Skip to main content

Where Does Creativity Come from? What Is Creativity? Where Is Creativity Going in Giftedness?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Conceptions of Giftedness and Talent

Abstract

In this chapter, we highlight creativity’s role in giftedness. We first highlight the three Ds present in how creativity can apply to giftedness: its developmental trajectory, issues of domain specificity, and array of diverse perspectives. We highlight some theories of creativity that are particularly relevant for the field of giftedness, and then we discuss some specific concepts that we believe will guide us forward to help creativity play a more important role in giftedness. A core principle is that of creativity for all. This concept includes multiculturalism (considering non-Western perspectives), embracing the contributions of many mini-c creators as opposed to a single great Big-C creator, the potential of new technologies to help identify and promote creativity, and the ways in which creativity can help identify underrepresented gifted children.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity: A componential conceptualization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(2), 357–376. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.45.2.357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Assouline, S. G., Foley-Nicpon, M., & Dockery, L. (2012). Predicting the academic achievement of gifted students with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(9), 1781–1789. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1403-x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baer, J., & Kaufman, J. C. (2017). The Amusement Park Theoretical model of creativity: An attempt to bridge the domain specificity/generality gap. In J. C. Kaufman, V. P. Glăveanu, & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of creativity across domains (pp. 8–17). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Beghetto, R. A., & Kaufman, J. C. (2007). Toward a broader conception of creativity: A case for “mini-c” creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 1(2), 73–79. https://doi.org/10.1037/1931-3896.1.2.73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beghetto, R. A., Kaufman, J. C., & Baer, J. (2014). Teaching for creativity in the common core classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berninger, V. W., & Abbott, R. D. (2013). Differences between children with dyslexia who are and are not gifted in verbal reasoning. Gifted Child Quarterly, 57(4), 223–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986213500342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borland, J. H. (2009). Gifted education without gifted programs or gifted students: An anti-model. In J. S. Renzulli, E. J. Gubbins, K. S. McMillen, R. D. Eckert, & C. A. Little (Eds.), Systems & models for developing programs for the gifted & talented (2nd ed., pp. 105–118). Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learning Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Callahan, C. M., Moon, T. R., & Oh, S. (2013). Status of elementary gifted programs: 2013. National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. Retrieved from http://www.nagc.org/sites/default/files/keyreports/ELEMschoolGTSurveyReport.pdf

  • Carolan, J., & Guinn, A. (2007). Differentiation: Lessons from master teachers. Educational Leadership, 44–48. Retrieved from http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/images/8/85/Di_unit_1a.pdf

  • Carr, E. H. (1964). What is history? London, England: Penguin UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D. W. (2017). Gifted education in Asia. In S. I. Pfeiffer, E. Shaunessy-Dedrick, & M. Foley-Nicpon (Eds.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 71–84). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho, S., & Suh, Y. (2016). Korean gifted education: Domain-specific developmental focus. Turkish Journal of Giftedness and Education, 6(1), 3–13. Retrieved from http://www.tuzed.org/publications/cilt6/tuzed_6_1/tuzed_2016_6_1/tuzed_6_1_cho&suh.pdf

  • Choi, D., Schoonard, E. R., & Kaufman, J. C. (2016). Into the woods: Creativity in gifted children. In R. Klingner (Ed.), Creativity in gifted children (pp. 23–66). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publisher, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1988). Society, culture, and person: A systems view of creativity. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.), The nature of creativity: Contemporary psychological perspectives (pp. 325–339). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai, D. Y. (2017). A history of giftedness: A century quest for identity. In S. I. Pfeiffer, E. Shaunessy-Dedrick, & M. Foley-Nicpon (Eds.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 3–24). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, S., & Piechowski, M. M. (2009). Overexcitability, sensitivity, and the developmental potential of the gifted. In S. Daniels & M. M. Piechowski (Eds.), Living with intensity (pp. 3–17). Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, G. A., Rimm, S. B., & Siegle, D. (2011). Education of gifted and talented (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delisle, J. R. (2015). Differentiation doesn’t work. Education Week, 34(15), 28–36. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/01/07/differentiation-doesnt-work.html

  • Delisle, J. R., Reis, S. M., & Gubbins, E. J. (1981). The Revolving Door Identification and Programming model. Exceptional Children, 48(2), 152–156. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ252283.

