Fostering Creativity in Young Adults: Some Findings on the Structure and Dynamics of Creativity

Following current theories of creativity, a special syllabus and teaching materials were designed for a ten month study of Business College 4th year undergraduates (n = 16). Entry and outcome creativity were measured before and after the training, using Urban and Jellen's TCT‐DP, and these scores were compared with those of a control group (n= 11). The students' IQs were measured with Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, and their attitudes were measured with structured interviews. Results from the experimental group indicated an increase in creativity. Moreover, the development of individual components of creative thinking, as measured during the course of the experiment, provided an interesting insight into the structure and dynamics of creativity. Some components seem more variable and subject to extrinsic influences (e.g., emotional appraisal, viewing a problem in perspective), others appear to be more independent, while still others can be regarded as permanent cognitive strategies of creative individuals. IQ was not correlated with creativity.