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A Correlational and Predictive Study of Creativity and Personality of College Students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

María Teresa Sanz de Acedo Baquedano  and
María Luisa Sanz de Acedo Lizarraga
María Teresa Sanz de Acedo Baquedano*
Affiliation:
Universidad Pública de Navarra (Spain)
María Luisa Sanz de Acedo Lizarraga
Affiliation:
Universidad Pública de Navarra (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mª Teresa Sanz de Acedo Baquedano. Departamento de Psicología y Pedagogía, Universidad Pública de Navarra. Campus de Arrosadía, 31006 Pamplona (Spain). Phone: +34-948169485. Fax: +34-948169169. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The goals of this study were to examine the relationship between creativity and personality, to identify what personality variables better predict creativity, and to determine whether significant differences exist among them in relation to gender. The research was conducted with a sample of 87 students at the Universidad Pública de Navarra, Spain. We administered the Creative Intelligence Test (CREA), which provides a cognitive measure for creativity and the Situational Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), which is composed of 15 personality features. Positive and significant correlations between creativity and independence, cognitive control, and tolerance personality scales were found. Negative and significant correlations between creativity and anxious, dominant, and aggressive personalities were also found. Moreover, four personality variables that positively predicted creativity (efficacy, independence, cognitive control, and integrity-honesty) and another four that negatively predicted creativity (emotional stability, anxiety, dominance, and leadership) were identified. The results did not show significant differences in creativity and personality in relation to gender, except in self-concept and in social adjustment. In conclusion, the results from this study can potentially be used to expand the types of features that support creative personalities.

El objetivo del presente estudio fue examinar las relaciones entre creatividad y personalidad, identificar qué variables de personalidad predicen mejor la creatividad y además, ver si existen diferencias significativas entre ellas en función del género. La investigación se llevó a cabo con una muestra de 87 estudiantes de la Universidad Pública de Navarra (España). Se administraron el Test de Inteligencia Creativa (CREA) que proporciona una medida cognitiva de la creatividad y el Cuestionario de Personalidad Situacional (CPS) que consta de 15 rasgos de personalidad. Se encontraron correlaciones significativas y positivas entre la creatividad y las escalas de personalidad independencia, control cognitivo y tolerancia, y significativas y negativas entre la creatividad y las de personalidad ansiedad, dominancia y agresividad. Además, se obtuvieron cuatro variables de personalidad que predecían de forma positiva la creatividad –eficacia, independencia, control cognitivo e integridad-honestidad– y otras cuatro que lo hacían de manera negativa –estabilidad emocional, ansiedad, dominancia y liderazgo–. Los resultados no mostraron diferencias significativas en creatividad y personalidad en función del género, excepto en autoconcepto y en ajuste social. En definitiva, esta investigación pretende ampliar el tipo de rasgos que pueden sustentar las personalidades creativas.

Keywords

creativitypersonalitycollege studentscreatividadpersonalidadestudiantes universitarios
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , November 2012 , pp. 1081 - 1088
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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