Creativity: An Introduction

This textbook is a systematic and straightforward introduction to the interdisciplinary study of creativity. Each chapter is written by one or more of the world's experts and features the latest research developments, alongside foundational knowledge. Each chapter also includes an introduction, key terms, and critical thought questions to promote active learning. Topics and authors have been selected to represent a comprehensive and balanced overview. Any reader will come away with a deeper understanding of how creativity is studied – and how they can improve their own creativity.

Table of Contents:
Preface James C. Kaufman and Robert J. Sternberg; 1. Creativity: a historical perspective Vlad P. Glăveanu and James C. Kaufman; 2. An overview of creativity theories James C. Kaufman and Vlad P. Glăveanu; 3. Creativity in society Dean Keith Simonton; 4. Assessment of creativity Jonathan A. Plucker, Matthew C. Makel and Meihua Qian; 5. A lifespan developmental approach to creativity Anna N. N. Hui and Mavis W. J. He; 6. Neuroscience of creativity Oshin Vartanian; 7. Creativity and cognition, divergent thinking, and intelligence Anne M. Roberts, Robert J. Sternberg, Mark A. Runco, Selcuk Acar, Thomas B. Ward, Yuliya Kolomyts and James C. Kaufman; 8. Cultural perspectives on creativity Todd Lubart, Vlad P. Glăveanu, Herie de Vries, Ana Camargo and Martin Storme; 9. Personality, emotions, and creativity Jessica Hoffmann, Zorana Ivcevic and Gregory Feist; 10. Motivation and creativity Beth A. Hennessey; 11. Creativity and mental health Shelley Carson, Ellen Yang and Marie Forgeard; 12. Creativity in K12 schools Ronald A. Beghetto; 13. Improving creativity in organizational settings Roni Reiter-Palmon, Ryan P. Royston and Kevin S. Mitchell; 14. Enhancing creativity Robert J. Sternberg; Index.

About the Author :
James C. Kaufman is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut, USA. He is the author/editor of more than forty-five books, including Creativity 101 (2nd Edition, 2016). Kaufman has also published books with his wife, Allison, on animal creativity and pseudoscience and a book about terrible baseball pitchers with his father, Alan. He has published more than 400 papers and won many awards, including from Mensa, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). Kaufman has tested Dr. Sanjay Gupta's creativity on CNN, appeared in the hit Australia show Redesign Your Brain, and narrated the comic book documentary Independents. His musical Discovering Magenta played in New York City. Robert J. Sternberg is Professor of Human Development at Cornell University, USA, and Honorary Professor of Psychology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He is a past winner of the Grawemeyer Award in Psychology and the William James and James McKeen Cattell Awards of the Association for Psychological Science. His PhD is from Stanford University and he has been awarded thirteen honorary doctorates. He is a member of the National Academy of Education and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also past-president of the American Psychological Association and his work has been cited more than 188,000 times in the scholarly literature.

Review :
'This wide-ranging book serves both as an introduction to the study of creativity and as an up-to-date survey of research in the field by those at its forefront.' Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education 'This volume delivers ground-breaking research in a timely and relatable manner for the study of creativity and development. A much-needed textbook for advanced undergraduates, graduates, and researchers.' Luanne Witkowski, University of Massachusetts 'The editors write and gather an eclectic assortment of essays on creativity that awaken the reader to the centrality of creation in all serious human endeavor. This is a brilliant, necessary work.' Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain 'A useful asset to those teaching and learning about the concept and phenomenon of creativity. It hits the sweet spot of offering thorough topical coverage within creativity research, but not being so broad as to overwhelm a non-expert reader. In addition to an overview encapsulating the field of creativity today, the textbook thoughtfully reinforces the applicability of research on creativity and the idea that creativity is an essential, boundary-crossing phenomenon.' Lauren Jin Woo, Arizona State University and Danah Henriksen, Michigan State University