DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY

 

DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY

A.    CREATIVITY AND THEORY HEMISPHERE

Development of creativity is closely associated with individual cognitive development because creativity is really a manifestation of brain work. Creativity experts, for example, Clark (1988) and Gowan (1989) through the Theory of Brain Hemisphere (Hemisphere Theory) says that the human brain is actually divided by function into two parts, namely the left hemisphere (left hemisphere) and right hemisphere (right hemisphere ). Left hemisphere of the brain leading to convergent ways of thinking (thinking convergen), whereas the right hemisphere of the brain leads to a way of thinking spreads (difergent thinking).
With regard to the theory of these parts and their functions (Clark, 1983: 24) suggests a number of brain functions in accordance with the splittings as indicated in the table below.

Left Brain Hemisphere Functions and the Right Brain Hemisphere (Clark, 1983: 24)

No. Left Brain Hemisphere (Left Hemisphere)

1.      Math, history, language

2.      Verbal, sensory limit, input

3.      Sequential, measurable

4.      Analytic

5.      Comparative

6.      Relational

7.      Referential

8.      Linier

9.      Logical

10.  Digital

11.  Scientific, technological

Right Brain Hemisphere(Right Hemisphere)

1.      Self, elaborates and increases variabels,

2.      Inventive

3.      Nonverbal perception and expressiveness

4.      Spatial

5.      Intuitive

6.      Holistic

7.      Integrative

8.      Nonreferential

9.      Gestalt

10.  Imagery, Better at depth perception

11.  facial recognition

12.  Mystical, humanistic

B.     GENERAL UNDERSTANDING CREATIVITY

Creativity is defined differently by experts based on their viewpoint. Barron (1982: 253) defines that creativity is the ability to create something new. Guilford (1970: 236) stated that creativity refers to the ability of the characteristic mark of a creative. Guilford suggests two ways of thinking, ie convergent and divergent thinking. Convergent thinking is the individual ways in thinking about something with the view that there is only one correct answer. While divergent thinking is the ability of individuals to look for alternative answers to a variety of issues.

Utami Munandar (1992: 47) defines creativity as follows. "Creativity is the ability to reflect fluency, flexibility, and originality in thinking and the ability to mengolaborasi an idea." Utami Munandar (1992: 51) emphasizes that creativity as a whole personality is the result of interaction with their environment.

Rogers (Utami Munandar, 1992: 51) defines creativity as a process of emergence of new results into action. The new results emerge from the properties of a unique individual who interacts with other individuals, experience, and the circumstances of his life. Likewise Drevdahl (Hurlock, 1978: 325) defines creativity as the ability to produce compositions and new ideas that can be either creative or imajenatif mingkin synthesis involves the formation of new patterns and combinations of past experiences associated with the existing on the present situation.

Based on various definitions of creativity, Rodhes (Torrance, 1981) classify-definisa definition of creativity into the four categories, namely product, person, procces, and the press.

Product emphasize the creativity of creative works, whether an entirely new and old works of the combination that produces something new. Person looking at creativity in terms of individual traits that mark the creative personality of or in connection with creativity. Procces emphasize how the creative process that takes place right from the start to grow up with berwujudnya creative behavior. The press emphasizes the importance of the factors that favor the emergence of creativity in individuals.

Thus, the meaning of creativity is a typical characteristic possessed by an individual who indicates the ability to create something entirely new or a combination of works that have been there before, into something new work which is done through interaction with the environment to deal with problems, and seek alternative solutions by means of divergent thinking.

C.    CREATIVITY UNDERSTANDING BY TORRANCE

An expert who really emphasize the importance of environmental factors for the development of creativity is the Torrance (1981: 47). He said that in order for individual creative potential can be realized, required the driving forces from outside that is based on the potential of the individual itself. According to Torrance (1981: 48), creativity is not solely a creative talent or creative ability is inborn, but rather is the result of the dialectical relationship between the interactive and creative potential of individuals with learning and experience of its environment.

