Cultural and educational environment in the development of younger schoolchildren's creative potential.

The purpose of our research is to study the creative potential as psychological capacities for younger schoolchildren's creative self-realization and self-development in various conditions of the educational environment. The methodological basis of this work is Vygotsky's conceptual provisions according to which the human psyche is culturally determined, and a sociocultural environment is considered to be the main source and condition for the child's mental development. The study involved younger schoolchildren (a total of 160 children from the 4th grade aged 9-10 years, n = 160, M = 9.5 years, SD = 2.6; 49% boys) from schools in Kazan (Russian Federation). We used a test of verbal creativity when studying the creative potential of younger schoolchildren, the proposed method is a Russian-language adapted version of the RAT test (remote association test) by Mednik. The Johnson Creativity Inventory was used as adapted by Tunick. To study the level of communicative control, the test "Diagnostics of communicative control" by Schneider was used. To assess the personal qualities of younger students, we used a modified version of the children's personality questionnaire intended for 8-12 year-old children and developed by Cattell and Koan. As a result of a comprehensive expert assessment, we identified four types of schools with different severity degrees of essential characteristics of educational environments: serene, dogmatic, career and creative. According to the analysis of variance (one-dimensional one-factor ANOVA), the younger schoolchildren's creative potential was revealed in the context of the educational environment variability and the contingency of the educational environment parameters with the personal characteristics of the children. We have empirically confirmed that in a creative educational environment with cultural content based on ethno-cultural values, patterns and norms, the development of the child is actively supported largely, with the disclosure of his creative potential. Younger schoolchildren are characterized by greater subjective agency and the capability to gain unique achievements in educational and cognitive activity.

Becoming Self-Aware of Feelings and Performance: The Influence of Creative Potential, Self-Evaluations, and Metacognitive Feelings on Creative Mindsets.

Based on a recently developed model of creative cognition, we tested in two studies, the relationships between creative potential, self-evaluations, metacognitive feelings, and growth and fixed mindsets in creative action. In both studies, participants (N = 491, mean = 21.57, SD = 2.78 and N = 280, 94% between the ages of 18 and 25 years, respectively, for studies 1 and 2) first completed a divergent thinking task, followed by an assessment of metacognitive feelings, self-evaluations of the creativity of the ideas generated (only in study 2), and creative mindsets while knowing that a second divergent thinking task was coming. Results showed that creative mindsets were sensitive to variations in creative potential, self-evaluations, and metacognitive feelings when examined in creative action. Specifically, studies 1 and 2 showed positive relationships between metacognitive feelings and growth mindsets. Results from study 2 showed positive relationships between self-evaluations of the idea generated and growth mindsets. For fixed mindsets, the creative potential of task 1 had a negative relationship in study 1 and a negative relationship between fixed mindsets and the creative potential of task 2 in study 2. The implications for creative metacognition were explored.

The Dynamic Interplay of Affective, Cognitive and Contextual Resources on Children's Creative Potential: The Modulatory Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence.

In the present work we explored in two separate studies the modulatory role of trait emotional intelligence (EI) over the effect exerted on children's creative potential by two other key elements defining creativity, namely cognitive resources (here explored through basic executive functions, Study 1) and contextual-environmental factors (that is, teachers' implicit conceptions of the factors influencing children's creativity, Study 2). Confirming previous research, executive functions (particularly interference control and working memory) emerged as main predictors of children's creative performance; however, their positive effect arose especially when associated with a high trait EI level. In the same vein, teachers' implicit conception about children's creative potential and about their efficacy in teaching creativity emerged to exert a facilitatory effect on children' creative potential. This effect occurred particularly when associated with low trait EI levels, affecting differently girls and boys. Trait EI emerged from these studies as an important individual resource to consider in order to understand the potential benefit of other (cognitive and contextual-environmental) resources on children's creative potential. The implications on the role of trait EI as a constitutional element of children's creativity, capable of promoting the expression of their creative potential, are discussed.

Creative Potential in Science: Conceptual and Measurement Issues.

