ADULT INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT and CREATIVITY

Creativity research is an important dimension of the adult intellectual development literature. In this regard, the term has been defined in diverse ways. For example, it has been conceptualized as a sensitivity to problems, deficiencies and gaps information; as the ability to formulate novel hypotheses; and has been related to communicatory excellence (McCracken, 1998).

Adams-Price (1998) defines creativity as a complex of traits, skills, and capabilities said to include curiosity, unconventional thinking, openness to experience and tolerance of ambiguity. Regardless of its definition, Adams-Price (1998) states that the early intellectual development literature assumed that creativity was a largely innate or immutable ability which some people had who were distinct from non-creative people. Further, this author states that it was also assumed that just as one's general intellectual skills declined with age, so too did one's ability to think creatively.

However McCracken (1998) reports that the very current research on creativity as an element of adult intellectual development has begun to focus more attention on social and environmental contributors to creativity. The result has been new definitions of the term and new understandings of its relation to intellectual functioning in older and elderly people.

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e decline is one of quantity and not quality, that there are substantial individual differences in creative potential which out-weight age differences, that "late bloomers" attain creative peaks at much older ages, and that a secondary peak or resurgence in creativity often occurs in the late 60s. Some very solid research conducted by Bronte (1997) supports this notion that a decline in creativity may not necessarily be the norm for older people. In Bronte's study of 150 adults, findings indicated that over half of the sample began their most creative period at age 50 years and some not until retirement. Bronte attributes these findings to increases in the health and life expectancy of people and feels that so long as health is maintained, adults may not experience creative declines. But there is some doubt as to whether even lack of health can cause a creative decline. For example Kahn (1998) found that a sample of musicians ages 65 to 94, they described themselves as creative despite such conditions as arthritis, hearing loss and other impairments. Indeed, Kahn concluded that it was participation in creativity activity that contributed to perceptions of well being. Sasser-Coen (1993) has noted that older adults do seem to e
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Approximate Word count = 1782
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)