A Study of the Relation of General Semantics and Creativity
THIS STUDY was designed to investigate the hy pothesis that the teaching of certain principles of general semantics would result in superior per formance on tests of two factors of creative ability, ideational fluency and spontaneous flexibility, in a selected sample of sixth grade children in Madison, Wisconsin. General semantics refers to the study of the na ture and problems of communication. Creative ability herein refers toacomplex of abilities which are not considered to be latent intel lectual powers or faculties nor taken to be essences in the Aristotelian sense of being predetermined. Rather, the position taken is that every person is born merely with certain generalized tendencies to wards activity, towards experimentation, inventive ness, and initiative. As these generalized activi ties are expressed, there is interaction with the en vironment. To the extent that the expression of these native activities has the consequence of bring ing about further activities such as increasing ex perimentation, initiative, and inventiveness, they may be said to become primary abilities which may be called creative. Ideational fluency refers to the rate at w hic h a person can think of ideas. Spontaneous flexibility refers to the ability to shift one's thinking rapidly.