Latent Profile Analysis of Creativity: Its Relation to Intelligence and Executive Functions

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Neurodevelopment

Background:

• Creativity is a multifaceted construct crucial for academic and life success.
• Understanding individual differences in creativity is essential for tailored educational interventions.
• Previous research has explored creativity in relation to cognitive abilities, but profiles remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct creativity profiles in secondary school students using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA).
• To examine the relationship between these creativity profiles and executive functions (EF) and intelligence (IQ).
• To explore potential gender differences within identified creativity profiles.

Main Methods:

• Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was employed to categorize 182 secondary students based on verbal and figural creativity scores (PIC-J).
• Executive functions were assessed using a Virtual Reality-based tool (Nesplora Ice Cream).
• Intelligence was measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V).

Main Results:

• Three distinct creativity profiles emerged, characterized by similar figural creativity but varying levels of verbal creativity (low, medium, high).
• Intelligence (IQ) significantly differed between the low and medium verbal creativity groups.
• Executive functions (EF) did not show significant differences across the identified profiles.
• Boys were slightly more prevalent in the high-verbal creativity group, though no overall gender differences in creativity were found.

Conclusions:

• The findings underscore the heterogeneity of creativity in adolescents, particularly concerning verbal ideation.
• The differential relationship between IQ and verbal creativity suggests specific cognitive underpinnings.
• The lack of significant EF differences across profiles warrants further investigation into the role of executive functions in specific creative domains.
• These results have important implications for developing targeted educational and cognitive interventions to foster creativity in diverse student populations.