A dual methodological approach was adopted to investigate the effects of constraint upon creative product while using a physical interface toolkit. A longitudinal design study was carried out and found a persistence of ideas from the initial design task. In addition to this an action-oriented bias was found in the use of the toolkit. Experimental studies replicated Finke's (1990) finding that the use of a preinventive form may influence creative product. Presence of preinventive form in conjunction with constraint of form and a taxonomic category was found to significantly increase originality while leaving practicality unaffected. Verbal protocols of a design task using physical interface devices were gathered and were found to reflect the action- oriented bias seen in the design study. A final study into the effect of different dimensions of constraint upon a short design task using descriptions of physical interface toolkit items found that originality may be raised both by constraint in the form of taxonomic categorical instruction and goal-directed categorical instruction and that these gains in originality appear to be additive. However the introduction of a goal-directed categorical instruction resulted in a significant reduction in practicality ratings.

No description available.

Creativity is a complex construct and can be studied from a number of perspectives. Despite the fact that it has been linked to successful ageing, relatively little research has directly examined the relationship between creativity and ageing in non-eminent samples. The major aim of this thesis therefore was to investigate the effects of normal adult ageing on creative activity, creative processes and creative products using a range of cognitive paradigms. A further aim was to investigate the role of potential mediating variables such as information processing speed, working memory, executive function and verbal knowledge. Across five studies, with participants aged from 17 to 82 years, age-related declines were found in a number of creative measures including self-reported frequency of participation in certain creative activities (e.g., artistic activities, photography, dancing) and self-rated creativity (study 1), several indices of divergent thinking (study 2), the number and complexity of creative mentally synthesised patterns (studies 3 and 4), and the subjectivity judged creativity of collages (study 5). In these measures, older participants (aged over 60 years) performed more poorly than younger participants (under 40 years old) or middle-aged participants (40 to 60 years old). Information processing speed and working memory appeared to explain these age-related changes; there was also evidence suggesting that executive and sensorimotor functions may account for the observed differences. However, no age differences were found in overall levels of self-reported creative activity, and participation in solitary creative activities (e.g., gardening, needlework) showed age-related increases. Taken as a whole, the current findings concur with previous research using eminent creators: higher levels of creativity are generally found in younger and/or middle-aged adults, with a decline being evident in old age. However, more work is needed to fully understand the relationship between creativity and normal adult ageing, and the cognitive mechanisms responsible.

No description available.

The most commonly cited explanation for the evolutionary emergence of creative ability is sexual selection. This suggests that the ability to produce creative products arose to advertise the qualities of the artist and thereby attract sexual partners. Thus the higher the quality of the product the greater the number of mates the artist will attract. The first study considered the definition of creativity by a general population and developed a measure of self-perceived creative ability. From the 344 participants it was found that creativity was predominantly considered to encompass Arts based activities. It was also considered by over 80% of the participants that creative products communicated something about the creative individual. The second study investigated whether artworks act as fitness indicators by accurately conveying the qualities of the artists. Six male artists each made an artwork and completed a personality inventory and an intelligence test. Fifty-one females rated the artists on creativity, intelligence and personality traits. Whilst intelligence was the only variable that was found to be significantly accurately assessed, qualitative analysis suggested that the raters were able to assess levels of personality traits but not to make subtle distinctions between these levels. Furthermore, these ratings were used in mate choice decisions when choosing which artist they would most like to go out on a date with. The final study was an online questionnaire asking artists about their artistic behaviours and attitudes, their and their partner's personality and their reproductive success. Results demonstrated that more professional male artists gained greater numbers of sexual partners and used a more short-term mating strategy. Moreover, both male and female professional artists had significantly greater potential fertility than less professional artists. These results strongly support the sexual selection theory for the emergence of creativity.

This research documents the design, development and delivery of a two year programme of creative problem solving (CPS) workshops which were incorporated into the syllabus of the BA (Hons) Advertising course at Southampton Solent University. The initial phase of this research involved an examination of creative problem solving techniques and approaches, together with the teaching, learning and assessment sttrategies employed to evaluate creative products, processes and individuals themselves. This is supplemented by an audit of course content across other advertising degree programmes within the United Kingdom and an extensive survey of senior advertising creatives and account executives, examining the qualities they seek in undergraduate recruits. This three-pronged approach, focusing on research into creativity, current practice in advertising education and the requirements of the advertising industry provided the practical and theoretical framework on which the programme was subsequently designed. The second phase of the research, examines the impact of the programme on the creative performance of the students participating in the workshops. The results of divergent thinking tests administered before and after the first year of the programme, together with journal entries and observational notes made at the time of delivery, provide evidence that structured training in the use of CPS techniques can enhance creative ability and promote originality and creative fluency. A new theoretical model to explain the dynamic relationship between frequency, relevancy and originality of ideas is proposed together with various strategies for stimulating ideas and sustaining the frequency of idea generation. Subsequent to this, the research identifies new techniques for idea generation and proposes alternative systems for briefing creatives and fostering creativity in higher education and the workplace.

