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Peer-reviewed article

A Decline in Creativity? It Depends on the Domain

February 12, 2016 | Media and Technology, Public Programs, Informal/Formal Connections
Earlier studies using psychometric tests have documented declines in creativity over the past several decades. Our study investigated whether and how this apparent trend would replicate through a qualitative investigation using an authentic nontest measure of creativity. Three-hundred and fifty-four visual artworks and 50 creative writing works produced by adolescents between 1990–1995 and 2006–2011 were assessed. Products were analyzed using a structured assessment method based on technical criteria and content elements. Criteria included in the current investigation (e.g., genre, medium, stylistic approach) are relevant both to the specific media domains and to previously established dimensions of creativity, such as originality and complexity. Results showed strong domain differences: performance in visual arts increased on a variety of indices of complexity and technical proficiency, and performance in writing decreased on indices related to originality and technical proficiency. Findings highlight the value of analysing creativity across domains. The importance of considering cultural and technological changes in characterizing and understanding apparent trends in amount and types of creativity is discussed.

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    Author
    Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • Emily Weinstein
    Author
    Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • Zachary Clark
    Author
    Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • Katie Davis
    Author
    University of Washington
  • Citation

    DOI : 10.1080/10400419.2014.901082
    Publication Name: A Decline in Creativity? It Depends on the Domain
    Volume: 26
    Number: 2
    Page Number: 174-184
    Resource Type: Research Products
    Discipline: Art, music, and theater | Literacy | Technology
    Audience: Middle School Children (11-13) | Youth/Teen (up to 17) | Learning Researchers
    Environment Type: Media and Technology | Comics, Books, and Newspapers | Public Programs | Informal/Formal Connections

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