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Creativity in alcoholic and nonalcoholic families
E P Noble1, M A Runco, T Z Ozkaragoz
1Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science, University of California Los Angeles 90024.
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.)
|July 1, 1993
Summary
Recovering alcoholic fathers and their sons showed lower creativity scores compared to non-alcoholic families. Father-son relationships and creativity were linked across groups.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Family Studies
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Family history of alcoholism is a significant risk factor for developing alcohol use disorders.
- Creativity is a complex cognitive trait influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
- Parental influence, particularly paternal, may impact offspring's cognitive development and creative potential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of paternal alcoholism and family history of alcoholism on creativity in fathers, mothers, and pubescent sons.
- To examine the relationship between fathers' and sons' creativity scores across different family groups.
- To explore potential differences in father-son relationships based on paternal alcoholism status and family history.
Main Methods:
- Administered a battery of creativity tests, including the Creativity Personality Scale, Origence/Intellectence scales, and How Do You Think Test, to 56 families.
- Included three groups: recovering alcoholic fathers with family alcoholism history (A+), nonalcoholic fathers with family alcoholism history (NA+), and nonalcoholic fathers without family alcoholism history (NA-).
- Fathers and sons completed divergent thinking tests; mothers rated their sons using the Adjective Check List.
Main Results:
- Alcoholic fathers and their sons exhibited generally lower creativity scores compared to fathers and sons in the NA+ and NA- groups.
- Mothers' creativity scores did not significantly differ across the three groups.
- Significant correlations and interactions were found between fathers' and sons' creativity scores, suggesting group-specific father-son relationship dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Paternal alcoholism and a family history of alcoholism may negatively affect creativity in fathers and their sons.
- The father-son relationship, as reflected in creativity correlations, appears to be influenced by the presence of alcoholism within the family.
- Further research is warranted to understand the complex interplay between alcoholism, family dynamics, and cognitive functions like creativity.