Creative Genius (Ochse, 1990) Social Background. I. Definition (Ochse, 1990) A. "Create" 1. Latin 'creare' which means 'to bring into being'. 2. Most.

Creative Genius(Ochse, 1990)

Social Background

I. Definition (Ochse, 1990)

A. "Create"

1. Latin 'creare' which means 'to bring into being'.

2. Most definitions suggest that creativity involves

a. bringing something useful into being that is

b. original (new, unusual, novel, unexpected) and also

c. valuable (useful, good, adaptive, appropriate).

II. Historical Perspective (Chapter 1)

A. From Greeks to modern day, genius was conceived as something breathed into a human agent by divine force.

1. 'Inspire' literally means 'blow into'.

B. “People who have been recognized by expert opinion as having contributed something of original value to the culture” (Ochse, 1990, p. 4).

Two Types (Kac)

a. Ordinary:

A fellow you and I would be just as good as, if we were only many times better.

b. Magicians:

Even after we understand what they have done, the process by which they have done it is completely dark.

“The difficulty, to anyone in his right mind, would have stopped them cold and caused them to abandon the problem. But Nash was different. If he had a hunch, conventional criticisms didn’t stop him. He had no background knowledge. It was totally uncanny. Nobody could understand how somebody like that could do it. He was the only person I ever saw with that kind of power, just brute mental power.”

ABM, p. 161

C. Galton's study of Genius and 'productive creators'. 1. Believed that intellectual activity depends on

biological processes which are genetically determined.

2. Considered outstanding success in a profession or artistic field as a reliable measure of superior genetic potential.

3. Three key ingredients: a. Capacity b. Zeal c. Tendency to Work Hard

4. Galton's contribution. a. Reputation (not test scores) as a measure of genius. b. Two monumental studies of genius published in 1925

and 1926 (Terman). -. Although IQ (as measured by tests) is fairly stable -. giftedness is not necessarily actualized in creative

achievement in adulthood. -. IQ predicts high income, marital happiness, health

and stability, -. it does not predict transcendent achievement.

III. Social Background

A. Incidence of creativity in societies

1. Since ancient times, it has been realized that clusters of geniuses appeared within relatively short periods.

Golden ages (highly gifted people lived in one place at the same time)

Dark ages (very little progress was made)

2. Golden Ages

a. Age of Pericles (5th c. BC in Athens)

b. Ancient Sumerian and Chinese cultures.

c. Renaissance

d. Italian opera in 18th c.

e. German music during 18th and 19th c.

f. latter half of 20th c.: electronic technology in America and Far East.

3. Questions:

a. Are regional and temporal clusterings determined purely by chance? (William James)

b. If not, what determines the incidence of creativity in a culture?

c. Do great persons make culture?

d. Or does culture make great persons?

4. Havelock Ellis (1904) –

studied British geniuses depicted in National Portrait Gallery.

a. Gave attention to racial factors.

-. Blond, blue-eyed Nordic types had produced mathematical and scientific works.

-. Dark-haired, dark-eyed Celtic types famous for verbal-social skills.

5. Alfred Kroeber (1944) - American Anthropologist (and later researchers).

a. Sample: 5000 creative individuals living between 700BC and AD1900. b. Regional and temporal fluctuations due to chance? NO. -. They appear in definable clusters at particular places and

times. -. Their occurrence differs significantly from what is

expected in terms of chance. c. Incidence of genius fluctuates far more rapidly than the

biological foundations of cultures do.

6. Society must recognize important work by members of the same and neighboring disciplines.

Cultural leaders must be sufficiently sophisticated to evaluate and monitor new ideas.

7. When the conditions of knowledge, materials, social support and incentives are met, the effects are often noticeable.

8. Certain breakthroughs become almost "inevitable".

9. Scientific Examples a. Simultaneous, independent discoveries. -. Newton and Leibnitz: calculus. -. Darwin and Wallace: evolution. -. Joule, Helmholz, Thomson, and Colding: conservation of

energy. b. Simonton (1979) - History of scientific advances. -. 449 doublets -. 104 triplets -. 18 quadruplets -. 7 quintuplets -. 1 octuplet

10. Importance of role models.

a. Previous generation acts as role models and inspires others to greatness.

b. Simonton (1978): Creative works created by a specific generation is significantly related to amount of work in only two preceding generations.

11. Other factors a. Culture affects choice of careers. b. Role of living role models as well as

achievement themes in fiction. c. Creativity does not vary as a function of

affluence in the society. d. Creativity increases with -. urbanization. -. civil disturbances -. other indications of internal diversity and

irritability.

12. Distribution of creative products is very 'skewed'.

a. A small number of persons create a large portion of valued objects, even when climate is highly favorable.

b. Moles (1968) - Of the 1000s of composers who have ever lived,

only 250 have their works regularly performed.

-. 36 composers produced 75%.

-. 16 composers produced 50%.

-. 10 composers produced 40%.

-. 3 composers produced 20%

(Mozart, Beethoven, Bach)

c. Lerner & Triole (2000) – Open source programmers.

-. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of open source programmers contributed nearly ¾ of all code

-. Nearly ¾ made only one contribution.

d. Similar patterns hold true for other disciplines as well.

e. "However favorable the cultural climate, only a few people are likely to account for most of the creative products of the society."

"Culture does not make great men. It only offers, to those who meet other conditions, the possibility of becoming great."

Pasteur: “Chance favors the prepared mind.”

B. Position of creative achievers within the society.

1. Over the ages and in modern times,

in different societies and in various disciplines,

creators have come from

middle and upper-middle classes.

a. Especially from a segment of that class –

professional class homes.

b. Why?

2. Religious Denomination

General Nobel

population (U.S.) Laureates (U.S.)

Catholic 4 1

Jewish 3 27

a. Catholics are under-represented and

Jews are over-represented in samples of highly creative achievers.