Pleaselook at the other two files they’re examples: Barbara Mcclintock Triumph of Naturalist and art Spiegelman Drawin.

Part I.

Identify a current creative individual who interests you. Locate a fairly in-depth interview or story on this person. (This can be any format, i.e., written review, online interview, podcast, etc.)

Why are you interested in this person?

What identifiers of creative achievement were cited by your source to support this person’s creativity?

Include a link or digital copy of your source.

Part II.

Read or listen to your source again.

Adding onto Part II, what did you learn about being a creative person?

Start with all the things that stood out to you.

You can add from the following (especially aspects that stood out to you):

Childhood and Adolescence: What were they like in school and at home? What was their home/family life like? When did creative interests emerge? Were they a “prodigy?” What were they like as teenagers? How did they respond to authority?

Did you learn anything about their creative process? Do they talk about where their ideas come from? How much of their creativity is just plain work and how much inspiration?

Did you get a sense of their personality or what type of person they are generally? (Did this give you sense that creative persons are different from you or similar to you? What would it be like to be friends with, work with, or be married to a creative individual?)

Part III.

Continue with Part II. Based on what we’ve talked about in sections four and five of the course, add anything else that stands out to you.

Add annotations to the notes you’ve already taken to show how this fits into what we’ve discussed in lecture.

“Triumph of a Naturalist.” Review of Evelyn Fox Keller’s A Feeling for the Organism: The Life and Work of Barbara McClintock by Stephen Jay Gould. (New York Review of Books, 29 March 1984.)

I was interested in reading about Barbara McClintock because she was a Nobel Prize winner. [This meets our criteria for creative genius: A person recognized by expert opinion as having contributed something of original value to the culture.] Women are underrepresented in the Nobel Prize in science and I had been interested in expanding my examples for lecture. Gould states McClintock was the “godparent and instigator of a second revolution” in evolutionary science. (The first was Watson and Crick’s discovery of the helical structure of DNA.) This underscores McClintock’s status as a creative achiever.

In addition, I was intrigued by Gould’s statement that “She suffered the fate of many pioneers—incomprehension and bewilderment from most colleagues who could not read her maps of terra incognita.” [This fits the stereotype of the unappreciated genius.] However, Gould goes on to say that it’s overly simplistic to simply explain her difficulties as due to 1) sexism in the sciences and/or 2) a “maverick genius misunderstood by her peers.” Gould further mentions that McClintock was a difficult subject for her biographer because she’s very introverted and keeps to herself; this extended to sharing very little personal information with Fox Keller. [There is a criticism of the “mad genius” literature, which argues there’s a selection bias in what stories get told: only creative geniuses with colorful lives have articles and biographies written about them. I often worry that I am guilty of this practice in order to make my lectures more interesting.]

As is his habit, Gould begins counter-intuitively be stating that Crick and Watson’s revolutionary discovery of the double-helical nature of DNA in 1953 was “doubly conservative.” [As someone who teaches creativity, I was intrigued by the notion of a conservative scientific revolution.] He makes this point to show how path breaking McClintock’s research around this time was. Watson and Crick’s model was “conservative” in that it supported that standard view of genetic material as “rows of beads (genes) on strings (chromosomes).” Second, it supported a reductionist model in which you explain an event in nature by reducing it to its smallest part. As such, it argued that there was a one-way process by which DNA influences RNA. McClintock’s discovery of “reverse transcriptase” (or, more colloquially, the “jumping gene”) showed that the process could move in the other direction. (And she took a less reductionist view of science, which I will try to explain below.)

While admitting that McClintock suffered her share of prejudice against women in her profession (which she overcame by “dint of personal genius and an awesome inner strength that few of us can hope to possess [work ethic and ego strength of geniuses]), Gould points out that she had already overcome many obstacles and was recognized for earlier path breaking work by the 1940s. Rather, he argues, the difficulty of getting her ideas accepted had as much to do with her own idiosyncrasies and reactions of her colleagues. She lost a job as a college professor because of her “disinclination to teach formal classes” as well as her “contempt for ‘good citizenship.’” (In academia, this means taking on your fair share of boring committee work.) She spent most of her career at the Cold Harbor National Laboratory, which requires no teaching.

A second reason her work had trouble gaining acceptance was due to what Gould refers to as her “global, intrinsic insight.” [We call this the “Aha moment” or incubation model of creative insight.] If she encountered a problem, McClintock would go for a long walk, sit down in the woods, or try to think of something else. She was confident that the answer would come to her. Although I thought this was accepted as a means of insight, Gould says it goes against the way many molecular biologists explain their discoveries, which is essentially to lay out basic principles, followed by previous research, and then deduce the expected results from there. Needless to say, reviewers did not like to accept this as an explanation for her discoveries; they often referred to it as a “mystic.”

Although McClintock’s career is a little more complex than the stereotypical misunderstood genius, I still found her biography underscored many traits that characterize creative genius: tenacity, intrinsic love of the work, being able to spend long periods of time alone, and forging their own paths in the confidence that their peers will eventually catch up.

‘Drawing Is Always a Struggle’: An Interview with Art Spiegelman (

https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/04/13/drawing-is-always-a-struggle-an-interview-with-art-spiegelman/

) interview by Claudia Dreifus.

I have not read any of Art Spiegelman’s graphic novels. (I have only read one graphic novel in my life.) However, I knew he had done ground-breaking work, starting with Maus, a graphic novel about growing up with parents who had both survived Auschwitz, and was curious about what the interview would reveal about a creative artist.

The interviewer begins by listing Spiegelman’s achievements: “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Pretty sure this is a French honor), has been a Guggenheim fellow, has two honorary doctorates and a Pulitzer Prize, to mention just a few of his awards and honors. There have been one-man exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and at the Jewish Museum and, perhaps even more important to him, a guest appearance on The Simpsons.” [Fits with our definition of creative genius: A person who has been recognized by expert opinion as having contributed something of original value to the culture.]

“Drawing it [Maus] was a struggle. Drawing is always a struggle.” [A finished work that looks effortless requires effort and persistence.]

“Actually, I don’t think I’ll ever make another graphic novel. Maus came out of the impulse of wanting to make a long comic that needed a bookmark and that begged to be reread. After I finished it, I did not think, ‘Aha. Now I’ve found my perfect form.’” [Many creative artists continue to look for new ways to express themselves; they are not content to continue working in the same format.] 

Earliest Maus began in 1972. (“Funny Animals” about his mother’s suicide. [Childhood bereavement of creative individuals.])

“Urge to do something big – a book-length comic of some kind.” [Ambition of the creative individual.]

Began interviewing his father about Auschwitz. No one in popular culture at that time (1970s) was talking about the Holocaust. [Desire to create something new.] He and his father were estranged [Creative individuals often have turbulent childhoods and difficult relationships with parents, especially in the arts], but this was one area of common ground

Unexpected Problems

Maus took longer than expected (13 years). [Work ethic; confidence in one’s work.]

Was not “prepared” for it to be published by a respected publishing house. [Surprise at positive reception of one’s work although had enough confidence or love of the work to continue for 13 years. Illustration of intrinsic motivation of creative individuals?]

Spiegelman dropped in and out of depression while working on it. [Connection between mental illness and creativity.]

In a way it was a collaboration between Spiegelman and his therapist (an Auschwitz survivor). Therapist as father figure.

Creative Genius

Characteristics

for online Part I IQ note taking

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Creative Genius
Characteristics

Part I: Intelligence

Visual Artist of the Day
Bjarke Ingels of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)
Serpentine Pavilion
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkJmer8Hxi4
Creative Genius Characteristics for online Part I IQ note taking
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Creative Genius Characteristics for online Part I IQ note taking
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IV. Characteristics of creative achievers (Chapter 6)
A. Intelligence of creative achievers
1. Cox’s study of historical geniuses.
a.

b.

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c. However,

d. Thus,

Galton
(200)
Darwin (165)

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2. Research on contemporary creative achievers.
a.
-.
b.
-.

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Creative Genius

Characteristics

Part II note taking

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Creative Genius
Characteristics

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B. The relation between creative achievement and psychopathology.
1. Ludwig (1995) Historiometric Approach:
General conclusions based on lives of 1,000 eminent personalities
a.
b.

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c. Considerable variation across domains
Domain % with mental disorder,
psychological problems
Natural Sciences
Composers
Visual Artists
Playwrights
Fiction Writers
Poets

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2. Evidence from studies based on psychological tests.
a.
-.

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a. Creative achievers are characterized by high levels of psychopathology.
(Based on research from Berkeley’s Institute for Personality and Research and MMPI.)

Creative Genius Characteristics Part II online presentation
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-. Compared to the general population,

depression,
hypomania,
schizophrenia,
paranoia,
psychopathic deviation,
hysteria,
hypochondriasis,
psychaesthenia (diffuse anxiety).

Creative Genius Characteristics Part II online presentation
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-. Compared to the general population,

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-.

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b. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) –
Psychoticism
-. low end:
socialized, conventional, conformist, empathic, even altruistic
-. high end:
impulsive, egocentric, antisocial, impersonal, hostile, aggressive, at times to a criminal degree.
-. extreme end:
psychopathic, schizophrenic, affective disorders

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-.

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Psychoticism’s contributions to creativity.
-. buck tradition,
don’t care about pleasing people,
persistent and self-centered.
-. Think in unusual ways (off-beat, bizarre associations, primary process imagery similar to schizophrenics)

Bernini
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-.

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Psychoticism’s contributions to creativity.
-. buck tradition,
don’t care about pleasing people,
persistent and self-centered.
-. Think in unusual ways (off-beat, bizarre associations, primary process imagery similar to schizophrenics)

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c. Creative subjects also scored abnormally high on scales relating to
-.
-.

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-. True psychotics do not take criticism well.
-. Although there is a great deal of similarity between the works of true schizophrenics and authentic poets, there is one difference:
Schizophrenics refuse to revise (fragile ego).

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d. The Balancing Act
-.
-.
-.

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Zadie Smith

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3. Motivational traits (Ochse, 1990)
a. The most salient and most consistent characteristic of creative achievers is
b. Roe’s study of 64 eminent scientists: one thing all had in common was
-.

Creative Genius
Education and Career

III. Education and Career
A. Education
1. Simonton’s study of 20th century achievers.
(Plot level of education and eminence.)

H.S.
B.A.
M.A.
M.S.
Ph.D.
Eminence

d. Why a curvilinear function?
-. Development of creative potential may be stifled by excessive training.
-. Creative achievers tend to discontinue their education when they feel they have learned enough to continue on their own.

III. Education and Career
A. Education (cont.)
-. celebrities: linear, positive trend (the more education the better).
-. leaders: curvilinear (peak just above a bachelor’s degree).
-. artists: curvilinear (peak just below a bachelor’s degree).
-. scientists: curvilinear (peak falls between bachelor’s and doctorate).

d. Why a curvilinear function?
-. Development of creative potential may be stifled by excessive training.
-. Creative achievers tend to discontinue their education when they feel they have learned enough to continue on their own.

