Creativity across Paradigms: Traits, Socio-Cultural Theories and Their Complementarity
Author : Jesho VJ and S Rajakumari
Abstract :
Creativity remains a contested construct in psychology, with trait-based approaches emphasizing measurable individual differences and socio-cultural theories situating creativity in cultural and historical contexts. This duality reflects psychology’s broader struggle to reconcile the individual with the collective, the measurable with the interpretive. This paper reviews and compares trait and socio-cultural traditions, examining their strengths, limitations, and points of convergence, and advances a theoretical synthesis that positions creativity as both dispositional and contextual. A narrative review approach was employed, focusing on seminal contributions to trait psychology (e.g., Guilford, Torrance, Feist) and socio-cultural perspectives (e.g., Vygotsky, Csikszentmihalyi, Glăveanu), alongside recent meta-analyses and cross-cultural studies. The review emphasizes theoretical relevance rather than exhaustive coverage. Trait research demonstrates consistent links between creativity, divergent thinking, openness, intelligence, and intrinsic motivation, offering methodological rigor but risking reductionism. Socio-cultural models highlight cultural validation, distributed creativity, and cross-cultural variation, expanding scope but facing challenges of replicability and individual agency. Comparative analysis shows their complementarity: traits provide the potential for novelty, while socio-cultural systems shape recognition and transmission.
Keywords :
Creativity, Trait Theory, Socio-Cultural Theory, Individual Differences, Cultural Context.
