Izabela Lebuda

Tell Me Your Name and I'll Tell You How Creative Your Work Is: Author's Name and Gender as Factors Influencing Assessment of Products' Creativity in Four Different Domains

The main goal of this study was to examine the effects of authors’ name and gender on judges’ assessment of product creativity in 4 different domains (art, science, music, and poetry). A total of 119 participants divided into 5 groups assessed products signed with a fictional authors name (unique vs. typical, male vs. female) or in an anonymous condition. It was observed that depending on the domain, the uniqueness of the authors name and her or his gender was associated with the assessment of creativity of the product. A poem and painting signed with an unusual name and a piece of music whose authorship was attributed to a man with a unique name were assessed as especially creative. In case of scientific theory, works attributed to men were assessed as significantly more creative than those of women. The results are discussed in light of the attributional approach to creativity.

Extending climato-economic theory: when, how, and why it explains differences in nations' creativity.

The climato-economic theory postulates mechanisms of threat and challenge to explain differences between countries. Interestingly, both of these mechanisms are often considered to be components of the models of organizational climate for creativity. We show that among rich countries, climatic demands are related to creative achievement in a reversed-U manner, whereas the relationship is linear among poor countries.

Written on the Writer’s Face: Facial Width-to-Height Ratio among Nominees and Laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature

This study examined the relationship between facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), an established marker of testosterone level and dominance, and eminent writers’ achievement. The fWHR of laureates (N = 39) and nominees (N = 247) of the Nobel Prize in Literature 1901–1950 was measured together with historiometric data. It was demonstrated that although high-fWHR writers were nominated at a younger age, they waited longer for the prize than their low-fWHR counterparts. The probability of being awarded was predicted by the number of nominations, but fWHR moderated this association—the relationship between the number of nominations and the award probability was stronger among high-fWHR writers. Theoretical explanations of these findings are presented.

Balancing Between Roles and Duties – The Creativity of Mothers

Abstract We raise two issues in the article at hand: how women who are mothers fulfil their creative needs, and what significance they ascribe to creativity in their role as mothers. A thematic analysis of structured interviews with twenty-seven women suggests that for mothers, creative activity mostly concerns fulfilling one’s responsibilities as part of the role taken on (be it parental or professional), and the main creative challenge they face is achieving a balance between their private and professional lives. Creativity in their role as mothers relates predominantly to two areas of activity: communication with the child and activities creating a climate conducive to the child’s development of creative ability. We discuss the obtained results in relation to those of previous research on the relationship between motherhood and creativity.

Slumps and Jumps: Another Look at Developmental Changes in Creative Abilities

Abstract The aim of this study is the analysis of creativity changes across life, particularly the widely discussed crisis periods in the development of creative abilities. A large and diversified sample of Poles (N = 4898 aged from 4 to 21 years), at each educational stage of the Polish education system, from pre-schoolers, through primary school students, middle-school students, secondary-school students and finally university students completed the Test for Creative Thinking – Drawing Production. The observed changes showed a nonlinear pattern in the development of creativity with diverse declines and increases in creative abilities. These trends are different for each of the assessment criteria of the TCT-DP and at least three different trajectories were identified. The adolescent slump was confirmed for three of the 14 assessment criteria as well as the total TCT-DP score. What was not noted however was: a slump caused by entry into formal schooling, (age 6 vs 7), 4th grade slump, (age 9 vs 10) and 6th grade slump (age 11 vs 12). We discuss possible reasons for and consequences of the findings.

Exploring the Creative Process: Integrating Psychometric and Eye-Tracking Approaches

This exploratory study aims at integrating the psychometric approach to studying creativity with an eye-tracking methodology and thinking-aloud protocols to potentially untangle the nuances of the creative process. Wearing eye-tracking glasses, one hundred adults solved a drawing creativity test – The Test of Creative Thinking-Drawing Production (TCT-DP) – and provided spontaneous comments during this process. Indices of visual activity collected during the eye-tracking phase explained a substantial amount of variance in psychometric scores obtained in the test. More importantly, however, clear signs of methodological synergy were observed when all three sources (psychometrics, eye-tracking, and coded thinking-aloud statements) were integrated. The findings illustrate benefits of using a blended methodology for a more insightful analysis of creative processes, including creative learning and creative problem-solving.

A Window Into the Bright Side of Psychology: Interview With Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is one of the most eminent psychologists of the modern era. His ideas, such as flow, or the systems model of creativity, have inspired numerous studies, theoretical analyses as well as pedagogic and psychological interventions. Alongside Martin Seligman, he founded positive psychology and continues to work to promote it. In this interview, he shares the stories behind his scientific interests, sources of scientific ideas and the process of promoting the concepts he had written about. He also shares his thoughts about academic work performance.