Dynamic Creativity: A Person × Task × Situation Interaction Framework

ABSTRACT Existing theories and frameworks generally have regarded creativity as inhering in a person, a task, a situation, or a combination of 2 of these 3 elements. After reviewing these approaches, and frameworks that are based on the interaction of more than 2 components, we propose a Person × Task × Situation synergistic paradigm, according to which creativity is dynamic and can be fully understood only as an interaction of all 3 of the elements. Building on the strengths of existing frameworks, our P × T × S proposal highlights: (a) the need to include the other 2 elements as moderators, regardless of which element is the central or starting point of the analysis, (b) the idea that the extent to which each element influences the others and the degree of overlap among elements can vary, and (c) the dynamic aspect of creativity, associated with changes in different persons across the lifespan, for different creative tasks, and for different situations. In addition to contributing an integrative theoretical account, this framework has significant, pragmatic implications for both the assessment and the development of creativity. We end with a call for both researchers and practitioners who test for or teach for creativity to specify the range of persons, tasks, and situations to which their assessments or training generalize.