Navigation
Explores the relationship between high intelligence and creativity, as well as the challenges of intellectual disabilities.
How can an individual with an IQ of 50 accurately calculate the day of the week for any date in the next 10,000 years, while a 'genius' might struggle to do the same?
Standard intelligence tests usually measure convergent thinking, which is the ability to provide a single correct answer to a problem. Think of this as a funnel: multiple pieces of information are narrowed down to one solution. In contrast, creativity requires divergent thinking—the ability to expand the number of possible solutions. This is like a sprinkler, where one starting point sprays out in many different directions. While a high IQ score (often ) correlates with creativity, the two are not identical. Beyond a certain 'threshold,' having a higher IQ does not necessarily make a person more creative.
Quick Check
If you are taking a multiple-choice math exam, are you primarily using convergent or divergent thinking?
Answer
Convergent thinking, because you are narrowing down possibilities to find the one correct answer.
Psychologist Robert Sternberg identified five essential ingredients for creativity. 1. Expertise: A well-developed base of knowledge. 2. Imaginative thinking skills: The ability to see things in novel ways or recognize patterns. 3. A venturesome personality: Seeking new experiences and tolerating ambiguity or risk. 4. Intrinsic motivation: Being driven by interest and satisfaction rather than external rewards like money. 5. A creative environment: A social or physical space that sparks, supports, and refines ideas. Without these, raw intelligence rarely translates into creative output.
Consider a professional painter: 1. Expertise: They have spent years learning color theory. 2. Intrinsic Motivation: They paint because they love the process, not just to sell the canvas. 3. Creative Environment: They have a studio filled with inspiring books and fellow artists who provide feedback.
Quick Check
Which of Sternberg's components refers to the internal drive to perform a task for its own sake?
Answer
Intrinsic motivation.
At the ends of the intelligence spectrum, we find fascinating cognitive profiles. High Giftedness typically refers to individuals with an score of or higher, showing high 'global' intelligence. Conversely, Savant Syndrome occurs in individuals who may have a low overall or a developmental disability (like Autism) but possess an 'island of brilliance'—a specific, extraordinary skill in areas like music, calculation, or art. While the gifted person has high general cognitive flexibility, the savant often shows hyper-focus and extreme proficiency in a single, narrow domain.
Research suggests a correlation between intelligence and creativity, but it follows a specific pattern: 1. Below an of , creativity and intelligence rise together. 2. Above , the correlation disappears. 3. This means a person with an of is not statistically more likely to be a creative genius than someone with an of .
Compare two individuals: 1. Person A (Savant): Has an of . They cannot live independently but can memorize the entire zip code directory of the United States. 2. Person B (Gifted Polymath): Has an of . They are a successful surgeon, speak four languages, and play the cello. 3. The difference lies in **General Intelligence ()**. Person B has high across many domains, while Person A has a localized 'cognitive peak' despite low .
Which type of thinking is most closely associated with creativity?
According to Sternberg, which component involves the willingness to take risks and persevere through obstacles?
An individual with Savant Syndrome must have an IQ score above 130.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to list Sternberg's five components of creativity from memory and explain the difference between a 'sprinkler' and a 'funnel' in thinking styles.
Practice Activity
To practice divergent thinking, pick a common object (like a paperclip) and try to list 20 uses for it that are not related to holding paper.