From: abancrof@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (audrey frances bancroft)
Subject: Re: Memory vs. creativity
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 23:36:14 GMT


In article <1992Aug29.192034.14085@adobe.com> yost@adobe.com (David Yost) writes:
>In article <-fcnthh_@aix01.rz.fht-mannheim.de> mw@ki.fht-mannheim.de
>  (Marc Wachowitz) writes:
>> I wouldn't say creativity means just arranging known facts/things in a
>> different way (though the expression later may happen with known "tools").
>> I'd rather see it as a certain "state" of mental freshness, having put
>> aside previous concepts about something.  Actually memory is not active
>> then, and the mind is silent, instead of always babbling with itself and
>> and repeating what it already knows.
>
The idea of a "state of mental freshness" which is independent of memory
seems tenuous at best--otherwise creativity would be defined simply in
terms of randomness. In a psychoanalyitc treatment of the creative
moment Symington (1987) declares that such a moment is creative
precisely because it cannot be defined by its predeterminants, but  
many sources posit a need for structure in addition to 'novelty' for
the occurence of a creative act. Hofstadter(1991) emphasizes the importance
of constraints in enhancing creativity and describes several kinds:
sharp v. blurry; overt, explicit, conscious v. covert, implicit,
unconscious; strong v. weak; external and irrevocable v. self-imposed
and tentative; and elastic v. rigid constraints.

Steven Kim (1990) states that creativity is required when a problem is
"difficult"; this occurs when the solution or goal is unknown, when the
problem itself is undefined, or when the 'route' to a solution is
unknown.  Again, the idea of "mental freshness" devoid of memory would
be inadequate for this process.

Moments of insight have been documented by various scientists and
mathematicians, who describe the experience as bound to previous
ruminations, unconsciously 'incubated', and suddenly revealed. [Of
interest is the spontaneous integration of this information, regardless
of later verifiability.] Grudin (1990) describes insight as that which
"leaps across categories or conventional steps of reasoning, a
combination of expertise and receptivity".

>One way to "put aside previous concepts" is to not remember the context in
>which you learned them or to not remember learning them at all.  I have a
>hunch that creativity and literal memory may be antithetical.  Has anyone
>read any research on the subject of memory and creativity that talks about
>this?  Imagine a two dimensional graph:

In distinguishing intelligence, wisdom, and creativity, Sternberg (1986)
found that subjects characterized intelligence as contextual, while
creativity was unconventional and flexible.

Context disocciation may be useful in enabling bisociative events such
as those described by Koestler (1964). Koestler describes creative
activity as 'trivalent', expressed variously as humor, scientific
discovery, or art, and issues discussed here can be found in the
literature under humor and aesthetics as well as creativity (e.g.,
Keith-Spiegel, 1972).  A review of some of these issues can be found in
Barron and Harrington (1981).           
 
AB

***********************************************************************
 
Barron, F. and D. Harrington. (1981). Creativity, intelligence, and
personality. Annual Review of Psychology 32: 439-76.

Grudin, R. (1990). The Grace of Great Things: Creativity and Innovation.
NY: Ticknor & Fields.

Hofstadter, D. (1991). Some ideas and questions about creativity for the
"Mechanism of Creativity" Workshop. Center for Research on Concepts and
Cognition, Indiana University, Bloomington IN.

Keith-Spiegel, P. (1972). Early conceptions of humor: varieties and
issues. In J. Goldstein and P. McGhee (eds), Psychology of Humor.
NY: Academic Press.

Kim, S. (1990). Essence of Creativity. NY: Oxford Press.

Koestler, A. (1964). The Act of Creation. London: Hutchinson.

Sternberg, R. (1986). Intelligence, wisdom, and creativity: three is
better than one.  Educational Psychology 21(3): 175-90.

Symington, N. (1987). The sources of creativity. American Imago 44(4):
275-87.
-- 
"He wished a mad dog or a tramp..would attack Millie, so that he 
 could express in wild action what he could not put into words."  
                                                 Warwick Deeping 
                   abancrof@copper.ucs.indiana.edu