B. Career
1. Three consistent themes.
a. Creators typically decide on and start their careers at an early age.
b. Quality of work is positively related to quantity.
c. Tend to produce their first and best works at more or less equivalent ages.

2. Relation between career age and annual productivity is a single-peak curvilinear function.
Simonton graph.

Ericsson & Ward (2007): See notes page for explanation.

Fig. 2. The development of expert performance (measured by adult standards) as related to age. Elite performers typically reach their peak career performance in the middle to late 20s for many vigorous sports, and one or two decades later (i.e., one or more decades past physical maturation) for less vigorous sports such as chess and billiards, as well for as the arts and sciences. All performers, including the most “gifted” or “talented,” need a minimum of approximately 10 years of intense involvement in the domain before they can win at an international level in highly competitive domains of expertise.

Creative Genius

Home Environment

Creative Genius Home Environment 2020

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Creative Genius Home Environment 2020

III. The Home Environment (Chapter 4)
A. Intellectual Stimulation in the Home
1.
2.
Creative Genius Home Environment 2020
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from parents, siblings, and independent intellectual pursuits.
a. Creators typically held positions in family that accorded them an unusual amount of stimulation from adults.
2. ‘Curriculum of the Home’
a. informed conversations about school and home.
b. encouragement of leisure reading
c. joint analysis of t.v. and peer activities.
a. Cox’s study of geniuses:
one of the highest scores went to mental work given to special interests, hobbies, extracurricular activities.
B. Values upheld in the Home
1. Parents valued and pursued learning for its own sake,
2. valued success and ambition.
3. Role models in home, or among members of extended family.
Creative Genius Home Environment 2020
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B. Emotional Climate in the Home
1.
2.
Creative Genius Home Environment 2020
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3
2. Well-adjusted persons tend to come from healthy stable home background, affection from parents, satisfactory interactions with peers.
Creative Genius Home Environment 2020

3. Of a group of 400 eminent historical figures,
a.

b.
c.
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Creative Genius Home Environment 2020

Among 400 eminent people of the 20th century
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
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“Hatred of one parent or the other can make an Ivan the Terrible or a Hemingway;
the protective love, however, of two devoted parents can absolutely destroy an artist.”
Gore Vidal (American novelist, historian, and raconteur)
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C. Bereavement
1.

2. Albert (1980):

3.
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4. Why?
a. Creative achievement, delinquency, and suicide may all be expressions of dissatisfaction with society (Eisenstadt, 1978).
b. Style of coping
c. Engenders need for power.
d. 3 possible reactions to anxiety caused by loss of parent.
-. turning away from others – seeking independence.
-. turning toward others – seeking admiration.
-. turning against people – seeking prestige.
Creative Genius Home Environment 2020

D. Isolation
1.

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2. For many, loneliness was causes by outside forces (e.g., parents; illness; moving when young; lack of siblings).
For others, it may have sprung from own natural tendencies.
4. Einstein: I have never belonged to my country, my friends, or even my immediate family with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude-feelings which increase with the years.”
Creative Genius Home Environment 2020

E. Parental Style of Control
1.
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a. Russian novelist, Ivan Turgenev: “I have not a single happy memory of my childhood. I used to be birched almost daily for all sorts of trifles.”
b. Composer Beethoven’s father would drag him out of bed in the middle of the night and make him practice till morning, beating him if he flagged.
3. It is difficult to say whether creative achievers were treated worse than other children of their day.
3. But it is clear that abuse, neglect, etc. did not preclude creative achievement.
4. Perhaps it engendered independence and rebelliousness.
Creative Genius Home Environment 2020

Creative Genius
(Ochse,

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990)

Social Background

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Creative Genius: Social Background

I. Historical Perspective (Chapter 1)
A. From Greeks to modern day,
genius conceived as something
breathed into a human agent by divine force.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

B. Definition
3
Creative Genius: Social Background

Two Types (Kac)
a. Ordinary:
A fellow you and I would be just as good as,
if we were only many times better.
4
Creative Genius: Social Background

b. Magicians:
Even after we understand what they have done,
the process by which they have done it is completely dark.
5
Creative Genius: Social Background

A video will be played here.
The next slide has a link in case it does not play on your device.
Creative Genius: Social Background
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https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zv0OURacqk

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Creative Genius: Social Background

C. Galton’s study of Genius and ‘productive creators’.
1.

2.

3. Three key ingredients:
a.
b.
c.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

4. Galton’s contribution
a.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

b. Two monumental studies of genius published in 1925 and 1926 (Terman).
-.
-.
-.
-.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

II. Social Background
A. Incidence of creativity in societies
1. Since ancient times, it has been realized that clusters of geniuses appeared within relatively short periods.
Golden ages
Dark ages

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Creative Genius: Social Background

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Golden ages
(highly gifted people lived in one place at the same time)
Dark ages
(very little progress was made)
2. Golden Ages
a. Age of Pericles (5th c. BC in Athens)
b. Ancient Sumerian and Chinese cultures.
c. Renaissance
d. Italian opera in 18th c.
e. German music during 18th and 19th c.
f. latter half of 20th c.: electronic technology in America and Far East.

2. Questions:
a. Are regional and temporal clusterings determined purely by chance? (William James)
b. If not, what determines the incidence of creativity in a culture?
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Creative Genius: Social Background

3. Havelock Ellis (1904) –
studied British geniuses depicted in National Portrait Gallery.
a.
-.
-.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

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b. Concluded:
-. Golden ages represented periods in which gene pools of civilized nations are relatively favorable and pure.
-. Intellectual foundations of civilizations become undermined when brilliant races interbreed with inferior ones.

