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TheCreativityCrisis
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Experts assess 10 drawings by adults and children for signs of out-of-the-box thinking. View gallery.
E D U C AT I O N
Backin1958,TedSchwarzrockwasan8yearoldthirdgraderwhenhebecameoneoftheTorrancekids,agroupofnearly400Minneapolis
childrenwhocompletedaseriesofcreativitytasksnewlydesignedbyprofessorE.PaulTorrance.Schwarzrockstillvividlyremembersthemoment
whenapsychologisthandedhimafiretruckandasked,Howcouldyouimprovethistoytomakeitbetterandmorefuntoplaywith?Herecallsthe
psychologistbeingexcitedbyhisanswers.Infact,thepsychologistssessionnotesindicateSchwarzrockrattledoff25improvements,suchasaddinga
removableladderandspringstothewheels.Thatwasnttheonlytimeheimpressedthescholars,whojudgedSchwarzrocktohaveunusualvisual
perspectiveandanabilitytosynthesizediverseelementsintomeaningfulproducts.
Theaccepteddefinitionofcreativityisproductionofsomethingoriginalanduseful,andthatswhatsreflectedinthetests.Thereisneveroneright
answer.Tobecreativerequiresdivergentthinking(generatingmanyuniqueideas)andthenconvergentthinking(combiningthoseideasintothebest
result).
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Inthe50yearssinceSchwarzrockandtheotherstooktheirtests,scholarsfirstledbyTorrance,nowhiscolleague,GarnetMillarhavebeen
trackingthechildren,recordingeverypatentearned,everybusinessfounded,everyresearchpaperpublished,andeverygrantawarded.Theytallied
thebooks,dances,radioshows,artexhibitions,softwareprograms,advertisingcampaigns,hardwareinnovations,musiccompositions,public
policies(writtenorimplemented),leadershippositions,invitedlectures,andbuildingsdesigned.
NobodywouldarguethatTorrancestasks,whichhavebecomethegoldstandardincreativityassessment,measurecreativityperfectly.Whats
shockingishowincrediblywellTorrancescreativityindexpredictedthosekidscreativeaccomplishmentsasadults.Thosewhocameupwithmore
goodideasonTorrancestasksgrewuptobeentrepreneurs,inventors,collegepresidents,authors,doctors,diplomats,andsoftwaredevelopers.
JonathanPluckerofIndianaUniversityrecentlyreanalyzedTorrancesdata.Thecorrelationtolifetimecreativeaccomplishmentwasmorethanthree
timesstrongerforchildhoodcreativitythanchildhoodIQ.
Likeintelligencetests,Torrancestesta90minuteseriesofdiscretetasks,administeredbyapsychologisthasbeentakenbymillionsworldwidein
50languages.YetthereisonecrucialdifferencebetweenIQandCQscores.Withintelligence,thereisaphenomenoncalledtheFlynneffecteach
generation,scoresgoupabout10points.Enrichedenvironmentsaremakingkidssmarter.Withcreativity,areversetrendhasjustbeenidentified
andisbeingreportedforthefirsttimehere:Americancreativityscoresarefalling.
KyungHeeKimattheCollegeofWilliam&MarydiscoveredthisinMay,afteranalyzingalmost300,000Torrancescoresofchildrenandadults.Kim
foundcreativityscoreshadbeensteadilyrising,justlikeIQscores,until1990.Sincethen,creativityscoreshaveconsistentlyincheddownward.Its
veryclear,andthedecreaseisverysignificant,Kimsays.ItisthescoresofyoungerchildreninAmericafromkindergartenthroughsixthgradefor
whomthedeclineismostserious.
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Thepotentialconsequencesaresweeping.Thenecessityofhumaningenuityisundisputed.ArecentIBMpollof1,500CEOsidentifiedcreativityas
theNo.1leadershipcompetencyofthefuture.Yetitsnotjustaboutsustainingournationseconomicgrowth.Allaroundusaremattersofnational
andinternationalimportancethatarecryingoutforcreativesolutions,fromsavingtheGulfofMexicotobringingpeacetoAfghanistantodelivering
healthcare.Suchsolutionsemergefromahealthymarketplaceofideas,sustainedbyapopulaceconstantlycontributingoriginalideasandreceptive
totheideasofothers.
