Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Molly Holinger
University of Connecticut
Vlad Glăveanu
Aalborg University
James C. Kaufman
University of Connecticut
John Baer
Rider University
Page 2
Abstract
Page 3
The study of creativity is inseparable from that of domains and disciplines. This
statement may seem surprising given that most papers make claims about general creativity. Yet
it is possible to argue that there is no creativity outside of specific contexts and situated
activities. Even laboratory studies using domain-general measures of divergent thinking still
collect data about a form of creative expression. For divergent thinking, the form is creative
ideation, which is much more important for particular domains – in this case artistic (by
emphasizing originality) and educational (by gathering data in a test manner, one that is likely to
favor participants who benefited from schooling and, more generally, Western education).
There is, of course, the reverse argument. Creativity fascinates us precisely because it
seems to transcend or, rather, conjoin together a variety of experiences. In this sense, being
creative in the sphere of the sciences, arts, business, or everyday life can be characterized in
similar ways by creators (such as, for instance, the notion of flow; Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) and
perceived as such by outside observers. Although (for example) scientists, artists, and cooks use
different tools and utilize different types of knowledge in their work, they might nonetheless
Whereas these two facets of creativity – its domain generality and specificity – have often been
understood as opposite, the present volume seeks new ways to conceptualize their relationship.
In line with the basic assumptions of Amusement Park Theory (see Baer & Kaufman, 2005, this
volume; Kaufman & Baer, 2004), each chapter is not only sensitive to the issue of generality and
Page 4
specificity but, most of all, to how these different facets may relate to each other and co-evolve
over time.
In this concluding chapter we take another look at the complex relationship between
generality and specificity with the double aim of: a) highlighting some of the main lines of
argument developed across this Handbook, and b) looking towards the future, in a prospective
manner, to consider the transformation of creative domains, as well as its impact on the
generality – specificity debate. It is to be noted from the start that, although the variety of
creativity domains included here is extensive, this volume did not ever intend to cover every
potential discipline or practice associated with creativity. As noted in the Introduction, there are
many emerging forms of creative expression that can and will, in time, add to the existing
domains or constitute new ones (think, for instance, about creativity and the use of new
technologies or social media). However, a guiding principle in putting together the list of
chapters has been to include both “traditional” creativity domains, which have been intensively
studied (e.g., visual art, music, play, dance, engineering, teaching, architecture, psychology)
alongside less "traditional” domains of creativity (e.g., sports, craft, emotions, photography,
animal creativity). Towards the end of this chapter, new questions will be raised concerning both
The image of creativity emerging out of the contributions included in this Handbook is
best described as dynamic and heterogeneous. Creating in each domain included here reflects its
own mosaic of traits, processes, outcomes, and contexts, thereby contributing, in turn, to the big
Page 5
mosaic of creativity across domains. The metaphor of the mosaic is not accidental. It aims to
capture both the plurality of themes reflected within each chapter as well as the multiple overlaps
First, the discussion of domain general and domain-specific aspects of creativity presents
us with multiple positions, mostly aimed at striking a balance between these two poles. For
instance, Beghetto (this volume), approaches teaching creativity in the context of specific
domains or ‘subjects areas’ while, at the same time, emphasizing the importance of working with
a view of what is beyond them. The chapter on engineering (Cropley, Cropley and Sandwith, this
volume), explicitly mentions in relation to the generality – specificity debate that, for “as
important to recognize how much is not different” (p. #). The way in which creativity is defined
in each chapter reflects well the importance of operating with more or less “classic” definitions
(see Kaufman, 2016; Plucker, Beghetto & Dow, 2004), while nuancing the criteria of novelty
and value, adding to them and, at times, challenging our conception of creativity from the
perspective of particular domains. For example, Serafin and Dollinger (this volume) specify that
what is ‘useful’ in photography relates, first and foremost, to eliciting emotional responses in
viewers and impacting their understanding of life and art. Defining creativity becomes much
more difficult in the case of animals (see Kaufman & O’Hearn, this volume), adding an extra
layer of complexity to the debate, with the lack of common terminology being one of the main
obstacles in this area of research. In other cases, such as architecture (Vartanian, this volume),
the definition of creativity is closely associated with other concepts, for example aesthetics;
whereas in the case of law (Mandel, this volume), institutional constraints and norms take center
stage, such as what is inscribed in copyright or patent law. In the end, Damian and Tou (this
Page 6
volume) point to the fact that different cultures might emphasize different aspects of creativity,
such as originality (in the West) and tradition and usefulness (in the East). The cultural level
complexifies our understanding of domains since they are both embedded within a shared culture
as well as carry their own, distinctive cultural characteristics. And it is not only national but also
organizational culture that we should take into account (Mitchell & Reiter-Palmon, this volume).
