This paper examines the research literature that points to the function of aesthetics outside the domain of the arts and discusses its importance to creativity and creativity education. The featured literature focuses on problem finding, problem solving, verification, and the development of an aesthetic sense. (EH)

This document contains three papers describing theoretical approaches and empirical findings concerning the role of anxiety in self-actualization. "Opposing Views of Anxiety and Self-Actualization" by Paul F. Zelhart describes theories of self-actualization that take opposite views of the role of anxiety in psychological development…

In this topical book, leading academics in primary education evaluate New Labour's Education policy. They draw on the findings of the latest research to discuss the impact of policies on primary school practice and on the views and experiences of primary school teachers and pupils. Current issues and initiatives are analyzed to identify the extent…

This article presents a queuing model simulation of scientific productivity utilizing critical path analysis. Creativity is found to have a large positive effect, a negative effect, or no effect on productivity, depending on the stage of the problem-solving process to which it is applied and the nature of the bottlenecks inherent to the specific…

To evaluate Mednick's theory of the creative thinking process, an associative priming paradigm was used to measure latencies to lexical decisions primed by associations of low, medium, or high strength with 20 high-creative and 20 low-creative high school students. Mednick's theory that creative individuals show a flatter associative hierarchy…

This study with 432 college students examined how variables influence the relative performance of groups and individuals on creative problem-solving tasks. Having more ideas available (through a priming manipulation) led to better individual performance. Group performance, however, was enhanced by training appropriate to problem content that…

The purpose of this paper was to present and update the evaluation of the ideas of Vicktor Lowenfeld and his place in the history of art education. This task was undertaken in light of developments that have taken place in the decades since his death. Among those developments are: (1) efforts to educate all individuals in the least retrictive…

Artistic giftedness in 217 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-year olds was investigated from a neo-Piagetian perspective, which articulates the increasingly complex structures for representing spatial relations in drawing during middle childhood. Gifted children structured spatial relations, composed their drawings, and used color similarly to average children,…

The predictive validity of original thinking, as measured by two subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, to the performance of real-world creative activities (in such domains as art, drama, sport, music, and dance) was examined in 60 second-graders. Original thinking was significantly related to creative performance but not to…

Pretend play training was given to an experimental group of 15 children aged three to five years. A matched control group was given mastery tasks. Results showed the experimental group gained significantly on observed make-believe play, non-standard alternative uses, Say-and-Tell total, Self-Concept Empathy Preschool Embedded Figures, and Matching…

College students (N=135) were presented with novel, ill-defined problems and asked to select concepts they thought would help solve the problems. The use of concepts organized around long-term goals was positively related to indices of solution quality and originality. (DB)

An interactionist model of creative behavior is proposed, combining elements of the personality, cognitive, and social psychology perspectives on creativity. The model considers the interplay of factors including antecedent conditions, creative behavior, consequences, the individual, cognitive style/ability, personality traits, contextual…

Uses a case-study approach to examine the role of belief as a catalytic quality in the artistic making and the thinking processes used by children. Describes the processes encountered by children when presented with artistic tasks. Discusses the relationship between belief and the three other main dimensions of artistic thinking and making: social…

This article reviews recent research on assessment techniques for divergent thinking and examines their predictive validity. Techniques include those using either lenient or stringent solution standards, those assessing total idea output, and those involving qualitative aspects of ideation. Special considerations for the creativity of gifted…

The contents of 67 college-level creativity course syllabi were analyzed. A theoretical framework emerged with five dimensions, including social climate, personality characteristics, models or theories, process involved, and product variables related to end results. (DB)