ItstooearlytodetermineconclusivelywhyU.S.creativityscoresaredeclining.Onelikelyculpritisthenumberofhourskidsnowspendinfrontof
theTVandplayingvideogamesratherthanengagingincreativeactivities.Anotheristhelackofcreativitydevelopmentinourschools.Ineffect,its
lefttotheluckofthedrawwhobecomescreative:theresnoconcertedefforttonurturethecreativityofallchildren.
Aroundtheworld,though,othercountriesaremakingcreativitydevelopmentanationalpriority.In2008Britishsecondaryschoolcurriculafrom
sciencetoforeignlanguagewasrevampedtoemphasizeideageneration,andpilotprogramshavebegunusingTorrancestesttoassesstheir
progress.TheEuropeanUniondesignated2009astheEuropeanYearofCreativityandInnovation,holdingconferencesontheneuroscienceof
creativity,financingteachertraining,andinstitutingproblembasedlearningprogramscurriculadrivenbyrealworldinquiryforbothchildren
andadults.InChinatherehasbeenwidespreadeducationreformtoextinguishthedrillandkillteachingstyle.Instead,Chineseschoolsarealso
adoptingaproblembasedlearningapproach.
PluckerrecentlytouredanumberofsuchschoolsinShanghaiandBeijing.Hewasamazedbyaboywho,foraclassscienceproject,riggedatracking
deviceforhismopedwithpartsfromacellphone.WhenfacultyofamajorChineseuniversityaskedPluckertoidentifytrendsinAmericaneducation,
hedescribedourfocusonstandardizedcurriculum,rotememorization,andnationalizedtesting.Aftermyanswerwastranslated,theyjuststarted
laughingoutloud,Pluckersays.Theysaid,Youreracingtowardouroldmodel.Butwereracingtowardyourmodel,asfastaswecan.
Overwhelmedbycurriculumstandards,Americanteacherswarntheresnoroominthedayforacreativityclass.Kidsarefortunateiftheygetanart
classonceortwiceaweek.Buttoscientists,thisisanonsequitur,borneoutofwhatUniversityofGeorgiasMarkRuncocallsartbias.Theageold
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beliefthattheartshaveaspecialclaimtocreativityisunfounded.Whenscholarsgavecreativitytaskstobothengineeringmajorsandmusicmajors,
theirscoreslaiddownonanidenticalspectrum,withthesamehighaveragesandstandarddeviations.Insidetheirbrains,thesamethingwas
happeningideaswerebeinggeneratedandevaluatedonthefly.
Researcherssaycreativityshouldbetakenoutoftheartroomandputintohomeroom.Theargumentthatwecantteachcreativitybecausekids
alreadyhavetoomuchtolearnisafalsetradeoff.Creativityisntaboutfreedomfromconcretefacts.Rather,factfindinganddeepresearcharevital
stagesinthecreativeprocess.Scholarsarguethatcurrentcurriculumstandardscanstillbemet,iftaughtinadifferentway.
Tounderstandexactlywhatshouldbedonerequiresfirstunderstandingthenewstoryemergingfromneuroscience.Theloreofpoppsychologyis
thatcreativityoccursontherightsideofthebrain.Butwenowknowthatifyoutriedtobecreativeusingonlytherightsideofyourbrain,itdbelike
livingwithideasperpetuallyatthetipofyourtongue,justbeyondreach.
Whenyoutrytosolveaproblem,youbeginbyconcentratingonobviousfactsandfamiliarsolutions,toseeiftheanswerliesthere.Thisisamostly
leftbrainstageofattack.Iftheanswerdoesntcome,therightandlefthemispheresofthebrainactivatetogether.Neuralnetworksontherightside
scanremotememoriesthatcouldbevaguelyrelevant.Awiderangeofdistantinformationthatisnormallytunedoutbecomesavailabletotheleft
hemisphere,whichsearchesforunseenpatterns,alternativemeanings,andhighlevelabstractions.
Havingglimpsedsuchaconnection,theleftbrainmustquicklylockinonitbeforeitescapes.Theattentionsystemmustradicallyreversegears,going
fromdefocusedattentiontoextremelyfocusedattention.Inaflash,thebrainpullstogetherthesedisparateshredsofthoughtandbindsthemintoa
newsingleideathatentersconsciousness.Thisistheaha!momentofinsight,oftenfollowedbyasparkofpleasureasthebrainrecognizesthe
noveltyofwhatitscomeupwith.
