Creativity in Soviet–Russian Psychology

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511818240.009

9 - Creativity in Soviet–Russian Psychology

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012

Olga Stepanossova and

Elena L. Grigorenko

Edited by

James C. Kaufman and

Robert J. Sternberg

Show author details

Olga Stepanossova: Affiliation:
Moscow State University/Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise, Yale University
Elena L. Grigorenko: Affiliation:
Moscow State University/Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise, Yale University
James C. Kaufman: Affiliation:
California State University, San Bernardino
Robert J. Sternberg: Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut

Book contents

Get access

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter we present an overview of creativity in Soviet–Russian psychology. We are using the term Soviet–Russian psychology to indicate that the content of this chapter is based primarily on studies and conceptions developed in the context of Soviet psychology prior to December 1991, when the Soviet Union was disassembled, as well as on studies and theories that have appeared more recently in Russia. This chapter shows an existing mosaic of approaches to creativity in Soviet–Russian psychology. We present original conceptual and methodological solutions to questions on the nature of creativity and ways to study, and we discuss similarities and common characteristics of these solutions with Western psychological tradition.

With all its richness and diversity, the field of Soviet–Russian psychology of creativity can be understood as reflecting two major trajectories. The first trajectory can be traced back to conceptualizations of insight and creative process in Gestalt psychology (Duncker, 1945; Wertheimer, 1959). Soviet–Russian psychologists, attempting to understand this work, reinterpreted and reconceptualized creative process by implementing general principals of Marxist psychology developed, by that time, in the area of the psychology of thinking (see Grigorenko, Ruzgis, & Sternberg, 1997). The intention was to demystify insight by finding its concrete psychological mechanisms and the objective environmental conditions that lead to its occurrence, and, further, to explain creative processes from deterministic positions.

The second trajectory can be traced to the acquaintance of Soviet– Russian psychological thought with Guilford's view of creativity and with the Guilford and Torrance tests of creativity.

Type: Chapter
Information: The International Handbook of Creativity , pp. 235 - 269

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511818240.009 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Amabile, T. M., Goldfarb, P., & Brackfield, S. C. (1990). Social influences on creativity: Evaluation, coaction, and surveillance. Creativity Research Journal, 3, 6–21CrossRef Google Scholar

Babaeva, Y. D. (1997). Dinamicheskaya teoriya odarennosti [The dynamic theory of giftedness]. In Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (Ed.), Osnovnye sovremennye kontseptsii tvorchestva i odarennosti (pp. 275–294). Moscow: Molodaya GvardiyaGoogle Scholar

Bakhtin, M. (1984). Problems of Dostoevsky's poetics. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota PressCrossRef Google Scholar

Bibler, V. S. (1983). Thinking as creation: Introduction to the logic of mental dialogue. Soviet Psychology, 22, 33–54Google Scholar

Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (1983). Intellectual'naya aktivnost' kak problema tvorchestva [Intellectual activity as a problem of creativity]. Rostov-na-Donu, Russia: Rostovskii Gosudarstvennyi UniversitetGoogle Scholar

Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (1995). O predmete i metode issledovaniya tvorcheskikh sposobnostei [About the subject and method of studying creative abilities]. Psikhologicheskii Zhurnal, 16, 49–58Google Scholar

Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (1999). Sub'yekt deyatel'nosti ⅴ problematike tvorchestva [“Activity subject” in creativity context]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 2, 35–41Google Scholar

Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (2002). Psikhologiya tvorcheskikh sposobnostey [The psychology of creative abilities]. Moscow: AkademiyaGoogle Scholar

Brushlinsky, A. V. (1996). Sub'yekt: Myshleniye, ucheniye, voobrazheniye [Individual: Thinking, learning, imagination]. Voronezh, Russia: Institut Prakticheskoy PsikhologiiGoogle Scholar

Brushlinsky, A. V. (1997). O sub'yekte myshleniya i tvorchestva [About the subject of thinking and creativity]. In Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (Ed.), Osnovnye sovremennye kontseptsii tvorchestva i odarennosti (pp. 39–56). Moscow: Molodaya GvardiyaGoogle Scholar

