Developmental Psychology
Cognitive Activity and Creativity of Junior Schoolchildren with the High Intellectual Abilities in the Different Educational Environment
Article is devoted to a study of cognitive activity and creativity of junior schoolchildren with the high intellectual abilities. The paper presents the results of an empirical study of the special features of cognitive activity and creativity of junior schoolchildren with the high intellectual abilities, who are trained in the different educational environment (standard and innovation, enrichment). The hypothesis tested was that the intensity, cognitive level (depth) and latitude of the manifestation of the cognitive activity of the intellectually gifted junior schoolchildren were connected with such parameters of educational environment as cognitive complexity, classroom interaction, and the value of the creative activity of child. In a study participated the intellectually gifted junior schoolchildren of the 2nd and 4th classes (n=101). It was shown that the educational environment has an effect on the manifestations of cognitive activity and verbal creativity of the intellectually gifted junior schoolchildren. The intellectually gifted junior schoolchildren, who are trained in the educational environment, which is characterized by the high level of cognitive complexity, classroom interaction and values of the creative activity of child, reveal the reliably higher indices of verbal creativity, and also level, depth and latitude of cognitive activity, than their gifted peers, who are trained under the standard (traditional) educational environment.
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Psychology of Professional Activity
The Role of the Triad of Traits “Tolerance for Uncertainty – Emotional Intelligence – Intuition” in Self-Assessed Creativity in Creative Professionals
The article presents an overview of the relationships between creativity and personality traits, namely, tolerance/intolerance for uncertainty, emotional intelligence, intuition, and self-assessed creativity. We report on the results of an empirical study that highlighted the importance of this Positive Triad of traits in creativity measured via the ‘Creative Cartoons’ task. Three groups of accomplished creative professional participated in the study (writers, composers, and directors), for a total n = 52. In addition to administering the Creative Cartoons task, we administered a set of assessments: self-assessed creativity (using the procedure parallel to that proposed by A. Furnham for studying self-assessed intelligence), T. Kornilova’s New questionnaire for tolerance to uncertainty (NTN), the Emotional Intelligence (EmIn) questionnaire developed by D. Lyusin, and S. Epstein’s Rational-Experiential Inventory. A correlational analyses of the relationships between the studied traits provided support for the hypotheses related to the positive role of the Positive Triad of traits in creativity. Psychometric creativity was related to self-assessed creativity and trust in intuition, whereas intuition was related to tolerance for uncertainty, in its turn related to interpersonal emotional intelligence. Intrapersonal emotional intelligence, on the other hand, was negatively correlated with interpersonal intolerance for uncertainty: thus, both emotional intelligence traits were associated with a more positive attitude towards uncertainty.
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Developmental Psychology
Features of the Initiative of Modern Preschoolers
The article discusses children's initiative as the most important prerequisite for creativity. A study of the forms of manifestation of initiative of preschool children in an open, uncertain situation is presented. The study involved 50 children aged 5—7 years from two kindergartens in Moscow. The observation of the free activity of children in a specially organized open space was used as a research method. This spase was providing opportunities for various types of children's activities. It turned out that in a free situation, children tend to choose socially acceptable and familiar activities, such as drawing. The free play almost does not occur without the participation of an adult. Based on the results obtained, it is concluded that the predominant form of initiative is productive, which is the most “cultivated” in preschool education. The findings suggest the need to create special conditions for the development of initiative of preschoolers. Special attention should be paid to the organization of conditions to support children's creative initiative.
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