The decline of thinking outside the box

While IQ scores are indisputably on the rise, American creativity levels are bottoming out. Analysis of the results of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking suggests that the creative abilities of American children have been spiraling downward for almost 20 years. The Torrance tests analyze young children's ability to come up with original ideas and put them into practice. Kyung Hee Kim, an assistant professor at the College of William & Mary School of Education, found that scores on Torrance tests taken by children up to 6th grade between 1968 and 2008 showed a steady decline after 1990. That's a serious issue at a time when creative thinking is among the most desperately needed skills in the American workplace. A recent study found that 85 percent of employers concerned with hiring creative people say they can't find the right applicants. Kim blamed America's standards-obsessed schools for creating an environment in which creative thinking was not nurtured. "Creative students cannot breathe, they are suffocated in school," she said. "Then they become underachievers." http://theweek.com/article/index/219002/are-americans-smarter-than-ever

I thought it is interesting that although IQ test scores have risen…in the last century [my note: for what is asked on IQ tests…which one could argue is cultural and socioeconomically driven…] Creativity is declining…that is, read on. [my note: now why this is happening is not known, but let us not forget the rise of pharmaceuticals in the last 20 years…some attribute this decline to more hours in front of TV…but I attribute the whole thing to lack of RELATIONSHIP with the child’s developmental needs]