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creativity the ability to produce new and valuable ideas.
Creativity is the ability to produce ideas that are both novel and valuable (Hennessey & Amabile, 2010). Consider Princeton mathematician Andrew Wiles’ incredible, creative moment in 1994. Pierre de Fermat, a seventeenth-
Wiles had pondered Fermat’s theorem for more than 30 years and had come to the brink of a solution. One morning, out of the blue, the final “incredible revelation” struck him. “It was so indescribably beautiful; it was so simple and so elegant. I couldn’t understand how I’d missed it. . . . It was the most important moment of my working life” (Singh, 1997, p. 25).
convergent thinking narrowing the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution.
divergent thinking expanding the number of possible problem solutions; creative thinking that diverges in different directions.
Creativity like Wiles’ is supported by a certain level of aptitude (ability to learn). Those who score exceptionally high in quantitative (math) aptitude as 13-
Robert Sternberg and his colleagues believe creativity has five components (Sternberg, 1988, 2003; Sternberg & Lubart, 1991, 1992):
Expertise—well-
Imaginative thinking skills provide the ability to see things in novel ways, to recognize patterns, and to make connections. Having mastered a problem’s basic elements, we redefine or explore it in a new way. Wiles’ imaginative solution combined two partial solutions.
A venturesome personality seeks new experiences, tolerates ambiguity and risk, and perseveres in overcoming obstacles. Wiles said he labored in near-
Intrinsic motivation is the quality of being driven more by interest, satisfaction, and challenge than by external pressures (Amabile & Hennessey, 1992). Creative people focus less on extrinsic motivators—
A creative environment sparks, supports, and refines creative ideas. Wiles stood on the shoulders of others and collaborated with a former student. After studying the careers of 2026 prominent scientists and inventors, Dean Keith Simonton (1992) noted that the most eminent were mentored, challenged, and supported by their colleagues. Creativity-
For those seeking to boost the creative process, research offers some ideas:
Develop your expertise. Ask yourself what you care about and most enjoy. Follow your passion and become an expert at something.
Allow time for incubation. With enough available knowledge—
Set aside time for the mind to roam freely. Take time away from attention-
Experience other cultures and ways of thinking. Living abroad sets the creative juices flowing. Even after controlling for other variables, students who have spent time abroad and embraced their host culture are more adept at working out creative solutions to problems (Lee et al., 2012; Tadmor et al., 2012). Multicultural experiences expose us to multiple perspectives and facilitate flexible thinking, and may also trigger another stimulus for creativity—
Match the process or strategy listed below with the description.
Algorithm Intuition Insight Heuristics Fixation Confirmation bias Overconfidence Creativity Framing Belief perseverance | The ability to produce novel and valuable ideas. Tendency to search for support for our own views and ignore contradictory evidence. Fast, automatic, effortless feelings and thoughts based on our experience; adaptive but can lead us to overfeel and underthink. Wording a question or statement so that it evokes a desired response; can influence others' decisions and produce a misleading result. Ignoring evidence that proves our beliefs are wrong; closes our mind to new ideas. Simple thinking shortcuts that allow us to act quickly and efficiently, but put us at risk for errors. Overestimating the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments; allows us to be happy and to make decisions easily, but puts us at risk for errors. Methodological rule or procedure that guarantees a solution but requires time and effort. Inability to view problems from a new angle; focuses thinking but hinders creative problem solving. Sudden Aha! reaction that provides instant realization of the solution. |