This dissertation reviews the literature on creative behavior and reports a study exploring the operational approach to creativity. One hundred and nineteen 6th-grade students were assigned randomly to 6 treatment levels. The Ss in 4 levels read booklets which described principles of creative thinking techniques, and which presented examples and exercises. One group read a control booklet, while another read no booklet. All Ss then completed 3 creativity tests and an attitude inventory. Hypotheses predicted differences among treatment levels as a function of the playfulness or organizational emphasis of the various techniques. The more playful techniques (e.g., Personal Analogy) were expected to produce higher scores on measures of Flexibility, Originality, and Best Ideas. The more organized techniques (e.g., Part Changing) were expected to produce higher scores on Fluency. No treatment differences were found, however, for any of the dependent measures, nor were there differences in the Treatment x Sex or Treatment x School interactions. Covariate (IQ & Language scores) adjustments increased some treatment effects while decreasing their relatively large standard errors. (Author)