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Creating Divergence: Examining The Development Of Creativity Through Executive Function, Language And Mindset, Brittany Nielsen Avila

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creativity is a multifaceted construct influenced by task constraints (Glucksberg & Wesiberg, 1966; Runco, 1986), cognitive processes (Bijvoet-Van Den Berg, & Hoicka, 2014; Claxton, Pannells, & Rhoads, 2005) and motivational factors (dweck, 2006; lucas & nordgren, 2015), and is hypothesized to have significant "slumps" where the development slows, such as the "fourth-grade slump" (Torrance, 1967; 1968). The purpose of the present study was to examine the hypothesized "fourth-grade slump" in creativity and determine whether cognitive factors, such as executive function (i.e., cognitive control, Zelazo, Muller, Frye & Marcovitch, 2003), motivation factors (i.e., mindset and persistence), and situational factors (i.e., language …