5. Alfred Kroeber (1944) – American Anthropologist (and later researchers).
a. Sample: 5000 creative individuals
living between 700BC and AD1900.
b. Regional and temporal fluctuations due to chance?
-.
-.
c.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

6. Other factors
a.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

A video will be played here.
Link to video in case it does not play on your device. Start 2 minutes, 30 seconds in.

Creative Genius: Social Background
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b. Creativity increases with
-.
-.
-.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

B. Position of creative achievers within the society.
1. Over the ages and in modern times,
in different societies and in various disciplines,
creators have come from
a. Especially from a segment of that class –

b. Why?
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Creative Genius: Social Background

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2. Why?
a. roles models.
b. appropriate values.
c. encouragement
d. access to information and materials.
e. financial status? probably not.
f. intellectual ambition. most likely.

2. Religious Denomination
General
Population (U.S)
Nobel
Laureates (U.S.)
Catholic
Jewish
Catholics are
Jews are
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Creative Genius: Social Background

The remaining slides contain information that is no longer covered on exams, but that you might find useful for your Creative Individual paper.
Creative Genius: Social Background
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6. Importance of role models.
a. Previous generation acts as role models and inspires others to greatness.
b. Simonton (1978): Creative works created by a specific generation is significantly related to amount of work in only two preceding generations.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

6. Society must recognize important work by members of the same and neighboring disciplines.
Cultural leaders must be sufficiently sophisticated to evaluate and monitor new ideas.
7. When the conditions of knowledge, materials, social support and incentives are met, the effects are often noticeable.
8. Certain breakthroughs become almost “inevitable”.
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Creative Genius: Social Background

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a. Cultural leaders must be sufficiently sophisticated to evaluate and monitor new ideas.
b. If they allow a proliferation of worthless, pretentious products, then the entire cultural domain may be impoverished.

9. Scientific Examples
a. Simultaneous, independent discoveries.
-. Newton and Leibnitz: calculus.
-. Darwin and Wallace: evolution.
-. Joule, Helmholz, Thomson, and Colding: conservation of energy.
b. Simonton (1979) – History of scientific advances.
-. 449 doublets
-. 104 triplets
-. 18 quadruplets
-. 7 quintuplets
-. 1 octuplet
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Creative Genius: Social Background

12. Distribution of creative products is very ‘skewed’.
a. A small number of persons create a large portion of valued objects, even when climate is highly favorable.

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Creative Genius: Social Background

b. Moles (1968) – Of the 1000s of composers who have ever lived,
only 250 have their works regularly performed.
-. 36 composers produced 75%.
-. 16 composers produced 50%.
-. 10 composers produced 40%.
-. 3 composers produced 20%
(Mozart, Beethoven, Bach)
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Creative Genius: Social Background

c. Lerner & Triole (2000) – Open source programmers.
-. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of open source programmers contributed nearly ¾ of all code
-. Nearly ¾ made only one contribution.

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Creative Genius: Social Background

d. Similar patterns hold true for other disciplines as well.
e. “However favorable the cultural climate, only a few people are likely to account for most of the creative products of the society.”
“Culture does not make great men. It only offers, to those who meet other conditions, the possibility of becoming great.”
Pasteur: “Chance favors the prepared mind.”
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Creative Genius: Social Background

Creativity and mood disorder: Part II
(Taylor, 20

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7)

“for an artist, finding a look or a style that falls within the available possibilities of art, yet is different enough from anything that has come before it, is both the ideal and also a near impossibility.” David Salle

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Creativity and Mood Disorder Part II 2019 for note taking

Note: Mood Disorders include
Major Depressive Disorder
Dysthymic Disorder
Bipolar I (manic episode)
Bipolar ii (at least one hypomanic and at least one depressive episode)
Cyclothymic (cycling between intermittent or alternating depressive and hypomanic symptoms)
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Creativity and Mood Disorder Part II 2019 for note taking

Results of meta-analysis
Mood disorder vs control on creativity
A.
B.
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Mood Disorder
Creativity

Creativity in Individuals with Mood disorder versus control
The overall effect size was small and not statistically significant (p. 1056).
The effect of mood disorder on creativity is influenced by type of mood disorder … (p.1057).
Unspecific BP, cyclothymic disorder, and MDD (small effects) suggested that individuals with these types of disorder exhibit greater creativity than controls (p. 1057).
The effect of dysthymic disorder on creativity was again significant and negative (p. 1057).
Significant (albeit small), positive effects were found in the verbal and performance domains only, suggesting that individual with mood disorder exhibit greater creativity in these domains than controls.

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Creativity and Mood Disorder Part II 2019 for note taking

Results of meta-analysis
2. Creativity vs control on mood disorder
a.
-.
-.
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Mood Disorder
Creativity

Mood Disorder in Creative versus control
Moderate to large effect size
Creative individuals exhibit greater mood disorder than noncreative individuals (p.1052).
Significant amount of heterogeneity among effect sizes (p. 1052).
Effect sizes for almost all of the disorders were positive (indicating that creative individuals exhibited greater disorder than controls), the effect size for dysthymic disorder was negative… (p. 1053).
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Results of meta-analysis
3. Covariance of creativity and mood disorder
a.
Positive associations with mood disorder

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Creativity
Mood Disorder
????

