Why are there so few? (creative women: Visual artists, mathematicians, musicians)

Piirto, Jane

doi:10.1080/02783199109553340

Cited by 70 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…All of these factors restrict the development of creative thinking skills. The fact that women do not exhibit lower levels of creative achievement until after college suggests that this is a critical period where crucial life choices are made that directly affect the drive for creative accomplishment (Piirto, 1991). There are more conflicts between one's own goals and the expectations of others in the case of women than men.…”

Section: Explanations: Biological Versus Socioculturalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These differences are inflated at the highest levels of creative achievement where far more men than women attain eminence across various domains in the arts and sciences (Cole & Zuckerman, 1987;Piirto, 1991).…”

Section: Gender and Creativity: Behavioral Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Socialization differences have also been put forward to explain gender differences in creativity (Baer, 1999;Piirto, 1991). These include gender labeling, different perceptions and expectations for daughters compared to sons, variation in schooling and other important resources as a function of gender, and over-socialization of girls in traditional cultures.…”

Section: Explanations: Biological Versus Socioculturalmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender and creativity: an overview of psychological and neuroscientific literature

Abraham

2015

Brain Imaging and Behavior

177

110

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The topic of gender differences in creativity generates substantial scientific and public interest, but also courts considerable controversy. Owing to the heterogeneous nature of the findings associated with this line of research, the general picture often appears puzzling or obscure. The present article presents a selective overview of psychological and neuroscientific literature that has a relevant bearing on the theme of gender and creativity. Topics that are explored include the definition and methods of assessing creativity, a summary of behavioral investigations on gender in relation to creativity, postulations that have been forwarded to understand gender differences in creative achievement, gender-based differences in the structure and function of the brain, gender-related differences in behavioral performance on tasks of normative cognition, and neuroscientific studies of gender and creativity. The final section of the overview presents a detailed discussion of the idea that differences between men and women in creative cognition are best explained with reference to the gender-dependent adopted strategies or cognitive style when faced with generative tasks. Gender and Creativity 3Creativity refers to the singularly complex human ability to produce novel ideas, generate new solutions, and express oneself in a unique manner. Although prominent works of art and astounding scientific discoveries are the customary associations that are readily evoked when we consider the concept of creativity, our capacity to be creative is evident in virtually all aspects of human life when engaged in language and communication, choice and decision making, as well as planning and organization (Mark A. Runco & Pritzker, 2011;Sawyer, 2012). While the potential to be creative exists within each person, there is considerable individual variability in both the type and amount of creative output that is eventually produced over our lifetimes. A substantial proportion of the empirical investigations in creativity are directed at uncovering which variables have a positive or negative impact on creativity. Gender is one factor that has been explored in this regard within psychological research. This paper provides a general overview of psychological and neuroscientific research that has a direct or indirect bearing on the topic of gender and creativity. The first part of this paper is devoted to understanding what is meant by creativity in terms of definition and methods of assessment. This is followed by a summary of behavioral findings on gender-related differences in creative thinking and a discussion of the explanations that have been forwarded to understand such differences. Current knowledge concerning gender-based behavioral and neurobiological differences in other (non-creative) aspects of cognition is then explored. In the final part of the paper, implications of findings from neuroscientific studies of gender differences in creative thinking are discussed.Gender and Creativity 4

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Section: Explanations: Biological Versus Socioculturalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Gender and Creativity: Behavioral Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Explanations: Biological Versus Socioculturalmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender and creativity: an overview of psychological and neuroscientific literature

Abraham

2015

Brain Imaging and Behavior

177

110

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“…From the earliest studies into adult achievement, factors emanating from societal forces have been identified as being most pernicious in barring women from high positions and from becoming famous (Arnold, Noble & Subotnik, 1996b;Hulbert & Schuster, 1993;Ochse, 1991;Piirto, 1991;Reis, 1995Reis, , 1998Silverman, 1995). However, feminist literature has also, to a large extent, neglected the study of exceptional achievement in women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Attribution of Career Facilitators by Eminent Women from Canada and Finland

Yewchuk¹,

Äystö²,

Schlosser³

2001

High Abil. Stud.

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Highly successful contemporary women from two countries, Canada and Finland, were surveyed in an attempt to identify the elements in their lives that facilitated or prevented their achievement level. This work is exploratory research into the similarities among factors that promote female achievement. The overall purpose was to expand our understanding of female talent development applicable to contemporary girls and women despite their national origin. In total, 1553 Canadians and 424 Finns, listed in a Who's Who biographical publication of each country were invited to participate. There were 827 respondents from Canada and 280 from Finland who chose to participate in the study. Data were collected by means of a written questionnaire dealing with career development. The two sample sets were then compared by their responses to the demographic questions. The two groups were very similar as to birth order, education, marital status and motherhood. Main results show that in recalling their past, the eminent women reported that their own qualities and personal convictions were the primary reasons for attainment of prominence or fame. Both Finns and Canadians also gave considerable credit to the close members of their families. Spouses and parents were reported as supplying much encouragement and support. Professors/instructors/coaches, school teachers, colleagues and friends were also seen as encouragers. Both groups of women identified the same five factors as being most detrimental to their careers: stereotypical attitudes of others, being female, children, availability of childcare, and parents' socioeconomic status. Findings are discussed in the light of the available research literature, and implications for educating gifted females are proposed.

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“…As we will see, even adopting the conventional definition of what constitutes creativity, we are increasingly learning that women have in fact made substantial literary, artistic, scientific, and technological contributions, (Helson, 1990;Montuori & Purser, 1995;Ochse, 1991a;Piirto, 1991). And they have done so even though the construction of traditional gender roles has placed enormous obstacles in the way of women's entry into the male-controlled domains of literature, art, science, and technology.…”

Section: Toward a Gender-holistic View Of Creativitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Creativity, Society, and Gender: Contextualizing and Redefining Creativity

Eisler

Donnelly

Montuori

2016

IJPS

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Abstract:Creativity is currently being redefined in more inclusive and complex ways. This article examines old and new ways of viewing creativity, focusing especially on how historically creativity has been considered a male preserve and the need for a more inclusive definition that includes areas such as Creativity, that ongoing mystery and subject of continuous fascination, has moved from the rarified realm of the arts and sciences to become a topic of considerable public interest at the opening of the 21 st century (Montuori & Donnelly, 2013). The economy is driven by creativity and so-called 'disruptive innovation.' New disciplines and practices like design and social innovation reflect a greater role for creativity, as does the recently popular idea of 'self-reinvention' (Elliott, 2013;Elliott & Lemert, 2009).The context for this increased focus on creativity is the growing recognition that ours is a time of massive social disequilibrium: one epoch is ending and a new one has yet to emerge. The frequent use of the prefix post-, as in post-industrial, post-modern, and post-materialist, to describe our time is an indicator that ours is a transitional period, so much so that Sardar has used the term "post-normal," to refer to an era in which an old world is dying and we need creativity and imagination to create a new world (Inglehart, 1997;Lyotard, 1984;Ogilvy, 1989;Sardar, 1999Sardar, , 2010Sardar, , 2015. 2 At the same time that creativity is seen as important, even vital, to the economy, our understanding of creativity is changing. If in Modernity creativity was identified with the classic image of the lone genius and his masterpieces, whether works of art or scientific discoveries, today there is much greater emphasis on collaborative creativity, on creative networks, and on "everyday" creativity (Eisler, 2000;Eisler & Montuori, 2007;Montuori, 2011a;Montuori & Donnelly, 2013;Richards, 2007aRichards, , 2007b Runco & Richards, 1997).To understand the impact and nature of creativity in this new context, it is important to approach creativity from a larger historical, and transdisciplinary perspective. Yet, ironically, there has been a movement in the psychology of creativity to actually shorten the traditional definition of creativity (stressing novel and useful or valuable), to simply novel (Weisberg, 2015).In contrast, we will expand the definition of creativity in a number of critical respects. We will examine creativity as an interconnected and interdependent phenomenon. In another departure from conventional approaches, we will focus attention on the hidden subtext of gender underlying how creativity has been socially constructed. We will also propose a contextualized approach to creativity that takes into account both its individual and social dimensions and how these relate to what Eisler (Eisler, 1987, 2007 has called a partnership rather than dominator or domination model of society. TOWARD A GENDER-HOLISTIC VIEW OF CREATIVITYUntil fairly recently, discourse about creativity has been almost exclusi...

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Why are there so few? (creative women: Visual artists, mathematicians, musicians)

Cited by 70 publications

References 3 publications

Gender and creativity: an overview of psychological and neuroscientific literature

Gender and creativity: an overview of psychological and neuroscientific literature

Attribution of Career Facilitators by Eminent Women from Canada and Finland

Creativity, Society, and Gender: Contextualizing and Redefining Creativity

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