Creative reasoning across developmental levels: Convergence and divergence in problem creation

Abstract

We recently proposed the Creative Reasoning Test (CRT), a test for reasoning in ill-defined problem spaces. The test asks children who first performed the Standard Progressive Matrices test (SPM) to next generate an SPM-style test item themselves. The item is scored based on different aspects of its complexity. Here we introduce a method to provide separate sub scores for convergent and divergent production. A sample of 205 children from Grades 1 to 4 performed in both SPM and CRT, followed by a standard creativity test, the Test of Creative ThinkingDrawing Production (TCT-DP). We considered developmental aspects of the CRT scores as well as how they relate to classical reasoning and creativity test scores. Whereas the convergent production sub score of the CRT correlated with the SPM, the divergent production sub score correlated with the TCT-DP and no correlation was observed between both sub scores of the CRT. We concluded that convergent and divergent abilities in creative production can be assessed independently, within the same knowledge domain as classical problem solving.

Intelligence in creative processes: An EEG study

“…EEG/ERP designs are an appropriate method to gain insight in the temporal evolution of cognitive processes (Srinivasan, 2007). Within a neurocognitive approach, we expect to confirm the findings of Jaarsveld et al (2010Jaarsveld et al ( , 2012. These authors showed that, unlike the classical approach where intelligence is studied in defined problem spaces, the application of intelligence related abilities can be reliably studied in ill-defined problem spaces.…”

“…Definitions of the constructs of intelligence and creativity, however, vary in the degree to which they include abilities that are generally considered to belong to the other construct (Jaarsveld, Lachmann, & van Leeuwen, 2012;Runco, 2003;Sternberg, 2005). The ability to evaluate, for example, which is considered to belong to the construct of intelligence and gauges the match between a proposed solution and task constraints, also plays a role in creative processes that goes beyond the mere generation of a series of ideas (Geneplore model; Finke, Ward, & Smith, 1992).…”

“…This task presents a problem space in which intelligence and creativity both play a role. Jaarsveld et al (2012) demonstrated that the CRT sub scores for intelligence and creativity correlated significantly with the Raven Progressive Matrices test (RPM, Raven et al, 1998) and the Test for Creative ThinkingDrawing Production (TCT-DP, Urban & Jellen, 1995), respectively. Importantly, the sub scores of the CRT did not show a relationship, although correlations between scores of RPM and TCT-DP were observed (Jaarsveld et al, 2012;Urban, 2005;Urban & Jellen, 1995).…”

“…Jaarsveld et al (2012) demonstrated that the CRT sub scores for intelligence and creativity correlated significantly with the Raven Progressive Matrices test (RPM, Raven et al, 1998) and the Test for Creative ThinkingDrawing Production (TCT-DP, Urban & Jellen, 1995), respectively. Importantly, the sub scores of the CRT did not show a relationship, although correlations between scores of RPM and TCT-DP were observed (Jaarsveld et al, 2012;Urban, 2005;Urban & Jellen, 1995). In addition to the above reported contrast, we note that intelligence in the CRT and RPM operates on an identical knowledge domain, namely, relationships among geometric components, but that intelligence in RPM and creativity in TCT-DP operate in different knowledge domains.…”

The Influence of Individual Differences on Technical Creativity in Slovenian K-9 Students

“…The other, very important aspect to be discussed is how to interpret technology education outcomes, and here, additional pedagogical, philosophical, and sociological view is needed to analyse the contexts what to teach and how to assess outcomes (Norström, 2013) as they are knowledge, attitudes and skills where the creativity is found to be an essential element of any learning process. Creativity is an ability to invent and be able to go beyond what is already known and it is also defined as the ability to create a solution for a poorly defined problem or as an ability to identify new problems (Jaarsveld, Lachmann, van Leeuwen, 2012). Cropley (2015) defined criteria for creative products as the basic outcome of technology and engineering education as: (1) novelty as an absolute prerequisite for creativity, (2) relevant and effective, (3) elegant, and (4) genesis.…”