The metaphor of the mosaic applies also when considering the issue of assessment. In
psychology, often, creativity assessment makes use of psychometric measures, expert judges,
under study (Kaufman & Beghetto, 2009). At the same time, there is increasing criticism of
domain-general measures, most of which are based on divergent thinking (e.g., Thomson, this
volume; Cropley, Cropley, and Sandwith, this volume). Such critiques are often matched by
increased support for the use of expert or domain-specific ratings (e.g., Kaufman & Baer, 2012;
Serafin & Dollinger, this volume; Vartanian, this volume). A focus on different domains reveals
assessment can be based on the judgment of curators and juries (Serafin & Dollinger, this
volume), whereas in psychology, it would need to take into account the process of peer-review
(Simonton, this volume-a). An important question that emerges is whether it is easier to assess
creativity in some domains compared to others. For example, in marketing, creativity can be
more or less easily evaluated in terms of traditional criteria for performance (Taillard & Voyer,
this volume).
Another important issue relates to the call for improved domain-specific assessment of
creativity (see, for instance, the chapters on emotions, Ivcevic, Ebert, Hoffmann & Brackett, this
volume; teaching, Beghetto, this volume. and sports, Memmert, this volume). In this case, play
Page 7
might be a relatively rare example of a domain already benefiting from specific and nuanced
forms of assessment (see Russ & Wallace, this volume). Finally, some domains might not lend
themselves to traditional assessments of creativity that highlight product novelty, but rather on
measures of the work process itself. Such domains may stimulate novel methods for assessing
creativity such as multiple feedback (such as in the domain of craft, see Glăveanu, this volume)
or new ways of eliciting creativity (motor creativity in dance, see Thomson, this volume). Who
should judge – and how -- the creativity of different outcomes remains an open question and,
more and more, we find calls for involving audiences, beneficiaries, or users in this process
In terms of personality and, more generally, the characteristics of the creative person,
there is evidence of differences in personality traits both within and across domains. Szen-
Ziemiańska, Lebuda, and Karwowski (this volume) review existing studies and note many
nuances. They point to the fact that, for example, neuroticism and extraversion seem to be
associated with creativity, yet this association depends on creativity domain, whereas
everyday and entrepreneurial creativity. In addition, four of the Big Five personality traits –
with leadership (Mitchell & Reiter-Palmon, this volume). Even more interestingly, there is
evidence suggesting that traits conducive for creativity in one domain might hinder creative
expression in others (e.g., conscientiousness in sciences versus arts; Feist, 1998). The relation
between creativity and mental health is also, to a great extent, domain-specific. For instance,
mental illness seems to have a greater prevalence among artistic professions with writers being
diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder twice as often as non-writers (Oatley & Djikic,
Page 8
this volume; see also different positions in Kaufman, 2014). The attributes of creative people are
not only to be thought of as personal but as also being shaped by interactions with others. These
interactions can model creative behaviors such as risk-taking and openness to new ideas
regardless of domain (Amabile, 1996; Russ & Wallace, this volume). People’s motives are never
uniformly intrinsic, of course, and one’s motivation to be creative may easily shift from domain
to domain (Kaufman & Baer, 2002). Finally, the possible interactions with both age and gender
emerged in several chapters, such as Feist’s (this volume) discussion of the disproportionately
Other frequently mentioned topics, highly visible in the mosaic of creativity across
domains, included expertise, education, well-being, and the relationship to society. Although
receiving training in the domain and accumulating domain-specific (procedural and declarative)
knowledge is certainly important, some domains (such as the sciences) are more likely to require
more formal training than others (such as the arts, particularly crafts). In fact, crafts are almost
never taught formally but learned through informal interactions and apprenticeships (Glăveanu,
this volume). Another difference between domains is visibility. Chapters in this book cover a
wide scope, from the headlines that come with new scientific discoveries and technological
advances to the everyday creativity found in the domain of emotions (Ivcevic, Ebert, Hoffmann
& Brackett, this volume). And yet it is precisely domains like emotions that help relate creativity
with important topics such as psychological health and well-being. In fact, the theme of well-
being was referred to in different chapters, particularly Forgeard and Elstein (this volume). There
Page 9
is some evidence suggesting that engaging in creative activity has a positive effect, even if not at
all levels of creativity (see, for example, the case of everyday and professional writers in Oatley
& Djikic, this volume). When it comes to the role of audiences, there are domains in which
collaboration is the norm and creativity is performative (such as acting, Goldstein & Levy, this
volume; and dance, Thomson, this volume). However, relations to various audiences are present
in any domain of creativity (Glăveanu, 2013). At times, as in marketing, they reverse roles and
turn users into creators in their own right (Taillard & Voyer, this volume).
