| | | In the 1960s, NASA embarked on a unique quest, a quest not to explore outer space, but to delve into the inner space of human creativity. Their mission was to understand what makes a genius and how they could harness this knowledge to recruit exceptional minds for their space missions. To carry out this mission, they turned to George Land and his team, who would go on to conduct a groundbreaking study that would reveal fascinating insights into the nature of creativity.
The Genesis of the StudyGeorge Land and his team began their investigation with a group of five-year-old children. They devised a creativity test that aimed to measure how these young minds used their creative imagination to solve problems. They defined genius not as an innate quality but as the ability to think creatively and solve problems in innovative ways. This definition laid the foundation for their research.
The Astonishing DiscoveryThe results of the initial study were nothing short of astonishing. When the five-year-olds were subjected to the creativity test, a staggering 98% of them qualified as geniuses by NASA’s definition. The findings were not only surprising but also profoundly optimistic, suggesting that creativity was a quality inherent in the vast majority of young children.
The Erosion of GeniusHowever, the study didn’t stop there. Land and his team decided to follow up with the same group of children over the years. When they returned when the children were ten years old, the percentage of those who still qualified as geniuses had plummeted to 30%. Another five years later, when the children had reached the age of fifteen, only 12% still met the criteria of a genius. These findings raised the question: what was happening to these young, creative minds as they grew older?
The Role of EducationGeorge Land didn’t stop at this point. He continued his research, this time focusing on adults. The results of this follow-up study were even more revealing. Among the adult population, a mere 2% qualified as geniuses, by NASA’s definition. The implications of this decline in creative thinking were striking.
The most remarkable aspect of Land’s findings was the attribution of this decline to one primary factor: the educational system. He argued that the transformation from a 98% genius population of five-year-olds to a mere 2% of geniuses in adulthood was primarily due to the way our educational institutions functioned. It was, in essence, a stark commentary on how traditional schooling methods stifled creativity and innovation.
Uncreative Behavior is LearnedOne of George Land’s thought-provoking quotes from this study is,
“Uncreative behavior and thinking is learned.”
This succinctly encapsulates the essence of his research. It underscores the idea that individuals are not inherently creative or uncreative but rather shaped by their environment, especially their educational experiences.
medium.com@operationecho/from-98-to-2-how-schooling-affects-creative-potential-080a5fb72bbe |
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