Unknown Third Variable
Compensatory Advantage Model:
Creativity and mood disorder as different expression of same genes.
Inverted U: mild form of disorder or familial history leads to enhanced creativity. High levels decrease it.
Shared Vulnerability Model:
Cognitive vulnerability characteristics (decreased latent inhibition, increased novelty seeking, neural hyperconnectivity) may manifest as enhanced creativity.
These characteristics must be paired with high levels of protective factors (IQ, working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility).
 

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Making sense of all this
1. Patterns in the data
A.

B.
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Making sense of all this
2. Interpretation
a. Set of interrelated traits that may be higher in creative individuals and those with bipolar disorder
(i.e., underlying third factor)
i.
ii.
(I’ve added a lot of explanation here.)
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Excerpt from “Stage Fright”
(from “The Last Waltz” soundtrack)
Now deep in the heart of a lonely kid
Who suffered so much for what he did
They gave this ploughboy his fortune and fame
Since that day he ain’t been the same
See the man with the stage fright
Just standin’ up there to give it all his might
And he got caught in the spotlight
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again
I’ve got fire water right on my breath
And the doctor warned me I might catch a death
Said, “You can make it in your disguise
Just never show the fear that’s in your eyes”
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Creativity and Mood Disorder Part II 2019 for note taking

Making sense of all this
B. Pursuit of creative activities may impact onset of disorder.
(I.e., creativity causes mood disorder)
1.

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Robbie Robertson
AVICII (Tim Bergling)

Excerpt from “Stage Fright”
(from “The Last Waltz” soundtrack)
Now deep in the heart of a lonely kid
Who suffered so much for what he did
They gave this ploughboy his fortune and fame
Since that day he ain’t been the same
See the man with the stage fright
Just standin’ up there to give it all his might
And he got caught in the spotlight
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again
I’ve got fire water right on my breath
And the doctor warned me I might catch a death
Said, “You can make it in your disguise
Just never show the fear that’s in your eyes”
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Creativity and Mood Disorder Part II 2019 for note taking

“the road will kill you.” (Robbie Robertson of The band in 1976)
“People think it’s easy to be a rock star. But try to hold the attention of 18,000 people, and perform really well, for two and a half hours every night. It’s an incredibly tough thing to sustain.” (Jem Aswad, senior music editor Variety)
Both quotes taken from: https://
www.theguardian.com/music/2020/mar/02/music-rock-concerts-musicians-touring
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a more recent example: The DJ Avicii (Tim Bergling), https
://
www.nytimes.com/2019/04/05/arts/music/avicii-tim-bergling-new-music.html?searchResultPosition=8
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“These artists were rejecting quotidian experience as they pursued emotional states so unfamiliar or so overpowering as to call into question the fundamentally empirical and materialistic nature of a work of art. Painters and sculptors were raising hopes for artistic catharsis that no painting or sculpture, not even a masterpiece, could ever be expected to fulfill.”
jed perl on early to mid 2oth century artists
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Creativity and Mood Disorder Part II 2019 for note taking

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Simonton’s Theory of Talent

(1999)

Simonton’s Theory of Talent

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018 for note taking

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Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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I. Introduction

A. Previous observations

1. Most child prodigies …

2. The vast majority of exceptional adult performers…

3. Intelligence as necessary, but not sufficient for creative genius.

4. Dedication to work as necessary, but not sufficient for creative genius.

5. Expert performance as necessary, but not sufficient…

Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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A. Previous observations (e.g., Ericsson and Charness)
1. Most child prodigies never attain exceptional levels of performance as adults.
2. The vast majority of exceptional adult performers were never child prodigies.
B. Views of intelligence.
1. General capacity (e.g., Spearman’s ‘g’)
2. Specific domain (e.g., Gardner’s multiple intelligences)
3. Inherited (Galton)
C. Genius/Exceptional talent is extremely rare.
(There are lots of people with high IQs; there are very few geniuses.)

Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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B. Genius/Exceptional talent is extremely rare.
(There are many more people with high IQs than there are creative geniuses.)
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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A. Previous observations (e.g., Ericsson and Charness)
1. Most child prodigies never attain exceptional levels of performance as adults.
2. The vast majority of exceptional adult performers were never child prodigies.
B. Views of intelligence.
1. General capacity (e.g., Spearman’s ‘g’)
2. Specific domain (e.g., Gardner’s multiple intelligences)
3. Inherited (Galton)
C. Genius/Exceptional talent is extremely rare.
(There are lots of people with high IQs; there are very few geniuses.)

Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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II. Definition of Talent
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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1. Deliberate practice (and other forms of expertise acquisition) are assumed rather than dismissed.
2. Talent is necessarily innate.
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III. Emergenic Individual Differences
A. EMERGENESIS
1. A physical or psychological attribute that shows no heritability in fraternal twins and other siblings might display remarkably high heritability for identical twins.
2. For some traits, monozygotic twins are “too similar” relative to dizygotic twins.
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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3. Typical Twin Pattern: IQ
identical: .86
fraternal: .60
siblings
reared together: .47
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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4. Atypical Patterns
Creative Personality Scale: intelligence, insightfulness, reflectiveness, originality, inventiveness, wide interests, resourcefulness, self-confidence, unconventionality, and individualism (partial list).
Monozygotic twins reared apart: r = .54
Dizygotic twins reared apart: r = -.06 (i.e., zero).
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

“This outcome suggests that the more than two dozen descriptors that define this scale must form a unified configuration for creative behavior to occur (p.449).”
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking
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More Examples of Emergenic Inheritance (Simonton, 1999)
Social Potency: self-perceived ability to influence, lead, or dominate.
Traits: attractiveness, self-confidence, assertiveness, dominance (i.e., charisma).
 
