The conflict between Samoan culture and the development of creativity among Samoan students is examined. Creativity is defined as the process of sensing gaps, finding a means of effecting closure, and formulating hypotheses to eventually produce a novel product. The greater the pressure to conform, however, no matter what the source, the fewer the individuals who can preserve their creative functioning. The extent to which a culture encourages diversity and tolerates individual deviation affects this creative development. Samoan culture has relatively few discontinuities. Roles are assumed at birth and rarely change throughout life. Obedience to those higher in authority and power over those slightly smaller or younger is consistently upheld. There is a great lack of stimulation which might produce changes. Pressures are brought to bear when any tendency to change appears. However, the one major source of discontinuity is the impact of United States culture. The conflict between the two cultures creates extreme frustration among young Samoan students and leads to a high dropout rate in Samoan schools. Samoan educators are encouraged to be highly sensitive to creative students' needs in order to decrease the role conflict of Samoan students. (Author/DE)