Creative profile and personality traits:

Individual Differences and Prediction

Mercedes Ferrando,
Lola Prieto,

Marta Sinz,
Daniel Hernndez

Pressentation Outline
Theoretical framework
Classical studies about creative personality
Creative personality and big five
Openess
Neuroticism

Extraversion
Agradableness

Empirical study
Aims
Method
Sample

Results
conclusions

Instruments

Conscientiousness

IS THERE A CREATIVE
PERSONALITY?

BARRON AND HARRINGTON (1981) compiled a comprehensive list of attributes

common to creative people such as high valuation of aesthetic qualities in experience,

broad interests, attraction to complexity, high energy, independence of judgment,

autonomy, intuition, self-confidence, ability to resolve antinomies or to accommodate
apparently opposite or conflicting traits in ones self-concept, and finally, a firm sense of

self as creative

BASTICK, 1982: creativity is associated with intuitive thinking .

FEIST, 1998 review of literature creative people tend to be more autonomous,

introverted, open to new experiences, no-doubting self-confident, self accepting, driven,

ambitious, dominant, hostile and impulsiveSternber 1995: creativity is related to the

ability to tolerate ambiguity.

Creative Personality and Big Five:

Neuroticism:
Refers to the tendency to experience

negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression. It

emotional instability

is sometimes called
. Those who score high in neuroticism are emotionally
reactive and vulnerable to stress. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and
minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long
periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These

problems in emotional

regulation can diminish the ability of a person scoring high on neuroticism to think clearly,
make decisions, and cope effectively with stress. At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low
in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable,
and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers
experience a lot of positive feelings...

Creative Personality and Big Five:

Openness:
Refers to a general appreciation for

art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity,

and variety of experience. The trait distinguishes imaginative people from down-to-earth, conventional people.
People who are open to experience are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend
to be, compared to closed people, more creative and more aware of their feelings. They are more likely to hold
unconventional beliefs. People with low scores on openness tend to have more conventional, traditional interests. They
prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and
sciences with suspicion or even view these endeavours as uninteresting.

Extraversion:
is characterized by positive emotions, surgency, and

the tendency to seek out stimulation and the

company of others. The trait is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being
with people, and are often perceived as full of energy. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals who are
likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw
attention to themselves. Introverts lack the social exuberance and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to seem quiet, lowkey, deliberate, and less involved in the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness
or depression. Introverts simply need less stimulation than extraverts and more time alone. They may be very active and
energetic, simply not socially..

Creative Personality and Big Five:

Agreeableness:
Refers to a tendency to be compassionate

and cooperative rather than suspicious and

antagonistic towards others. The trait reflects individual differences in general concern for social

harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are generally

considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise

their interests with others. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human
nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy. Disagreeable individuals
place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others wellbeing, and are less likely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their scepticism about
others motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.

Conscientiousness:
Refers to a tendency to show

self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement

against measures or outside expectations. The trait shows a preference for planned rather than
spontaneous behaviour. It influences the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses.

Creative Personality and Big Fieve:

Openess

OPENESS

NO
RELATION

OPENESS

McCrae, 1987

Martindale & Dailey

1996

ChamorroPremuzic &
Furnham 2005

Dolinger & Clancly, 1993

King, Walkers & Broyles, 1996

Rawling, Twomey, Burns & Morris, 1998
Soldz &Vaillant, 1999
Wolfradt & Pretz, 2001
Wuthrich & Bates, 2001
Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham 2005
Charmorro-Premuzic 2006
Chamorro-Premuzic & Reichenbacher, 2008
Furnham et al. 2009

Creative Personality and Big Fieve:

EXTRAVERSION
McCrae 1987
Cropley ,1990
Thorne & Gough, 1991
Sen &Hagtvet 1993
Aguilar-Alonso, 1996
Martindale & Dailey 1996
Stavridou &Furnham 1996
King, Walkers & Broyles, 1996
Wolfradt & Pretz 2001
Charmorro-Premuzic 2006
Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham 2005
Chamorro-Premuzic & Reichenbacher, 2008
Furnham et al. 2009

