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7 - The Genetic Basis of Creativity

A Multivariate Approach

from Biological Underpinnings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2019

By
Baptiste Barbot  and
Henry Eff
Edited by
James C. Kaufman  and
Robert J. Sternberg
James C. Kaufman
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
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Summary

Despites popular assumptions, there is not one single “creativity gene,” just as there is not one single “creativity” expression. Understanding the genetic underpinning of creativity first requires us to understand the multivariate and partly domain-specific nature of creativity, which cannot be reduced to a single cognitive function such as divergent thinking. Based upon a multivariate approach to creativity and its recent extension, this chapter explores the current state of knowledge on the genetic etiology of creativity, with a focus on scientific contributions of the last decade. A first line of genetic studies focusing on “real-world” creativity (creative achievements, talents, product-based assessment of creativity) is scrutinized, followed by a broader line of work focused on the genetic underpinning of important “resources” of creativity often studied in isolation (e.g., divergent thinking, openness to experience, and cognitive flexibility). Findings from both lines of research are then integrated, suggesting that the co-occurrence of important individual resources of creativity and their optimal interaction may be due to their common genetic bases. The chapter concludes by discussing future directions in the study of the gene–creativity relationship, which could greatly advance the understanding of the creativity phenomenon and, ultimately, support the realization of everyone’s creative potential.
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Chapter
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The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity , pp. 132 - 147
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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