Explaining Creativity
The Science of Human Innovation
2nd Edition
Published on 15. October 2011
568 pages
978-0-19-983820-2 (ISBN)
Description
IExplaining Creativity/I is an accessible introduction to the latest scientific research on creativity. The book summarizes and integrates a broad range of research in psychology and related scientific fields. In the last 40 years, psychologists, anthropologists, and sociologists have devoted increased attention to creativity; we now know more about creativity than at any point in history. IExplaining Creativity/I considers not only arts like painting and writing, but also science, stage performance, business innovation, and creativity in everyday life.
Sawyer's approach is interdisciplinary. In addition to examining psychological studies on creativity, he draws on anthropologists' research on creativity in non-Western cultures, sociologists' research on the situations, contexts, and networks of creative activity, and cognitive neuroscientists' studies of the brain. He moves beyond the individual to consider the social and cultural contexts of creativity, including the role of collaboration in the creative process.
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Person
R. Keith Sawyer, a professor of psychology, education, and business at Washington University in St. Louis, is one of the world's leading scientific experts on creativity. He combines this scientific expertise with a strong hands-on background in real-world creativity. After receiving his computer science degree from MIT in 1982, he began his career with a two-year stint designing videogames for Atari. In 1990, Dr. Sawyer began his doctoral studies in psychology, studying creativity with Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Dr. Sawyer has also been a jazz pianist for over 20 years, and spent several years playing piano with Chicago improv theater groups.
Content
Part I: Conceptions
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Conceptions of Creativity
Part II: Individualist Approaches
Chapter 3: Defining creativity through assessment
Chapter 4: The creative personality
Chapter 5: The creative process, part 1
Chapter 6: The creative process, part 2
Chapter 7: The creative process, part 3
Chapter 8: Computer simulations of the creative process
Chapter 9: Biology and creativity
Chapter 10: Cognitive neuroscience and creativity
Part III: Sociocultural Approaches
Chapter 11: Sociology
Chapter 12: Group creativity
Chapter 13: Organizational creativity
Chapter 14: Culture and creativity
Chapter 15: History and creativity
Part IV: Creativity in the Domains
Chapter 16: Visual Arts
Chapter 17: Writing
Chapter 18: Music
Chapter 19: Theater
Chapter 20: Science
Part V: Everyday Creativity
Chapter 21: Education and creativity
Chapter 22: How to be more creative
Chapter 23: Conclusion: The future of creativity
Appendices
The domain of creativity research
Appendix A: Creativity timeline
Appendix B: Creativity overviews
Appendix C: Journals that publish creativity research
Appendix D: Influential books in creativity research
Appendix E: Journal special issues
The field of creativity research
Appendix F: Important creativity researchers
Appendix G: Colleges and universities with a degree or certificate in creativity
Appendix H: Professional associations and conferences
References
