Variables Affecting Creative Contributions across the Adult Life Span

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore possible explanations of the decline in old age of highly creative contributions. This present study examined whether two explanations were more important than decrements in intelligence. These were (1) decrements in specific divergent thinking abilities and (2) a decline in preference for complexity. Specific creative abilities (divergent thinking) were measured by Guilford tests of redefinition, originality, adaptive flexibility, and ideational fluency. Preference for complexity was measured by the Barron-Welsh Art Scale. These tests were given to 111 teachers ranging in age from 20 to 83 years. The results showed that older subjects were as intelligent as younger subjects but that they performed less well on the Guilford tests and had a lower preference for complexity. Hence, the age differences on Guilford’s tests and the Barron-Welsh Art Scale are more plausible explanations for the age changes in creative contributions. Furthermore, scores on the Guilford tests and those on the Barron-Welsh Art Scale were not correlated. Therefore, it was suggested that the Guilford tests measured ability components of creativity whereas the Barron-Welsh Art Scale measures a motivational component of creativity.

Career landmarks in science: Individual differences and interdisciplinary contrasts.

“…Alpaugh & Birren, 1977;McCrae, Arenberg, & Costa, 1987). Given the dependency of the career course on these two factors, and assuming that these tests gauge creative potential (however approximately), researchers should establish that changes in psychometric creativity parallel the career trajectories dictated by accelerated or retarded career onsets and by the selection of endeavors with early or late career peaks (cf.…”

Cognitive Creative Abilities and Self-Esteem across the Adult Life-Span

“…As noted by Alpaugh and Birren (1977), the methodological flaws of Bromley's (1956) study indict any age-related developmental interpretations of his data. It appears that the Shaw test lacks discriminant validity as a measure that distinguishes divergent thinking abilities from IQ.…”

“…He reports that the quality of intellectual output declines with age, that quality of performance declines more quickly than quantity of responses, and that original ideas decline more rapidly with age than do more popular ideas. Alpaugh and Birren (1977) conducted a study of variables (divergent thinking and intelligence) believed to affect creative contributions in persons between the ages of 20 and 83. Based on multiple regression analysis, with intelligence partialled out, age accounted for a significant amount of variance in divergent thinking scores.…”

“…It appears that the Shaw test lacks discriminant validity as a measure that distinguishes divergent thinking abilities from IQ. Alpaugh and Birren (1977) suggest that declines in creative contributions in later adulthood are a function of decreased divergent thinking ability as opposed to a decline in intelligence.…”

Creative productivity: A predictive and explanatory model of career trajectories and landmarks.

“…Indeed, the empirical data have inspired several behavioral scientists to propose theoretical explanations for the published observations. Some of these accounts focus on individual differences in creative productivity (e.g., Eysenck, 1995;Price, 1976;Shockley, 1957;Simon, 1955), whereas other interpretations concentrate on how creative productivity varies across the life span (e.g., Alpaugh & Birren, 1977;Beard, 1874;Cole, 1979;Diamond, 1984;Lehman, 1953;McCrae, Arenberg, & Costa, 1987). A few behavioral scientists have even offered explanations that simultaneously treat both cross-sectional and longitudinal variation (e.g., Allison, 1980;Allison, Long, & Krauze, 1982;Allison & Stewart, 1974).…”