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This book explores the development of cognitive skills related to reasoning and creativity, two strands that can intertwine to work together at times but may also be at odds. Spontaneity and freedom from constraint, characteristic of the thinking of young children, may be essential to creativity, which has prompted many to question how much we lose as we progress through childhood. Research and common sense tell us that effort, practice, and study are necessary for the highest levels of creative accomplishment, yet such intentional exertions seem antithetical to these hallmarks of creativity. In this revised and expanded second edition, leading scholars shed new light on creativity's complex relationship to the acquisition of domain-based skills and the development of more general logical reasoning skills. Creativity and Reason in Cognitive Development will be an essential reference for researchers, psychologists, and teachers seeking to better understand the most up-to-date work in the field.
To what extent do creativity and imagination decline in childhood? What factors might influence a decline? Theories of cognitive development show only uni-directional progress (although theorists may disagree whether such progress occurs steadily in small continuous improvements or comes in stages separated by plateaus during which developmental gains are consolidated). Declines in levels of skill are quite uncommon, yet many have observed just such an unusual pattern with regard to the development of creativity and of the imagination. Is there something about the development of one kind of thinking that undermines imaginative and creative thinking? Is it perhaps the process of schooling itself, with its focus on the acquisition of knowledge and the production of correct (rather than imaginative) answers, which promotes this decline? This book explores these questions from a variety of perspectives. Essays from psychologists and educators from diverse backgrounds discuss the relationships among creativity, reason, and knowledge.
An award-winning cognitive scientist offers a counterintuitive guide to cultivating imagination. Imagination is commonly thought to be the special province of youth—the natural companion of free play and the unrestrained vistas of childhood. Then come the deadening routines and stifling regimentation of the adult world, dulling our imaginative powers. In fact, Andrew Shtulman argues, the opposite is true. Imagination is not something we inherit at birth, nor does it diminish with age. Instead, imagination grows as we do, through education and reflection. The science of cognitive development shows that young children are wired to be imitators. When confronted with novel challenges, they struggle to think outside the box, and their creativity is rigidly constrained by what they deem probable, typical, or normal. Of course, children love to “play pretend,” but they are far more likely to simulate real life than to invent fantasy worlds of their own. And they generally prefer the mundane and the tried-and-true to the fanciful or the whimsical. Children’s imaginations are not yet fully formed because they necessarily lack knowledge, and it is precisely knowledge of what is real that provides a foundation for contemplating what might be possible. The more we know, the farther our imaginations can roam. As Learning to Imagine demonstrates, the key to expanding the imagination is not forgetting what you know but learning something new. By building upon the examples of creative minds across diverse fields, from mathematics to religion, we can consciously develop our capacities for innovation and imagination at any age.
First Published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
The contributions to this volume are part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary attempt to clarify, expand, and discover integrative patterns within conceptual foundations for research and practice in fields pertaining to creative intelligence.
Across species, humans have an unsurpassed capacity for creative thought and innovation. Human creativity is at the roots of extraordinary achievements in the arts and sciences, and enables individuals and their groups to adapt flexibly to changing circumstances, to manage complex social relations, and to survive and prosper through social, technological, and medical innovations. The ability to generate novel and potentially useful ideas and problem solutions (viz., creativity) is a key driver of human evolution, and among the most valued and sought after competencies in contemporary societies that struggle with complex problems and compete for technological and economic supremacy. Because creativity provides fitness functionality in both ancestral and contemporary societies, it stands to reason that (i) the human brain evolved to sustain and promote creative thinking and we should be able to identify (ii) the brain circuitries, genetic drivers, and neurohormonal modulators of the human capacity for creative problem solving and original ideation; and (iii) the core cognitive and emotional processes underlying creative thought. In this Research Topic, we bring together a collection of papers to provide an encyclopedic, open access snapshot of the current state of the art on the neural, cognitive, and emotional correlates of creativity.
The Routledge International Handbook of Creative Cognition is an authoritative reference work that offers a well-balanced overview of current scholarship across the full breadth of the rapidly expanding field of creative cognition. It contains 43 chapters written by world-leading researchers, covering foundational issues and concepts as well as state-of-the-art research developments. The handbook draws extensively on contemporary work exploring the cognitive representations and processes associated with creativity, whether studied in the laboratory or as it arises in real-world practice in domains such as education, art, science, entrepreneurship, design, and technological innovation. Chapters also examine the sociocognitive and cultural aspects of creativity in teams and organisations, while additionally capturing the latest research on the cognitive neuroscience of creativity. Providing a compelling synopsis of emerging trends and debates in the field of creative cognition and positioning these in relation to established findings and theories, this text provides a clear sense of the way in which new research is challenging traditional viewpoints. It is an essential reading for researchers in the field of creative cognition as well as advanced students wishing to learn more about the latest developments in this important and rapidly growing area of enquiry.