Cross-field differences in creative problem-solving skills: A comparison of health, biological, and social sciences

Michael D. Mumford, Alison L. Antes, Jared J. Caughron, Shane Connelly, Cheryl Beeler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, 258 doctoral students working in the health, biological, and social sciences were asked to solve a series of field-relevant problems calling for creative thought. Proposed solutions to these problems were scored with respect to critical creative thinking skills such as problem definition, conceptual combination, and idea generation. Results indicated that health, biological, and social scientists differed with respect to their skill in executing various operations, or processes, involved in creative thought. Interestingly, no differences were observed as a function of the students' level of experience. The implications of these findings for understanding cross-field, and cross-experience level, differences in creative thought are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)14-26
Number of pages13
JournalCreativity Research Journal
Volume22
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2010

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