Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-22dnz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T09:26:22.635Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

45 - Intelligence and Creativity

from Part VIII - Intelligence and Allied Constructs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2019

By
Jonathan A. Plucker ,
Maciej Karwowski  and
James C. Kaufman
Edited by
Robert J. Sternberg
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Get access

Summary

How are intelligence and creativity related? Given the dynamic and complex nature of both constructs, this question is a nuanced one. This chapter first discusses how creativity is represented in intelligence theories (such as Guilford’s Structure of Intellect, CHC, and successful intelligence, and how intelligence is represented in creativity theories (such as systems and componential theories, domain-based theories, and cognitive theories). Next, empirical studies are reviewed. The threshold theory, which proposes that intelligence and creativity are related but only up to about an IQ of 120, has received mixed support. More recent studies using sophisticated statistical analyses have found more evidence. A reliance on measures of divergent thinking and g as the sole tests of creativity and intelligence may also limit much existing research.

Keywords

intelligenceIQcreativitythreshold hypothesis
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence , pp. 1087 - 1105
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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.)

References

Aljughaiman, A, & Mowrer-Reynolds, E. (2005). Teachers’ conceptions of creativity and creative students. Journal of Creative Behavior, 39, 17–34.Google Scholar
Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in context: Update to “The Social Psychology of Creativity.” Boulder, CO: Westview Press.Google Scholar
Amabile, T. M., & Pratt, M. G. (2016). The dynamic componential model of creativity and innovation in organizations: Making progress, making meaning. Research in Organizational Behavior, 36, 157–183.Google Scholar
Arenius, P., Engel, Y., & Klyver, K. (2017). No particular action needed? A necessary condition analysis of gestation activities and firm emergence. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 8, 87–92.Google Scholar
Avitia, M. J., & Kaufman, J. C. (2014). Beyond g and c: The relationship of rated creativity to long-term storage and retrieval (Glr). Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 8, 293–302.Google Scholar
Baer, J. (2011). How divergent thinking tests mislead us: Are the Torrance Tests still relevant in the 21st century? Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 5, 309–313.Google Scholar
Baer, J., & Kaufman, J. C. (2017). The Amusement Park Theoretical Model of Creativity: An attempt to bridge the domain specificity/generality gap. In Kaufman, J. C., Glăveanu, V. P., & Baer, J. (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of creativity across domains (pp. 8–17). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Barron, F. (1963). Creativity and psychological health. Princeton: D. Van Nostrand.Google Scholar
Barron, F. (1969). Creative person and creative process. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Google Scholar
Barron, F., & Harrington, D. M. (1981). Creativity, intelligence, and personality. Annual Review of Psychology, 32, 439–476.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Batey, M., & Furnham, A. (2006). Creativity, intelligence and personality: A critical review of the scattered literature. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 132, 355–429.Google Scholar
Beghetto, R. A. (2006). Creative justice? The relationship between prospective teachers’ prior schooling experiences and perceived importance of promoting student creativity. Journal of Creative Behavior, 40, 149–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beghetto, R. A. (2007). Does creativity have a place in classroom discussions? Prospective teachers’ response preferences. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2, 1–9.Google Scholar
Benedek, M., Franz, F., Heene, M., & Neubauer, A. C. (2012). Differential effects of cognitive inhibition and intelligence on creativity. Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 480–485.Google Scholar
Benedek, M., Jauk, E., Sommer, M., Arendasy, M., & Neubauer, A. C. (2014). Intelligence, creativity, and cognitive control: The common and differential involvement of executive functions in intelligence and creativity. Intelligence, 46, 73–83.Google Scholar
Blair, C. S., & Mumford, M. D. (2007). Errors in idea evaluation: Preference for the unoriginal? Journal of Creative Behavior, 41, 197–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brandau, H., Daghofer, F., Hollerer, L., Kaschnitz, W., Kirchmair, G., Krammer, I., & Schlagbauer, A. (2007). The relationship between creativity, teacher ratings on behavior, age, and gender in pupils from seven to ten years. Journal of Creative Behavior, 41, 91–113.Google Scholar
Carroll, J. B. (1993). Human cognitive abilities: A survey of factor-analytic studies. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Carson, S. H., Peterson, J. B., & Higgins, D. M. (2005). Reliability, validity, and factor structure of the creative achievement questionnaire. Creativity Research Journal, 17, 37–50.Google Scholar
Cattell, R. B., & Butcher, H. (1968). The prediction of achievement and creativity. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill.Google Scholar
Dul, J. (2016a). Necessary condition analysis (NCA): Logic and methodology of “necessary but not sufficient” causality. Organizational Research Methods, 19, 10–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dul, J., Karwowski, M., & Kaufman, J. C. (in press). Necessary condition analysis in creativity research. In Dörfler, V. & Stierand, M. (Eds.), Handbook of research methods on creativity. New York: Edward Elgar.Google Scholar
Dumas, D. (2018). Relational reasoning and divergent thinking: An examination of the threshold hypothesis with quantile regression. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 53, 1–14.Google Scholar
Feldhusen, J. F. (1995). Creativity: A knowledge base, metacognitive skills, and personality factors. Journal of Creative Behavior, 29, 255–268.Google Scholar
Feldhusen, J. F., & Goh, B. E. (1995). Assessing and accessing creativity: An integrative review of theory, research, and development. Creativity Research Journal, 8(3), 231–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finke, R. (1990). Creative imagery: Discoveries and inventions in visualization. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
Finke, R. A., & Slayton, K. (1988). Explorations of creative visual synthesis in mental imagery. Memory and Cognition, 16, 252–257.Google Scholar
Finke, R. A., Ward, T. B., & Smith, S. M. (1992). Creative cognition: Theory, research, and applications. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Flanagan, D. P., & Ortiz, S. O. (2002). Best practices in intellectual assessment: Future directions. In Thomas, A. & Grimes, J. (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology (Vol. 4, pp. 1351–1372). Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists.Google Scholar
Forgeard, M. J. C., & Kaufman, J. C. (2016). Who cares about imagination, creativity, and innovation, and why? A review. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 10, 250–269.Google Scholar
Fuchs-Beauchamp, K. D., Karnes, M. B., & Johnson, L. J. (1993). Creativity and intelligence in preschoolers. Gifted Child Quarterly, 37, 113–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, H. (1993). Creating minds. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Getzels, J. W., & Jackson, P. W. (1962). Creativity and intelligence: Explorations with gifted students. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Guilford, J. P. (1950). Creativity. American Psychologist, 5, 444–454.Google Scholar
Guilford, J. P. (1967). The nature of human intelligence. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Guilford, J. P. (1988). Some changes in the Structure-of-Intellect Model. Educational and Psychological Measurements, 48, 1–4.Google Scholar
Harris, A. M., Williamson, R. L., & Carter, N. T. (2018). A conditional threshold hypothesis for creative achievement: On the interaction between intelligence and openness. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/aca0000182Google Scholar
Hartman, E. (2000). Dreams and nightmares: The origin and meaning of dreams. New York: Perseus.Google Scholar
Hayes, J. R. (1989). Cognitive processes in creativity. In Glover, J. A., Ronning, R. R., & Reynolds, C. R. (Eds.), Handbook of creativity (pp. 135–145). New York: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horn, J. L., & Cattell, R. B. (1966). Refinement and test of theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 57, 253–270.Google Scholar
Jauk, E., Benedek, M., Dunst, B., & Neubauer, A. C. (2013). The relationship between intelligence and creativity: New support for the threshold hypothesis by means of empirical breakpoint detection. Intelligence, 41, 212–221.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karwowski, M., Czerwonka, M., & Kaufman, J. C. (2018). Does intelligence strengthen creative metacognition? Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, (Advance online publication). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/aca0000208Google Scholar
Karwowski, M., Dul, J., Gralewski, J., Jauk, E., Jankowska, D. M., Gajda, A., Chruszczewski, M. H., & Benedek, M. (2016). Is creativity without intelligence possible? A Necessary Condition Analysis. Intelligence, 57, 105–117.Google Scholar
Karwowski, M., & Gralewski, J. (2013). Threshold hypothesis: Fact or artifact? Thinking Skills and Creativity, 8, 25–33.Google Scholar
Karwowski, M., Kaufman, J. C., Lebuda, I., Szumski, G., & Firkowska-Mankiewicz, A. (2017). Intelligence in childhood and creative achievements in middle-age: The necessary condition approach. Intelligence, 64, 36–44.Google Scholar
Kaufman, A. S. (2009). IQ Testing 101. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Kaufman, J. C. (2015). Why creativity isn’t in IQ tests, why it matters, and why it won’t change anytime soon …. Probably. Journal of Intelligence 3, 59–72.Google Scholar
Kaufman, J. C. (2016). Creativity 101, 2nd ed. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Kaufman, J. C., & Baer, J. (2005). The amusement park theory of creativity. In Kaufman, J. C. & Baer, J. (Eds.), Creativity across domains: Faces of the muse (pp. 321–328). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2009). Beyond big and little: The four c model of creativity. Review of General Psychology, 13, 1–12.Google Scholar
Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2013). In praise of Clark Kent: Creative metacognition and the importance of teaching kids when (not) to be creative. Roeper Review, 35, 155–165.Google Scholar
