Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-9-2020
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Communication Sciences and Disorders
First Advisor
Stephanie Miller
Second Advisor
Rebecca Lowe
Third Advisor
Ann Monroe
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The primary purpose of this research was to examine links between executive function (i.e., EF or conscious control) and creativity in school aged children. To accomplish this, participants completed measurements of creativity (i.e., Alternative Uses) and EF (i.e., the Backwards Digit Span to test working memory, the Delay of Gratification task to test inhibition). I also examined whether a creative manipulation (i.e., free coloring or coloring task-relevant materials) would impact EF performance in the Dimensional Card Change Sort (DCCS) focused on cognitive flexibility. While I did not find evidence for a relationship between my measures of EF and creativity, I found that those who were low in certain creative components (i.e., the ability to switch between categories called flexibility, the ability to generate a number of unique ideas called atypical fluency, and originality) performed better on the DCCS when allowed to freely color before the DCCS, while those who performed higher in creative measures generally did not benefit from a creative manipulation before the task. This suggests that those who are low in creativity may experience EF benefits from adding unstructured creative activities before a task.
Recommended Citation
Crenshaw, Katherine, "Investigating the Link Between Executive Function and Creativity in School Aged Children" (2020). Honors Theses. 1362.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1362
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