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Creativity Has Been in Decline for Decades, but There's Still Time To Improve It
Longitudinal research from Kyung Hee Kim shows American creativity scores have consistently declined since 1990, potentially due to standardized testing and decreased free play.
What: Kyung Hee Kim at William & Mary analyzed 300,000 Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking from 1968 to 2008, finding that creative problem-solving ability peaked in 1990 before entering a steady downward trajectory.
Why it matters: The decline suggests that current educational and professional environments prioritizing standardized outcomes may be eroding the cognitive flexibility required for innovation.
Decoder
- Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking: A standardized test battery used to measure creative potential through tasks involving fluency, originality, and elaboration.
Original article
Creativity scores in the US rose alongside IQ before 1990 but have declined significantly since.
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