This paper examines the concept of creative potential as it applies in science. First, conceptual issues concerning the definition of creative potential are explored, highlighting that creative potential is a moving target, and measures of creative potential are estimates of future behavior. Then three main ways to detect creative potential are examined. First, a person's previous accomplishments in science can be analyzed. These accomplishments can be regarded as predictors of future creative performance. Second, science talent competitions can help to detect creative potential in children and adolescents. There are particular types of talent competitions differing from each other by the extent of focusing on individual (e.g., Science Fairs) or collaborative (e.g., Science Olympiads) work. Third, to measure an individual's creative potential, psychometric tools such as Creative Scientific Ability Test (C-SAT), Test of Scientific Creativity Animations for Children (TOSCAC), and Evaluation of Potential Creativity (EPoC) can be used. These tools are conceptualized in terms of two scientific activities: hypothesis generation and hypothesis testing. In a final section, these three types of measures are placed in a novel time-space framework as applied to creative potential. Suggestions for future work are also discussed.

Acute and Chronic Physical Activity Increases Creative Ideation Performance: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is a health-relevant lifestyle factor associated with various benefits on physical and mental health. Several meta-analyses indicated effects of acute and chronic physical activities on elementary cognitive functions such as executive control processes, memory, and attention. Meta-analytic evidence on the effects of physical activity on creative idea generation, which involves a conglomerate of these elementary cognitive functions, is largely missing. OBJECTIVE: A twofold approach was used to evaluate (1) if there is an association between habitual physical activity and creative ideation and (2) if physical activity interventions (acute and chronic) enhance creative ideation performance. METHODS: Multilevel meta-analytic methods were applied to (1) evaluate the cross-sectional association between creative ideation performance and measures of habitual physical activity and (2) the effect of physical activity on creative ideation performance. Indicators of creative ideation (fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, or composite score), creativity domain (verbal, figural), population (adults, children), gender, study quality, and publication year served as moderator variables for both meta-analyses. Analyses of intervention studies additionally examined the moderator variables study design (between, within), time of measurement (during, after), and implementation of intervention (acute, chronic). RESULTS: The applied meta-analytic multilevel analysis indicated a medium effect for cross-sectional studies (r = 0.22, SE = 0.06, p = 0.002, 95% CI [0.10-0.34]) based on 17 effects sizes from seven studies. The pooled effects of 28 intervention studies, providing 115 effect sizes, indicated a medium effect size of Hedges' g = 0.47 (SE = 0.09, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.30-0.65]). Furthermore, a stronger effect was observed for chronic interventions of several days or weeks in comparison with acute interventions of one single bout. CONCLUSION: This study adds important new meta-analytic evidence on the beneficial role of physical activity beyond mental and physical health outcomes: Physical activity has a positive impact on creative ideation, which expands the literature on the role of physical activity in more elementary cognitive functions such as executive control, memory, and attention. Moderator analyses suggested that chronic interventions showed stronger effects than single bouts of physical activity. Rigorously conducted randomized controlled intervention studies and more cross-sectional studies are needed to broaden the evidence in this nascent field of research.

A Minimal Theory of Creative Ability.

Despite decades of extensive research on creativity, the field still combats psychometric problems when measuring individual differences in creative ability and people's potential to achieve real-world outcomes that are both original and useful. We think these seemingly technical issues have a conceptual origin. We therefore propose a minimal theory of creative ability (MTCA) to create a consistent conceptual theory to guide investigations of individual differences in creative ability. Building on robust theories and findings in creativity and individual differences research, our theory argues that creative ability, at a minimum, must include two facets: intelligence and expertise. So, the MTCA simply claims that whenever we do something creative, we use most of our cognitive abilities combined with relevant expertise to be creative. MTCA has important implications for creativity theory, measurement, and practice. However, the MTCA isn't necessarily true; it is a minimal theory. We discuss and reject several objections to the MTCA.

