Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Original Articles and Reviews

Dynamic Assessment of Creativity for Diagnostic Purposes

Combining the Sociocultural Approach to Creativity and Creative Cognition in Practice

Published Online:July 21, 2022https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000476

Abstract

Abstract. The present paper aims to propose the dynamic assessment of creativity for diagnostic purposes, which combines the sociocultural approach to creativity with the findings of creative cognition research. A traditional theorization viewed creativity mainly as an ability of individuals and its expression depending on the extent to which their environment allows and supports it. According to the individualistic approach of creativity, static testing has been its predominant psychological assessment. However, the traditional approach to creativity has been criticized from a sociocultural theoretical perspective that regards creativity as distributed cognition between the mind and culture in recent years. Based on sociocultural theory, dynamic assessment of creativity is an alternative process to static testing for assessing creative potential. Besides testing, in dynamic assessment, the cognitive strategies of creativity that creative cognition research has revealed are mediated in children as symbolic tools or signs. Therefore, in dynamic assessment, sociocultural theory is combined with creative cognition. In the present paper, initially, we present the relevant theory and research on dynamic assessment and creative cognition. Next, studies applying dynamic assessment to children of different ages and devising the mediation protocol will be discussed. Finally, we will consider the psychological and educational implications of dynamic assessment of children’s creativity.

