Cultural influence on creativity: the relationship between creativity and confucianism.

With the passing of the Korean government's gifted education act (Korean Educational Development Institute, 2003), fostering creativity, especially in mathematics and science, has come to the forefront as an important element in the future of Korea's economic prosperity in the global economy.

According to M. Csikszentmihalyi (1988), creativity is a very complex interaction among a person, a field, and a culture. In keeping with this approach, a look at Asian culture in relation to its impact on creativity is in order. Although people may vary in their native capacity for creativity, it is in the individual's interaction with the macrocosm where creative expression can be found.

In East Asian cultures, including Korea, Confucianism is the core of the cultural framework. Therefore, this study explored the Four Principles of Confucianism (G. Chen & J. Chung, 1994), and how they compare to creativity research to discover how East Asian culture influences creativity. In order to investigate the relationship between adherence to Confucianism and creativity, 184 Korean educators' scores on a measure of Confucianism (Eastern-Western Perspective Scale) were compared with their scores on a measure of creativity (Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking-Figural).

This study found that some elements of Confucianism, mainly Obedience and Hierarchy, Gender Inequality, Conformity, and Suppression of Expression, present cultural blocks to creativity. Further, when creativity is broken into the two types of Innovative and Adaptive (M. Kirton, 1976), Confucianism is found to be more negatively related to the Adaptive type than the Innovative type. This Adaptive type consists of Creative Strengths, Abstractness of Titles, and Elaboration.

The best creative techniques or the strongest creative personality cannot compensate for a culture that crushes creativity. Creative growth demands that we adapt our rigid boundaries of gender roles, conformity, and hierarchy into a creativity-friendly environment. Only through a self-evaluation of our culture, the elements that are blocking our populace, and the construction of more fertile creative soil can we lead our students to new levels of creative achievement.

Kyung Hee Kim completed her doctorate at the University of Georgia in 2004. She has worked at the Center for Test Scoring and Reporting Services and at the Torrance Center. She is currently the Coordinator of International Programs at the Torrance Center for Creativity, and Talent Development. Her research interests are in creativity, assessment and nurturing creativity.

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