Creativity research is an underdeveloped area of educational psychology. For example, studies of students’ creativity as a predictor of academic achievement are uncommon in the field. Moreover, perseverance—which is an integral part of the definition of creativity (Sternberg, 2012)—is not typically measured in creativity research. To address these issues, the current study sought to discern within an academic context whether perseverance serves as a mediating factor between creativity and academic achievement. Two undergraduate student samples (N = 817; N = 187) participated in a survey measuring their creativity and perseverance. This multiple manuscript dissertation sought to examine the psychometric properties of a measure of creativity: the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS) and a measure of perseverance: the Grit Scale and to explore the relationships between creativity, perseverance, academic motivation, and academic achievement. Study 1 found that the RIBS had a correlated two-factor structure with two subscales: the Scatterbrained Subscale and the Divergent Thinking Subscale. Grit had a correlated two-factor structure reflecting interest and effort, and this reinforced previous findings regarding this scale These two scales hold promise as measures of the creative process. Study 2 found that although traditional motivation measures consistently predicted grades, grit only predicted grades in one sample, and creativity had no relationship with grades. Creativity appears to be orthogonal to academic achievement as measured by grades. There was evidence that grit can mediate the relationships between motivation and grades, but only in one sample. This research shares the limitations of other self-report surveys, but the psychometrics behind the measures were strong. Future research should continue to examine creativity and perseverance as important noncognitive constructs in academic contexts especially among diverse populations.

Many sources of rules govern our interactions with technology and our behavior online—law, ethical guidelines, community norms, website policies—and they do not always agree. This is particularly true in the context of content production because copyright law represents a collection of complex policies that often do not always account for the ways that people use and re-use digital media. Within legal gray areas, people make decisions every day about what is allowed, often negotiating multiple sources of rules. How do content creators make decisions about what they can and cannot do when faced with unclear rules, and how does the law (and perceptions of the law) impact technology use, creativity, and online interaction? Combining in-depth interviews, large-scale content analysis, and surveys, my work examines the complex relationship between law, site policy, norms, and technology. This dissertation provides a better understanding of how content creators engage with copyright and how norms organically form within communities of creators. It concludes with a set of design and policy recommendations for online community designers to help better support current practices among content creators.

Problem solving has been a core theme in education for several decades. Educators and policy makers agree on the importance of the role of problem solving skills for school and real life success. A primary purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of cognitive abilities on mathematical problem solving performance of students. The author investigated this relationship by separating performance in open-ended and closed situations. The second purpose of this study was to explore how these relationships were different or similar in boys and girls. No significant difference was found between girls and boys in cognitive abilities including general intelligence, general creativity, working memory, mathematical knowledge, reading ability, mathematical problem solving performance, verbal ability, quantitative ability, and spatial ability. After controlling for the influence of gender, the cognitive abilities explained 51.3% (ITBS) and 53.3% (CTBS) of the variance in MPSP in closed problems as a whole. Mathematical knowledge and general intelligence were found to be the only variables that contributed significant variance to MPSP in closed problems. Similarly, after controlling for the influence of gender, the cognitive abilities explained 51.3% (ITBS) and 46.3% (CTBS) of the variance in mathematical problem solving performance in open-ended problems. General creativity and verbal ability were found to be the only variables that contributed significant variance to MPSP in open problems. The author concluded that closed and open-ended problems require different cognitive abilities for reaching correct solutions. In addition, when combining all of these findings the author proposed that the relationship between cognitive abilities and problem solving performance may vary depending on the structure (type) and content of a problem. The author suggested that the content of problems that are used in instruments should be analyzed carefully before using them as a measure of problem solving performance.

