DESIGN CONTEXT.: COP3 : Primary research evaluation

It has been really interesting to look at the results of the creativity test 'process' that I used on willing participates who are related to graphic design. I used three variations of the test which had one question differing to see if schooler(2012) experiment works out. As he performed a creativity test and then altered the environment leading up to the creative endeavour to see whether this can effect ones creative potential. He found that if someone approaches a creative task after enduring a hard task that has consumed a lot of brain power they are completely stumped when it comes to engaging in divergent thinking.If someone sits and does nothing, like siting and staring at computer screen, their creativity levels stay the same if not get worst. But if someone engages in an easy every day task that allows the brain to think unconsciously through the problem the persons creativity improves massively. My test results also correlate with Shcooler's finding which is interesting for the graphic designer as we spend a lot of our time in front of the computer, and this confirms that we should step away, but step away and engage in something mindless to keep the brain ticking.

It was also interesting to see how different the test results were especially in the drawing task. Everyones drawing were different even if they were of the same objects. Each person saw the original line differently.

One of the tasks that my examinees struggled with the most was the Remote associations test that Mednick created (stage 3). This was interesting as this test is meant to be able to be solved in two ways either in a creative moment through insight, or through a more analytical way through insight which Profesor John Beeman discovered and confirmed through experiments using fmri scans and reg scans. This may suggest that my subjects need to work on building connection in their brain so that they can discover the remote associations and create new concepts through being able to stitch together ideas.

I have gained a lot from conducting these experiments it was interesting to observe them happening and watch the person.

Tests for creativity.

Stage 1

Part one: Think of as many uses for a brick as you can for exactly two minutes (Guildofords Structure of Intellect).

Part two: Sit for two minutes, do nothing, and then repeat the brick task thinking of new uses

Count down from 1000 in sevens for two minutes, and then repeat the brick task thinking of new uses.

For two minutes organise the disks into colour group, and then repeat the brick task thinking of new uses.

Stage two

Finish off the diagrams within the given box, then give your drawing a name. (Torrance Test of creativity)

Stage three

Find the fourth word that is related to all three of the words in each set. (Remote association test) sets of words were as follows:

Hard – Drift – Cutter

Fish – Mine – Rush

Cane – Daddy – Plum

Safety – Cushion – Point

French – Car – Shoe

Boot – Summer – Ground

Manner – Round –Tennis

Dress – Dial – Flower

Piece – Mind – Dating

Home – Sea – Bed

Stick – Maker – Point

Right – Cat – Carbon

(See answers at the end of this section.)

(Answers: wood, gold, sugar, pin, horn, camp, table, sun, game, side, match, copy.)

Stage 4

Stage four is a set of three problem solving activities one numeral, one mental and one physical. This part of the test was to judge the subjects ability to solve problems.

Question 1:

A frog fell into a well thirty two feet deep. Each day he jumped two feet up the wall and slide back down one foot each night. How many days did it take him to jump out of the well?

Question 2:

If a boat, at low tide, has six of its twelve ladder steps in the water. How many ladder steps will be in the water at high tide?

Question 3:

How can you cut a hole in a 3 x 5 inch card that is big enough for you to put your head through?

(See answers at the end of this section.)