Monozygotic twins: r = .67
Dizygotic twins: r = .07
  
Expressive Control: ability to impress and entertain people, engage effectively in role-playing, mimic other persons, practice deception successfully.
 
Monozygotic twins: r = .76
Dizygotic twins: r = .16
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking
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Social potency and expressive control are both associated with effective leadership.
  
Simonton, D. K. (1999). Talent and its development: An emergenic and epigenetic model. Psychological Review, 106, 435-457.
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking
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5. An individual difference variable is EMERGENIC when it consists of

6. Main Implication:

Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

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B. Main Assumption:

C. Weighted Multiplicative Model
1. List components required for a given talent domain.
2. Assign a weight to each component (i.e., its importance).
3. Multiply them together to calculate talent.
4. Implication:

Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking
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Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for online delivery
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I think of the weighted multiplicative model as a really wide slot machine (or series of linked slot machines).
Creative geniuses have won a sort of genetic lottery in which they inherit just the right combination of genes.
Think of the Compensatory Advantage Model: low to moderate levels of mood disorder may increase creativity, while lower or higher levels reduce it.

Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking
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Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for online delivery
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And this is why identical twins will be so similar, but fraternal twins and siblings will have no correlations at all.

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D. Six Implications of the Emergenic Model
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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Domain Specificity of Trait
a. Not a single, highly specialized component that determines performance in a talent domain.
b. Rather, a multiplicative composite of separate components.
c. Some are domain specific (e.g., musical pitch for composers)
d. Not all traits will be domain specific (e.g., ability to work hard).
2. Heterogeneity of Component Profile
a. Persons of equal talent may be strong on different components.
b. Persons of no talent will have different component profiles.
6. Variable Complexity of Talent Domains
Single Trait: Terman’s gifted
Many Traits: opera composition, architecture, choreography.
Martha Graham needed kinesthetic skills, spatial visual skills, musical skills, interpersonal skills (to manage a group of dancers), mathematical ability (to handle accounting for the company), intrapersonal skills, and muscular/skeletal/physiological attributes to dance in the first place.
Simonton’s Theory of Talent 2018 for note taking

Creativity and mood disorder: part I
(Taylor, 20

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“we of the craft are all crazy. Some are affected by gaiety, others by melancholy, but all are more or less touched.” lord Byron (as quoted in Jamison, 1993)

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Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019

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One major question, for both non-experts and scientists who study creativity, is the role of psychopathology in creativity.
The visual artist I have chosen for this set of notes illustrates this connection quite well.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Yayoi kusama
Yayoi kusama had a difficult childhood (including a hyper-critical mother).
Moved to new York in the sixties and became a performance artist. (she worked with yoko ono among others).
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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She returned to japan, suffering a series of nervous breakdowns that required hospitalization.
She continues to live and spend the night in a psychiatric hospital, although she leaves each day to work in her studio and even travels to attend her international exhibitions.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Yayoi Kusama
Infinity Mirrors

Yayoi Kusama

In the previous set of notes, we saw that there are correlations between creativity and mental illness, especially among artists. (This trend holds for geniuses as well.)
The question that interests scientists (and maybe some of you) is whether mental illness plays a causal role in creativity.
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The explanations follow the standard correlation is not causation pattern.
Does A cause b? maybe mental illness causes greater creativity.
Does B cause A? maybe being a creative person causes mental illness .
does c cause both a and b?
Maybe mental illness and creativity just happen to occur together.
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We will explore four possible explanations below.
Because this is such a complex topic, the article we discuss focusses only on mood disorders (i.e., depression, mania, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia).
We will revisit this topic and try to provide a partial answer in the last section of the course.
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Three ways creativity and mood disorder may be related
1. Mood disorder causes creativity
a. Depressive episodes may Provide
material for creative work.
Increased sensitivity
Greater depth and subtlety of feeling
Increased awareness and insight to the human condition
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Mood Disorder
Creativity

Mood Disorder  Creativity
Characteristics of (hypo)manic states (increased energy, cognitive fluency) or fluctuation between depressive (increased sensitivity, greater depth and subtlety of feeling) and (hypo)manic episodes produce creative advantage.
Depressive episodes may provide material for creative work (increased awareness and insight in the human condition).
Hypo(manic) episodes provide motivation and drive to express insights
Mood lability in bipolar may enhance affective integration of both positive and negative materials in memory.
Creates possibility of more complex and creative associations.

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b. Hypo(manic) episodes provide
Motivation
Drive to express insights
Increased energy
Cognitive fluency (ability to think and write more quickly)
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Mood Disorder
Creativity

Mood Disorder  Creativity
Characteristics of (hypo)manic states (increased energy, cognitive fluency) or fluctuation between depressive (increased sensitivity, greater depth and subtlety of feeling) and (hypo)manic episodes produce creative advantage.
Depressive episodes may provide material for creative work (increased awareness and insight in the human condition).
Hypo(manic) episodes provide motivation and drive to express insights
Mood lability in bipolar may enhance affective integration of both positive and negative materials in memory.
Creates possibility of more complex and creative associations.

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c. Mood lability (i.e., changes between depression and mania) in bipolar may enhance affective/emotional integration of positive and negative materials in memory
d. creates possibility of more complex and creative associations.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Mood Disorder
Creativity

Mood Disorder  Creativity
Characteristics of (hypo)manic states (increased energy, cognitive fluency) or fluctuation between depressive (increased sensitivity, greater depth and subtlety of feeling) and (hypo)manic episodes produce creative advantage.
Depressive episodes may provide material for creative work (increased awareness and insight in the human condition).
Hypo(manic) episodes provide motivation and drive to express insights
Mood lability in bipolar may enhance affective integration of both positive and negative materials in memory.
Creates possibility of more complex and creative associations.

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2. Creativity causes Mood disorder
a. Pursuit of creativity may negatively impact mood regulation:
arts: Channeling and expression of intense emotions may lead to dysregulation in mood.
financial instability,
immense competition,
stresses of public recognition may put individuals at risk for mental health issues.
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Mood Disorder
Creativity

Creativity  Mood Disorder
Five factors related to pursuit of creativity that may negatively affect mood regulation: reinforcement of emotionality, occupational stress, substance misuse, irregular sleep and activity schedules, challenges to goal regulation.
Creativity in the arts requires channeling and expression of intense emotions. May lead to dysregulation in mood.
Financial instability, immense competition, stresses that accompany public recognition (public criticism, self-consciousness) may put individuals at risk for mental health issues.
Creative individuals may use illegal drugs as coping strategies or to enhance creativity.
Irregular hours contribute to poor health and circadian rhythm instability.
Drive and ambition predict creative accomplishment and mood disorders.

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Illegal drugs may be used as coping strategy
or to enhance creativity
Irregular hours contribute to poor health and circadian rhythm instability
Drive and ambition are predictive of both creative accomplishment and mood disorders.
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Mood Disorder
Creativity

Creativity  Mood Disorder
Five factors related to pursuit of creativity that may negatively affect mood regulation: reinforcement of emotionality, occupational stress, substance misuse, irregular sleep and activity schedules, challenges to goal regulation.
Creativity in the arts requires channeling and expression of intense emotions. May lead to dysregulation in mood.
Financial instability, immense competition, stresses that accompany public recognition (public criticism, self-consciousness) may put individuals at risk for mental health issues.
Creative individuals may use illegal drugs as coping strategies or to enhance creativity.
Irregular hours contribute to poor health and circadian rhythm instability.
Drive and ambition predict creative accomplishment and mood disorders.

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3. Unknown third variable
a. Compensatory advantage model
Creativity and mood disorder as different
Expression of same genes.
inverted u
mild form of disorder enhances creativity
High levels decrease creativity
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Creativity
Mood Disorder
????
Mental Disorder
Creat.

Unknown Third Variable
Compensatory Advantage Model:
Creativity and mood disorder as different expression of same genes.
Inverted U: mild form of disorder or familial history leads to enhanced creativity. High levels decrease it.
Shared Vulnerability Model:
Cognitive vulnerability characteristics (decreased latent inhibition, increased novelty seeking, neural hyperconnectivity) may manifest as enhanced creativity.
These characteristics must be paired with high levels of protective factors (IQ, working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility).
 

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B. shared vulnerability model
cognitive Vulnerability characteristics
(decreased latent inhibition,
increased novelty seeking,
Neural hyperconnectivity)
Might increase creativity but…
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Creativity
Mood Disorder
????

Unknown Third Variable
Compensatory Advantage Model:
Creativity and mood disorder as different expression of same genes.
Inverted U: mild form of disorder or familial history leads to enhanced creativity. High levels decrease it.
Shared Vulnerability Model:
Cognitive vulnerability characteristics (decreased latent inhibition, increased novelty seeking, neural hyperconnectivity) may manifest as enhanced creativity.
These characteristics must be paired with high levels of protective factors (IQ, working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility).
 

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They must be are paired with
High levels of Protective factors:
(IQ,
working memory capacity,
cognitive flexibility)
Creativity and Mood Disorder Part I 2019
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Creativity
Mood Disorder
????

Unknown Third Variable
Compensatory Advantage Model:
Creativity and mood disorder as different expression of same genes.
Inverted U: mild form of disorder or familial history leads to enhanced creativity. High levels decrease it.
Shared Vulnerability Model:
Cognitive vulnerability characteristics (decreased latent inhibition, increased novelty seeking, neural hyperconnectivity) may manifest as enhanced creativity.
These characteristics must be paired with high levels of protective factors (IQ, working memory capacity, cognitive flexibility).
 

