Creativity and Activity
Active mobility refers to movement, motor, physical skills, impulsiveness, hard work, high activation, and perseverance.
Niaz et al (2000) found that the mobility-fixity dimension was the most consistent predictor of academic performance with creativity scores. Niaz et al (1991) also indicated that the most mobile students performed best on creativity tests. Moreover, Bloomberg (1971) suggests that horizontal mobility may be essential in creativity.
Some of the evidences show that as increase positive attitude toward human movement and motor skill enhance creative thinking. Encouraging children to participate in meaningful decision making will increase positive attitudes toward human movement, enhance creative thinking and self-concept, and improve motor skills (Schempp & Cheffers, 1982). It has been suggested that relationship between movement and creativity (Dodds, 1978; Gowan, 1978; Ludowise, 1985; Brockmeyer, 1987; Lucky, 1990). Ewing et al (1975) indicated correlation between perceived movement and Creative Thinking. It would appear that improving creativity often caused by movement, motor skills, or hard work. Zachopoulou et al (2006) showed that physical education promotes preschool children's creativity in the early years. Physical education lessons in order to provide children with opportunities to develop their creative thinking using movement elements, motor skills, and movement exploration. The children improved their creative fluency and imagination. Besides, Waelsch (1994) discussed the notion that adversity and hard work might assist a person in achieving acts of creativity. She insisted other people who have had similar experiences where adversity nurtured their creativity.
Cramond (1994b) describes the similarities between the behavioral manifestations of ADHD and creativity, some speculations about their common etiology, and some illustrative case studies. In addition, Cramond (1994a) examined the incidence of ADHD among individuals who are highly creative .Besides, Cramond (1995) examines the fact that the defining characteristics of ADHD are also key descriptors in biographies of highly creative individuals.
It seems that high activation and perseverance are specific trademarks of the creative person (Sternberg & Tardif, 1989). Bachtold (1980) examined the biographies of women who were eminent in the arts and sciences. Specific trademarks of the creative personality were high activity levels and perseverance. Stokes (1999) obtained in her empirical study to link perseverance with effective creative behavior. Therefore, teachers as important indicators of creative students identify students’ mannerisms such as spontaneity and impulsiveness (Westby & Dawson, 1995). Consequently, Maddi et al (1982) emphasize upon high activation and internal orientation as factors in creativity. Hence, Torrance has provided “Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement scale.”
On the other hand, some investigators concentrate on "motor creativity"(Philipp, 1969; Lubin & Sherrill, 1977; Lubin, 1979; Lubin & Sherrill; 1980).The motor creativity is often due to creative movement. Wang (2003) investigated the effects of a creative movement program on the motor creativity of Taiwanese preschool children using Torrance's Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement scale. Results indicated that the experimental group had significantly higher levels of motor creativity than did the control group, suggesting that the creative movement program was essential to the development of the total child.
Resources
Bloomberg, Morton. (1971). Creativity as Related to Field Independence and Mobility Journal of Genetic Psychology, 118, 1, 3-12.
Brockmeyer, Gretchen A. (1987). Creativity in Movement.Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, v6 n3 p310-19.
Cramond, Bonnie (1994a) The Relationship between Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity.
Cramond, Bonnie (1994b) Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and CreativityWhat Is the Connection?Journal of Creative Behavior, v28 n3 p193-210.
Cramond, Bonnie (1995) The Coincidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity. Attention Deficit Disorder Research-Based Decision Making Series
Dodds, Patt. (1978). Creativity in Movement: Models for Analysis.Journal of Creative Behavior, v12 n4 p265-73.
Ewing, James H.; Gillis, Carol A.; Ebert, John N.; Mathews, Hugh M. (1975). Profile of perceptual-cognitive traits and personality style of possible relevance to creative productivity. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 40 (3), pp. 711-718.
Gowan, John C. (1978). Creativity and Gifted Child Movement Journal of Creative Behavior, 12, 1, 1-13.
Lubin, Ellen.(1979).Motor Creativity of Preschool Deaf Children.
Lubin, Ellen; Sherrill, Claudine. (1977). Motor Creativity of Preschool Children on the London Trestle Tree Apparatus.
Lubin, Ellen; Sherrill, Claudine. (1980). Motor Creativity of Preschool Deaf Children American Annals of the Deaf, v125 n4 p 460-66.
Lucky, Sharon. (1990). MusicMovementMake-Believe: The Link between Creativity and Thinking Skills.
Ludowise, Kathleen Duck. (1985). Movement to Music: Ten Activities that Foster reativity.Childhood Education, v62 n1 p40-43.
Maddi, Salvatore R.; Hoover, Marlin; Kobasa, Suzanne C. (1982). High activation and internal orientation as factors in creativity. Journal of Creative Behavior, 16 (4), pp. 250-255.
Niaz, Mansoor; De Nunez, Grecia Saud (1991) The Relationship of Mobility-Fixity to Creativity, Formal Reasoning and Intelligence Journal of Creative Behavior, v25 n3 p205-17.
Niaz, Mansoor; De Nunez, Grecia Saud; De Pineda, Isangela Ruiz. (2000). Academic Performance of High School Students as a Function of Mental Capacity, Cognitive Style, Mobility-Fixity Dimension, and Creativity. Journal of Creative Behavior, v34 n1 p18-29.
Philipp, Joan A. (1969). Comparison of Motor Creativity with Figural and Verbal Creativity, and Selected Motor Skills Res Quart AAHPER, 40, 1, 163-173.
Schempp, Paul G.; Cheffers, John T. F. (1982). Influence of Decision-Making by Elementary Children on Attitudes, Creativity, Motor Skills, and Self-Concept.
Sternberg, Robert J.; Tardif, Twila Z. (1989). What do we know about creativity? In Robert J. Sternberg (Ed) The nature of creativity. (pp. 429-440).Cambridge University Press.
Stokes, Patricia D. (1999). Learned variability levels: Implications for creativity [Special issue: Creativity and deviance]. Creativity Research Journal, 12 (1), pp. 37-45.
Waelsch, Salome G. (1994). The development of creativity [Special issue: Creativity and discovery in biomedical sciences]. Creativity Research Journal, 7 (3 & 4), pp. 249-264.
Wang, Joanne Hui-Tzu. (2003). The Effects of a Creative Movement Program on Motor Creativity of Children Ages Three to Five.
Westby, Erik L.; Dawson V.L. (1995). Creativity: Asset or burden in the classroom? Creativity Research Journal, 8 (1), pp. 1-10.
Zachopoulou, Evridiki;Trevlas, Efthimios; Konstadinidou, Elisavet. (2006). The Design and Implementation of a Physical Education Program to Promote Children's Creativity in the Early Years International Journal of Early Years Education, v14 n3 p279-294.