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & RowGoogle Scholar

Druzhinin, V. N. (1997). Struktura psikhometricheskogo intellekta i prognoz individual'nykh dostizhenii [The structure of psychometric intelligence and prediction of individual achievements]. In Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (Ed.), Osnovnye sovremennye kontseptsii tvorchestva i odarennosti (pp. 161–185). Moscow: Molodaya GvardiyaGoogle Scholar

Druzhinin, V. N. (1999). Psikhologiya obschikh sposobnostei [Psychology of general abilities]. Saint Petersburg, Russia: PiterGoogle Scholar

Druzhinin, V. N., & Khazratova, N. V. (1994). Eksperimental'noe issledovanie formiruyuschego vliyaniya mikrosredy na kreativnost' [An experimental study of the formative influence of microenvironments on creativity]. Psikhologicheskii Zhurnal, 15, 83–93Google Scholar

Duncker, K. (1945). On problem solving. Psychological Monographs, 58, 1–113CrossRef Google Scholar

Epstein, S., Pacini, R., Denes-Raj, V., & Heier, H. (1996). Individual differences in intuitive – experiential and analytical – rational thinking styles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 390–405CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Frantz, R. (2003). Herbert Simon. Artificial intelligence as a framework for understanding intuition. Journal of Economic Psychology, 24, 265–277CrossRef Google Scholar

Galperin, P. Y. (1969). Stages in the development of mental acts. In Cole, M., & Maltzman, I. (Eds.), A handbook of contemporary Soviet psychology (pp. 34–61). New York: Basic BooksGoogle Scholar

Galperin, P. Y. (1989). Mental actions as a basis for the formation of thoughts and images. Soviet Psychology, 27, 45–64Google Scholar

Galperin, P. Y., & Kotik, N. R. (1982). K psikhologii tvorcheskogo myshleniya [On the psychology of creative thinking]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 5, 80–84Google Scholar

Goryunova, N. B., & Druzhinin, V. N. (2001). Operatsional'nye deskriptory kognitivnogo resursa i productivnost' resheniya testovykh zadach i zadach-golovolomok [Operational descriptors of the cognitive resource and productivity of test tasks and puzzle solving]. Psikhologicheskii Zhurnal, 22, 13–22Google Scholar

Grigorenko, E. L., & Kornilova, T. V. (1997). The resolution of the nature–nurture controversy by Russian psychology: Culturally biased or culturally specific? In Sternberg, R. J. & Grigorenko, E. L. (Eds.), Intelligence, heredity, and environment (pp. 393–439). New York: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar

Grigorenko, E. L., Ruzgis, P., & Sternberg, R. J. (Eds.). (1997). Psychology of Russia: Past, present, future. Commack, NY: Nova ScienceGoogle Scholar

Guilford, J. P. (1950). Creativity. American Psychologist, 5, 444–454CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Guilford, J. P. (1967). The nature of human intelligence. New York: McGraw-HillGoogle Scholar

De Groot, A. D. (1993). Intuition as a dispositional concept. In Heck, G. L., Bonaiuto, P., Deary, I. J., & Nowack, W. (Eds.), Personality psychology in Europe (Vol. 4, pp. 7–50). Tilburg, Netherlands: Tilburg University PressGoogle Scholar

Hammond, K. R. (2000). Judgments under stress. New York: Oxford University PressGoogle Scholar

Heller, K. A., Gaedike, A. K., & Weinlader, H. (1985). Kognitiven Fahigkeitstest (KFT4–13+) [Test of Cognitive Capabilities (KFT4–13+)]. Weinheim, Germany: BeltzGoogle Scholar

Hogarth, R. M. (2001). Educating intuition. Chicago: University of Chicago PressGoogle Scholar

Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1982). On the study of statistical intuitions. Cognition, 11, 123–141CrossRef Google Scholar

Kanevskaya, M. E., & Firsova, L. A. (1990). Svyaz' uspeshnosti khudozhestvennogo tvorchestva s napravlennost'yu lichnosti u detei [Correlation between successfulness of artistic creativity and personality trends in children]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 3, 69–75Google Scholar

Kholodnaya, M. A. (2001). Psikhologiya intellekta: Paradoksy issledovaniya [Psychology of intelligence: Research paradoxes]. Saint Petersburg, Russia: PiterGoogle Scholar

