Cognitive Creative Abilities and Self-Esteem across the Adult Life-Span

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between divergent thinking and self-esteem in age groups across the adult life-span. A total of 218 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 84 years responded to a personal data inventory, a self-esteem measure, and a taped auditory free-response exercise in divergent thinking. Scores were obtained for fluency, flexibility, and originality of thought, and for self-esteem. Self-esteem significantly predicts divergent thinking across age groups; age does not account for a significant amount of the variance in divergent thinking scores. Middle-aged adults score highest on measures of divergent thought and self-esteem. Self-esteem is significantly associated with the expression of divergent thinking in middle-aged adults and elderly persons.

Age and Preference for Complexity among Manifestly Creative Women

“…In the literature on creativity and age three previous empirical studies [Bromley, 1956;Alpaugh and Birren, 1977;Jaquish and Ripple, 1981] concluded that there were de clines in creative productivity and creative thinking with age. However, none of these studies included information concerning the history of creative activity of their subjects.…”

“…They also sug gested that the age differences in preference for complexity and divergent thinking ex plained a decline in creative production with increasing age. Jaquish and Ripple [1981] investigated the relationships between three scales of the Guilford Tests of divergent thinking, fluency, flexibility, and originality, and self-esteem among a sample of 218 men and women aged 18-84 years. They found that the oldest age group (61-84 years) was less fluent and less flexible than the younger age groups, but scored as well as the youngest age group (18-25 years) on the originality scale.…”

“…While no sex differences in creativity were reported by Bromley [1956], Alpaugh and Birren [1977], or Jaquish and Ripple [1981], there is some evidence that patterns of cre ativity differ among creative men and women [Getzels and Csikszentmihalyi, 1964], For this reason it was decided to investigate age differences in creativity, as measured by preference for complexity, among manifestly creative women in order to clarify the question, 'Are there age differ ences in creativity?' This is an important question because, 'It is doubtful that a society can ignore the potential productivity and cre ativity of its older adults in terms of eco nomics, culture, and the well-being of its social fabric' [Alpaugh et al, 1976, p. 18].…”

Self-Esteem Across the Lifespan

“…Jaquish and Ripple (1981) found that adults report somewhat lower self-esteem in late adulthood (age 61-81 years) than in middle adulthood (age 40 -60 years). Tiggemann and Lynch (2001) found that women age 70 -85 years had slightly lower self-esteem than women in their 60s.…”

“…Generally, these studies show small, gradual increases in global self-esteem (Gove et al, 1989;Helson & Wink, 1992;Jaquish & Ripple, 1981;Lall, Jain, & Johnson, 1996;R. E. Roberts & Bengtson, 1996).…”