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Investigating the development of creativity : The Sahlin hypothesis

Brinck, Ingar LU orcid (2015) p.7-23
Abstract
How should the development of creativity be approached? Many accounts of children’s creativity focus on the relation between creativity and pretend play, placing make-believe and the mental exploration of possible scenarios about the world at the fore. Often divergent thinking and story-telling are used to measure creativity with fluency, originality, and flexibility as indicators. I will argue that the strong focus on conceptual processes and higher-order thought leaves procedural forms of creativity in the dark and hinders a proper investigation of the development of creativity. Creativity involves both strategic and procedural elements and the mental and physical manipulation of ideas are equally important. Sahlin’s notion of rule-based... (More)
How should the development of creativity be approached? Many accounts of children’s creativity focus on the relation between creativity and pretend play, placing make-believe and the mental exploration of possible scenarios about the world at the fore. Often divergent thinking and story-telling are used to measure creativity with fluency, originality, and flexibility as indicators. I will argue that the strong focus on conceptual processes and higher-order thought leaves procedural forms of creativity in the dark and hinders a proper investigation of the development of creativity. Creativity involves both strategic and procedural elements and the mental and physical manipulation of ideas are equally important. Sahlin’s notion of rule-based creativity might serve as the starting-point for an approach to the development of creativity that is neutral as to the underlying nature of creativity and that permits investigating creativity independently of language. On this approach, creativity is characterized by the violation and subsequent replacement of a rule or norm that underlies a given activity with a novel strategy or procedure. When, where, and how children will manifest creativity is conditional on the kind of rule or norm that is violated. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
problem-solving, play, creativity, development, novelty, creativity test, Pedagogy
host publication
Against boredom : 17 essays : on ignorance, values, creativity, metaphysics, decision-making, truth, preference, art, processes, Ramsey, ethics, rationality, validity, human ills, science and eternal life : to Nils-Eric Sahlin on the occasion of his 60th birthday - 17 essays : on ignorance, values, creativity, metaphysics, decision-making, truth, preference, art, processes, Ramsey, ethics, rationality, validity, human ills, science and eternal life : to Nils-Eric Sahlin on the occasion of his 60th birthday
editor
Persson, Johannes ; Hermerén, Göran and Sjöstrand, Eva
pages
7 - 23
publisher
Fri tanke förlag
ISBN
978-91-87935-37-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1249066b-3081-4743-8ec3-4c511d92fb50 (old id 8232813)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:44:40
date last changed
2021-03-15 02:30:35
@inbook{1249066b-3081-4743-8ec3-4c511d92fb50,
  abstract     = {{How should the development of creativity be approached? Many accounts of children’s creativity focus on the relation between creativity and pretend play, placing make-believe and the mental exploration of possible scenarios about the world at the fore. Often divergent thinking and story-telling are used to measure creativity with fluency, originality, and flexibility as indicators. I will argue that the strong focus on conceptual processes and higher-order thought leaves procedural forms of creativity in the dark and hinders a proper investigation of the development of creativity. Creativity involves both strategic and procedural elements and the mental and physical manipulation of ideas are equally important. Sahlin’s notion of rule-based creativity might serve as the starting-point for an approach to the development of creativity that is neutral as to the underlying nature of creativity and that permits investigating creativity independently of language. On this approach, creativity is characterized by the violation and subsequent replacement of a rule or norm that underlies a given activity with a novel strategy or procedure. When, where, and how children will manifest creativity is conditional on the kind of rule or norm that is violated.}},
  author       = {{Brinck, Ingar}},
  booktitle    = {{Against boredom : 17 essays : on ignorance, values, creativity, metaphysics, decision-making, truth, preference, art, processes, Ramsey, ethics, rationality, validity, human ills, science and eternal life : to Nils-Eric Sahlin on the occasion of his 60th birthday}},
  editor       = {{Persson, Johannes and Hermerén, Göran and Sjöstrand, Eva}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-87935-37-4}},
  keywords     = {{problem-solving; play; creativity; development; novelty; creativity test; Pedagogy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{7--23}},
  publisher    = {{Fri tanke förlag}},
  title        = {{Investigating the development of creativity : The Sahlin hypothesis}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/56252506/Brinck_2015_Inv_child_creat_The_Sahlin_Hypothesis_UpLoad.pdf}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}