  • Flanagan, D. P., Ortiz, S. O., & Alfonso, V. C. (2013). Essentials of cross-battery assessment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forster, E. (2008). The role of function, homogeneity and syntax in creative performance on the uses of objects task (Publication No. 193667014) [Master’s thesis, University of Toronto]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank, A. (2003). The diary of Anne Frank: The revised critical edition (D. Barnouw & G. van der Stroom, Eds.; A. J. Pomerans, B. M. Mooyaart-Doubleday & S. Massotty, Trans.). New York, NY: Double Day. (Original work published in 1947).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gagné, F. (2004). Transforming gifts into talents: The DMGT as a developmental theory. High Ability Studies, 15(2), 119–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359813042000314682.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glăveanu, V. P. (2013). Rewriting the language of creativity: The Five A’s framework. Review of General Psychology, 17(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez, R., Stavropoulos, V., Vance, A., & Griffiths, M. D. (2019). Gifted children with ADHD: How are they different from non-gifted children with ADHD? International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00125-x.

  • Gray, D. L. (2014). Understanding STEM-focused high school students’ perceptions of task importance: The role of “standing out” and “fitting in” in mathematics class. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 39(1), 29–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2013.12.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holland, J. L. (1967). The prediction of academic and nonacademic accomplishment. Proceedings of the Invitational Conference on Testing Problems, 44–51. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1967-15280-001.

  • Kaufman, J. C. (2015). Why creativity isn’t in IQ tests, why it matters, and why it won’t change anytime soon probably. Journal of Intelligence, 3(3), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence3030059.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J. C. (2018). Finding meaning with creativity in the past, present, and future. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(6), 734–749. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691618771981.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2009). Beyond big and little: The Four C model of creativity. Review of General Psychology, 13(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013688.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J. C., Beghetto, R. A., Baer, J., & Ivcevic, Z. (2010). Creativity polymathy: What Benjamin Franklin can teach your kindergartener. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(4), 380–387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2009.10.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J. C., & Glăveanu, V. P. (2019). A review of creativity theories: What questions are we trying to answer? In J. C. Kaufman & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of creativity (2nd ed., pp. 27–43). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J. C., & Glăveanu, V. P. (2020). Making the CASE for shadow creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000313.

  • Kaufman, S. B. (2013). Ungifted. New York, NY: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, S. B. (Ed.). (2018). Twice exceptional: Supporting and educating bright and creative students with learning difficulties. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 

    Google Scholar 

  • Ke, F., Shute, V., Clark, K. M., & Erlebacher, G. (2019). Interdisciplinary design of game-based learning platforms: A phenomenological examination of the integrative design of game, learning, and assessment. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, B., & Gahm, J. (2017). Developing talents in girls and young women. In S. I. Pfeiffer, E. Shaunessy-Dedrick, & M. Foley-Nicpon (Eds.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 399–416). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozol, J. (2005). The shame of the nation: The restoration of apartheid schooling in America. New York, NY: Crown Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, A. (2020, March 13). South Korea’s drive-through testing for coronavirus is fast – And free. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/03/13/815441078/south-koreas-drive-through-testing-for-coronavirus-is-fast-and-free

  • Li, S. (2020, March 13). China’s internet users foil censors to keep a Wuhan doctor’s interview online. WSJ. https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-internet-users-foil-censors-to-keep-a-wuhan-doctors-interview-online-11584112313

  • Lombroso, C. (1895). The man of genius. Charles Scribner’s Sons. https://doi.org/10.1037/10996-000.

  • Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. P. (2006). Study of mathematically precocious youth after 35 years: Uncovering antecedents for the development of math-science expertise. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1(4), 316–345. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2006.00019.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luria, S. R., O’Brien, R. L., & Kaufman, J. C. (2016). Creativity in gifted identification: Increasing accuracy and diversity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1377(1), 44–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neihart, M. (2004). Gifted children with Asperger’s syndrome. In S. Baum (Ed.), Twice-exceptional and special populations of gifted students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nobel Media AB. (n.d.). Nobel Prize facts. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/facts/nobel-prize-facts/

  • O’Conner, P., & Kellerman, S. (2009). Origins of the specious: Myths and misconceptions of the English language. New York, NY: Random House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ottone-Cross, K. L., Dulong-Langley, S., Root, M. M., Gelbar, N., Bray, M. A., Luria, S. R., et al. (2017). Beyond the mask. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 35(1–2), 74–93. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282916669910.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pepys, S. (2003). The diary of Samuel Pepys (R. Latham, Ed.). London, England: Penguin Classics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillipson, S. N. (2013). Confucianism, learning, self-concept and the development of exceptionality. In S. N. Phillipson, H. Stoeger, & A. Ziegler (Eds.), Exceptionality in East Asia: Explorations in the Actiotope model of giftedness (pp. 40–64). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203126387.