Kholodnaya, M. A. (2002). Osnovnye napravleniya izucheniya psykhologii sposobnostei ⅴ institute psikhologii RAN [Major approaches to studying psychological abilities elaborated in the Institute of Psychology, RAS]. Psikhologicheskii Zhurnal, 23, 13–22Google Scholar

Krogius, N. V. (1981). Psikhologiya shakhmatnogo tvorchestva [Psychology of chess creativity]. Moscow: Fizkultura SportGoogle Scholar

Leontiev, A. A. (1998). “Nauchite cheloveka fantazii …” (tvorchestvo i razvivayuschee obrazovanie) [“Teach a fantasy …” (Creativity and developing education)]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 5, 82–85Google Scholar

Leontiev, A. N. (1978a). Activity, consciousness, and personality. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-HallGoogle Scholar

Leontiev, A. N. (1978b). Thinking. In Great Soviet Encyclopedia (3rd ed., trans., pp. 708–709). New York: Macmillan Educational CorporationGoogle Scholar

Leontiev, A. N., Ponomarev, Y. A., & Gippenreiter, Y. B. (1981). Opyt eksperimental'nogo issledovaniya myshleniya [An experience of an experimental study of thinking]. In Gippenreiter, Y. D. & Petukhov, V. V. (Eds.), Khrestomatiya po obschey psikhologii: Psikhologiya myshleniya (pp. 269–280). Moscow: Moskovskii Gosudarstvennyi UniversitetGoogle Scholar

Lubart, T. I. (2001). Models of the creative process: Past, present and future. Creativity Research Journal, 13, 295–308CrossRef Google Scholar

Matyushkin, A. M. (1989). Kontseptsiya tvorcheskoi odarennosti [The conception of creative giftedness]. Voprosy Psykhologii, 6, 29–33Google Scholar

Matyushkin, A. M. (1990). A Soviet perspective on giftedness and creativity. European Journal for High Ability, 1, 72–75CrossRef Google Scholar

Matyushkin, A. M. (1993). Zagadki odarennosti: Problemy prakticheskoi diagnostiki [The puzzles of giftedness: The issues of practical diagnostics.] Moscow: Shkola-PressGoogle Scholar

Mednick, S. A., & Mednick, M. T. (1967). Examiner's manual: Remote Associates Test.Boston: Houghton MifflinGoogle Scholar

Obukhova, L. F., & Churbanova, S. M. (1994). Razvitiye divergentnogo myshleniya ⅴ detskom vozraste [Development of divergent thinking in childhood]. Moscow: Moscovskii Gosudarstvennyi UniversitetGoogle Scholar

Ozhiganova, G. V. (2001). Diagnostika i formirovanie kreativnosti u detey ⅴ protsesse uchebnoi deyatel'nosti [Diagnostics and forming of creativity in children in the process of school learning]. Psikhologicheskii Zhurnal, 22, 75–85Google Scholar

Petukhov, V. V. (1999). Problema osmyslennogo deistviya (po resheniyu tvorcheskikh zadach) [The problem of intelligent action (in creative problem solving)]. In Voiskunsky, A. E., Zhdan, A. N., & Tikhomirov, O. K., Traditsii i perspektivy deyatel'nostnogo podkhoda ⅴ psikhologii: Shkola Leontieva (pp. 235–262). Moscow: SmyslGoogle Scholar

Ponomarev, I. A. (1960). Psikhologiya tvorcheskogo myshleniya [The psychology of creative thinking]. Moscow: Academiya Pedagogicheskikh Nauk RSFSRGoogle Scholar

Ponomarev, I. A. (1987). Osnovnye zven'ya psikhologicheskogo mekhanizma tvorchestva [The major components of psychological mechanism of creativity]. In Panov, M. I. (Ed.), Intuitsiya, logika, tvorchestvo (pp. 5–23). Moscow: NaukaGoogle Scholar

Reber, A. S., Walkenfeld, F. F., & Hernstadt, R. (1991). Implicit and explicit learning: Individual differences and IQ. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 1, 888–896Google Scholar

Ryabova, T. V., & Mendelevich, V. D. (2002). Tvorcheskoe myshlenie i antitsipatsiya u bol'nyh shizofreniey i psikhicheski zdorovikh [Creative thinking and anticipation in schizophrenic patients and mentally healthy people]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 1, 69–75Google Scholar

Simon, H. A. (1989). Making management decisions: The role of intuition and emotion. In Agor, W. H. (Ed.), Intuition in organizations: Leading and managing productively (pp. 23–39). Newbury Park, CA: SageGoogle Scholar

Shirley, D. A., & Lagan-Fox, J. (1996). Intuition: A review of the literature. Psychological Reports, 79, 563–584CrossRef Google Scholar

Shcheblanova, E. I. (1999). Osobennosti kognitivnogo i motivatsionno-lichnostnogo razvitiya odarennykh starsheklassnikov [Characteristics of cognitive and motivational-personality development of gifted high school students]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 6, 36–47Google Scholar

Shcheblanova, E. I. (2000). The dynamics of cognitive and noncognitive personality indicators of giftedness in younger schoolchildren. Russian Education and Society, 42, 5–27CrossRef Google Scholar

Shumakova, N. B. (1996). Mezhdistsiplinarnyi podkhod k obucheniyu odarennykh detei. [Interdisciplinary approach to the teaching of gifted children]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 3, 34–43Google Scholar

Shumakova, N. B., Shcheblanova, G. I., & Shcherbo, N. P. (1991). Issledovanie odarennosti s ispol'zovaniem testov P. Torrensa [The usage of P. Torrance's Tests in study of giftedness]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 1, 27–32Google Scholar

Tikhomirov, O. K. (1975). Psikhologicheskie issledovaniya tvorcheskoy deyatel'nosti [Psychological studies of creative activity]. Moscow: NaukaGoogle Scholar

Tikhomirov, O. K., Babayeva, Y. D., Berezanskaya, N. B., Vasilyev, I. A., & Voyskunsky, A. E. (1999). Razvitie deyatel'nostnogo podkhoda ⅴ psikhologii myshleniya [Development of the activity approach to the psychology of thinking]. In Voiskunsky, A. E., Zhdan, A. N., & Tikhomirov, O. K., Traditsii i perspektivy deyatel'nostnogo podkhoda ⅴ psikhologii: Shkola Leontieva (pp. 191–234). Moscow: SmyslGoogle Scholar

Torrance, E. P. (1962). Guiding creative talent. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-HallCrossRef Google Scholar

Treffinger, D. J. (1980). Encouraging creative learning for the gifted and talented. A handbook of methods and techniques.Ventura, CA: Ventura County Superintendent of Schools OfficeGoogle Scholar

Ushakov, D. V. (1988). Rol' metafory ⅴ tvorcheskom myshlenii [The role of metaphor in creative thinking]. Vestnik Vysshey Shkoly, 1, 24–28Google Scholar

Ushakov, D. V. (1997). Odarennost', tvorchestvo, intuitsiya [Giftedness, creativity, intuition]. In Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (Ed.), Osnovnye sovremennye kontseptsii tvorchestva i odarennosti (pp. 78–89). Moscow: Molodaya GvardiyaGoogle Scholar

Ushakov, D. V. (1999). Myshleniye i intellekt [Thinking and intelligence]. In Druzhinin, V. N. (Ed.), Sovremennaya psikhologiya: Spravochnoye rukovodstvo (pp. 241–266). Moscow: Infra-MGoogle Scholar

Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT PressCrossRef Google Scholar

Wallas, G. (1926). The art of thought. New York: McGraw-HillGoogle Scholar

Wertheimer, M. (1959). Productive thinking. New York: Harper & RowGoogle Scholar

Yaroshevsky, M. G. (1985). Psikhologiya tvorchestva i tvorchestvo ⅴ psikhologii [Psychology of creativity and creative work in psychology]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 6, 14–26Google Scholar

Yurkevich, V. S. (1996). Odarennyi rebenok: Illyuzii i real'nost' [A gifted child: Illusions and reality]. Moscow: ProsveshchenieGoogle Scholar

Yurkevich, V. S. (1997). O “naivnoi” i “kul'turnoi” kreativnosti [About naïve and cultural creativity]. In Bogoyavlenskaya, D. B. (Ed.), Osnovnye sovremennye kontseptsii tvorchestva i odarennosti (pp. 127–142). Moscow: Molodaya GvardiyaGoogle Scholar