Die verband tussen kreatiewe denke en psigologiese weerbaarheid by kinders in hulle laat middelkinderjare

The object of this study was to establish if there is correlation between creativity and resilience in children in their middle childhood. Previously research focussed on the pathogenic characteristics of human beings. A new field in the social sciences has begun to focus on human strengths. This field has given birth to terms like resilience. Children who show the ability to perform well in stressful situations shows signs of resilience. Resilient characteristics include internal personal strengths, social interpersonal strengths and external strengths. Creativity could be included in internal personal strengths of resilient children. Creative thought is commonly seen in creative problem solving. Creativity includes the person, process, product and environment of creativity. A creative person shows a combination of creative characteristics. The creative product has fluency, originality, sensitivity and plasticity as qualities. Creative environments includes the field, domain and person. These aspects are in constant interaction, and are essential for creativity. A variety of models and components of the creative process has been developed. The sample consisted of 517 children, with 376 being white and 141 black children. Children in their middle childhood were randomly selected from schools in Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West and Freestate provinces to partake in this study. Pearson's product moment correlation coeffiecent was used to establish the correlation between creativity and resilience. Fishers r- Z- transformation was used to determine if there was any difference in correlation between black and white children. The following results were found. A correlation was found between characteristics of resilience and creativity. The characteristics found were dominance, tendermindedness, irritability and self-control. A high creativity score correlated to fewer occurrences of symptoms of attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, specific and social phobia disorders, vocal tics, major depression disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. A difference in correlation in personality and specific phobia between black and white children was found.