Structural Factors of Preschoolers’ Creative Personality and Their Impact on Creative Thinking Based on the Componential Model of Creativity

Abstract

Early childhood is a critical period for creative personality development. Guided by Amabile’s Componential Model of Creativity, this research explored the higher-order structure, developmental trajectories, and predictive role of preschoolers’ creative personality. Study 1 suggested an emergent three-factor higher-order structure comprising intrinsic driving, growing, and openness factors. Due to the longitudinal instability of the openness factor observed at this age, subsequent analyses focused on the two core components. Study 2 employed longitudinal latent growth modeling to examine the developmental trajectories of the intrinsic driving and growing factors across three waves. Study 3 assessed the predictive effects of these two factors on creative thinking performance (specifically figural divergent thinking). The results indicated that: (1) the nine teacher-rated dimensions of preschoolers’ creative personality exhibited preliminary evidence of multidimensional higher-order organization; (2) both intrinsic driving and growing factors significantly increased with age, following distinct linear trajectories; and (3) only the intrinsic driving factor significantly predicted figural divergent thinking in the structural model. While an emergent three-factor structure appeared in cross-sectional data, the longitudinal and predictive findings primarily support the stability and relevance of the core socio-motivational components. Teacher-observed personality tendencies are relevant to early figural divergent thinking but should not be interpreted as evidence for creativity as a whole. These results suggest the relevance of intrinsic driving tendencies to preschoolers’ figural divergent thinking.