NO
CORRELATION

Extraversion
INTROVERSION
MacKinnon 1975
Gtz and Gtz 1979

Creative Personality and Big Fieve:

Neuroticismo
Woody & Claridge, 1977
Gtz &Gtz, 1979
Post, 1994
Aguilar-Alonso, 1996
Ludwing 1997
Schuldberg et al 1988
Kaufman, 2001
Chamorro-Premuzic &
Furnham 2005
Charmorro-Premuzic
2006

No relationship

Kline & Cooper, 1986

McCrae, 1987
Eysenk & Furnham, 1993
Martindale & Dailey 1996
King, walkers and Broyles, 1996

Neuroticism

Neurotic
Gtz and Gtz 1979)
Goff (1993).
Chamorro-Premuzic &
Reichenbacher (2008)
Furnham et al. 2009

Creative Personality and Big Fieve:

AGREEABLENESS

NO RELATIONSHIP

Walker, Koestner & Hum, McCrae, 1987

1995
Charmorro-Premuzic
2006

Creative Personality and Big Fieve:

Agreebleness
AGREEABLENESS
Guncer &Oral 1993
King, Walkers &
Broyles ,1996
Chamorro-Premuzic &
Furnham 2005

Conscienciousness

CONSCIENTIOSNESS
NO RELATIONSHIP
CONCIENTIOUSNESS
King, walkers & Broyles, 1996 Wolfradt & Pretz 2001
Macrae 1987
Chamorro-Premuzic &
Furnham 2005
Charmorro-Premuzic
2006

Openness
Extraversion

Neuroticism
Unclear

Agreeableness
Conscientiousness

TO BE NOTICE THAT
The research conducted previously has been conducted with adults
or undergraduate students (and not all the studies have compare
among creative and non-creative personalities)
Some times the research conducted compares different kinds of creativity,
and others study different between creative males and creative females but
not the creative vs non creative person

EMPIRICAL STUDY
There are two kinds of objectives : ones (1 and 2) are aimed to study the
relationship between personality and creativity, others (objective 3) Is aimed to
study the specificities regarding personality of high, medium and low creative
potential.

1) Correlations between personality and creative

potential
2) To study Which personality variables does predict
personality
3) Differences on personality profile depending on level
of creative potential (ANOVA)

SAMPLE
642 middle school pupils aged 12 to 16 years took part
(M= 13,90; SD= 1,28). .

INSTRUMENTS
TTCT (Torrance, 1974)
Was used to measure divergent thinking. It measures four creativity dimensions:
Fluency,
Flexibility,
Originality
Elaboration.

The BFQ-NA (Barbaranelli et al. 2006)

65 temes
Was used to measure personality dimensions
Openness
Neuroticism
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness

RESULTS: DESCRIPTIVES

1) Correlations between personality and

creative potential

2) Which personality variables does predict

personality
Using step-wise method, a significant model emerged:
F(1, 612)=12,76; p<.001
but the model only explains 1% of the variance (Adjusted R2=
0,019).
The only significant predictor was extraversion, whereas the other
personality dimensions did not predict the creativity potential

3) Differences on personality profile depending on

level of creative potential (ANOVA)
53
52
51
50
49
48
47
46
45
44

Low Creativity

Concient.

Openess

Average Creativity

Extrav.

High Creativity

Agradabi.

Inestability

Conclusions and discussions

Regarding variables relationship:
All dimensions but neuroticism show moderate-low statistically significant
correlations with total creativity

Elaboration significantly correlates in low magnitude with all personality

dimensions
Extraversions correlates with the 4 dimensions of creativity
The only personality trait that predict creative potential is Extraversion, but very
poorly.

When comparing high, medium and low creative students:

highly creative students scored higher on extraversion and agreeableness.
Medium creative students scored higher on conscientiousness and openness

Creative profile and personality traits:

Individual Differences and Prediction
Mercedes Ferrando,
Lola Prieto,
Hernndez

Marta Sinz,

Thank
Daniel

you