The topic of creativity is inherently fascinating, and interest in
it is regularly reinvigorated as new findings are uncovered. For
all that we know about creativity, much remains to be fully
understood, and questions about it abound: What is creativity? Is
it one of the factors of intelligence, or is it a separate entity
from intelligence? Are we born with a creativity quotient? Can
creativity be developed? And, if so, can creativity continue to
develop across the lifespan? Can parents enhance their children?s
creativity through conscious effort? Can teachers develop their
students? creativity through focused teaching? Can organizations
enhance their employees? creativity through targeted professional
development? Can an individual become more creative through
determination and effort? How much does?or can?the social
environment influence creativity?
In Understanding Creativity, authors John S. Dacey and Kathleen
H. Lennon offer a thorough examination of the three
factors--biological, psychological, and social--that contribute to
the creative process. In clear and lively language, this compelling
book explores a breadth of topics on creativity including: how
creative people operate as successful and imaginative problem
solvers, the essential role self-control plays in realizing
creative potential, and the most current discoveries about how the
brain works on the neuronal and chemical levels. Most important,
the book presents an innovative model that integrates the
biological, psychological, and social elements and reflects the
most significant advances in current creativity research.
The wealth of information in this important book can help to
expand our knowledge and understanding of the creative process and
also act as a guide to enhancing our powers of creativity.
Unveiling the Mysteries of Creativity
Understanding Creativity beautifully reveals the intricacies of
the creative process and advances an innovative new view that can
help anyone interested in the creative process to not only better
understand it?but to enhance it.
"This book by Dacey and Lennon combines the wonder and awe of
human creativity with the complexity of its study. The authors
advance the ?biopsychosocial? perspective as a model of the
creative process. . . . This new perspective promises to further
our understanding of the ?intricacies of the creative mind.? In the
process of studying this book, readers may increase the probability
of enhancing their own creativity."--Richard E. Ripple, professor,
educational and developmental psychology, Cornell University
"Dacey and Lennon have created a new way of looking at
creativity and creative problem solving. Taking a giant step beyond
traditional psychological and psychosocial models, the authors have
joined biological research with that from the fields of cognitive
psychology and social psychology. This highly integrated approach
provides a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted
findings of creativity research. The authors consider the
reciprocal effects of the many diverse elements of their model on
the development of individual creativity. In addition to reviewing
current research, they set the stage for further scholarship, where
their theoretical hypotheses can be empirically explored. A
thought-provoking and fascinating work."-- Susan Besemer,
professor, SUNY College at Fredonia