References

  • Acar, S., Runco, M. A., & Park, H. (2020). What should people be told when they take a divergent thinking test? A meta-analytic review of explicit instructions for divergent thinking. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 14(1), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000256 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Airasian, P. W. (1997). Classroom assessment (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Amabile, T. M. (1982). Social psychology of creativity: A consensual assessment technique. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(5), 997–1013. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Amabile, T. M. (1983). The social psychology of creativity. Springer. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Barbot, B. (2019). Measuring creativity change and development. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 13(2), 203–210. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000232 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Batey, M., Furnham, A., & Safiullina, X. (2010). Intelligence, general knowledge and personality as predictors of creativity. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(5), 532–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.04.008 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Baughman, W. A., & Mumford, M. D. (1995). Process-analytic models of creative capacities: operations influencing the combination-and-reorganization process. Creativity Research Journal, 8(1), 37–62. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326934crj0801_4 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Benedek, M., & Jauk, E. (2019). Creativity and cognitive control. In J. C. KaufmanR. J. SternbergEds., The Cambridge handbook of creativity (2nd ed., pp. 200–223). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316979839.012 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9068-5 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Campione, J. C., Brown, A. L., Ferrara, R. A., Jones, R. S., & Steinberg, E. (1985). Breakdowns in flexible use of information: Intelligence-related differences in transfer following equivalent learning performance. Intelligence, 9(4), 297–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-2896(85)90017-0 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Corazza, G. E. (2016). Potential originality and effectiveness: The dynamic definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 28(3), 258–267. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2016.1195627 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cramond, B., Matthews-Morgan, J., Bandalos, D., & Zuo, L. (2005). A report on the 40-year follow-up of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking: Alive and well in the new millennium. Gifted Child Quarterly, 49(4), 283–291. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698620504900402 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1998). Creativity and genius: A systems perspective. In A. SteptoeEd., Genius and mind: Studies of creativity and temperament (pp. 39–64). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198523734.003.0003 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Society, culture, and person: A systems view of creativity. In M. CsikszentmihalyiEd., The systems model of creativity: The collected works of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pp. 47–61). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9085-7_4 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • De Acedo Lizarraga, M. L. S., & De Acedo Baquedano, M. T. S. (2015). How creative potential is related to metacognition. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 6(2), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.30552/ejep.v6i2.95 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Deutsch, R., & Reynolds, Y. (2000). The use of dynamic assessment by educational psychologists in the UK. Educational Psychology in Practice, 16(3), 311–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/713666083 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Elliott, J. (1993). Assisted Assessment: If it is “dynamic” why is it so rarely employed? Educational and Child Psychology, 10(4), 48–58. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Elliott, J. (2003). Dynamic Assessment in educational settings: Realising potential. Educational Review, 55(1), 15–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131910303253 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Feuerstein, R., & Jensen, M. R. (1980). Instrumental enrichment: Theoretical basis, goals, and instruments. The Educational Forum, 44(4), 401–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131728009336184 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Feuerstein, R., Klein, P. S., & Tannenbaum, A. J. (1991). Mediated learning experience (MLE): Theoretical, psychosocial and learning implications. Freund Publishing House c1991 (1994 printing). First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Finke, R. A. (1996). Imagery, creativity, and emergent structure. Consciousness and Cognition, 5(3), 381–393. https://doi.org/10.1006/ccog.1996.0024 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Finke, R. A., Ward, T. B., & Smith, S. M. (1992). Creative cognition: Theory, research, and applications. MIT Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Gentner, D. (2010). Bootstrapping the mind: Analogical processes and symbol systems. Cognitive Science, 34(5), 752–775. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1551-6709.2010.01114.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gentner, D. (2017). Analogy. In W. BechtelG. GrahamEds., A companion to cognitive science (pp. 107–113). Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405164535.ch1 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Glăveanu, V. P. (2013). Rewriting the language of creativity: The Five A’s framework. Review of General Psychology, 17(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029528 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Glăveanu, V. P. (2014). Distributed creativity: Thinking outside the box of the creative individual. Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978–3-319–05434-6 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Glăveanu, V. P. (2015). Creativity as a sociocultural act. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 49(3), 165–180. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.94 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Glăveanu, V. P. (2016). The psychology of creating: A cultural-developmental approach to key dichotomies within creativity studies. In V. P. GlăveanuEd., The Palgrave handbook of creativity and culture research (pp. 205–223). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46344-9_10 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Glăveanu, V. P. (2017). The creative self in dialogue. In M. KarwowskiJ. C. KaufmanEds., The creative self (pp. 117–135). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809790-8.00007-8 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Green, A. E. (2016). Creativity, within reason: Semantic distance and dynamic state creativity in relational thinking and reasoning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25(1), 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721415618485 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Green, A. E., Cohen, M. S., Kim, J. U., & Gray, J. R. (2012). An explicit cue improves creative analogical reasoning. Intelligence, 40(6), 598–603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2012.08.005 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Green, A. E., Cohen, M. S., Raab, H. A., Yedibalian, C. G., & Gray, J. R. (2015). Frontopolar activity and connectivity support dynamic conscious augmentation of creative state. Human Brain Mapping, 36(3), 923–934. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.22676 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Green, A. E., Kraemer, D. J. M., Fugelsang, J. A., Gray, J. R., & Dunbar, K. N. (2012). Neural correlates of creativity in analogical reasoning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 38(2), 264–272. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025764 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Grigorenko, E. L., & Sternberg, R. J. (1998). Dynamic testing. Psychological Bulletin, 124(1), 75–111. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.124.1.75 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Haywood, H. C. (1992). Interactive assessment: A special issue. The Journal of Special Education, 26(3), 233–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/002246699202600301 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kao, C.-Y. (2020). How figurativity of analogy affects creativity: The application of four-term analogies to teaching for creativity. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 36, Article 100653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2020.100653 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2013). In praise of Clark Kent: Creative metacognition and the importance of teaching kids when (not) to be creative. Roeper Review, 35(3), 155–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2013.799413 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kaufman, J. C., Beghetto, R. A., & Watson, C. (2016). Creative metacognition and self-ratings of creative performance: A 4-C perspective. Learning and Individual Differences, 51, 394–399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2015.05.004 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kenett, Y. N., Kraemer, D. J. M., Alfred, K. L., Colaizzi, G. A., Cortes, R. A., & Green, A. E. (2020). Developing a neurally informed ontology of creativity measurement. NeuroImage, 221, Article 117166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117166 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kim, K. H. (2006). Can we trust creativity tests? A review of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). Creativity Research Journal, 18(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326934crj1801_2 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kim, K. H. (2008). Meta-analyses of the relationship of creative achievement to both IQ and divergent thinking test scores. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 42(2), 106–130. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.2008.tb01290.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Koestler, A. (1964). The act of creation. Hutchinson. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Koulousi, V. O. (2019). Assessment of students’ creativity: An application of dynamic assessment to pre-school students. Harokopio University. http://dl-db.hua.gr/browse/21674 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kozulin, A. (1998). Psychological tools: A sociocultural approach to education. Harvard University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kozulin, A. (2003). Psychological tools and mediated learning. In A. KozulinB. GindisS. M. MillerV. S. AgeyevEds., Vygotsky’s educational theory in cultural context (pp. 15–38). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840975.003 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Lantolf, J. P., & Poehner, M. E. (2004). Dynamic assessment of L2 development: Bringing the past into the future. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Professional Practice, 1(1), 49–72. https://doi.org/10.1558/japl.v1.i1.49 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lidz, C. S., & Gindis, B. (2003). Dynamic Assessment of the evolving cognitive functions in children. In A. KozulinB. GindisS. M. MillerV. S. AgeyevEds., Vygotsky’s educational theory in cultural context (pp. 99–116). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511840975.007 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Lubart, T., Barbot, B., & Besançon, M. (2019). Potencial creativo: Temas de evaluación y batería EPoC [Creative potential: Assessment issues and the EPoC Battery]. Estudios de Psicología, 40(3), 540–562. https://doi.org/10.1080/02109395.2019.1656462 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lubart, T., Besançon, M., & Barbot, B. (2012). EPoC: Evaluation of Potential Creativity (English Version). Hogrefe. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Lubart, T. I. (2001). Models of the creative process: Past, present and future. Creativity Research Journal, 13(3–4), 295–308. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326934CRJ1334_07 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lubart, T. I., Zenasni, F., & Barbot, B. (2013). Creative potential and its measurement. International Journal for Talent Development and Creativity, 1(2), 41–50. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Mednick, S. (1962). The associative basis of the creative process. Psychological Review, 69(3), 220–232. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0048850 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mednick, S. A., & Mednick, M. (1971). Remote Associates Test: Examiner’s manual. Houghton Mifflin. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Moran, S., & John-Steiner, V. (2003). Creativity in the making: Vygotsky’s contemporary contribution to the dialectic of development and creativity. In R. K. SawyerV. John-SteinerS. MoranR. J. SternbergD. H. FeldmanJ. NakamuraM. CsikszentmihalyiEds., Creativity and development (pp. 61–90). Oxford University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Mumford, M. D., Baughman, W. A., Maher, M. A., Costanza, D. P., & Supinski, E. P. (1997). Process-based measures of creative problem-solving skills: IV. Category combination. Creativity Research Journal, 10(1), 59–71. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326934crj1001_7 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Plucker, J. A., Makel, M. C., & Qian, M. (2019). Assessment of creativity. In J. C. KaufmanR. J. SternbergEds., The Cambridge handbook of creativity (2 ed., pp. 44–68). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316979839.005 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Poehner, M. E. (2008). Dynamic assessment: A Vygotskian approach to understanding and promoting L2 development. Springer. http://www.springer.com/gb/BLDSS First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Poehner, M. E., Davin, K. J., & Lantolf, J. P. (2017). Dynamic Assessment. In E. ShohamyI. OrS. MayEds., Language testing and assessment. Encyclopedia of language and education (3rd ed.). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02261-1_18 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Resing, W. C. M. (2013). Dynamic testing and individualized instruction: Helpful in cognitive education? Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology, 12(1, 81–95. https://doi.org/10.1891/1945-8959.12.1.81 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Resing, W. C. M., Bakker, M., Elliott, J. G., & Vogelaar, B. (2019). Dynamic testing: Can a robot as tutor be of help in assessing children’s potential for learning? Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 35(4), 540–554. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12358 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Resing, W. C. M., Bakker, M., Pronk, C. M. E., & Elliott, J. G. (2017). Progression paths in children’s problem solving: The influence of dynamic testing, initial variability, and working memory. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 153, 83–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2016.09.004 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rothenberg, A. (1979). The emerging goddess: The creative process in art, science, and other fields. University of Chicago Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Runco, M. A. (2003). Education for creative potential. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 47(3), 317–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313830308598 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Runco, M. A. (2004). Everyone has creative potential. In R. J. SternbergE. L. GrigorenkoJ. L. SingerEds., Creativity: From potential to realization (pp. 21–30). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10692-002 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Runco, M. A., & Acar, S. (2012). Divergent thinking as an indicator of creative potential. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 66–75. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.652929 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The standard definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.650092 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Runco, M. A., Millar, G., Acar, S., & Cramond, B. (2010). Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking as predictors of personal and public achievement: A fifty-year follow-up. Creativity Research Journal, 22(4), 361–368. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2010.523393 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sagia, C. (2020). Dynamic assessment of mathematical, verbal, and graphic creativity of 5th and 6th grade primary school students. Harokopio University. http://dl-db.hua.gr/browse/21674 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Said-Metwaly, S., Fernández-Castilla, B., Kyndt, E., & Van den Noortgate, W. (2020). Testing conditions and creative performance: Meta-analyses of the impact of time limits and instructions. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 14(1), 15–38. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000244 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sowden, P. T., Pringle, A., & Gabora, L. (2015). The shifting sands of creative thinking: Connections to dual-process theory. Thinking & Reasoning, 21(1), 40–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/13546783.2014.885464 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Sternberg, R. J., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2002). Dynamic testing: The nature and measurement of learning potential. Cambridge University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Stringer, P., Elliott, J., & Lauchlan, F. (1997). Dynamic assessment and its potential for educational psychologists. Educational Psychology in Practice, 12(4), 234–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/0266736970120409 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Suddendorf, T., & Fletcher-Flinn, C. M. (1997). Theory of mind and the origin of divergent thinking. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 31(3), 169–179. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.1997.tb00789.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Torrance, E. P. (1972). Career patterns and peak creative achievements of creative high school students twelve years later. Gifted Child Quarterly, 16(2), 75–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698627201600201 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Torrance, E. P. (1981). Predicting the creativity of elementary school children (1958–80) – and the teacher who “made a difference”. Gifted Child Quarterly, 25(2), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/001698628102500203 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vogelaar, B., Bakker, M., Elliott, J. G., & Resing, W. C. M. (2017). Dynamic testing and test anxiety amongst gifted and average-ability children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 87(1), 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12136 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vygotski, L. S. (1929). II. The problem of the cultural development of the child. The Pedagogical Seminary and Journal of Genetic Psychology, 36(3), 415–434. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856559.1929.10532201 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978a). Interaction between learning and development. In M. GauvainM. ColeEds., Readings on the development of children (pp. 34–40). Scientific American Book. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978b). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1991). Imagination and creativity in the adolescent. Soviet Psychology, 29(1), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.2753/RPO1061-0405290173 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (2004). Imagination and creativity in childhood. Journal of Russian & East European Psychology, 42(1), 7–97. https://doi.org/10.1080/10610405.2004.11059210 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Walberg, H. J. (1988). Creativity and talent as learning. In R. J. SternbergEd., The nature of creativity: Contemporary psychological perspectives (pp. 340–361). Cambridge University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Ward, T. B., & Kolomyts, Y. (2010). Cognition and creativity. In J. C. KaufmanR. J. SternbergEds., The Cambridge handbook of creativity (pp. 93–112). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511763205.008 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Ward, T. B., & Kolomyts, Y. (2019). Creative cognition. In J. C. KaufmanR. J. SternbergEds., The Cambridge handbook of creativity (2nd ed., pp. 175–199). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316979839.011 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Ward, T. B. E., Smith, S. M. E., & Vaid, J. E. (1997). Creative thought: An investigation of conceptual structures and processes. APA Books. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Weinberger, A. B., Iyer, H., & Green, A. E. (2016). Conscious augmentation of creative state enhances “real” creativity in open-ended analogical reasoning. PLoS One, 11(3), Article e0150773. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150773 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Zbainos, D., & Tziona, A. (2019). Investigating Primary School Children’s Creative Potential Through Dynamic Assessment. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 733. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00733 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar