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2 - A Review of Creativity Theories

What Questions Are We Trying to Answer?

from The Nature of Creativity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2019

By
James C. Kaufman  and
Vlad P. Glăveanu
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

In this chapter, we review a wide assortment of theories of creativity. Our approach is to consider the underlying (and sometimes unspoken) questions that different theories attempt to answer. The six questions that we have used as our base ask about (1) the underlying structure of creativity, (2) creativity’s required components, (3) what drives people to be creative, (4) how people create alone, (5) how we can create together, and (6) what makes creative work last? Finally, we suggest new questions that may merit future theoretical exploration.
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity , pp. 27 - 43
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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