Understanding Creativity : The Interplay of Biological, Psychological, and Social Factors

This book combines the wonder and awe of human creativity with the complexity of its study. The authors advance the ?biopsychosocial' perspective as a model of the creative process...This new perspective promises to further our understanding of the ?intricacies of the creative mind.' In the process of studying this book, readers may increase the probability of enhancing their own creativity. --Richard E. Ripple, professor, educational and developmental psychology, Cornell UniversityIn Understanding Creativity John S. Dacey and Kathleen H. Lennon offer a thorough examination of the three factors--biological, psychological, and social--that contribute to the creative process. This compelling book explores a breadth of topics on creativity including: how creative people operate as successful and imaginative problem solvers, the essential role self-control plays in realizing creative potential, and the most current discoveries about how the brain works on the neuronal and chemical levels. Most important, the book presents an innovative model that integrates the biological, psychological, and social elements and reflects the most significant advances in current creativity research. Understanding Creativity beautifully reveals the intricacies of the creative process and advances an innovative new view that can help anyone interested in the creative process to not only better understand it?but to enhance it. Table of ContentsPart One: Introduction1. The Many Components of Creativity2. A Brief History of the Concept of CreativityPart Two: Social Factors3. The Role of the Family4. The Role of the Social ContextPart Three: Psychological Factors5. Ten Traits that Contribute to the Creative Personality6. The Special Contribution of Self-Control7. The Formation of Creative Personality Traits8. Creative Cognitive Processes9. Creative Problem SolvingPart Four: Biological Factors10. The Brain at the Cellular Level11. The Hemispheres of the BrainPart Five: Integration12. A New Biopsychosocial Explanation of Creativity