An Analysis of the Blind Variation and Selective Retention Theory of Creativity

This research study explores the relation between measures of creative potential and cognitive and motivational variables, including students' interests, perceptions, and classroom experiences. Surveys were administered to 373 students (N = 373), along with 2 questionnaires, namely the Student Information Sheet (SIS) and the Teacher Encouragement Scale (TES). The students were divided into three groups as High Creative (HC), Average Creative (AC) and Low Creative (LC) on the basis of composite test scores on the tests of creative thinking. The HC students liked Science and Mathematics subjects at school level, whereas the rest of the groups (AC and LC) preferred Indian languages Telugu and Hindi. Surprisingly, all the three groups disliked Social Studies subjects. The top 5 occupations chosen were doctor, teacher, lawyer, engineer, and police constable. When comparing the 3 groups, it is evident that each group had similar aspirations. A high percentage of students, including the HC, were found to be addicted to school achievement. They perceived academic failure as a bad experience in the class and struggled for academic excellence, which was their main goal and interest in life. The highly creative students had more favorable attitudes towards teacher encouragement than the other groups.