In a recent article, we examined two timelines: that of the rise of modern communication technology and that of the disappointing trends in child development in the last forty years. One of those disappointing trends is the steady declines in children’s creativity since 1990 (Kim, 2011).
A Primer on Children’s Creativity
Part of the appeal of young children is their creativity. Children are known for saying hilariously creative things and many a television show took the format of simply interviewing children because their responses can be wildly entertaining. Parents often discuss their young children’s intelligence levels when what they are truly talking about is creativity: for example, a novel way of solving a problem that the child discovered on his or her own.
The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) were developed in 1966. The test measures creativity in children and adults in two key ways: thinking creatively with pictures and thinking creatively with words. Questions and prompts ask respondents to improve products (i.e. a popular toy) or create a picture out of simple lines. Unlike traditional paper and pencil tests, on the TTCT, children are awarded points for originality, ability to elaborate, flexibility and number of unique responses, among other things.
A test’s usefulness is largely based on how well it predicts later variables of interests: things like success and achievement. The TTCT does not disappoint in this regard. In fifty-year follow-up data, results of the TTCT administered in elementary school was predictive of personal achievements (things like action group work, designing a house, founding an educational program, etc.) (Runco, Millar, Acar, & Cramond, 2010). In a meta-analysis of the body of research, creativity was a better predictor of accomplishments than IQ (Kim, 2008).
Children are naturally creative and creativity is tied to accomplishments. Children are also naturally more creative at different times in their development. Specifically, children appear to be their most creative during the span from kindergarten to 3rd grade. Creativity has historically increased through these developmental years. Creativity is then relatively stable in 3rd through 5th grade and experiences a natural decline after 5th grade. This pattern is consistent with theories of childhood cognitive development and is not surprising as children’s minds begin to include more logical reasoning over time. (Kim, 2011)
How is Creativity Declining?
Dr. Kim’s 2011 article on the “Creativity Crisis” highlighted the pattern of declining creativity since 1990. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking were utilized and re-normed in five key years analyzed in that study: 1966, 1974, 1984, 1990, 1998, and 2008. Kim found that after the year 1990, children’s creativity had a consistent and significant drop in creativity. The largest decrease was seen for children in grades K through 3rd. Recall from our primer on creativity, that the age to experience the largest decrease is also the age range which typically has the highest level of creativity. If creativity builds on itself like many other cognitive skills, this is a particularly concerning trend.
The author of the study sums it up in a pretty compelling and dystopian fashion:
“The results indicate younger children are tending to grow up more narrow-minded, less intellectually curious, and less open to new experiences.” – Kim, 2011, p. 292
Why is Creativity Declining?
Of course the research does not answer the “why?” question. It only gives us trends in test data. This has left many to theorize about what is causing the decline in creative thinking in the United States. Peter Gray, author of Free to Learn, points to the decline of children’s free-time and thus less time spent in play. This is a good theory. Children are naturally creative during play, especially in imaginative sociodramatic play. During this form of play, children are playing different characters and creating fantasy worlds and scenarios. This is obviously a form of creative play. In free-play, especially outdoor play, children often create their own games with rules, revising those games when issues arise. This is another example of naturally occurring creativity.
Other writers point to the problems in our education system. I certainly agree that our emphasis on rote memorization, teaching to the test and reduction of recess and free play in school is not promotive of creativity. Right here on this blog we have previously critiqued the waste of tax dollars on screens in public schools and the digital divide in school choice.
I do think our education system plays a role, however, I do not think they are biggest culprit in our creativity crisis. The reason I question their role is that the largest decrease in creativity was for children in grades Kindergarten through 3rd. Those kindergarteners and 1st graders have hardly spent any time in school (at least public school).
Another potential culprit in the creativity crisis is the role of communication technologies. The author of the article notes:
“It could be speculated children are learning to interact in more impersonal ways, as they are more dependent on current technologies to communicate, perhaps because these technologies lack person to person, verbal and other interpersonal communicative signals. Technologies can enhance creativity and are useful tools for the creative process; however, some aspects of technologies may hinder the development of a child’s creative personality.” – Kim, 2011, p. 292
Other research suggests that screen media may have a negative effect on children’s creativity. In a review of the research on television viewing and creativity in children, the results suggest that television viewing has a negative effect on creativity (Calvert & Valkenburg, 2013). This association makes a lot of sense. It has long touted that boredom is a precursor to creativity and if anything is used to kill boredom these days, it’s screen-based entertainment. In addition to hijacking our boredom, screens give children a lot of material to process. As a result, they end up spending their free play rehearsing the scenes of the movie they recently saw. When a child is playing Princess Anna, that’s not creativity. That’s rehearsal and sometimes processing of a story they have already seen.
It’s Your Turn: What Do You Think is Contributing to the Decline in Children’s Creativity?
I’m sure that education, lack of time to play and an increasing over-use of technology in children is contributing to the decline of children’s creativity. It’s not caused by one environment or cultural shift in isolation. What else might be contributing to the decline?
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