Exceptional creators develop existing domains or create new domains through their contribution of products that are highly valued by society in a particular domain. Typically, adults make these value judgments. This study explored whether Gardner's (1997) model of an Exceptional Creator [EC], which was developed from a cross-domain analysis and…

As researchers continue to study creativity, a behavior analytic perspective may provide new vistas by offering an additional perspective. Contemporary behavior analysis began with B. F. Skinner and offers a selectionist approach to the scientific investigation of creativity. Behavior analysis contributes to the study of creativity by…

Two studies involving a total of 2149 writers and other eminent individuals found that female poets were significantly more likely to suffer from mental illness than female fiction writers, than male writers of any type, or than eminent individuals in other fields. This finding has been dubbed the "Sylvia Plath" effect. (Contains references.)…

In the first study of the term "genius", 349 undergraduates nominated three geniuses in 1984, 1991, 1993, 1994, and 1997. Einstein was regarded as a stereotypical genius, while other nominees were subjective and transitory. In the second study, nominated geniuses were agreed to on only 26.2 percent of possible occasions. (Contains references.)…

A Likert style questionnaire consisting of 60 adjectives was administered to 451 undergraduates from Beijing, Guangzhou, Taipei, and Hong Kong. Results show the core characteristics of creativity that were identical in all the samples are originality, innovativeness, thinking and observation skills, flexibility, willingness to try, self…

Using 50 psychology undergraduates, an attempt was made to find positive correlations between transliminality (psychological material crossing thresholds into or out of consciousness) and creative personality and figure-complexity preference. Only the correlation between transliminality and creative personality was significant. (Contains…

A study involving 261 composers, 108 inventors, 392 NFL wide receivers, and 112 eminent inventors found that eminent individuals exhibit a greater rate of creative outputs and that the production of outputs deviates from randomness no more than would be expected from chance fluctuation alone, except for some eminent individuals. (Contains…

Thirty-four gifted children in Louisiana and 34 from Connecticut were administered the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and the Khatena-Torrance Creative Perception Inventory (KTCPI). The KTCPI included the What Kind of Person Are You (WKOPAY) subtest, a measure of creative striving. Perfectionistic traits were negatively correlated with…

To test Howard Gardner's depiction of a stark contrast between Western and Eastern views and approaches to creative development, a study examined the attitudes of Singapore teachers steeped in Chinese culture (n=58) with those in the Western tradition (n=49). More of the Eastern group favored nonintervention, contrary to Gardner's proposition. (CR)

A reanalysis of data from three previously published studies on whether creativity is content general or content specific suggest that, contrary to the results of recent research, a content-general factor may explain 40-50% of the variance in creativity checklist scores. Results are analyzed in light of other studies. (Author/CR)

Discusses the different characteristics that are often lumped together under the multidimensional term "giftedness." The origins of the term, the contributions of individual psychologists and others in identifying gifted students, and the life outcomes of mathematically and/or verbally precocious youth identified by talent searches are examined.…

Comments on "Varieties of Intellectual Talent" (Julian C. Stanley), that discusses characteristics of giftedness and ways of identifying gifted students. Topics explored include the five different forms of giftedness, the roles of domain and field, the ubiquity of environmental and cultural factors, cross-cultural conceptions, and potential…

Responding to "Varieties of Intellectual Talent" (Julian C. Stanley), this article discusses key components of talent development models that schools need to adopt in educating gifted children, including appreciation and response to individual differences, emphasis on the cultivation of the intellect to nurture abilities, and appreciation for…

Bibliographic information on 98 recent books on creativity and problem solving is presented, arranged alphabetically by author. Each listing notes the major topics addressed. Topics include creative ability in business, organizational change, gifted students, technological innovations, psychological aspects of creativity, and social aspects of…

Two hundred gifted and talented secondary students received an intensive exposure to a diverse array of learning and thinking experiences (indirect training) while 68 graduate students received intensive training in creative problem solving with emphasis on right cerebral hemisphere functions (direct training). (CL)