placed in the background of all the chapters included in this handbook. And yet contributors
began from not an either/or position, but rather a dynamic, relational view of similarities and
differences both within and across domains; referred to above as the creativity mosaic. Different
chapters approached the mosaic differently. Simonton (this volume-b), for example, makes a
strong argument for generality by claiming that all creativity is combinatorial. In practice as well,
domain generality might be assumed when dealing with creative work; intellectual property law,
for example, takes a domain-general approach and does not have separate rules for different
domains (Mandel, this volume). However, among creativity researchers, there tends to be a
subject matter and its constraints (Beghetto, this volume). Moreover, by adopting domain-
specific lenses in teaching practices, creativity becomes more concrete, teachable, and easier to
Page 10
achieve. In marketing, an increasing use of technology gives the creative process a specific
dynamic, simultaneously revealing untapped opportunities for creativity (Taillard & Voyer, this
volume); the same holds, certainly, for educational technologies (Peppler, this volume). Most
differences between creativity domains can be found, nonetheless, at the level of processes.
Bonnardel and Bouchard (this volume), distinguish between macro and micro-processes within
design, a useful classification that can be considered more widely. As noted within their chapter,
design thinking is perhaps one of the most specific models of the creative process coming out of
this field, yet one that can and has been generalized effectively. Indeed, what may start off as
domain-specific findings or models can end up inspiring research and practice in other, possibly
distant, fields. The reverse also holds: domain-general models can be applied differently by
researchers or practitioners within specific domains, or else only a small part of a model might
be used (see, for example, the focus on illumination within the study of creative photography;
In the end, one could think of the generality / specificity debate in creativity research as
bringing together two tendencies: one towards generalizing, from one or two domains to many
others, and one towards specifying or, in other words, making the general more concrete and
nuanced, at the level of the domain and even of micro-domains (see Baer & Kaufman, 2005; this
achieve a number of goals. First, we are likely to overcome the either/or logic that often makes
the debate unproductive. Second, it allows us to consider less how creativity “is” and more how
it “becomes” when we move our analytical focus up and down different levels of generality. It is
thus not a question of whether a certain creative activity is the same or different from others but
consider along these dynamic, temporal lines, what exactly it is that we can generalize and what
should remain specific. For instance, findings about the creative process in particular domains
might be difficult to generalize, whereas research methods may be “transferred” more easily to
Last but not least, an emphasis on generalizing and specifying can make us sensitive to
what is placed at the intersection between domains and what exactly brings multiple domains
together. For example, creators tend to interact with a variety of other people before, during, and
after they create their work. This observation can be found in the arts (e.g., music, Kozbelt, this
volume; visual arts, Pelowski, Leder & Tinio, this volume), business (e.g., advertising, Kilgour,
this volume; entrepreneurship, Carayannis & Harvard, this volume),and the sciences (e.g.,
biomedicine, Tan & Grigorenko, this volume; computer science, Barnett & Romeike, this
volume; mathematics, Sak, Ayvaz, Bal-Sezerel & Özdemir; this volume;), as well as in social
and everyday life domains (e.g., the culinary domain, Horng & Lin, this volume; therapy,
Forgeard & Elstein, this volume; violence and terrorism; Ligon, Sporer & Derrick, this volume).
