The relationship between creativity and conformity in preschool children

The current study investigated the relationship between creativity and conformity. The subjects were 45 preschool children. Creativity was assessed using the Multidimensional Stimulus Fluency Measure (Moran, Sawyers, Fu, & Milgram, 1983), an original thinking task. Conformity was assessed by the Starkweather Social Conformity Test and the Starkweather Form Boards Test (Starkweather, 1964). Starkweather's (1964) hypothesis of a curvilinear relationship between conformity and creativity was found for the social conformity task (χ2 = 11.69, p < .01). Chi-square analyses revealed significantly more children in the freedom of expression (low social conformity) and high original thinking group. That is, significantly less children were found in the low conformity/low creativity cell and more in the low conformity/high creativity cell than were expected by chance. No differences were found for impersonal conformity. The findings were discussed with regard to conformity as an important personality trait in the identification and nurturance of creative potential and problem solving in young children.