrics, eye-tracking, and coded thinking-aloud statements) were integrated. The findings illustrate benefits of using a blended methodology for a more insightful analysis of creative processes, including creative learning and creative problem-solving

Advancing Creativity Theory and Research: A Socio-cultural Manifesto

This manifesto, discussed by 20 scholars, representing diverse lines of creativity research, marks a conceptual shift within the field. Socio-cultural approaches have made substantial contributions to the concept of creativity over recent decades and today can provide a set of propositions to guide our understanding of past research and to generate new directions of inquiry and practice. These propositions are urgently needed in response to the transition from the Information Society to the Post-Information Society. Through the propositions outlined here, we aim to build common ground and invite the community of creativity researchers and practitioners to reflect up, study, and cultivate creativity as a socio-cultural phenomenon

Parents’ Creative Self-Concept and Creative Activity as Predictors of Family Lifestyle

Family rules, routines, and resources shape children’s creativity. However, little is known about how parents’ creative self-concepts and creative activity are related to the lifestyle adults create in their families. Family lifestyle might be operationalized as referring to domain-general dimensions of family social functioning (cohesion, flexibility, communication, and family satisfaction) and domain-specific factors related to creativity, namely, family climate for creativity (encouragement to experience novelty and varieties, encouragement to nonconformism, support of perseverance in creative efforts, encouragement to fantasize). To explore the link between parents’ creativity-related characteristics and family lifestyle, 303 Polish parents (57% mothers) of children aged between 6 and 10 (M = 7.99; SD = 1.38) reported on their creative self-concept (creative self-efficacy and creative personal identity), creative activity, overall family lifestyle, and climate for creativity in their families. We found that parents’ creative self-concept and their creative activity predict support for creativity in the family and more general balanced and satisfying family relationships. We discuss these findings, point new paths for future research, and suggest possible interventions to strengthen families as creativity-fostering environments

Biography in numbers: a historiometric case study

In the historiometric case study described in the chapter, a nomothetic and idiographic approach was described, thus creating a unique possibilities of research into outstanding creativity. Previously, pedagogy and psychology noted few publications that would apply this not so common technique. Thus, an attempt was made to describe the main historiometric assumptions, a case study which would indicate its differences to other research solutions, what are the opportunities it presents, challenges and threats.Udostępnienie publikacji Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego finansowane w ramach projektu „Doskonałość naukowa kluczem do doskonałości kształcenia”. Projekt realizowany jest ze środków Europejskiego Funduszu Społecznego w ramach Programu Operacyjnego Wiedza Edukacja Rozwój; nr umowy: POWER.03.05.00-00-Z092/17-00. Praca naukowa finansowana w ramach programu Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego pod nazwą „Iuventus Plus” w latach 2015–2016 nr projektu 0252/IP3/2015/73

Teachers and Success – Psychological Characteristics and Perceived Success Sources

In this article three separate, but connected studies are presented. The first and second studies conducted on two large samples of teachers (N=610&N=200) were realized to find an answer to the question about relationship of some personality characteristics (study 1.) or creative attitude (study 2.) and feeling of being a man/ woman of success in teachers’ case. The results showed statistically significant correlations between achieved success (in self-assessment) and such personality traits as: extraversion, conscientiousness and agreeableness (all relations are positive) and a negative correlation with neuroticism. In the second study significant differences in nonconformity, algorithmic behaviour and heuristic behaviour were found between teachers who think about themselves as people of success and those who did not achieve success. Successful teachers (in their own eyes) were more conformist and intellectually rigid (higher algorithmic and lower heuristic behaviour levels) than those who did not achieve success. The third study deals with the problem of teachers’ success source definitions and elements which could help to achieve success. The analysis of the data conducted in the Polish General Social Survey between 1992 and 2002 shows that teachers, similarly to the rest of society, see success sources mainly in individual abilities and activity (ambition, hard work), but one can see an interesting phenomenon of a growing number of factors which could be associated with social stratification – mainly family income and parents’ education level

Contributions of Metacognition to Creative Performance and Behavior

How are ideas born? Contrary to commonly held beliefs, creative performance, like any goal-oriented action, requires understanding and managing one's own cognitive processes – thus, efficient metacognition. Recently, a systematic framework of creative metacognition has been proposed, assuming the relevance of metacognitive knowledge, monitoring, and control in creative performance. Here, we provide the first comprehensive empirical examination of this conception. Specifically, an online sample (N= 425) performed DT tasks and gave insight in relevant aspects of metacognitive processes during task performance. The study revealed that all three proposed components of creative metacognition played independent roles in enhancing creative cognitive performance, including divergent thinking (DT) creativity and fluency. Among these components, metacognitive control showed the strongest positive association with creative cognitive performance. As expected, creative metacognition was especially relevant to imminent creative task performance but showed some association with real-life creativity. These findings provide the first empirical evidence that all three postulated components of creative metacognition support creative performance and, to a lesser degree, to creative behavior. In the discussion, we delve deeper into the specific roles of these metacognitive subcomponents in enhancing creative cognitive performance and touch upon the differences between the roles of self-regulation and metacognition in creativity