Going in the direction of domain generality, we might think about what categories of interaction
are important across domains (such as mentors, colleagues, gatekeepers, or the general public)
and what kind of relations are established with them (such as collaborative or competitive). A
focus on specificity takes us in the opposite direction of trying to understand unique audiences
and relationships (ranging from people who enjoy the products of culinary creativity to the
beneficiaries of new medical solutions in biomedicine). Being able to consider both these facets
opens up the possibility of considering creators and their audiences as they participate in more
than one domain and sometimes exchange roles in the process (think, for instance, about the
roles of teachers and students when considered from the perspective of instruction versus using
Page 12
new technologies). In the end, these relational ways of understanding domains are a marker of
todays’ hyper-connected societies and invite us to reflect on how they might evolve in the future.
Just like our theories and models of creativity, domains are in a constant process of
change. There is a reason why we wonder today, looking back in history, whether the term
“Renaissance person” reflects a certain bygone reality (Kaufman, Baer, Beghetto, & Ivcevic,
2010). It is not only that we have, particularly in the last few decades, produced, accumulated,
and shared more knowledge than an individual living in the age of Da Vinci could have
imagined; the notion of domains of creativity is, itself, questioned. In a world dominated by
digital technologies and unprecedented mobility, self-contained and well defined domains are
necessary (Szen-Ziemiańska, Lebuda & Karwowski, this volume), as well as the diversifying
experiences of working in various fields and acrossvarious cultures (Damian & Tou, this
volume). It is not only our activity that changes but our understanding of domains and what it
means to contribute to one or more. Domains are not disappearing. They are transforming and
There is ample evidence of this process within the pages of the present volume, which
offers an overview of both traditional (such as those in the arts and sciences) and non-traditional
domains of creativity (such as law, culinary, terrorism, and animal creativity). Further, the
inclusion of chapters on such topics as emotions, crafts and play challenges a common view of
domains as institutionalized, bounded fields. To take the example of emotions (see Ivcevic,
Page 13
Ebert, Hoffmann & Brackett, this volume), their studies go beyond professional areas and enter
the sphere of everyday life and of psychological experience. Similarly, researching the area of
crafts and creativity (see Glăveanu, this volume) reveals processes that go beyond a narrow
definition of artisans and folk art. Indeed, there is craftsmanship in creative work beyond what is
commonly recognized as craft. This discrepancy raises the issue of how we align our conceptions
of domains with the multiple and fluid practices that constitute today’s creative practices. Within
“classic” domains, as well, our expectations can be violated, as when John Cage recorded silence
as a song (see Kozbelt, this volume). Is this music? Is it creativity? And, if so, what does it say
the ways in which we express our creativity today are bound to change in the not so distant
future. Consider the advances in technology, the internet, and social media and their impact on
everything from interpersonal relations to the way we envision economy and society. It is often
said that educators today need to realize that they are training children for areas of work that are
probably not invented yet and preparing them to face problems that can’t even be anticipated
today. Creativity, as a 21st century skill (Trilling & Fadel, 2009), is called upon to respond to
such challenges and these responses will change domains, often in radical ways. A concrete
example is multiculturalism. Considered to boost creativity (see Damian & Tou, this volume),
multiculturalism is itself developing into a societal domain of creativity – which can present both
challenges and opportunities. From building highly creative and culturally diverse workgroups to
Page 14
rethinking national and cultural boundaries and identities, creativity in the area of
Readers are invited thus to consider, in a prospective manner and based on the
contributions included here, what creativity and creative domains could look like in the future.