Gender Differences in Creativity: A Systematic Literature Review / Diferenças de Gênero na Criatividade: Revisão Sistemática de Literatura

Abstract In order to understand trends reported in research carried out about gender differences in creativity, a systematic review of the scientific literature on the electronic databases Scielo, Pepsic, CAPES Periodicals, Academic Search Premier, Academic Search Elite, Redalyc, and MEDLINE Complete was held. The 133 publications analysis showed that the articles were published between 1975 and 2020, most of them of international origin (82.71%). Most studies reported gender differences, with 45.20% in favor of women. Another 23.28% in favor of men, and 31.50%, oscillating according to the content evaluated. There was no consensus on the issue since inconsistent results were found, sometimes indicating the predominance of better results achieved by women, sometimes by men, in the same measures. This finding reinforces the importance that studies of this nature consider the influence of other factors, such as attitudes, motivation, opportunities, and the type of measure used to establish more accurate results.

Resumo Para compreender as tendências relatadas nas pesquisas realizadas sobre diferenças de gênero na criatividade, uma revisão sistemática da literatura científica foi feita nas bases eletrônicas Scielo, Pepsic, Periódicos CAPES, Academic Search Premier, Academic Search Elite, Redalyc e MEDLINE Complete. A análise de 133 publicações mostrou que os artigos foram publicados entre os anos de 1975 e 2020, predominantemente de origem internacional (82,71%). A maioria dos estudos relatou diferenças de gênero, sendo 45,20% a favor das mulheres, 23,28% a favor dos homens e 31,50% oscilando de acordo com o conteúdo avaliado. Não houve consenso sobre a questão, uma vez que foram encontrados resultados incoerentes, ora indicando a predominância de melhores resultados alcançados pelas mulheres, ora pelos homens, nas mesmas medidas. Esse achado reforça a importância de que os estudos dessa natureza considerem a influência de outros fatores, como atitudes, motivação, oportunidades e tipo de medida utilizada para estabelecer resultados mais precisos.

Development of Chinese Junior High School Students' Creative Potential: Within-Person and Between-Person Effects of Student-Student Support and Need for Cognition.

A longitudinal study was conducted to examine the developmental trend of creative potential in Chinese junior high school students and the within-person and between-person effects of student-student support and need for cognition. Two hundred and fourteen Chinese junior high school students participated in the present study (mean age = 13.29 years, SD = 0.49 years, 116 boys). Student-student support, need for cognition, and creative potential were measured once per year for 3 years. Longitudinal multilevel models indicated that (1) Chinese junior high school students' creative potential showed a downward trend from grades 7 to 9; (2) at the within-person level, time-varying student-student support positively predicted time-varying creative potential; (3) at the within-person level, time-varying need for cognition moderated the positive link between time-varying student-student support and time-varying creative potential; and (4) at the between-person level, no support was found for the links between student-student support, need for cognition, and creative potential. Specifically, average levels of student-student support neither significantly predicted initial levels and developmental rates of creative potential nor moderated the links between average levels of student-student and initial levels and developmental rates of creative potential. The findings highlight that at the within-person and between-person levels, student-student support and need for cognition have differential influences on Chinese junior school students' creative potential.

Investigating Primary School Children's Creative Potential Through Dynamic Assessment.

This paper focused on examining primary school students' creative potential (CP) through dynamic assessment (DA). The study was carried out through a quasi-experimental design. The sample consisted of 90 Greek primary school students between fourth and sixth grade who were randomly divided into a group that received DA (N = 37) and a control group (N = 53). Both groups were initially tested with the graphic-artistic form of the Evaluation of Potential Creativity (EPoC) test. The DA group received mediation with graduated prompting while no such treatment was applied to the control group, and both groups were post-tested. The results demonstrated that mediation significantly improved DA group's CP. It appeared that DA contributes in demonstrating a clearer portrait of students' CP which can be of valuable assistance for nurturing creativity.

The Interaction of TPH1 A779C Polymorphism and Maternal Authoritarianism on Creative Potential.

Exploring the possible mechanisms through which gene may interact with environment to influence creativity has been one of the leading issues in creativity research. In a sample of four hundred and twenty-one Chinese undergraduate students, the present study investigated for the first time the interaction of TPH1 A779C polymorphism and maternal parenting styles on creative potential. The results showed that there was a significant interaction of TPH1 A779C polymorphism and maternal authoritarianism on creative potential. Moreover, the analysis of regions of significance (Ros) provided supporting evidences for both the diathesis-stress model (flexibility) and the differential susceptibility model (originality). These findings extend our understanding concerning the mechanisms by which gene and environment may act in coordination to contribute to creativity.

