This article presents an investment theory of creativity, and discusses its implications for the understanding and assessment of creativity. The article opens with a consideration of the standard psychometric approach to creativity and the assessments generated under this approach, which tend to emphasize divergent thinking. The article continues with a description of the investment theory and data collected in support of it. We conclude that a broader-based theory and measurement procedure provideas more insights into creativity than are gained through the narrower, conventional psychometric approach.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Amabile, T.M. (1983) The Social Psychology of Creativity. New York: Springer-Verlag.
2.
Arlin, P.K. (1975) 'Cognitive Development in Adulthood: A Fifth Stage?', Developmental Psychology11: 602-606.
3.
Cattell, R.B. and Cattell, A.K. (1963) Test of g: Culture Fair, Scale 3. Champaign, IL: Institute for Personality and Ability Testing.
4.
Getzels, J. and Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1976) The Creative Vision: A Longitudinal Study of Problem-finding in Art. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
5.
Golden, C.J. (1975) 'A Group Version of the Stroop Color and Word Test', Journal of Personality Assessment39: 386-388.
6.
Gough, H.G. and Heilbrun, A.B. (1983) The Adjective Check List Manual. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
7.
Guilford, J.P. (1956) 'Structure of Intellect', Psychological Bulletin53: 267-293.
8.
Jackson, D.N. (1984) Personality Research Form Manual (3rd edn). Port Huron, MI: Research Psychologists Press.
9.
Lepper, M. , Greene, D. and Nisbett, R. (1973) 'Undermining Children's Intrinsic Interest with Extrinsic Rewards: A Test of the "Overjustification" Hypothesis', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology28: 129-137.
10.
Myers, I.B. and McCaulley, M.H. (1985) Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
11.
Rubenson, D.L. and Runco, M.A. (in press) 'The Psychoeconomic Approach to Creativity', New Ideas in Psychology.
12.
Sternberg, R.J. (1988) 'Mental Self-government: A Theory of Intellectual Styles and Their Development', Human Development34: 1-31.
13.
Sternberg, R.J. and Frensch, P.A. (1989) 'A Balance-level Theory of Intelligent Thinking', Zeitschrift fur Padagogische Psychologie3: 79-96.
14.
Sternberg, R.J. and Lubart, T.I. (1991) 'An Investment Theory of Creativity and its Development', Human Development34: 1-31.
Torrance, E.P. (1974) The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking: Technicalnorms Manual. Lexington, MA: Personnel Press.
17.
Torrance, E.P. (1979) The Search for Satori and Creativity. Buffalo, NY: Bearly.
18.
Torrance, E.P. (1984) 'Sound and Image Productions of Elementary School Pupils as Predictors of the Creative Achievements of Young Adults', Creative Child and Adult Quarterly7: 8-14.
19.
Torrance, E.P. (1988) 'Creativity as Manifest in Testing', in R.J. Sternberg (ed.), The Nature of Creativity, pp. 43-75. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Walberg, H.J. (1988) 'Creativity and Talent as Learning', in R.J. Sternberg (ed.), The Nature of Creativity, pp. 340-361. New York: Cambridge University Press.