Nowthebrainmustevaluatetheideaitjustgenerated.Isitworthpursuing?Creativityrequiresconstantshifting,blenderpulsesofbothdivergent
thinkingandconvergentthinking,tocombinenewinformationwitholdandforgottenideas.Highlycreativepeopleareverygoodatmarshalingtheir
brainsintobilateralmode,andthemorecreativetheyare,themoretheydualactivate.
Isthislearnable?Well,thinkofitlikebasketball.Beingtalldoeshelptobeaprobasketballplayer,buttherestofuscanstillgetquitegoodatthe
sportthroughpractice.Inthesameway,therearecertaininnatefeaturesofthebrainthatmakesomepeoplenaturallypronetodivergentthinking.
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Butconvergentthinkingandfocusedattentionarenecessary,too,andthoserequiredifferentneuralgifts.Crucially,rapidlyshiftingbetweenthese
modesisatopdownfunctionunderyourmentalcontrol.UniversityofNewMexiconeuroscientistRexJunghasconcludedthatthosewhodiligently
practicecreativeactivitieslearntorecruittheirbrainscreativenetworksquickerandbetter.Alifetimeofconsistenthabitsgraduallychangesthe
neurologicalpattern.
AfineexampleofthisemergedinJanuaryofthisyear,withreleaseofastudybyUniversityofWesternOntarioneuroscientistDanielAnsariand
HarvardsAaronBerkowitz,whostudiesmusiccognition.TheyputDartmouthmusicmajorsandnonmusiciansinanfMRIscanner,giving
participantsaonehandedfiberoptickeyboardtoplaymelodieson.Sometimesmelodieswererehearsedothertimestheywerecreatively
improvised.Duringimprovisation,thehighlytrainedmusicmajorsusedtheirbrainsinawaythenonmusicianscouldnot:theydeactivatedtheir
righttemporoparietaljunction.Normally,therTPJreadsincomingstimuli,sortingthestreamforrelevance.Byturningthatoff,themusicians
blockedoutalldistraction.Theyhitanextragearofconcentration,allowingthemtoworkwiththenotesandcreatemusicspontaneously.
CharlesLimbofJohnsHopkinshasfoundasimilarpatternwithjazzmusicians,andAustrianresearchersobserveditwithprofessionaldancers
visualizinganimproviseddance.AnsariandBerkowitznowbelievethesameistruefororators,comedians,andathletesimprovisingingames.
Thegoodnewsisthatcreativitytrainingthatalignswiththenewscienceworkssurprisinglywell.TheUniversityofOklahoma,theUniversityof
Georgia,andTaiwansNationalChengchiUniversityeachindependentlyconductedalargescaleanalysisofsuchprograms.Allthreeteamsof
scholarsconcludedthatcreativitytrainingcanhaveastrongeffect.Creativitycanbetaught,saysJamesC.Kaufman,professoratCaliforniaState
University,SanBernardino.
Whatscommonaboutsuccessfulprogramsistheyalternatemaximumdivergentthinkingwithboutsofintenseconvergentthinking,throughseveral
stages.Realimprovementdoesnthappeninaweekendworkshop.Butwhenappliedtotheeverydayprocessofworkorschool,brainfunction
improves.
SowhatdoesthismeanforAmericasstandardsobsessedschools?Thekeyisinhowkidsworkthroughthevastcatalogofinformation.Considerthe
NationalInventorsHallofFameSchool,anewpublicmiddleschoolinAkron,Ohio.MindfulofOhioscurriculumrequirements,theschoolsteachers
cameupwithaprojectforthefifthgraders:figureouthowtoreducethenoiseinthelibrary.Itswindowsfacedapublicspaceand,evenwhenclosed,
letthroughtoomuchnoise.Thestudentshadfourweekstodesignproposals.
Workinginsmallteams,thefifthgradersfirstengagedinwhatcreativitytheoristDonaldTreffingerdescribesasfactfinding.Howdoessoundtravel
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throughmaterials?Whatmaterialsreducenoisethemost?Then,problemfindinganticipatingallpotentialpitfallssotheirdesignsaremorelikely
towork.Next,ideafinding:generateasmanyideasaspossible.Drapes,plants,orlargekiteshungfromtheceilingwouldallbafflesound.Or,instead
ofreducingthesound,maybemaskitbyplayingthesoundofagentlewaterfall?Aproposalfordoublepanedglassevolvedintoanideatofillthe
spacebetweenpaneswithwater.Next,solutionfinding:whichideaswerethemosteffective,cheapest,andaestheticallypleasing?Fiberglass
absorbedsoundthebestbutwouldntbesafe.Wouldanaquariumwithfishbeeasierthanwaterfilledpanes?
