Adults More Creative Than Kids, Study Finds — SkimNews
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- Adults outperformed preschoolers on creative tasks involving originality and usefulness, particularly under time constraints and clear goals, according to judges' assessments.
- Preschoolers aged four to seven showed higher intrinsic motivation and enjoyment in creative tasks, reporting greater confidence and lower anxiety than adult participants.
- Dr Mathias Benedek stated adults do not lose creativity with age but lose confidence, becoming wary of judgment and dismissing unusual ideas before testing them.
- Researchers at the University of Graz conducted a study with 92 children and 70 adults, using three tasks including imagining a creature and repurposing a tin, rated for creativity.
- The study published in Plos One found adults produced more original and useful ideas, especially when tasks had defined objectives, contradicting assumptions about childhood creativity.
Why it matters: The finding shifts how we understand adult creativity: it’s not the ability but the fear of judgment that holds people back. This reframing could influence education and workplace design, where fostering psychological safety may unlock latent creative potential already present in adults.
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