Die doel van die navorsing was om die doeltreffendheid van 'n opleidingskursus in kreatiewe vaardighede te evalueer. Die navorsingsprosedure is volgens die Solomonviergroepontwerp beplan, maar kon nie deurgevoer word nie weens 'n tekort aan proefpersone. Die navorsingsontwerp het bestaan uit 'n eksperimentele groep wat die opleidingskursus deurloop en 'n voor- en natoets afgete het, 'n kontrolegroep wat die opleidingskursus deurloop en 'n natoets afgete het, en 'n tweede kontrolegroep wat slegs getoets is. Die nieverbale toets van die Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking is gebruik om die uitwerking van die opleiding te bepaal. Die interbeoordelaarsbetroubaarheid van die meetinstrument is bewys. Die resultate dui aan dat die doeltreffendheid van die opleidingskursus nie deur die geslag of kwalifikasies van die proefpersone beinvloed is nie. Verder is bevind dat proefpersone wat voor opleiding lae tellings vir kreatiwiteit behaal het, meer gebaat het by kreatiwiteitsopleiding as persone wat hoe tellings behaal het. Die navorsingshipotese, naamlik dat die oplei~ingskursus sal lei tot 'n verbetering in die kreatiewe vaardighede van die proefpersone, is bevestig / The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training course in creative abilities. The research was structured according to the Solomon four-group design. It failed, because the sample size was inadequate. The research design consisted of an experimental group that had completed the training course and was pretested and posttested, a control group that had completed a course and was posttested, and another control group that was tested once. The nonverbal test of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking was used to determine the training results. The inter-rater reliability of the test was confirmed. The results of this study suggested that the sex and qualifications of the subjects were nonsignificant. However, subjects who rated poorly before training benefited most by training. The research hypothesis which stated that training in creative ability will lead to improvement of creative ability, was confirmed / Psychology / M.A. (Sielkunde)

Die doel van die navorsing was om die doeltreffendheid van 'n opleidingskursus in kreatiewe vaardighede te evalueer. Die navorsingsprosedure is volgens die Solomonviergroepontwerp beplan, maar kon nie deurgevoer word nie weens 'n tekort aan proefpersone. Die navorsingsontwerp het bestaan uit 'n eksperimentele groep wat die opleidingskursus deurloop en 'n voor- en natoets afgete het, 'n kontrolegroep wat die opleidingskursus deurloop en 'n natoets afgete het, en 'n tweede kontrolegroep wat slegs getoets is. Die nieverbale toets van die Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking is gebruik om die uitwerking van die opleiding te bepaal. Die interbeoordelaarsbetroubaarheid van die meetinstrument is bewys. Die resultate dui aan dat die doeltreffendheid van die opleidingskursus nie deur die geslag of kwalifikasies van die proefpersone beinvloed is nie. Verder is bevind dat proefpersone wat voor opleiding lae tellings vir kreatiwiteit behaal het, meer gebaat het by kreatiwiteitsopleiding as persone wat hoe tellings behaal het. Die navorsingshipotese, naamlik dat die oplei~ingskursus sal lei tot 'n verbetering in die kreatiewe vaardighede van die proefpersone, is bevestig / The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training course in creative abilities. The research was structured according to the Solomon four-group design. It failed, because the sample size was inadequate. The research design consisted of an experimental group that had completed the training course and was pretested and posttested, a control group that had completed a course and was posttested, and another control group that was tested once. The nonverbal test of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking was used to determine the training results. The inter-rater reliability of the test was confirmed. The results of this study suggested that the sex and qualifications of the subjects were nonsignificant. However, subjects who rated poorly before training benefited most by training. The research hypothesis which stated that training in creative ability will lead to improvement of creative ability, was confirmed / Psychology / M.A. (Sielkunde)

