Improving Creative Problem-Solving in a Sample of Third Culture Kids

Abstract

We investigated the effects of divergent thinking training (with explicit instruction) on problem-solving tasks in a sample of Third Culture Kids (Useem and Downie, 1976). We were specifically interested in whether the children's originality and fluency in responding increased following instruction, not only on classroom-based worksheets and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT; Torrance, 1990), but also on activities related to real-world dilemmas. Our treatment group of 15 children exhibited gains over 10 weeks of instruction whereas our comparison group of 15 children did not improve in performance. The respective effects of explicit instructions to improve originality or fluency were evident on classroom-based worksheets, on the TTCT and on Realistic Story Telling Problems [adapted from Real World Problems based on Okuda et al. (1991), Runco and Okuda (1988)]. Our results, albeit from a small sample, imply that relatively simple, explicit instructions focusing on originality or fluency can aid third culture children in adopting effective problem-solving stances as they construct their new cultural environment.

Keywords

creative problem solving creativity training explicit instructions fluency Korean children originality Third Culture Kids

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