Thenteamsdevelopedaplanofaction.Theybuiltscalemodelsandchosefabricsamples.Theyrealizedtheydneedtopersuadeajanitortocarefor
theplantsandfishduringvacation.Teamspersuadedotherstosupportthemsometimessowell,teamsdecidedtocombineprojects.Finally,they
presenteddesignstoteachers,parents,andJimWest,inventoroftheelectricmicrophone.
Alongtheway,kidsdemonstratedtheverydefinitionofcreativity:alternatingbetweendivergentandconvergentthinking,theyarrivedatoriginal
andusefulideas.AndtheydunwittinglymasteredOhiosrequiredfifthgradecurriculumfromunderstandingsoundwavestoperunitcost
calculationstotheartofpersuasivewriting.Youneverseeourkidssaying,IllneverusethissoIdontneedtolearnit,saysschooladministrator
MaryannWolowiec.Instead,kidsask,Dowehavetoleaveschoolnow?Twoweeksago,whentheschoolreceiveditsresultsonthestates
achievementtest,principalTraciBucknerwasmovedtotears.Therawscoresindicatethat,initsfirstyear,theschoolhasalreadybecomeoneofthe
topthreeschoolsinAkron,despitehavingopenenrollmentbylotteryand42percentofitsstudentslivinginpoverty.
Withasmuchasthreefourthsofeachdayspentinprojectbasedlearning,principalBucknerandherteamactuallyworkthroughrequiredcurricula,
carefullyfiguringouthowkidscanlearnitthroughthestepsofTreffingersCreativeProblemSolvingmethodandothercreativitypedagogies.The
creativeproblemsolvingprogramhasthehighestsuccessinincreasingchildrenscreativity,observedWilliam&MarysKim.
Thehomegameversionofthismeansnolongerencouragingkidstospringstraightaheadtotherightanswer.WhenUGAsRuncowasdriving
throughCaliforniaonedaywithhisfamily,hissonaskedwhySacramentowasthestatescapitalwhynotSanFranciscoorLosAngeles?Runco
turnedthequestionbackonhim,encouraginghimtocomeupwithasmanyexplanationsashecouldthinkof.
Preschoolchildren,onaverage,asktheirparentsabout100questionsaday.Why,why,whysometimesparentsjustwishitdstop.Tragically,itdoes
stop.Bymiddleschooltheyveprettymuchstoppedasking.Itsnocoincidencethatthissametimeiswhenstudentmotivationandengagement
plummet.Theydidntstopaskingquestionsbecausetheylostinterest:itstheotherwayaround.Theylostinterestbecausetheystoppedasking
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questions.
Havingstudiedthechildhoodsofhighlycreativepeoplefordecades,ClaremontGraduateUniversitysMihalyCsikszentmihalyiandUniversityof
NorthernIowasGaryG.Gutefoundhighlycreativeadultstendedtogrowupinfamiliesembodyingopposites.Parentsencourageduniqueness,yet
providedstability.Theywerehighlyresponsivetokidsneeds,yetchallengedkidstodevelopskills.Thisresultedinasortofadaptability:intimesof
anxiousness,clearrulescouldreducechaosyetwhenkidswerebored,theycouldseekchange,too.Inthespacebetweenanxietyandboredomwas
wherecreativityflourished.
Itsalsotruethathighlycreativeadultsfrequentlygrewupwithhardship.Hardshipbyitselfdoesntleadtocreativity,butitdoesforcekidstobecome
moreflexibleandflexibilityhelpswithcreativity.
Inearlychildhood,distincttypesoffreeplayareassociatedwithhighcreativity.Preschoolerswhospendmoretimeinroleplay(actingout
characters)havehighermeasuresofcreativity:voicingsomeoneelsespointofviewhelpsdeveloptheirabilitytoanalyzesituationsfromdifferent
perspectives.Whenplayingalone,highlycreativefirstgradersmayactoutstrongnegativeemotions:theyllbeangry,hostile,anguished.The
hypothesisisthatplayisasafeharbortoworkthroughforbiddenthoughtsandemotions.