Torrence (1981: 47) defines creativity as the ability to understand the gaps or barriers in their lives, formulate new hypotheses, and communicating the results, as well as possible to modify and test the hypotheses that have been formulated. To be able to do all that is needed the encouragement of an environment that is based on the creative potential that already exists in itself. Thus, there is mutual support between environmental factors with the creative potential that has been held so as to accelerate the development of creativity in the individual.

D.    APPROACH TO CREATIVITY

Approaches in the study of creativity can be divided into two types, namely the psychological and sociological approaches (Torrance, 1981; Dedi Supriadi, 1989). Approach is more psychological view of creativity in terms of existing strengths within the individual as factors that determine creativity. One of the psychological approach to creativity is used to describe a holistic approach.

Clark (1988) using a holistic approach to explain the concept of creativity is based on the functions of thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuition. Clark considers that creativity includes a synthesis of the functions of thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting.
Thinking is the rational thinking and can be measured and developed through the exercises are done consciously and deliberately. Feeling refers to a level of consciousness that involves emotional aspects. Sensing refers to a situation when the existing talent created a new product that can be viewed or heard by others. Intuiting demands a high level of awareness generated by imagining, fantasizing, and make inroads into areas prasadr and unconscious.
Sociological approach assumes that individual creativity is the result of processes of social interaction, in which the individual with all the potential and the disposition of his personality is influenced by the social environment where the individual is in, which includes economic, political, cultural, and family roles.

Efforts to study creativity by using a sociological approach, first performed by Kroeber in 1914 and then reported in a work entitled Configuration of Culture (Dedi Supriadi, 1989: 84). In analyzing them, Kroeber uses three configurations, namely time, space, and the degree of achievement of a civilization. Based on the analysis conducted, Kroeber take a conclusion that the emergence of high creative people in history is a reflection of the pattern of development of social values.

Research conducted by Gray in 1958, 1961, and 1966, re-emphasized the dominant role in the development of social creativity (Smith Supriadi, 1989: 85). With a focus on the development of Western culture, Gray found that the factors of economic, social, political, and family roles that are conducive to determine the dynamics of the development of creativity and rhythm. Research Naroll et al (1971) conducted in India, China, Japan and Islamic countries indicate that there are certain periods in any cultural development that could encourage the development of creativity to the maximum that can arise creative people. Conversely, there are also certain periods that would curb the growth of creativity.

Arieti (1976) suggested several sociological factors that are conducive to the development of creativity, namely

1.      Availability of cultural facilities,

2.      Openness to the diversity of ways of thinking,

3.      The existence of flexibility for a variety of culture media,

4.      The tolerance of divergent views, and

5.      The existence of an adequate appreciation of those who excel.

E.     DEVELOPMENT OF CREATIVITY

Development of creativity is also the development of the cognitive process of creativity can be reviewed through a process of cognitive development based on the theory proposed by Jean Piaget. According to Jean Piaget (McCormack, 1982) there are four stages of cognitive development, which is as follows.

1.      Sensory-motor stage

This stage is experienced at the age of 0-2 years. According to Piaget (Bybee and Sund, 1982), at this stage the child's interaction with its environment, including his parents, primarily through feelings and his muscles. In interaction with the environment, as well as with parents, children develop the ability to perceive, to touch, do the various movements, and gradually learn to coordinate their actions.

Regarding creativity, according to Piaget, at this stage not yet have the ability to develop their creativity. Because, at this stage what the child is still a physical act that is a reflection, his view of the object is not permanent, yet have the concept of space and time, have no concept of cause and effect, the game is still a form of repetition of reflexes, lack of self- space, and speckle has the ability to speak.

Piaget also said that the ability of the highest at this stage occurs at age 18-24 months, which has already begun the transition from representation to representation of open-closed. At this age, children have started to reproduce something that exists in memory and can use symbols to refer to objects that do not exist.

2.      Preoperational stage

This stage takes place at the age of 2-7 years. This stage is also called intuition stage showed a tendency for cognitive development is characterized by mood intuitive. That is, all rational actions are not supported by elements of thought but by feeling, the natural tendency, acquired attitudes of significant people, and the neighborhood.

At this stage, according to Jean Piaget (Bybee and Sund, 1982), children are very egocentric, so often have problems interacting in its environment, including with her parents. At the end of this stage, according to Jean Piaget (Bybee and Sund, 1982), the ability to develop creativity has begun to grow as the child has begun to develop a memory and have the ability to think about the past and the future, although in the short term. In addition, children have the ability to explain natural events in its environmrnt in animistic and anthropomorphic. Animistic explanation is to explain natural events with the use of animal imagery. The anthropomorphic explanation is to explain these events by using the metaphor of human nature.

3.      Concrete Operational Stage

This stage lasts between 7-11 years of age. At this stage, children begin to adjust to the reality of concrete and growing curiosity. According to Jean Piaget (Bybee and Sund, 1982), interaction with the environment, including the elderly, is growing very well because it is less and less egocentric.

According to Jean Piaget creativity has also been growing. These factors enable the development of creativity is as follows.

1.      Child has begun to show mental operations.

2.      Children begin to think logically in simple form.

3.      Child begins to develop its ability to maintain self-identity.

4.      The concept of space is increasingly widespread.

5.      Children are very aware of past, present, and the future.

6.      Children are able to imagine something, though usually still require assistance motorcycle-concrete objects.

4.      Formal Operational Stage

This phase is experienced by children in over 11 years and over. At this stage, according to Jean Piaget, interaction with the environment is very broad reach many of their peers and even trying to be able to interact with adults. At this stage there is some sort of attraction between wanting to be free to want to be protected.
Seen from this perspective, the development of adolescent creativity in position along with the formal operational stage. That is, the development of creativity, according to Jean Piaget, the stage is at the very potential for the development of creativity.

Several factors support the development of creative potential, among others, as follows.

1.      Adolescents are able to act proportionately based on a combination of logical thinking.

2.      Adolescents are able to do a combination of objects proportionally based on logical thinking.

3.      Adolescents already have an understanding of the relative space.

4.      Adolescents already have an understanding of the relative time.

5.      Adolescents are able to perform the separation and control variables in the face of complex problems.

6.      Adolescents are capable of doing and thinking reflective abstraction hypothesis.

7.      Teens already have the self-ideal (ideal self).

8.      Adolescents have mastered the language of abstraction.

F.     CREATIVITY-STAGE STAGE

WALLAS (Solso, 1991) proposed four stages of the creative process, the preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification.

1.      Preparation (Preparation)

At this stage, individuals are trying to gather information or data to solve problems. With the knowledge of knowledge and experience, the individual attempted to explore the various possible paths that can be taken to solve the problem. But at this stage there is no fixed direction despite being able to explore various alternative solutions to problems.

2.      Incubation (Incubation)

At this stage the individual as if to break away for a while from his problems, in the sense of consciously thinking about it "deal" in the preconscious nature.

3.      Illumination (Illumination)

At this stage the individual is able to arise inspiration or new ideas as well as psychological processes arrives and begins to follow the emergence of inspiration or new ideas.

4.      Verification (Verivication)

At this stage, the ideas that have emerged are evaluated critically and convergent, and exposed them to reality. Divergent thinking should be followed by convergent thinking. Spontaneous thoughts and attitudes must be followed by a selective and deliberate thought. The overall total should be followed by a critique. Philosophy to be followed by logical thinking. Courage to be followed by a cautious stance. Imagination must be followed by testing against reality.

G.    CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVITY

Piers (Adam, 1976) suggests that the characteristics of creativity are as follows.

1.      Have the drive (drive) is high.

2.      Have a high involvement.

3.      Have a great curiosity.

4.      Has a high persistence.

5.      Tend not satisfied with the establishment.

6.      Confidently.

7.      Have high self-reliance.

8.      Free to make decisions.

9.      Accept yourself

10.  Glad to be funny.

11.  Have the intuition that high

12.  Tend to be attracted to things that are complex.

13.  Tolerant of ambiguity.

14.  sensitive nature.

Utami Jojo (1992) suggests the characteristics of creativity, among others, as follows.

1.      Nice to look for new experiences.

2.      Have fun in doing the hard tasks.

3.      Have the initiative.

4.      Has a high persistence.

5.      Tend to be critical of others.

6.      Dared to voice their opinions and beliefs.

7.      Always wanted to know.

8.      Sensitive or sensitive.

9.      Energetic and tenacious.

10.  Love the diverse tasks.

11.  Believing in yourself.

12.  Having a sense of comfort.

13.  Having a sense of beauty.

14.  Future-looking and full of imagination.

Clark (1988) suggested characteristics of creativity are as follows.

1.      Have high self-discipline.

2.      Have high self-reliance.

3.      Often tend to resist authority.

4.      Having a sense of want to entertain.

5.      Capable of opposing pressure groups.

6.      Better able to adjust.

7.      Adventurous.

8.      Tolerant of ambiguity.

9.      Less tolerant of things that are boring.

10.  Like things are complex.

11.  Have a high divergent thinking skills.

12.  Have a good memory and attention.

13.  Have extensive knowledge.

14.  Able to think periodically.

15.  Situations that require support.

16.  Sensitive to the environment.

17.  Have a high curiosity.

18.  Have a high aesthetic value.

19.  More freedom in developing the integration of sex roles.

While Torrance (1981) suggests the following characteristics of creativity.

1.      Have a great curiosity.

2.      Determined and not easily bored.

3.      Confident and independent.

4.      Feel challenged by the progress or complexity.

5.      Dare to take risks.

6.      Divergent thinking.

H.    FACTORS AFFECTING YOUR CREATIVITY

Creativity can not grow automatically, but requires stimulation from the environment. Some experts suggest the factors that influence the development of creativity.
Utami Jojo (1988) suggests that the factors that affect creativity is.

1.      Age;

2.      Parental education level;

3.      Availability of facilities and

4.      Use of leisure time.

Clark (1983) to categorize the factors that affect creativity in the two groups, namely the factors supporting and inhibiting factors. Factors that could support the development of creativity is as follows.

1.      Situations that present incompleteness and openness.

2.      Situations that allow and encourage questions.

3.      Situations that can push in order to produce something.

4.      situations that encourage responsibility and independence.

5.      situations that emphasize self-initiative to explore, observe, ask questions, find, classify, record, interpret, predict, estimate test results, and communicate.

6.      Kedwibahasaan which allows for the development of creative potential more widely because it will provide a view of the world are more varied, more flexible in dealing with problems, and able to express himself in a different way than most that could emerge from the experience he had.

7.      Birth position.

8.      Attention to the interests of the child's parents, the stimulation of the school environment, and self-motivation.

While the factors that hinder the development of creativity is as follows.

1.      The need for success, ketidakberanian the risk, or the pursuit of something that is not yet known.

2.      Conformity to the group of friends and social pressures.

3.      Lacked the courage to explore, using the imagination, and inquiry.

4.      Peranseks or gender stereotypes.

5.      Differentiation between work and play.

6.      Authoritarianism.

7.      No respect for fantasy and imagination.

Miller and Gerard (Adams and Gullota, 1979) suggests the existence of family influence on the development of the creativity of children and adolescents as follows.

1.      Parents who give a sense of security.

2.      Parents have a wide range of interest in activities inside and outside the home.

3.      Parents give their children the ability of the trust and respect.

4.      Parents give children autonomy and freedom.

5.      Parents encourage children to do something with the best.

Torrance (1981) also emphasized the importance of support and encouragement from the environment so that individuals can develop their creativity. According to one environment is first and foremost that can support or hinder the development of creativity is a family environment, especially the interaction within the family.

Torrance (1981) suggested five forms of parental interaction with children or teenagers who can encourage the development of creativity, namely,

1.      Honoring the questions that are not uncommon;

2.      Honor the imaginative ideas;

3.      Demonstrate to the child or adolescent that the ideas presented were worth;

4.      Provide opportunities for children or teens to learn on his own initiative and reward him;

5.      Provide opportunities for children or adolescents to learn and perform activities without judgment atmosphere.

Torrance (1981) also suggests some interaction between parents and children (teenagers) that can inhibit the development of creativity, namely

1.      It is too early to eliminate the fantasy of the child;

2.      Limiting a child's curiosity;

3.      Too much emphasis on the role of sex differences (sexual roles);

4.      Too many prohibit children;

5.      Too stressed to the child to have a sense of shame;

6.      Too much emphasis on certain verbal skills;

7.      Often destructive criticism.

So according to Torrance (1981), the interaction between parent and child or adolescent who can encourage creativity is not based on the interaction of stimulus response situation, but on the basis of the relationship of true life (a living relationship) and the exchange of experiences (coexperiencing).