The associations among the dopamine D2 receptor Taq1, emotional intelligence, creative potential measured by divergent thinking, and motivational state and these associations' sex differences.

Previous neuroscientific studies have shown that the dopaminergic system plays an important role in creative potential measured by divergent thinking (CPMDT), emotional control, and motivational state. However, although associations between two of these four components have been previously established (e.g., the association between CPMDT and emotional control, the association between CPMDT and motivational state, etc.), the interactions between these four remain unknown. The purpose of this study was to reveal these interactions using path analyses. The Taq1A polymorphism of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene was used for this purpose. For measuring emotional intelligence (EI), we used the Japanese version of the Emotional Intelligence Scale. CPMDT was measured using the S-A creativity test. Motivational state was measured using the Vigor subscale of the Japanese version of the Profile of Mood Scale (POMS). Data from 766 healthy, right-handed individuals (426 men and 340 women; 20.7 ± 1.9 years of age) were used in this study. There were significant and robust positive relationships among measures of CPMDT, EI, and motivational state across sex. In addition, the polymorphism of the DRD2 gene was significantly associated with EI, specifically in females. Path analysis in females indicates that the model in which (a) the DRD2 polymorphism primarily facilitates EI, (b) EI in turn facilitates CPMDT and leads to a better motivational state, and (c) a better motivational state also directly facilitates CPMDT explains the data in the most accurate manner. This study suggested a comprehensive picture of the cascade of the associations among dopamine, EI, motivational state, and CPMDT at least in females.

Association of COMT and COMT-DRD2 interaction with creative potential.

Several lines of evidence suggest that genes involved in dopamine (DA) transmission may contribute to creativity. Among these genes, the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) and the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) are the most promising candidates. Our previous study has revealed evidence for the involvement of DRD2 in creative potential. The present study extended our previous study by systematically exploring the association of COMT with creative potential as well as the interaction between COMT and DRD2. Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering COMT were genotyped in 543 healthy Chinese college students whose creative potentials were assessed by divergent thinking tests. Single SNP analysis showed that rs174697 was nominally associated with verbal originality, two SNPs (rs737865 and rs5993883) were nominally associated with figural fluency, and two SNPs (rs737865 and rs4680) were nominally associated with figural originality. Haplotype analysis showed that, the TCT and CCT haplotype (rs737865-rs174675-rs5993882) were nominally associated with figural originality, and the TATGCAG and CGCGGGA haplotype (rs4646312-rs6269-rs4633-rs6267-rs4818-rs4680-rs769224) were nominally associated with figural originality and verbal flexibility, respectively. However, none of these nominal findings survived correction for multiple testing. Gene-gene interaction analysis identified one significant four-way interaction of rs174675 (COMT), rs174697 (COMT), rs1076560 (DRD2), and rs4436578 (DRD2) on verbal fluency, one significant four-way interaction of rs174675 (COMT), rs4818 (COMT), rs1076560 (DRD2), and rs4648317 (DRD2) on verbal flexibility, and one significant three-way interaction of rs5993883 (COMT), rs4648319 (DRD2), and rs4648317 (DRD2) on figural flexibility. In conclusion, the present study provides nominal evidence for the involvement of COMT in creative potential and suggests that DA related genes may act in coordination to contribute to creativity.

The Road to Creative Achievement: A Latent Variable Model of Ability and Personality Predictors.

This study investigated the significance of different well-established psychometric indicators of creativity for real-life creative outcomes. Specifically, we tested the effects of creative potential, intelligence, and openness to experiences on everyday creative activities and actual creative achievement. Using a heterogeneous sample of 297 adults, we performed latent multiple regression analyses by means of structural equation modelling. We found openness to experiences and two independent indicators of creative potential, ideational originality and ideational fluency, to predict everyday creative activities. Creative activities, in turn, predicted actual creative achievement. Intelligence was found to predict creative achievement, but not creative activities. Moreover, intelligence moderated the effect of creative activities on creative achievement, suggesting that intelligence may play an important role in transforming creative activities into publically acknowledged creative achievements. This study supports the view of creativity as a multifaceted construct and provides an integrative model illustrating the potential interplay between its different facets.

