Creative profile and personality traits: Individual Differences and Prediction

Mercedes Ferrando, Marta Sinz,

Lola Prieto, Daniel Hernndez

Pressentation Outline

Theoretical framework Classical studies about creative personality

Creative personality and big five Openess Extraversion

Neuroticism Agradableness Conscientiousness

Empirical study Aims

Method Sample Instruments

Results

conclusions

IS THERE A CREATIVE

PERSONALITY? BARRON AND HARRINGTON (1981) compiled a comprehensive list of attributes

common to creative people such as high valuation of aesthetic qualities in experience,

broad interests, attraction to complexity, high energy, independence of judgment,

autonomy, intuition, self-confidence, ability to resolve antinomies or to accommodate

apparently opposite or conflicting traits in ones self-concept, and finally, a firm sense of

self as creative

BASTICK, 1982: creativity is associated with intuitive thinking .

FEIST, 1998 review of literature creative people tend to be more autonomous,

introverted, open to new experiences, no-doubting self-confident, self accepting, driven,

ambitious, dominant, hostile and impulsiveSternber 1995: creativity is related to the

ability to tolerate ambiguity.

Creative Personality and Big Five:

Neuroticism: Refers to the tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression. It is sometimes called emotional instability. Those who score high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive and vulnerable to stress. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long

periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish the ability of a person scoring high on neuroticism to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress. At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings...

Creative Personality and Big Five:

Openness: Refers to a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience. The trait distinguishes imaginative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. People who are open to experience are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more creative and more aware of their feelings. They are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs. People with low scores on openness tend to have more conventional, traditional interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion or even view these endeavours as uninteresting.

Extraversion: is characterized by positive emotions, surgency, and the tendency to seek out stimulation and the company of others. The trait is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being with people, and are often perceived as full of energy. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves. Introverts lack the social exuberance and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to seem quiet, low-key, deliberate, and less involved in the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression. Introverts simply need less stimulation than extraverts and more time alone. They may be very active and energetic, simply not socially..

Creative Personality and Big Five:

Agreeableness: Refers to a tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others. The trait reflects individual differences in general concern for social harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are generally considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy. Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others well-being, and are less likely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their scepticism about others motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.

Conscientiousness: Refers to a tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement against measures or outside expectations. The trait shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behaviour. It influences the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses.

OPENESS NO RELATION

OPENESS

McCrae, 1987

Dolinger & Clancly, 1993

King, Walkers & Broyles, 1996

Rawling, Twomey, Burns & Morris, 1998

Soldz &Vaillant, 1999

Wolfradt & Pretz, 2001

Wuthrich & Bates, 2001

Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham 2005

Charmorro-Premuzic 2006

Chamorro-Premuzic & Reichenbacher, 2008

Furnham et al. 2009

Martindale & Dailey

1996

Chamorro-

Premuzic &

Furnham 2005

Creative Personality and Big Fieve: Openess

EXTRAVERSION NO CORRELATION

INTROVERSION

McCrae 1987 Cropley ,1990 Thorne & Gough, 1991 Sen &Hagtvet 1993 Aguilar-Alonso, 1996 Martindale & Dailey 1996 Stavridou &Furnham 1996 King, Walkers & Broyles, 1996 Wolfradt & Pretz 2001 Charmorro-Premuzic 2006

Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham 2005 Chamorro-Premuzic & Reichenbacher, 2008 Furnham et al. 2009

MacKinnon 1975 Gtz and Gtz 1979

Creative Personality and Big Fieve: Extraversion

Neuroticismo No relationship Neurotic

Woody & Claridge, 1977 Gtz &Gtz, 1979 Post, 1994 Aguilar-Alonso, 1996 Ludwing 1997 Schuldberg et al 1988 Kaufman, 2001 Chamorro-Premuzic &

Furnham 2005 Charmorro-Premuzic

2006

Kline & Cooper, 1986 McCrae, 1987 Eysenk & Furnham, 1993 Martindale & Dailey 1996 King, walkers and Broyles, 1996

Gtz and Gtz 1979) Goff (1993). Chamorro-Premuzic & Reichenbacher (2008) Furnham et al. 2009

Creative Personality and Big Fieve: Neuroticism

AGREEABLENESS NO RELATIONSHIP AGREEABLENESS

Walker, Koestner & Hum, 1995

Charmorro-Premuzic

2006

McCrae, 1987 Guncer &Oral 1993

King, Walkers & Broyles ,1996

Chamorro-Premuzic &

Furnham 2005

CONSCIENTIOSNESS

NO RELATIONSHIP

CONCIENTIOUSNESS

Macrae 1987 King, walkers & Broyles, 1996 Wolfradt & Pretz 2001

Chamorro-Premuzic &

Furnham 2005

Charmorro-Premuzic

2006

Creative Personality and Big Fieve: Agreebleness

Creative Personality and Big Fieve: Conscienciousness

Openness

Extraversion

Unclear

Agreeableness

Conscientiousness

TO BE NOTICE THAT The research conducted previously has been conducted with adults or undergraduate students (and not all the studies have compare among creative and non-creative personalities)

Some times the research conducted compares different kinds of creativity,

and others study different between creative males and creative females but

not the creative vs non creative person

Neuroticism

EMPIRICAL STUDY There are two kinds of objectives : ones (1 and 2) are aimed to study the relationship between personality and creativity, others (objective 3) Is aimed to study the specificities regarding personality of high, medium and low creative potential. 1) Correlations between personality and creative

potential

2) To study Which personality variables does predict personality

3) Differences on personality profile depending on level

of creative potential (ANOVA)

SAMPLE 642 middle school pupils aged 12 to 16 years took part (M= 13,90; SD= 1,28). .

INSTRUMENTS TTCT (Torrance, 1974) Was used to measure divergent thinking. It measures four creativity dimensions: Fluency, Flexibility, Originality Elaboration.

The BFQ-NA (Barbaranelli et al. 2006) 65 temes Was used to measure personality dimensions Openness Neuroticism Extraversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness

RESULTS: DESCRIPTIVES

1) Correlations between personality and creative potential

2) Which personality variables does predict personality

Using step-wise method, a significant model emerged:

F(1, 612)=12,76; p

3) Differences on personality profile depending on level of creative potential (ANOVA)

44

45

46

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48

49

50

51

52

53

Concient. Openess Extrav. Agradabi. Inestability

Low Creativity Average Creativity High Creativity

Conclusions and discussions Regarding variables relationship:

All dimensions but neuroticism show moderate-low statistically significant

correlations with total creativity

Elaboration significantly correlates in low magnitude with all personality

dimensions

Extraversions correlates with the 4 dimensions of creativity

The only personality trait that predict creative potential is Extraversion, but very

poorly.

When comparing high, medium and low creative students:

highly creative students scored higher on extraversion and agreeableness.

Medium creative students scored higher on conscientiousness and openness

Creative profile and personality traits: Individual Differences and Prediction

Mercedes Ferrando, Marta Sinz, Lola Prieto, Daniel Hernndez Thank

you