ABSTRACT
The investigation of creativity may be divided historically into three overlapping periods, each period marked by a salient emphasis: "genius," "giftedness," and "creativity." In the 1950s the research emphasis shifted once more—from giftedness as measured by the intelligence test to creativity. Perhaps the fundamental and most critical issue throughout the course of inquiry into creative thinking has been the problem of theoretical and procedural strategy. Although attempts to assess aspects of creativity through tests have a long history, Guilford's divergent thinking instruments inspired a variety of devices. Creative behavior and its products may be seen as a function of these interactive elements, which may be studied separately or in combination through the relevant concepts and methods: organismic constitution, individual personality, social institution, group influence, and cultural values. Over the biological, psychological, societal, and group contexts of behavior is a cultural context composed of characteristic values.
