Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

College of Education and Human Services

Department

Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling & Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Jeffrey A. Daniels.

Abstract

The purported association between mental illness and creativity has been most heavily researched in individuals diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. The bipolar disorders have been conceptualized as a spectrum of disorders that range from problematic and labile affect to different types of temperament. Temperament has classically been defined as elements of personality that are heritable, stable, based on emotion, and uninfluenced by socio-cultural learning. Contemporary literature suggested that at least some aspects of creativity may be enhanced by an affective range that has been best characterized by the milder part of the bipolar spectrum of disorders. The primary inquiry of this study was to investigate whether the creative advantages linked to the milder part of the bipolar continuum may be due to a specific type (or types) of temperament. The psychobiological model of temperament and character was utilized to provide a theoretical context for which to consider the possible relationship between traits and aspects of creativity. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was non-significant such that creativity groups could not be differentiated by any dimensions of temperament and character. Limitations of the current study were reviewed and recommendations for future research were offered.

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