The cultural psychology of creativity

Abstract: For half a century, the psychology of creativity has been using a basic typology proposed by Rhodes (1961) that distinguishes between person, process, product and press in definitions and research. These four P’s, although useful as a conceptual organizer, nevertheless present a fragmented and rather static perspective of creativity. Cultural psychology transforms this conception by considering creative persons as Actors, creative processes as forms of Action, creative products as Artefacts and press factors as part of social (Audiences) and material (Affordances) environments. It is argued that, not only does such a framework require us to reformulate our questions about creativity, but it also opens novel fields of inquiry for researchers interested in creative work. In the end, conclusions are drawn concerning the relevance and usefulness of this proposal in the context of creativity studies.