Intelligence and creativity are concepts used to describe the efforts of human beings to achieve the highest aspirations of the human brain-mind-spirit system.Howard Gardner, intelligence and creativity researcher, applied his Multiple Intelligence theory to case studies of creative masters from seven intelligence domains developing a template for research: Life Course Perspective: A Framework for Creativity Analysis. The framework consists of four sections: Child and Master, Creation of a Work, an Analysis of Creativity, The Creator and the Field, and Fruitful Asynchronicity. This case study uses Gardner's framework in examining cognition and creativity in a Navajo/Dineh university student creating in fine arts and nominated in bodily-kinesthetic and intra-personal intelligence. This explorative case study reveals that he also excels in other intelligence domains: linguistic and spatial. Meta-cognitive interviews with the case study subject, and his notebooks provide the data sources concerning his cognition and his creativity.Indigenous educators and researchers assert that there is a discernible difference in perspectives concerning western science conceptions and Indigenous experience. This research discovered points of resonance as well as tangential trajectories of cultural difference from Gardner's research conclusions. Discoveries in this exploration confirm the importance of culture and zeitgeist in knowledge development, pedagogy, schoolingand the creativity process. Emerging themes emanating from these discoveries areChild of the Holy People, Sacred Geography, and Fruitful Asynchronicity from an Indigenous Perspective.Conclusions from this inductive research support Gardner's framework in the cultural study of cognition and creativity, underscores the value of Multiple Intelligence theory, and provide examples of praxis consonant with Indigenous learning processes for Gifted & Talented Education. The American Indigenous symbiotic and synergetic perspectives are novel in the examination of intelligence and creativity in the American education system. The American Indian perspectives are possibly prophetic as they proceed beyond culture and Gifted education intersecting and informing other fields: psychology, educational anthropology, philosophy, and Indigenous studies both in American populations as well as Indigenous gifted students worldwide.

Given the context of globalization and growing competition, we assist at a reduction of the product life cycle and at a rapid diffusion of creations and innovations. To respond to the fast changing customers’ demand and to reinforce their market position, firms shall design an effective creative process offering superior customer value and insuring their future in the long term. First of all, after an explanation of the differences between creativity and innovation, the creative process of high-tech firms in terms of actors involved, resources allocation, leadership and management of creative people will be depicted. Secondly, the creative destruction process and some of the inherent obstacles and risks of the creative process will be addressed. Thirdly, the concepts of Technology Life Cycle (TLC) and Product Life Cycle (PLC) will be developed. Within this thesis, our ideas are presented and justified through three methodologies: Literature Review, case study and interview. We mainly used the cases of Hewlett-Packard (HP) and France Telecom Orange (FTO) to backup our argumentation. We conceptualized the creative process and we highlighted the connections between the creative process and the Product Life Cycle. With the help of two other small cases study (Nintendo and Apple), we emphasized the downward trend of high-tech products’ lifecycle in the long run. Ultimately, four practical recommendations are given to leaders from high-tech industries and directions to deeper research this topic are advised.

Vi har genomfört en kvalitativ studie med en hermeneutisk och fenomenologisk utgångspunkt. Vi har använt oss av halvstrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer då vi samlat in data. Grunden för studiens teoretiska ram utgår ifrån Mays och Marcuses förklaringar av kreativiteten och skapandet som en allmänmänsklig, meningsskapande och transcendent praktik. Vi har intervjuat personal på tre olika, icke behandlande, institutioner för vuxna. Institutionerna vänder sig till våldsutsatta kvinnor, bostadslösa kvinnor och vuxna människor med psykisk ohälsa. Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur personalen på institutionerna i fråga definierar kreativitet och skapande, vilka risker och möjligheter dessa aktiviteter innebär för verksamheternas brukare, och om aktiviteterna möjliggör empowerment för brukarna. Vi har även undersökt vilken socialpolitisk innebörd kreativiteten har för både brukare och personal. Studiens resultat och analys visar att kreativitet och skapande ger brukarna i verksamheterna en rad möjligheter. Kreativiteten och skapandet ger möjlighet till gemenskap, kunskap och bekräftelse, en paus från omvärlden, bearbetning och till viss mån även empowerment. De kreativa och skapande verksamheterna leder framförallt till den socialpolitiska konsekvensen som innebär att institutionerna befrias från hierarkier. Verksamheterna erbjuder brukarna värdiga och jämlika skyddande zoner, där personalen i sin tur kan lägga ifrån sig repressiv makt, regelverk och stela yrkesroller. Däremot leder inte verksamheterna till samhällelig förändring för målgrupperna i fråga utanför institutionerna. / We have written a qualitative study with a phenomenological and a hermeneutical approach. We have collected data using semi-structured interviews. The basis of the study's theoretical framework is based on May's and Marcuse's explanation of art and creativity as a general human, meaningful and transcendent practice. We interviewed staff at three non-therapeutic institutions for women suffering from domestic violence, psychiatric vulnerable people and homeless women. The study aims to investigate how staff defines art and creativity, the risk and opportunities creative activities means for users and about the activities enables empowerment for users. We also examined the social consequences of art and creativity, for both users and staff. The study results and analysis show that art and creativity gives the users a range of possibilities. Art and creativity provides opportunities for fellowship, knowledge and acknowledgment, a break from the outside world, processing and to some extent empowerment. The social policy implications of art and creativity are that they liberate the institutions from hierarchies. The institutions offer users worthy and equal protection zones, were the staff, in turn, can put down repressive power, rules and rigid roles. By contrast, the art and creativity don’t lead to social change for the target groups in question outside the institutions.