Similarly, will the generality / specificity debate continue to organize our discussion? One
hypothesis is that this dichotomy will transform, leaving room to the more pragmatic question of
how and when we can generalize findings and tools from one domain of activity to others or how
domain general knowledge or approaches can help us intervene in applied domains. Another one
creativity in the domain of the future. This idea has never been timelier. The future as a domain
of creative thinking and action is a transversal concern, mobilizing creative people and teams
across the numerous domains and disciplines included within these pages. In studying each of
them, the future-oriented directions needed for creative action must be considered and cultivated.
Paradoxically, thus, it might not be what creators do today within and across domains that
matters most but, rather, what they do thinking about tomorrow and the numerous, general and
specific ways they find to anticipate and create the future that is of the essence.
References
Baer, J., & Kaufman, J. C. (2005). Bridging generality and specificity: The amusement park
Baer, J., & Kaufman, J. C. (2017). The Amusement Park Theoretical Model of Creativity: An
Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???).
Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???).
(Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY:
Bonnardel, N., & Bouchard, C. (2017). Creativity in Design. In J. C. Kaufman, V. P. Glăveanu &
J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York,
Carayannis, E., & Harvard, P. (2017). A Minimalist Model for Measuring Entrepreneurial
Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Cropley, D. H., Cropley, A. J., & Sandwith, B. L. (2017). Creativity in Psychology: Finding Its
Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge University
Press.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY:
Damian, R. I., & Tou, R. (2017). Culture and Creativity. In J. C. Kaufman, V. P. Glăveanu & J.
Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York,
Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York,
Forgeard, M. J. C., & Elstein, J. G. (2017). The Benefits of Creativity in Therapy: Current
Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge
University Press.
Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge
University Press.
Goldstein, T. R., & Levy, A. G. (2017). The Constricted Muse: Acting. In J. C. Kaufman, V. P.
Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???).
Horng, J.-S., & Lin, L. (2017). Gastronomy and Culinary Creativity. In J. C. Kaufman, V. P.
Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???).
Ivcevic, Z., Ebert, M., Hoffman, J. D., & Brackett, M. A. (2017). Creativity in the Domain of
Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Page 17
V. P. Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp.
Kaufman, J. C. (Ed.) (2014). Creativity and mental illness. New York: Cambridge University
Press.
Kaufman, J. C., & Baer, J. (2002). Could Steven Spielberg manage the Yankees?:
Kaufman, J. C., & Baer, J. (2004). The Amusement Park Theoretical (APT) Model of
Kaufman, J. C., & Baer, J. (2012). Beyond new and appropriate: Who decides what is creative?
Kaufman, J. C., Beghetto, R. A., Baer, J., & Ivcevic, Z. (2010). Creativity polymathy:
What Benjamin Franklin can teach your kindergartener. Learning & Individual
Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2009). Beyond big and little: The four c model of creativity.
Kaufman, J. C., Glăveanu, V. P., & Baer, J. (2017). Creativity Across Different Domains: An
Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge University
Press.
Page 18
Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge
University Press.
Ligon, G. S., Sporer, K., & Derrick, D. C. (2017). Violent Innovation: Creativity in the Domain
Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
(Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY:
Mitchell, K., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2017). Creative Leadership: How Problem Solving, Decision
P. Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp.
Oatley, K., & Djikic, M. (2017). The Creativity of Literary Writing. In J. C. Kaufman, V. P.
Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???).
Pelowski, M., Leder, H., & Tinio, P. (2017). Creativity in the Visual Arts. In J. C. Kaufman, V.
P. Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp.
J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York,
Russ, S., & Wallace, C. (2017). Creativity in the Domain of Play: Product and Processes. In J. C.
Sak, U., Ayvaz, U., Bal-Sezerel, B., & Özdemir, N. N. (2017). Creativity in the Domain of
Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Glăveanu & J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???).
Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge University
Press.
Page 20
Szen-Ziemiańska, J., Lebuda, I., & Karwowski, M. (2017). Mix and Match: Opportunities,
& J. Baer (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New
Taillard, M., & Voyer, B. G. (2017). Marketing. In J. C. Kaufman, V. P. Glăveanu & J. Baer
(Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY:
Tan, M., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2017). Biomedicine, creativity, and the story of AIDS. In J. C.
Handbook of Creativity Across Domains (pp. ???). New York, NY: Cambridge University
Press.
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.