Opening the "black box" of current creativity research

This presentation aims to problematise the ways in which creativity is defined and measured in recent studies on the topic. For this purpose, we analyzed 58 articles on creativity, selected from within the sub-fields of neuropsychology, psychometrics and developmental psychology published from 2009-2012. The sub-fields were chosen because of their prominence in psychological research and research on creativity. The articles were procured from the PsycINFO database, with selection criteria being that they must be peer-reviewed and empirical studies. Typical definitions of creativity were "novelty plus value" or none at all. Creativity was mostly measured with different types of divergent thinking tests. There appears to be a lack of deeper theoretical and methodological discussions of creativity in the literature, which creates a disconnection between definitions, methodologies and the interpretation of empirical findings in regards to creativity as a phenomenon. Creativity itself thus becomes a "black box", rarely opened to investigation. Creativity research could therefore benefit from a more sustained relfection over its theoretical and methodological underpinnings as well as shifting its focus towards a more holistic model and type of measurement.