ADHESIONES A LA OMC: CONTRIBUCIONES A LAS REFORMAS

Based on the above, it is clear there is no concept of one specific term for creative thinking, and it is this diversity that has led to many variations in terms of its definitions. For instance, Wallas (1926, in Popova, 2014) identified creativity as a mental process with multiple stages and sequential, starting with a sense of the problem and ending with the “glow”, which carries with it the expected solution. This is illustrated in four stages that Wallas (1926, in Popova, 2014) classifies as: 1) Preparation which includes an exploration of the problem from all angles and accesses the experience and expertise of the individual. 2) Incubation - this is the latency stage or fermentation, which happens unconsciously and includes the absorption of all information and experiences, as well as appropriate representation or mentally digested. 3) Illumination, which includes the spark of creativity. This stage also represents the rise moment where the new idea “glows”. Lastly, 4) Verification is the final stage that happens consciously as it represents the beta test and evaluates the creative idea.

In terms of other definitions, Torrance (1974, p.8) identifies creativity as: ‘…a process of becoming sensitive to problems, deficiencies, gaps in knowledge, missing elements, disharmonies, and so on; identifying the difficulty; searching for solutions, making guesses, or formulating hypotheses about the deficiencies; testing and retesting these hypotheses and

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possibly modifying and retesting them; and finally communicating the results’. Elsewhere, Torrance (2002) defines creative thinking as the operations of creating ideas or assumptions, challenging or examining them and communicating the results. This is consistent with what Jackson and Shaw (2005) state, wherein creativity includes imagination and the action to translate this imagination. This transpires when the person imagines doing something and this then leads them to create the idea in their mind in order to bring something original and valuable into existence. Bergström (1991, p.164) argues that further aspects should be added to this definition of creative behaviour, and that it should include ‘the production of something new and unpredictable’. Simonton (2012) also incorporates the component of ‘surprise’ to the regular principles of novelty and utility into the United States Patent Office’s invention patent specifications.

Furthermore, Craft (2000, p.4) differentiates between two types of creative thinking; the first is ‘possibility thinking’, which means, ‘refusing to be stumped by circumstances, but being imaginative in order to find a way around a problem or in order to make sense of a puzzle’. In line with this, the National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCCE) report (1999, p.31) identified creativity as it is ‘imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value.’ However, according to Craft (2000, p.4), what it meant by imaginative is subject to much debate in philosophical literature. For example, to be imaginative means ‘going beyond the obvious’ or ‘seeing more than is initially apparent’ or ‘interpreting something in a way which is unusual’. The second differentiation of creative thinking by Craft (2003, p.114) is ‘extraordinary creativity’, which is defined as ‘the production of new knowledge which has

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a major impact on an existing area of knowledge, the boundaries of which are monitored by experts within that field. It is the validation of novelty and usefulness of any act, by the experts within a field, that qualifies it as ‘creative’’.

In The Arabic Philosophical Encyclopedia, creativity is a production of new things or a new way of formulating existing elements in one field such as science, arts and literatures (Jarwan, 2009). Creativity is a combination of capacity, preparations and personal characteristics which, if found suitable environment can raise the mental process and lead to original and useful outcomes for experience and previous experiences of the individual or the institution or the society or the world (Jarwan, 1998).

These definitions and a plethora of others, such as the 25 definitions that Morgan (1954) mentioned and put in his comments, the 1,400 definitions Aldrich (2001) collected as a dictionary in the field of creativity, as well as the 40 definitions that Rhodes (1961) examined, all demonstrate just how diverse a subject this is.

What can be concluded from the majority of these definitions is that creativity is indistinct and multi-lateral, as well as a concept that needs specific research to fill the gaps in many areas, such as a consistent definition, proper measurements and methods of development. Moreover, these definitions clearly emphasise that creativity is a form of problem-solving and it leads to conception of some new, unpredictable, original, surprising, imaginable and valuable ideas or items (Simonton, 2012; Craft, 2000; Jackson & Shaw, 2005; NACCCE report, 1999; Jarwan, 1998; Bergström, 1991; Torrance, 1974). In addition, creative thinking is strongly associated with critical thinking (Fisher, 1990; Gruenfeld, 2010) and

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that the creative product, person and process has specific characteristics that are linked to mental and emotional operations (Puccio, 1999; Runco, 2004). Consequently, this can positively influence the individual and society, or sometimes have a negative influence.

From the diversity of definitions and differences between the concepts, one can therefore substantiate that:

 Creative thinking cannot be isolated, stripped or seen to be separate from the person who owns its,

 There is a relationship of interaction between individuals, regions and areas,  Creative personality relies on a set of components and interrelated factors that

surround it from childhood until attainable, as well as the factors of the physical and genetic conditions from environmental surroundings.

Therefore, this study will consider creativity from the interaction condition, personal, social and environmental dimensions because they are the main factors that are established within the creative thinking definitions of the literature review and systematic review.