The aim of this work is to analyse the peculiarities of the components of verbal and nonverbal creative thinking. In the first (theoretical) part analysed the problems of creativity and creative thinking, characteristics of creative teenagers, factors that confirm creativity are discussed. In the second (practical) part analysed the results of investigation on the components of verbal and nonverbal creative thinking in the I- IV class primary school boys and girls.

Experience and perception of deaf teenagers is different from their pairs. These differences may have an impact on the learning process, behaviour and artistic expression of deaf teenagers. Deaf teenagers usually perceive the meanings specifically and literally.They lack the flexibility of imagination and creativity. At the same time traditional, directive education does not disclose deep creative powers of deaf teenagers, which are characteristic of spontaneity and impetuosity. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibilities of using non-directive art methods in the development of deaf teenagers. Objectives of the study are the following: to study literary resources of pedagogy, psychology and art therapy that examine the problems of deaf teenagers; to research characteristics of pedagogical interaction in the development of creativity of deaf teenagers; to analyse the impact of art therapy process for the emotional change of deaf teenagers, and to reveal the possibilities of art as a means of artistic communication in the development of creativity of deaf teenagers. The research object is the creativity of deaf teenagers. Hypothesis: using art in the development of creativity of deaf teenagers is effective if a safe psychological context is created in the educational process during which they can freely express emotions and share experiences by artistic means. Research methods: analysis of literary resources, case study, observation by participation, conversation... [to full text]

This dissertation studies the relationship between collaboration networks and scientific creativity. It finds significant knowledge spillover from new collaborations to repeated collaborations, and proposes a network approach to understand scientific creativity at the egocentric network level beyond the boundary of teams. To understand the network effect (specifically, effects of tie strength) on creativity, it integrates literature on small groups and social networks and adopts a creative-process model. An inverted U-shaped relationship between tie strength and creativity is observed, because of the mixed impacts of tie strength at different stages of the creative process. Furthermore, it explores the effect of tie configurations and finds that the skewness of tie strength distribution moderates the effect of tie strength. In addition, it also tests two competing explanations for the association between strong tie and low creativity: creativity-decline hypothesis versus cost-reduction hypothesis. Finally, there is no evidence that collaboration networks would raise the visibility of previously published papers, but there is a significant prestige effect in gaining citations.

This study examines the relationship between an inventor’s motives and creativity, invention commercialization, and collaboration pattern. Special emphasis is placed on the educational background of inventors when examining the effect of inventor motive on invention commercialization. The data are based in a unique survey of patent inventors in the United States, and archival data. The GT/RIETI 2007 Inventor Survey includes information on commercialization for patented inventions and measures of inventor motives. Archival data based on Lai et al. (2011) was the basis for the collection of creativity measures based on U.S. patent technology subclasses. The results indicate that inventors’ motives differentiate the outcome of innovative activities. We found a firm motive has a positive effect on creating new combinations, commercialization of patents, and collaboration with coworkers. The results also suggest that the recognition motive negatively affects the creation of new combinations, and that there is no effect on the commercialization of the patent. As for collaboration pattern, the results show that individual differences in motives are associated with different patterns in collaboration. For example, task-oriented inventors are less likely to collaborate with others outside of the firm entity, whereas inventors with recognition motives are more likely to have a larger collaborative network with other professionals in the same field. This paper suggests that policy-makers should consider individual heterogeneity in innovative performance, knowledge creation, and patterns of collaboration. Based on the findings, future research and policy implications are discussed.