Entre instituições e encontros: a juventude dissolvendo a violência / Between institutions and encounters: youth putting an end to violence

Este artigo pretende refletir sobre as diferentes facetas da violência e como estas se manifestam na sociedade contemporânea, especialmente no que tange às políticas públicas e práticas institucionais voltadas para jovens. Partindo da crença moreniana de que todo sujeito encontra-se em constante desenvolvimento e transformação, este trabalho traz dois encontros sociodramáticos com adolescentes de uma instituição de apoio socioeducacional, apresentando ambas experiências como um convite a novos olhares na compreensão de trabalhos em instituições, onde o adolescente faz parte de uma cultura na qual a interação é um vetor constante. A partir das reflexões apresentadas neste artigo, é possível observar o quanto o trabalho baseado na abordagem psicodramática em instituições para jovens pode promover a transformação nos modos de ser adolescente, bem como instigar o potencial criador do sujeito jovem contemporâneo.(AU)

This article intends to reflect on the different facets of violence and the way violence manifests itself in our contemporary society, especially with regards to public policies and institutional practices directed at youth. Anchored in the Morenian belief that every individual is in constant development and transformation, this paper describes two sociodramatic encounters of youths from an institution offering socio-educational support, seeing both these experiences as a call to change our view and understanding of institutional work, adolescents being part of a culture where interaction is a constant vector. Based on these reflections it becomes notable how psychodramatic work in such institutions can promote changes in how to be an adolescent, and also instigate the creative potential of contemporary youths.(AU)

O processo criativo em mosaicistas / The creative process mosaicists

O presente estudo tem como objetivo relacionar o trabalho criativo deartesãos na cidade de Juiz de Fora em Minas Gerais, com o desenvolvimento dobem-estar,de habilidades manuais e de geração de renda. Este desenvolvimentose dará através da técnica da arte do mosaico, mostrando que as vivências deprazer são observadas quando o discurso reflete o contexto no qual o trabalho deve ser flexível, em grupo ou individual, propiciando aos trabalhadores fazerem uso de sua criatividade para se sentirem úteis, produtivos e valorizados. Nesta pesquisa, segundo bases qualitativas, foram entrevistados 9 (nove)artesãos e 1 (um) artista plástico que trabalham com o mosaico. Eles foramselecionados aleatoriamente seguindo a metodologia de bola de neve. Foramperguntados sobre sensações de bem e mal-estar no trabalho criativo, rotinas,insights, instrumentos de trabalho, motivações intrínsecas e extrínsecas, aceitações pessoais e por parte de outros e, a valorização do seu trabalho. Os dados foram analisados e foram verificadas seis fases no processo de trabalho criativo. Enfim, o estudo mostrou que a liberdade de pensamento e de criação juntamente com a paixão pelo que fazem e o reconhecimento, contribuíram para o desenvolvimento e a inclusão do indivíduo na sociedade, e como conseqüência, na comunidade na qual ele está inserido.

This study aims to relate the process of creative work of craftsmen in the cityof Juiz de Fora in Minas Gerais, Brazil, with the development of the welfare ofmanual skills and generating income. This development will be through thetechnique of mosaic art, showing that the experience of pleasure is observedwhen the speech reflects the context in which the work must be flexible, group or individual, providing the workers make use of their creativity to feel useful, productive and valued. In this search, the second qualitative basis, were interviewed 9 (nine) craftsmen and one visual artist working with the mosaic. They were randomly selected following the methodology of snowball. They were asked about feelings of well-being and badly in the process of creative work, routines, insights,instruments of work, intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, personal and acceptance by other, and the appreciation of their work. The data were analyzed and were found six stages in the process of creative work.Finally, the study showed that freedom of thought and creation together withthe passion for what they do and recognition, contributed to the development and inclusion of individuals in society, and as a consequence, the community in which it is inserted.