Creativity is the ability to produce work that is novel (that is, original, unexpected), high in quality, and appropriate (that is, useful, meets task constraints) (Lubart, 1994; Ochse, 1990; Sternberg, 1988b, 1999b; Sternberg & Lubart, 1995, 1996). Creativity is a topic of wide scope, important at both the individual and societal levels for a wide range of task domains. At an individual level, creativity is relevant, for example, when solving problems on the job and in daily life. At a societal level, creativity can lead to new scientific findings, new movements in art, new inventions, and new social programs. The economic importance of creativity is clear because new products or services create jobs. Furthermore, individuals, organizations, and societies must adapt existing resources to changing task demands to remain competitive.

CREATIVITY AS A NEGLECTED RESEARCH TOPIC

As the first half of the twentieth century gave way to the second half, J. P. Guilford (1950), in his APA presidential address, challenged psychologists to address what he found to be a neglected but extremely important attribute: creativity. Guilford reported that less than two-tenths of one percent of the entries in Psychological Abstracts up to 1950 focused on creativity.

Interest in creativity research began to grow somewhat in the 1950s and a few research institutes concerned with creativity were founded. However, several indicators of work on creativity show that it remained a relatively marginal topic in psychology, at least until recently.