Kaufman, J. C., Glăveanu, V. P., & Baer, J. (Eds.) (2017). The Cambridge handbook of creativity across domains. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Kaufman, J. C., Plucker, J. A., & Baer, J. (2008). Essentials of creativity assessment. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Kaufman, S. B., Quilty, L. C., Grazioplene, R. G., Hirsh, J. B., Gray, J. R., Peterson, J. B., & DeYoung, C. G. (2015). Openness to experience and intellect differentially predict creative achievement in the arts and sciences. Journal of Personality, 82, 248–258.Google Scholar
Kenett, Y. N., Anaki, D., & Faust, M. (2014). Investigating the structure of semantic networks in low and high creative persons. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 407.Google Scholar
Kim, K. H. (2005). Can only intelligent people be creative? Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 16, 57–66.Google Scholar
Kozbelt, A. (2007). A quantitative analysis of Beethoven as self-critic: Implications for psychological theories of musical creativity. Psychology of Music, 35, 147–172.Google Scholar
Kozbelt, A., Beghetto, R. A., & Runco, M. A. (2010). Theories of creativity. In Kaufman, J. C. & Sternberg, R. J. (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of creativity (pp. 20–47). New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martindale, C. (1999). Biological bases of creativity. In Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.), Handbook of creativity (pp. 137–152). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
McGrew, K. S. (2009). CHC theory and the human cognitive abilities project: Standing on the shoulders of the giants of psychometric intelligence research. Intelligence, 37, 1–10.Google Scholar
Mednick, S. A. (1962). The associative basis of the creative process. Psychological Review, 69, 220–232.Google Scholar
Mednick, S. A. (1968). The Remote Associates Test. Journal of Creative Behavior, 2, 213–214.Google Scholar
Mednick, S. A., & Mednick, M. T. (1967). Examiner’s manual: Remote Associates Test. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.Google Scholar
Meeker, M. N. (1969). The structure of intellect: Its interpretation and uses. Columbus, OH: Merrill.Google Scholar
Mourgues, C. V., Tan, M., Hein, S., Al-Harbi, K., Aljughaiman, A., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2016). The relationship between analytical and creative cognitive skills from middle childhood to adolescence: Testing the threshold theory in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Learning and Individual Differences, 52, 137–147.Google Scholar
Mumford, M. D., Lonergan, D. C., & Scott, G. M. (2002). Evaluating creative ideas: Processes, standards, and context. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 22, 21–30.Google Scholar
Mumford, M. D., Mobley, M. I., Uhlman, C. E., Reiter-Palmon, R., & Doares, L. M. (1991). Process analytic models of creative capacities. Creativity Research Journal, 4, 91–122.Google Scholar
Park, G., Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P. (2007). Contrasting intellectual patterns predict creativity in the arts and sciences. Psychological Science, 18, 948–952.Google Scholar
Park, G., Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P. (2008). Ability differences among people who have commensurate degrees matter for scientific creativity. Psychological Science, 19, 957–961.Google Scholar
Pesut, D. J. (1990). Creative thinking as a self‐regulatory metacognitive process: A model for education, training and further research. Journal of Creative Behavior, 24(2), 105–110.Google Scholar
Plucker, J. A. (1999). Is the proof in the pudding? Reanalyses of Torrance’s (1958 to present) longitudinal study data. Creativity Research Journal, 12, 103–114.Google Scholar
Plucker, J. A. (2016). Creative articulation. In Plucker, J. A. (Ed.), Creativity and innovation: Theory, research, and practice (pp. 151–163). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.Google Scholar
Plucker, J. A., Beghetto, R. A., & Dow, G. (2004). Why isn’t creativity more important to educational psychologists? Potential, pitfalls, and future directions in creativity research. Educational Psychologist, 39, 83–96.Google Scholar
Plucker, J. A., & Renzulli, J. S. (1999). Psychometric approaches to the study of human creativity. In Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.), Handbook of creativity (pp. 35–60). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Preckel, F., Holling, H., & Wiese, M. (2006). Relationship of intelligence and creativity in gifted and non-gifted students: An investigation of threshold theory. Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 159–170.Google Scholar
Reiter-Palmon, R., & Robinson, E. J. (2009). Problem identification and construction: What do we know, what is the future? Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 3, 43–47.Google Scholar
Renzulli, J. S. (1973). New directions in creativity. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Runco, M. A., & Albert, R. S. (1986). The threshold theory regarding creativity and intelligence: An empirical test with gifted and nongifted children. Creative Child and Adult Quarterly, 11, 212–218.Google Scholar
Runco, M. A., & Dow, G. T. (2004). Assessing the accuracy of judgments of originality on three divergent thinking tests. Korean Journal of Thinking and Problem Solving, 14, 5–14.Google Scholar
