Investigating the relation between curiosity and creativity

Abstract

Curiosity and creativity are theoretically linked, but very little empirical research has examined this relation. The current paper examines the association between curiosity and creativity in elementary school aged children (ages 4- to 10-years) using both self-report (N = 51) and behavioral (N =82) measures. Consistent with findings from an adult meta-analysis, results show some evidence of an association between curiosity and creativity with self-report measures but not behavioral measures. To establish that the connection between curiosity and creativity is more than theoretical it will be necessary to provide evidence using behavioral measures. These behavioral measures may also need to examine curiosity and creativity in a domain specific context in which curiosity leads to exploration and information seeking that can be directly useful for creative problem-solving.

Keywords

• Curiosity
• Creativity
• Divergent thinking
• Elementary school