The Interdisciplinary Nature of Creative Process Studies

THE INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF CREATIVE PROCESS STUDIES Introduction  Interdisciplinary Study of Creative Processes: The scientific exploration of long-term processes of thinking is ideally a joint undertaking between two disciplines: the history of science, providing source material, and cognitive psychology, offering general ideas about intellectual processes.  Challenges of Interdisciplinarity: Initially, the effort to merge these fields for fruitful synthesis was challenging due to the vast differences in their organizational structures and cultures.  Changing Landscape: Over the past two decades, the landscape has evolved, partly due to excellent case studies on the structure and development of creative processes, but some difficulties remain. Non-Linearity in Creative Thinking  Protracted Non-Linear Process: Creative thinking is depicted as a protracted non-linear process that extends over extended periods, challenging models that emphasize sudden insights.  Temporal Structure of Creative Thinking: Many models equate creative thinking with sudden insights, but others like Wallas' four-step model consider insights as stages in a long-term development.  Repetitions and the Role of Insight: Contrary to common beliefs, repetition is a vital part of the creative process, allowing for the consolidation and elaboration of ideas. Insight often represents a compression of extended thought processes or the telescoping of long-term development. Modalities of Representation  Modalities in Cognitive Representation: Individuals have various modalities of representation at their disposal, including taxonomies and propositions. However, their interrelationships and roles in the cognitive economy are not well understood.  Role of Imagery: Imagery, particularly images of wide scope, plays a significant role in creative thinking. These images are highly flexible and generative, contributing to idea generation and exploration.  Regulation Through Imagery: Images of wide scope act as mechanisms regulating the creative process, allowing creators to navigate their complex cognitive networks effectively. Developmental Psychology in Creative Work  High Achieving Adults: The study of creative thought primarily focuses on highachieving adult individuals, which sets it apart from traditional developmental psychology.  Diversity in Creative Development: Creative development is diverse and often deviates from the standard developmental trajectories posited by unilinear theories.  Giftedness and Creativity: The relationship between giftedness and creativity is examined from a unique perspective, starting with exceptional adult performance and working backward to understand the processes that led to it.  Self-Construction of the Extraordinary: The self-concept of a creative individual involves seeing oneself as special and capable of making significant contributions. It's based on a sense of direction, enabling self-regulation of creative progress. Conclusion  Interdisciplinary studies of long-term cognitive processes require bridging the gap between history of science and cognitive psychology.  Non-linearity is a key characteristic of creative thinking, involving both insight and repetition.  Modalities of representation and the role of imagery play a crucial role in creative cognition.  Creative development diverges from standard developmental trajectories, often involving a deviation from the norm and a strong self-concept as an extraordinary individual.