I.       PROBLEMS OFTEN ARISE IN CREATIVE CHILDREN

Creative children, despite having the ability or excess compared with children in general, is not always smooth in his psychological development. Besides the creative potential that if it does not get better handling it often creates a problem in itself. With regard to this. Dedi Supriadi (1994) suggests a number of issues that often arise or experienced by creative children, is as follows.

1.      Unrealistic career choice

Creative children often tend to have unrealistic career choice, less popular, and not uncommon. They also have many alternatives in determining a career that will be gone through, and even tend to be fickle. Psychological conditions such as this if it does not get a good guidance can direct itself to the lack of proper career choice. As a result, can lead to frustration if the choice is not realized by a sufficient understanding of the types of careers that will be chosen.

2.      Relationships with teachers and peers

Creative children sometimes have problems. They tend to be critical, to have his own opinion, daring to express dissent of the thoughts of others is not easy to believe, a desire that often differ with my friends in general, and not so happy to attach themselves to the authorities.

3.      Developments that are not aligned

If the environment can not accommodate the potential for creative excellence, it can appear in the Problem of self kretif children. The problem that arises is referred to as uneven development (development that is not in harmony) between the intellectual maturity to the development of aspects of emotional and social development.

4.      The absence of ideal figures

Creative children tend to have a huge figures are highly idealized person in his life. Ideal figures may be near in the neighborhood, but can also be afar away and difficult to reach. If the figure is ideally located in a remote and difficult to reach. If the figures provided in a distant ideal, creative children tend to try to reach through their own way. Scarcity of ideal figures due to the scarcity of information can lead to creative children lost to the wrong choice of ideal figure.

J.      CREATIVITY AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS TO HELP THE IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION

Truly creative kids just the same position with other ordinary children. However, because of their creative potential, they are in need of special attention here does not mean they should get preferential treatment, but should get counseling in accordance with the creative potential that is not in vain. The weakness is in the context of education for the development of the creative potential of children, according to Cowan (1981), is the lack of attention to the development of right hemisphere function.

Therefore, the education system should pay attention to the curriculum that will be processed into materials that can be returned to the functions of both hemispheres of the brain development of humans. Too much emphasis on the function of only one hemisphere of the brain causing brain hemisphere functions that others do not develop optimally.
The nature of relationships help to guide the creative children, according to Dedi Supriadi (1994), is the same with relation to children in general. It's just that, ideally, the teachers and counselors know the mechanism of manifestation of the creative process and creative behavior. In the context of relations with these creative kids, Torrance (1977) named the aid relationship with the term creative relationship that has the following characteristics.

1.      Mentors seek to understand the attempt to understand the thoughts and feelings.

2.      Mentors encourage the child to express his ideas without hindrance.

3.      Supervising more emphasis on process rather than results that are in demand advisor able to look at the problems of children as part of the overall dynamics of the development.

4.      Mentors strive to create a friendly environment, free from threats, and an atmosphere of mutual respect.

5.      Mentors do not force their opinions, views, or certain values ​​to children.

6.      Mentors try to explore the positive aspects of the child and not otherwise have picked on the boy.

7.      Mentors try to put aspects of thinking and feeling are balanced in the process guidance.

Supriadi (1994) suggests a number of assistance that can be used to guide the creative development of children, namely:

1.      Create a sense of security to children to express their creativity;

2.      Recognize and respect the ideas of the child;

3.      Be the driving force for the child to communicate and realize his ideas;

4.      Helping children understand the thinking and attitude, and not even
punish him;

5.      Provide opportunities to communicate his ideas;

6.      Provide information about the opportunities available.

REFERENCES

Ali, Mohammad dan Asrori, Mohammad. 2008.PSIKOLOGI REMAJA: Perkembangan Peserta Didik. Jakarta: Bumi Aksara.