La créativité repose sur la capacité à générer des idées à la fois originales et adaptées aux contraintes de la tâche afin de résoudre des problèmes pour lesquels aucune solution optimale n'est connue. Toutefois, dans ce type de circonstances, les connaissances intuitives des individus ainsi que leurs stratégies habituelles de résolution de problème les conduisent à générer des solutions peu créatives aboutissant à un phénomène de fixation, alors même que d'autres classes de solutions plus originales mais moins aisément accessibles pourraient être explorées. D'après le modèle triadique de la créativité, ces effets de fixations résulteraient de l'activation rapide et spontanée d'un système 1 intuitif et heuristique, alors qu'il serait plus avantageux d'explorer d'autres solutions en utilisant les processus cognitifs d'un système 2 délibératif et analytique. Ce modèle suggère également que le processus d'inhibition cognitive appartenant à un troisième système serait la clef pour diminuer la prégnance de ces effets de fixation créée par le système 1, et augmenter l'exploration d'autres voies plus créatives appartenant au système 2. Ainsi, l'objectif général de cette thèse consistait à apporter des arguments expérimentaux en faveur de ce modèle dans une approche interdisciplinaire allant de la psychologie expérimentale du développement aux neurosciences cognitives. À travers une série de cinq études expérimentales réalisées chez les enfants, les adolescents et les adultes, nous avons démontré 1) que les effets de fixation se développent avec l'âge et sont modulables par l'introduction d'indices comme des exemples de solutions, 2) qu'il est possible de stimuler la créativité des adolescents et des adultes en changeant la représentation qu'ils ont du problème de créativité par l'intermédiaire d'un paradigme d'amorçage, 3) qu'être capable de proposer des solutions créatives en dehors de la fixation implique le processus d'inhibition cognitive et la capacité à détecter que les solutions initialement générées ne sont pas originales, 4) que cette capacité de détection de conflit se développement au cours de l'adolescence et 5) que résister aux effets de fixation implique une modulation de l'activité des réseaux cérébraux au niveau des cortex frontaux et pariétaux sous tendant le contrôle cognitif et les associations sémantiques. / Creativity defined as the ability to think of something original, and adaptive concerning task constraints is crucial during circumstances in which individuals must generate new solutions to solve an unknown problem. In such circumstances, people propose solutions that are built on the most common and accessible knowledge within a specific domain leading to a fixation effects whereas other classes of more creative solutions could be explore. According to our triple systems model of creativity, the difficulty to generate creative ideas results from a specific failure to inhibit intuitive responses leading to fixation effect generated automatically by the intuitive and heuristic System 1 and activate the deliberative and analytic system 2 to explore more creative solutions. This model posits that inhibitory control is a core process to overcoming fixation effects and generating original solutions in a creative task. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to provide empirical evidences in support of the triple system model of creativity by using an interdisciplinary approach from the field of experimental developmental psychology to the field of cognitive neuroscience. In a series of five experimental studies in children, adolescents and adults, we have demonstrated that 1) fixation effects develop with age and changes with the introduction of external cues such as examples of solutions 2) changing the individuals' representation of the creative task using a priming procedure can stimulate creative ideas generation in adolescents and adults, 3) overcoming fixation to explore creative solutions involves inhibitory control and the ability to detect that initial responses that come quickly to mind are not original, 4) this conflict detection ability develops with age during adolescence and 5) overcoming fixation is related to modulations of brain networks activations within the frontal and the parietal cortex involve in cognitive control and semantic associations respectively.

Cette recherche en psychanalyse et psychologie projective questionne, sous l'angle de la créativité, le système des grandes écoles en France et celui des classes préparatoires, mode de formation le plus courant pour intégrer ces écoles (établissements élitistes, principalement de commerce et d'ingénieurs). Elle s'intéresse aussi au processus adolescent activement à l'œuvre chez les élèves qui, pour la plupart, trouvent en classe prépa, manière à traiter leurs conflits. Si l'adolescence pousse à la créativité, le passage en prépa favorise la sublimation, destin pulsionnel privilégié qui peut ouvrir aux plus belles créations. A partir de ces réflexions, étayées par l'analyse métapsychologique de la créativité et de son rapprochement avec la sublimation, nous conjecturons que les étudiants en grandes écoles, issus des classes prépas, pourraient s'avérer particulièrement créatifs. Concourraient à cette disposition une pugnacité au travail, mue par le désir inextinguible d'apprendre, ainsi qu'une certaine forme de nostalgie, relative à l'enfance envolée. Notre rencontre avec vingt étudiants - qui ont accepté de se prêter aux méthodes projectives - vient vérifier cette hypothèse : la distinction entre deux groupes d'étudiants, issus des classes prépas ou bien admis par d'autres voies, confirme l'expression plus aisée du potentiel créateur chez ceux du premier groupe. La recherche s'interroge ensuite sur l'exercice de la créativité après les diplômes, notamment lorsqu'elle se déploie dans le domaine des mathématiques. / This research in psychoanalysis and projective psychology examines the French « Grandes Ecoles » and preparatory class system, from the angle of creativity. These intensive courses called « prepa classes » are the most common way to enter the « Grandes Ecoles » (French Elite Establishments, mainly Business and Engineering Schools). This research also explores how the Teen prepa students, who are going through the adolescence process at work, can find way to resolve their conflicts through the prepa way of life. If adolescence impulses creativity, the prepa class system enhances sublimation, this pulsionnal conversion leading to the most beautiful productions. These considerations, supported by a metapsychological analysis about creativity and its link with sublimation, lead us to make the assumption that the "Grandes Ecoles" students, after the prepa classes, should be particularly creative. A strong dedication to work, moved by the very utmost desire of learning, as well as a touch of nostalgia, due to the loss of childhood, could reinforce this ability. We interviewed and tested - with projective methods - twenty « Grandes Ecoles » students, belonging to two groups : the first one had joined the Engineering or Business Schools after preparatory classes, the second one had joined them by other ways. Our results confirm that students from prepa classes show more easily their creative potential than the others . The research goes on to question how creativity is expressed after graduation and in particular, among top-level mathematicians.