Inmiddlechildhood,kidssometimescreateparacosmsfantasiesofentirealternativeworlds.Kidsrevisittheirparacosmsrepeatedly,sometimesfor
months,andevencreatelanguagesspokenthere.Thistypeofplaypeaksatage9or10,anditsaverystrongsignoffuturecreativity.AMichigan
StateUniversitystudyofMacArthurgeniusawardwinnersfoundaremarkablyhighrateofparacosmcreationintheirchildhoods.
Fromfourthgradeon,creativitynolongeroccursinavacuumresearchingandstudyingbecomeanintegralpartofcomingupwithusefulsolutions.
Butthistransitionisnteasy.Asschoolstuffsmorecomplexinformationintotheirheads,kidsgetoverloaded,andcreativitysuffers.Whencreative
childrenhaveasupportiveteachersomeonetolerantofunconventionalanswers,occasionaldisruptions,ordetoursofcuriositytheytendtoexcel.
Whentheydont,theytendtounderperformanddropoutofhighschoolordontfinishcollegeathighrates.
Theyrequittingbecausetheyrediscouragedandbored,notbecausetheyredark,depressed,anxious,orneurotic.Itsamyththatcreativepeople
havethesetraits.(Thosetraitsactuallyshutdowncreativitytheymakepeoplelessopentoexperienceandlessinterestedinnovelty.)Rather,creative
people,forthemostpart,exhibitactivemoodsandpositiveaffect.Theyrenotparticularlyhappycontentmentisakindofcomplacencycreative
peoplerarelyhave.Buttheyreengaged,motivated,andopentotheworld.
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Thenewviewisthatcreativityispartofnormalbrainfunction.Somescholarsgofurther,arguingthatlackofcreativitynothavingloadsofitisthe
realriskfactor.Inhisresearch,Runcoaskscollegestudents,Thinkofallthethingsthatcouldinterferewithgraduatingfromcollege.Thenhe
instructsthemtopickoneofthoseitemsandtocomeupwithasmanysolutionsforthatproblemaspossible.Thisisaclassicdivergentconvergent
creativitychallenge.Asubsetofrespondents,liketheproverbialMurphy,quicklylisteveryimaginablewaythingscangowrong.Butthey
demonstrateacompletelackofflexibilityinfindingcreativesolutions.Itsthisinabilitytoconceiveofalternativeapproachesthatleadstodespair.
Runcostwoquestionspredictsuicideideationevenwhencontrollingforpreexistinglevelsofdepressionandanxiety.
InRuncossubsequentresearch,thosewhodobetterinbothproblemfindingandproblemsolvinghavebetterrelationships.Theyaremoreableto
handlestressandovercomethebumpslifethrowsintheirway.Asimilarstudyof1,500middleschoolersfoundthatthosehighincreativeself
efficacyhadmoreconfidenceabouttheirfutureandabilitytosucceed.Theyweresurethattheirabilitytocomeupwithalternativeswouldaidthem,
nomatterwhatproblemswouldarise.
Whenhewas30yearsold,TedSchwarzrockwaslookingforanalternative.HewashardlyontracktobecomingtheprototypeofTorrances
longitudinalstudy.Hewasntartisticwhenyoung,andhisfamilydidntrecognizehiscreativityornurtureit.Thesonofadentistandaspeech
pathologist,hehadbeenpushedintomedicalschool,wherehefeltstifledandcommonlyhadruninswithprofessorsandbosses.Buteventually,he
foundawaytocombinehiscreativityandmedicalexpertise:inventingnewmedicaltechnologies.
Today,Schwarzrockisindependentlywealthyhefoundedandsoldthreemedicalproductscompaniesandwasapartnerinthreemore.His
innovationsinhealthcarehavebeenwideranging,fromaportablerespiratoryoxygendevicetoskinabsorbingantiinflammatoriestoinsightsinto
howbacteriabecomeantibioticresistant.Hislatestprojectcouldbringdownthecostofspinesurgeryimplants50percent.Asachild,Ineverhad
anidentityasacreativeperson,Schwarzrockrecalls.ButnowthatIknow,ithelpsexplainalotofwhatIfeltandwentthrough.
CreativityhasalwaysbeenprizedinAmericansociety,butitsneverreallybeenunderstood.Whileourcreativityscoresdeclineunchecked,the
currentnationalstrategyforcreativityconsistsoflittlemorethanprayingforaGreekmusetodropbyourhouses.Theproblemswefacenow,andin
thefuture,simplydemandthatwedomorethanjusthopeforinspirationtostrike.Fortunately,thesciencecanhelp:weknowthestepstoleadthat
elusivemuserighttoourdoors.
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