Question?

Can a person be intelligent but not

creative? Or creative but not
intelligent?”
Research
Research shows that just because someone is identified as gifted (meaning they have
exceptional abilities, often measured by IQ), it does not necessarily mean they will become
known for their creativity or make major contributions in creative fields.

Example:
Imagine a gifted child who excels in math and is highly intelligent. As they grow older, they
might become successful in a traditional career, such as engineering or business, but they
may not end up being innovative or creative in those fields, even though they are highly
gifted.
Researchers have found that both highly intelligent children and average-intelligence
children can show high or low creativity.

But it’s not guaranteed. Just because someone is intelligent doesn’t mean they will also be
creative

Intelligence (measured by IQ or academic performance) does not ensure that someone will
be creative.
Researchers have found that creativity and
intelligence are positively related — meaning they go
hand-in-hand up to a point.
A minimum level of intelligence is required for a
person to be creative.
But having a very high IQ does not guarantee that
someone will be creative.

Just having high intelligence (like a high IQ score)

does not automatically make a person creative.
Creativity requires imagination, innovation, and the
ability to think outside the box — abilities that are
different from conventional intelligence.
 Minimum Intelligence is Needed for Creativity

Having high intelligence (like a high IQ) doesn’t necessarily make someone creative

Creativity Takes Different Forms

Creativity is not limited to just one type of thinking. It can appear in different
ways and in different areas (such as art, science, music, etc.).
Some creative people may have strong intellectual abilities (like logical
reasoning or knowledge).
Others may have qualities related to creativity, such as imagination, originality,
and risk-taking.

So, creativity can show up in different ways. Some people use their intelligence to be
creative, while others use their imagination. Both are forms of creativity!
 Creativity Tests
These tests are open-ended, meaning there's
no single right answer.
They check how well a person can think
differently, imagine new ideas, and solve
problems in unique ways.
This is called divergent thinking – going in
many directions to explore possibilities.
 Intelligence Tests
In intelligence test , the person has to think of the right solution to the problem and the
focus is on assessing abilities such as memory, logical reasoning, accuracy, perceptual
ability, and clear thinking
These tests have one correct answer.
They measure abilities like memory, logic, and accuracy.
This is called convergent thinking – narrowing down to one correct solution.
There is little scope for the expression of spontaneity, originality, and imagination
Creativity is expressed in many different ways
People show creativity through words, drawings,
actions, music, problem-solving, etc.

Creativity tests use different types of stimuli

Tests are designed using words, figures
(shapes/pictures), actions, and sounds to match
different creative styles.

Words (Verbal Creativity) Test Question: "What are all

These tests challenge a person's the possible uses for a
ability to think of new uses or brick?"
associations with words.
 Figures (Visual Creativity)
Visual creativity tests involve shapes or pictures that a person can manipulate or interpret
in new ways.
Example 2:
Test Question: Look at this random shape. How many things can you see in it?
Random shape: A squiggly line with a circle on top.

Actions (Creative Problem-Solving)

These tests assess how well someone can come up with creative actions or solutions to a
problem.
Example 3:
Test Question: If you were locked in a room with no key, how would you get out?
Sounds (Auditory Creativity)
Some creativity tests involve sounds or music, where a person must respond to or create
sounds in innovative ways.
Example 4:
Test Question: Listen to the sound of a clock ticking. How many ways can you describe the
sound creatively?
Possible answers:
The sound of a distant heartbeat
A subtle whisper from the past
 These tests measure general creative thinking abilities, such as:
Fluency – Number of ideas
📌 Example: Listing 10 different ways to use a brick.
Flexibility – Thinking from different angles
📌 Example: Looking at a traffic jam from the point of view of a driver, a pedestrian, and a
policeman.
Originality – Thinking of unique, unusual ideas
📌 Example: Suggesting a flying bicycle as a new way of transport.
Elaboration – Adding details to a basic idea
📌 Example: Describing how a flying bicycle would work, its controls, and benefits.
Sensitivity to problems – Identifying hidden issues
📌 Example: Pointing out that too much homework reduces students’ creativity.
some psychologists and researchers have designed specific creativity tests for
different subjects or fields — like literature, science, and mathematics — to
measure how creative a person is in that particular area.
Instead of just measuring general creativity (like imagination or fluency), these
tests look at how creatively someone can think or solve problems within a
subject.
Famous psychologists who developed creativity tests include:
Guilford – Introduced the concept of divergent thinking
Torrance – Created the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT)
Wallach and Kogan, Khatena, Paramesh, Passi, Baqer Mehdi – All worked on different
creative tests for various age groups and contexts.
📌 Example: Torrance’s test might ask students to complete incomplete pictures
creatively.
 Standardised procedures are used
Each test comes with a manual, scoring guide, and interpretation rules.
Only people with proper training can use these tests accurately.
Research on Intelligence and Creativity – Key Points
1920s Research Finding
People with high IQ were not always creative.
People with average IQ could still have great creative ideas.
Study on Gifted Individuals
Some children were identified as gifted (very high IQ) and tracked as they grew up.
None of them became famous for creativity in any field.
Creativity in All Intelligence Levels
Both highly intelligent and average intelligence children showed high and low
creativity.
This means creativity does not depend only on IQ.
One Person Can Be Both
A person can be intelligent and creative.
But being intelligent doesn’t guarantee that the person will be creative.