Runco, M. A., & Smith, W. R. (1992). Interpersonal and intrapersonal evaluations of creative ideas. Personality and Individual Differences, 13, 295–302.Google Scholar
Schneider, W. J., & McGrew, K. S. (2012). The Cattell-Horn-Carroll model of intelligence. In Flanagan, D. P. & Harrison, P. L. (Eds.), Contemporary intellectual assessment: Theories, tests, and issues (3rd ed., pp. 99–144). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Schneider, W. J., & McGrew, K. S. (2018). The Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory of cognitive abilities. In Flanagan, D. P. & McDonough, E. M. (Eds.), Contemporary intellectual assessment: Theories, tests, and issues (4th ed., pp. 99–144). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Shi, B., Wang, L., Yang, J., Zhang, M., & Xu, L. (2017). Relationship between divergent thinking and intelligence: An empirical study of the threshold hypothesis with Chinese children. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 254.Google Scholar
Silvia, P. J. (2008a). Another look at creativity and intelligence: Exploring higher-order models and probable confounds. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 1012–1021.Google Scholar
Silvia, P. J. (2008b). Creativity and intelligence revisited: A latent variable analysis of Wallach and Kogan (1965). Creativity Research Journal, 20, 34–39.Google Scholar
Silvia, P. J., Beaty, R. E., & Nusbaum, E. C. (2013). Verbal fluency and creativity: General and specific contributions of broad retrieval ability (Gr) factors to divergent thinking. Intelligence, 41, 328–340.Google Scholar
Simonton, D. K. (1994). Greatness: Who makes history and why. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Sligh, A. C., Conners, F. A., & Roskos-Ewoldsen, B. (2005). Relation of creativity to fluid and crystallized intelligence. Journal of Creative Behavior, 39, 123–136.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (1981). Intelligence and nonentrenchment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 73, 1–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (1988). A three-facet model of creativity. In Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.), The nature of creativity (pp. 125–147). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (1996). Successful intelligence. New York: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (1999). The theory of successful intelligence. Review of General Psychology, 3, 292–316.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (2006). Creating a vision of creativity: The first 25 years. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, S, 2–12.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (2010). College admissions for the 21st century. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J. (2018). A triangular theory of creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 12, 50–67,Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J., Kaufman, J. C., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2008). Applied intelligence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1996). Defying the crowd. New York: Free Press.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J., & O’Hara, L. A. (1999). Creativity and intelligence. In Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.), Handbook of creativity (pp. 251–272). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Sternberg, R. J., & The Rainbow Project Collaborators. (2006). The Rainbow Project: Enhancing the SAT through assessment of analytical, practical and creative skills. Intelligence, 34, 321–350.Google Scholar
Swanson, H. L. (1992). The relationship between metacognition and problem solving in gifted children. Roeper Review, 15, 43–48.Google Scholar
Torrance, E. P. (1974). Torrance Test of Creative Thinking: Directions manual and scoring guide. Verbal test booklet A. Bensenville, IL: Scholastic Testing Service.Google Scholar
Torrance, E. P. (2008). The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking Norms-Technical Manual. Bensenville, IL: Scholastic Testing Service.Google Scholar
Wai, J., Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P. (2005). Creativity and occupational accomplishments among intellectually precocious youths: An age 13 to age 33 longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97, 484–492.Google Scholar
Wallach, M. A., & Kogan, N. (1965). Modes of thinking in young children: A study of the creativity-intelligence distinction. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.Google Scholar
Wallas, G. (1926). The art of thought. New York: Harcourt Brace.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (2014). WISC-V Technical and interpretive manual. Bloomington, MN: Pearson.Google Scholar
Westby, E. L., & Dawson, V. L. (1995). Creativity: Asset or burden in the classroom? Creativity Research Journal, 8, 1–10.Google Scholar
Valk, W. van der, Sumo, R., Dul, J., & Schroeder, R. (2016). When are contracts and trust necessary for innovation in buyer-supplier relationships? A Necessary Condition Analysis. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 22, 266–277.Google Scholar
Yamamoto, K. (1964). Role of creative thinking and intelligence in high school achievement. Psychological Reports, 14(3), 783–789.Google Scholar
Yu, K., Lu, Z., & Stander, J. (2003). Quantile regression: Applications and current research areas. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 52, 331–350.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×