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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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I. Dijkersterhuis & Meurs (2006)
Class demonstrations
New names for pasta.
Things one can do with a brick.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Pasta Study
Randomly
assigned
to 1 of 3
groups
Immediate
Conscious
Thought
Unconscious
Thought
Pasta
Names
Think about
names.
Distractor
Task
Pasta
Names
Pasta
Names
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Converging = ends in ‘i’.
Diverging = does not end in ‘i’.
UT more non-i
words than CT.
UT fewer ‘i’
words than CT.
Results: New Names for Pasta Study
>
< Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Brick Study Randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups Immediate Conscious Thought Unconscious Thought Brick Uses Think about names. Distractor Task Brick Uses Brick Uses Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Results: Brick Study Number of Ideas: No differences Creativity: UT > CT, Immediate
< = Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Conscious thought, and memory search during conscious thought, is focused and convergent. Unconscious thought is more divergent. Unconscious thought increases the probability of generating creative and unusual ideas. Significance: Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * II. Zhong, Dijksterhuis, & Galinsky (2008) Unconscious thought can facilitate discovering remote, but not local solutions. These associations do not necessarily enter into consciousness. The may emerge later or be lost. Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Best Suited for: Conscious thought better at linear, analytic decisions. Unconscious thought may be especially effective at solving complex problems. Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * III. Bowden & Beeman (1998) Brain Hemispheres and Creative Solutions A. Method RAT problems If unsolved, present correct or unrelated word to a) Right Hemisphere (RH) or b) Left Hemisphere (LH). Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * B. Results Shorter response latencies for correct words presented to RH. I.e., correct response was available (in RH), but below conscious awareness. Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * IV. REM Sleep and Creativity (Cai et al., 2009) A. Basic Method 9:00 a.m.: presented difficult RAT items. e.g., Heart Sixteen Cookies a.m.: complete analogies ½ have correct RAT solution e.g., CHIPS: SALTY:: CANDY:S____ p.m.: rest or sleep (NREM, REM) 5:00 p.m.: RAT items. This is called “priming” the correct answer. Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * B. Only REM sleep improved solutions after priming. Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * V. Mind Wandering and Creative Ideas (Gable, Hopper, & Schooler, 2019). A. Introduction How frequent are creative ideas during mind wandering? Are they different from those generated while on task? Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * A. Method 72 physicists 113 professional writers Each night: Most meaningful idea of the day. 6 months later: Rate those ideas. Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020 * C. Results 80% of ideas came while on task 20% while mind wandering Solution to Impasse: mind wandering > on-task.
Importance: on-task = mind wandering.
“Aha” moments: mind wandering > on-task
Importance of “Aha” moments:
mind wandering > on-task
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Results
In both samples 80%-81% of ideas came while “on-task” and 19%-20% occurred while mind wandering.
Solutions to problems in which participants were at an impasse were more likely to occur during mind wandering (26% vs. 14% and 20% vs. 9%).
Ideas generated during mind wandering were rated equally important to those generated while on-task.
Ideas generated during mind wandering were more likely to reported as “aha” moments
Ideas experienced as “aha” moments rated as more creative and important.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Results from Notes View
In both samples 80%-81% of ideas came while “on-task” and 19%-20% occurred while mind wandering.
Solutions to problems in which participants were at an impasse were more likely to occur during mind wandering (26% vs. 14% and 20% vs. 9%).
Ideas generated during mind wandering were rated equally important to those generated while on-task.
Ideas generated during mind wandering were more likely to reported as “aha” moments
Ideas experienced as “aha” moments rated as more creative and important.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

In terms of preparing for the exam,
Have a clear idea of how much the data on ideas skews/leans toward on task.
Make a point to remember the one area in which mind wandering and on task did not differ.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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VI. Latent Inhibition correlates with creativity.
(Carson et al., 2003)
A. Introduction
Latent Inhibition (LI)
varying capacity of the brain
to screen from attentional focus
stimuli previously experienced as irrelevant.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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In most cases, high LI is beneficial. Think of your ability screen out distractions while driving, speaking with a friend, or driving.
In humans, low LI has been associated with
susceptibility to actual acute-phase schizophrenia
personality trait Openness to Experience
Openness has been related to divergent thinking and trait creativity and with creative achievement.
If low LI is a predisposing factor to both psychosis and creativity, what distinguishes the two? Whereas low IQ generally functions as an unfavorable moderating variable for psychosis, high IQ may moderate the expression of a predisposition to psychosis in the highly creative individual.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

In most cases, high LI is beneficial.
Think of your ability screen out distractions while driving, speaking with a friend, texting in a crowded restaurant.
Low LI has been associated with
susceptibility to actual acute-phase schizophrenia
personality trait Openness to Experience
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Openness has been related to divergent thinking and trait creativity and with creative achievement.
If low LI is a predisposing factor to both psychosis and creativity, what distinguishes the two?
Whereas low IQ generally functions as an unfavorable moderating variable for psychosis,
Perhaps high IQ helps people with low LI harness it for creativity.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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B. Method
Divide group of Harvard undergrads into
High or Low LI
High or Moderate IQ
Measure creative achievement (e.g., publish a poem, exhibit a work of art, scientific presentation or publication)
C. Results
Low LI/High IQ group demonstrated highest
creative achievement scores.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Study 1:
Study 2: IQ M = 124.6 (SD = 11)
Combined: High IQ M = 128.6, SD = 8.3.
Low IQ M = 118.3, SD = 11.9
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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VII. Living Abroad and Personality Factors
(Maddux & Galinsky, 2009)
A. Study #1: MBA students completed the Duncker Candle Task
Duncker Candle Task: Given the materials below how can you attach the candle to the wall above the table so that the wax does not drip on the table?
The solution is on the next page.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Duncker Candle Task: Given the materials below how can you attach the candle to the wall above the table so that the wax does not drip on the table?
Solution:
Empty out the nails.
Attach box to wall with nail.
Place candle in box.
Light candle.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Duncker Candle Task Solution:
Empty out the nails.
Attach box to wall with nail.
Place candle in box.
Light candle.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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B. Results: Time spent living abroad was a significant predictor of solving the problem.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Duncker Candle Task: Given the materials below how can you attach the candle to the wall above the table so that the wax does not drip on the table?
Solution:
Empty out the nails.
Attach box to wall with nail.
Place candle in box.
Light candle.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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B. Study #2: Creative Negotiation Task
Factors related to creative solution
Agreeableness (strongest, – correlation)
The more Agreeable the person, the less likely to come up with a creative solution.
Openness to Experience (moderate, + correlation)
The more Open to Experience a person was, the more likely they were to come up with a creative solution.
Conscientiousness (moderate, – correlation)
The more Conscientious a person was, the less likely they were to come up with a creative solution.
Time Lived Abroad (weak, + correlation)
The more time lived abroad, the more likely the person was to come up with a creative solution.
Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020

Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020
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Studying Creativity in the Laboratory 2020