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9 - Creativity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 May 2019

By
Christa L. Taylor ,
Vlad P. Gla˘veanu ,
Allison B. Kaufman  and
James C. Kaufman
Edited by
Robert J. Sternberg  and
Wade E. Pickren
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Wade E. Pickren
Affiliation:
Ithaca College, New York
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Summary

The way that we define and think about creativity today is rooted in a myriad of past theories and beliefs, dating back to ancient times. Over the years, our idea of creativity has gone from being the purview of the divine to a gift for a select few to a basic human characteristic. Modern creativity research has also evolved over time, from research primarily focusing on individual differences in creative ability to more dynamic and complex models of creativity, which focus on how personal and contextual factors interact to influence creativity across domains and at different levels. Changes in both the philosophy and science of creativity have reflected the concerns and visions of human agency and society that were dominant at a given time. This chapter explores how the philosophy and science of creativity have evolved over time within this socio-historical context.

Keywords

creativitygeniussociohistorical contextcreativity modelshistory
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of the Intellectual History of Psychology , pp. 250 - 266
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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