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14 - Creativity in Psychology

Finding Its Niche in the Sciences

from Part III - Creativity in the Sciences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2017

By
Dean Keith Simonton
Edited by
James C. Kaufman ,
Vlad P. Glăveanu  and
John Baer
James C. Kaufman
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
Vlad P. Glăveanu
Affiliation:
Universitetet i Bergen, Norway
John Baer
Affiliation:
Rider University, New Jersey
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Summary

Abstract

Although creativity in psychology involves the same processes and procedures discussed in the earlier chapter on domain-general creativity, sufficient differences arise in their application that it becomes important to distinguish psychology’s various subdisciplines as well as discern the discipline’s overall placement in the hierarchy of the sciences, a placement that determines the amount of field consensus regarding the most creative contributors to the domain. Discussion then turns to the four major ways of assessing creativity in the domain, namely, peer evaluations, research citations, professional recognition, and historical eminence. This then sets the stage for reviewing key creativity studies regarding individual differences (including both general personality characteristics and specific theoretical and methodological orientation) and longitudinal changes (viz. early development and career trajectories). The chapter closes with recommendations regarding future research on creativity in the domain of psychology.

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The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity across Domains , pp. 247 - 260
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2017

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