  • Reis, S. M. (1998). Work left undone. Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learning Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, S. M., Baum, S. M., & Burke, E. (2014). An operational definition of twice-exceptional learners: Implications and applications. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(3), 217–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986214534976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reis, S. M., & Renzulli, J. S. (1991). The assessment of creative products in programs for gifted and talented students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 35(3), 128–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698629103500304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reis, S. M., & Renzulli, J. S. (1997). The schoolwide enrichment model: A how-to guide for educational excellence (2nd ed.). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, S. M., & Renzulli, J. S. (2014). The schoolwide enrichment model: A how-to guide for talent development (3rd ed.). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, J. S. (1978). What makes giftedness? Reexamining a definition. Phi Delta Kappan, 60(3), 180–184. Retrieved from http://pdk.sagepub.com/content/92/8/81.abstract

  • Renzulli, J. S. (2005). The three-ring conception of giftedness: A developmental model for promoting creative productivity. In R. J. Sternberg & J. E. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed., pp. 246–279). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rhodes, M. (1961). An analysis of creativity. Phi Delta Kappan, 42(7), 305–310. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20342603.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shute, V. J., Wang, L., Greiff, S., Zhao, W., & Moore, G. (2016). Measuring problem solving skills via stealth assessment in an engaging video game. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 106–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.047.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegle, D. (2013). The underachieving gifted child. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simonton, D. K. (1994). Greatness: Who makes history and why. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanley, J. C. (1996). The study of mathematically precocious youth. In C. P. Benbow & D. Lubinski (Eds.), Intellectual talent (pp. 225–235). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (1996). IQ counts, but what really counts is successful intelligence. NASSP Bulletin, 80(583), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/019263659608058305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (2005). The WICS model of giftedness. In R. J. Sternberg & J. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed., pp. 327–342). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (2008). The WICS approach to leadership: Stories of leadership and the structures and processes that support them. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(3), 360–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2008.03.008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (2009). WICS as a model of giftedness. In J. S. Renzulli, E. J. Gubbins, K. S. McMillen, R. D. Eckert, & C. A. Littke (Eds.), Systems & models for developing programs for the gifted & talented (2nd ed., pp. 477–502). Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learning Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J. (2018). A triangular theory of creativity. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 12(1), 50–67. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000095.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1991). An investment theory of creativity and its development. Human Development, 34(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1159/000277029.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. J., & The Rainbow Project Collaborators. (2006). The Rainbow Project: Enhancing the SAT through assessments of analytical, practical, and creative skills. Intelligence, 34(4), 321–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2006.01.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoeger, H., Balestrini, D. P., & Ziegler, A. (2017). International perspectives and trends in research on giftedness and talent development. In S. I. Pfeiffer, M. Foley-Nicpon, & E. Shaunessy-Dedrick (Eds.), APA handbook of giftedness and talent (pp. 25–39). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Subotnik, R. F., Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Worrell, F. C. (2011). Rethinking giftedness and gifted education: A proposed direction forward based on psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Supplement, 12(1), 3–54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100611418056.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2016). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tannenbaum, A. (2009). Defining, determining, discovering, and developing excellence. In J. S. Renzulli, E. J. Gubbins, K. S. McMillen, R. D. Eckert, & C. A. Little (Eds.), Systems & models for developing programs for the gifted & talented. Mansfield Center, CT: Creative Learning Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Terman, L. M. (1922). A new approach to the study of genius. Psychological Review, 29(4), 310–318. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0071072.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorpe, V. (2020, March 14). Balcony singing in solidarity spreads across Italy during lockdown. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/14/solidarity-balcony-singing-spreads-across-italy-during-lockdown

  • Tomlinson, C. A., & Strickland, C. A. (2005). Differentiation in practice grades 9–12: A resource guide for differentiating curriculum. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Treffinger, D. J. (1998). From gifted education to programming for talent development. Phi Delta Kappan, 79(10), 752–755. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

  • Vuyk, M. A., Krieshok, T. S., & Kerr, B. A. (2016). Openness to experience rather than overexcitabilities: Call it like it is. Gifted Child Quarterly, 60(3), 192–211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986216645407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiesenthal, S., & Wechsberg, J. (1967). The murderers among us: The Simon Wiesenthal memoirs. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zedelius, C. M., Mills, C., & Schooler, J. W. (2019). Beyond subjective judgments: Predicting evaluations of creative writing from computational linguistic features. Behavior Research Methods, 51(2), 879–894. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-018-1137-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, A. (2005). The Actiotope model of giftedness. In R. J. Sternberg & J. Davidson (Eds.), Conceptions of giftedness (2nd ed., pp. 411–436). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, A., Balestrini, D. P., & Stoeger, H. (2017). An international view on gifted education: Incorporating the macro-systemic perspective. In S. I. Pfeiffer (Ed.), Handbook of giftedness in children (2nd ed., pp. 15–28). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77004-8_2.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Choi, D., Kaufman, J.C. (2021). Where Does Creativity Come from? What Is Creativity? Where Is Creativity Going in Giftedness?. In: Sternberg, R.J., Ambrose, D. (eds) Conceptions of Giftedness and Talent. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56869-6_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics