Creativity and leisure in the elderly: an investigation about the relationships between divergent thinking and hobbies

Journal title RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA
Author/s Valentina Rita Andolfi, Chiara Valenti, Marcello Cesa-Bianchi, Carlo Cristini
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2016/4 Language Italian
Pages 17 P. 497-513 File size 219 KB
DOI 10.3280/RIP2016-004003
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

Compared to the past, when creativity was considered an ability possessed by a few individuals, now it is recognized as a relevant skill in daily life, even in old age. Creative thinking can stimulate curiosity and, as a result, enhance interest in new activities, and foster the pursuit of life plans in line with the characteristics of seniority. Starting from this theoretical framework, the study aims at investigating the relationships among demographic variables, creativity, and hobbies. The adult version of the ACR test and questionnaire about hobbies were administered to a sample of elderly, aged 52-89 (divided into two groups: young elders from 52 to 70 and old elders, aged 70 or over). Analyses showed that demographic variables and hobbies do not have relations with creativity scores. The eldest participants practice both passive hobbies (such as listening to the radio and music and watching TV) as well as active hobbies (like singing, acting, crafts, sports, dancing, traveling, and volunteering). They spend time in more reflective activities, such as reading, crosswords, and religion. The youngest participants prefer active and creative pastimes, sometimes even technological ones. An encouraging picture emerges, where those over 70 still want to learn and contribute to the proper functioning of society, devoting attention to their affects but also to their own life experiences. The youngest, recently retired or still professionally engaged, dedicate less time to hobbies.

Keywords: Creativity, divergent thinking, ageing, hobbies, leisure.

  1. Andolfi, V.R., & Antonietti, A. (2013). Test ACR: Versione Adulti. Milano: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimento di Psicologia.
  2. Antonietti, A., & Cerioli, L. (1992). Sviluppare la creatività infantile a scuola: Un contributo sperimentale. Potenza: IRRSAE Basilicata.
  3. Antonietti, A., & Colombo, B. (2012). Interventi con la musica per il mantenimento e il recupero delle funzioni cognitive nell’anziano. Ricerche di Psicologia, 35, 239-255.
  4. Antonietti, A., Giorgetti, M., & Pizzingrilli, P. (2011). Io penso creativo: Valutare e potenziare gli aspetti creativi del pensiero. Firenze: Giunti.
  5. Barron, F. (1968). Creativity and personal freedom. Van Nostrand: Princeton; trad. it. (1971). Creatività e libertà della persona. Roma: Astrolabio.
  6. Barron, F. (1969). Creative person e creative process. New York: Holt, Rinehart e Wiston.
  7. Carlsen, M.B. (1991). Creative aging: A meaning-making perspective. New York: Norton.
  8. Cesa-Bianchi, M., & Antonietti, A. (2003). Creatività nella vita e nella scuola. Mondadori Università.
  9. Cesa-Bianchi, M. (1987). Psicologia dell’invecchiamento: Caratteristiche e problemi. Roma: La Nuova Italia Scientifica.
  10. Cesa-Bianchi, M., & Cristini, C. (2015). Questionario sugli Hobby. Milano: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimento di Psicologia.
  11. Cesa-Bianchi, M., Cristini, C., & Giusti E. (2009). La creatività scientifica. Roma: Sovera.
  12. Craft, L.L., & Landers, D.M. (1998). The effect of exercise on clinical depression and depression resulting from mental illness: A meta-analysis. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 20, 339-357.
  13. Dunker, K. (1935). Zur Psychologie des produktiven Denkens. Berlin: Springer; trad. it. (1969). La psicologia del pensiero produttivo. Firenze: Giunti.
  14. Elavsky, S., McAuley, E., Motl, R.W., Konopack, J.F., Marquez, D.X., Hu, L., et al. (2005). Physical activity enhances long-term quality of life in older adults: Efficacy, esteem, and affective influences. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 30, 138-145.
  15. Everard, K.M. (1999). The relationship between reasons for activity and older adult well-being. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 18, 325-340.
  16. Fisher, B.J., & Specht, D.K. (1999). Successful aging and creativity in later life. Journal of Aging Studies, 13, 457-472.
  17. Guilford, J.P. (1967). The nature of human intelligence. New York: McGraw-Hill.
  18. Guilford, J.P. (1970). Creativity: Retrospect and prospect. Journal of Creative Behaviour, 4, 149-169; trad. it. Beaudot, A. (Ed.) (1979). La creatività: Retrospettiva e prospettiva. Torino: Loescher.
  19. Habron, J., Butterly, F., Gordon, I., & Roebuck, A. (2013). Being well, being musical: Music composition as a resource and occupation for older people. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76, 308-316.
  20. Harlow, R.E., & Cantor, N. (1996). Still participating after all these years: A study of life task participation in later life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 1235-1249. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.71.6.1235
  21. Helson, R. (1967). Personality characteristics and developmental history of creative college women. Genetic Psychological monographs, 76, 205-256.
  22. Helson, R. (1971). Women mathematicians and the creative personality. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 36, 210-220.
  23. Jirovec, R.L., & Hyduk, C.A. (1998). Type of volunteer experience and health among older adult volunteers. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 30, 29-42.
  24. Katona, G. (1940). Organizing and Memorizing. New York: Columbia University Press; trad. it. (1972). Memoria e organizzazione. Firenze: Giunti.
  25. Koestler, A. (1964). The act of creation. London: Hutchinson; trad. it. (1975). L’atto della creazione. Roma: Ubaldini.
  26. Köhler, W. (1920). Intelligenzpruefungen an Menschenaffen. Berlin: Springer; trad. it. (1961). L’intelligenza nelle scimmie antropoidi. Firenze: Giunti.
  27. Kozma, A., Stones, M.J., & McNeil, J.K. (1991). Psychological well-being in later life. Toronto, Canada: Butterworths.
  28. Labouvie-Vief, G. (1992). A neo-Piagetian perspective on adult cognitive development. In R.J. Sternberg & C.A. Berg (Eds.), Intellectual development. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 197-228.
  29. Lampinen, P., Heikkinen, R.L., & Ruoppila, I. (2000). Changes in intensity of physical exercise as predictors of depressive symptoms among older adults: An eight-year follow-up. Preventive Medicine, 30, 371-380.
  30. Larocca, F. (1983). Oltre la creatività: L’educazione. Brescia: La Scuola.
  31. Leon, S.A., Altmann, L.J.P., Abrams, L., Gonzalez Rothi, L.J., & Heilman K.M. (2014). Divergent task performance in older adults: Declarative memory or creative potential? Creativity Research Journal, 26, 21-29. DOI: 10.1080/10400419.2014.873657
  32. Leventhal, H., Rabin, C., Leventhal, E.A., & Burns, E. (2001). Health risk behaviors and aging. In J.E. Birren & K.W. Schaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (5th ed., pp. 186-214). New York: Academic.
  33. Li, F., Duncan, T.E., Duncan, S.C., McAuley, E., Chaumeton, N.R., & Harmer, P. (2001). Enhancing the psychological well being of elderly individuals through Tai Chi exercise: A latent growth curve analysis. Structural Equation Modeling, 8, 53- 83.
  34. Hull, C.L. (1952). A behavior system. New York: Yale University Press.
  35. Mackinnon, D.W. (1962). The nature and nurture of creative talent. American Psychologist, 17, 485-485.
  36. Torrance, E.P. (1966). Test di pensiero creativo: Manuale tecnico e norme. Firenze: Organizzazioni Speciali.
  37. Maltzman, I. (1955). Thinking: From a behaviouristic point of view. Psychological Review, 62, 275-286; trad. it. (1973). Il pensiero: Da un punto di vista comportamentistico. In G. Mosconi & V. D’Urso (Eds.), La soluzione di problemi. Firenze: Giunti.
  38. Mednick, S.A. (1962). The associative basis of creativity. Psychological review, 69, 220-232.
  39. Mednick, S.A., & Mednick, M.T. (1967). Manual for the Remote Associates Test, Form 1. Boston: Houghton-Miffin.
  40. Menec, V.H. (2003). The relation between everyday activities and successful aging: A 6-year longitudinal study. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 58B, S74-S82.
  41. Minois, G. (1987). Histoire de la vieillesse de l'Antiquité à la Renaissance. Paris: Fayard.
  42. Mosconi, G., & D’Urso, V. (1974). Il farsi e il disfarsi del problema. Firenze: Giunti.
  43. Netz, Y., Wu, M.J., Becker, B.J., & Tenenbaum, G. (2005). Physical activity and psychological well-being in advanced age: A meta-analysis of intervention studies. Psychology and Aging, 20, 272-284. DOI: 10.1037/0882-7974.20.2.272
  44. Okun, M.A., Olding, R.W., & Cohn, C.M.G. (1990). A meta-analysis of subjective well-being interventions among elders. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 257-266. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.108.2.257
  45. Palmiero, M., Di Giacomo, D., & Passafiume, D. (2014). Can creativity predict cognitive reserve? Journal of Creative Behavior, 48, 1-20.
  46. Price, K.A., & Tinker, A.M. (2014). Creativity in later life. Maturitas, 78, 281-286.
  47. Ramachandran, V.S. (2004). Che cosa sappiamo della mente. Milano: Mondadori.
  48. Reich, J.W., Zautra, A.J., & Hill, J. (1987). Activity, event transactions, and quality of life in older adults. Psychology and Aging, 2, 116-124. DOI: 10.1037/0882-7974.2.2.116
  49. Rothenberg, A. (1979). The emerging goddess: The creative process in art, science, and other fields. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  50. Ryhamar, L., & Brolin, C. (1999). Creativity research: Historical considerations and main lines of development. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 43, 259-273.
  51. Rothenberg, A. (1979). The emerging goodness: The creative process in art, science, and other fields. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  52. Sabeti, S. (2014). Creative ageing? Selfhood, temporality and the older adult learner. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 34(2), 211-229. DOI: 10.1080/02601370.2014.987710
  53. Searle, M.S., Mahon, M.J., Iso-Ahola, S.E., Sdrolias, H.A., & van Dyck, J. (1995). Enhancing a sense of independence and psychological well-being among the elderly: A field experiment. Journal of Leisure Research, 27, 107-124.
  54. Simonton, D.K. (1984). Genius, creativity and leadership. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
  55. Simonton, D.K. (1988). Scientific genius. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  56. Smith, S.M., Ward, T.B., & Finke, R.A. (Eds.), (1995). The creative cognition approach. Boston: MIT Press.
  57. Sternberg, R.J. (1988) (Ed.), The nature of creativity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  58. Sternberg, R.J. (2007). Wisdom, intelligence and creativity synthesized. New York: Cambridge University Press
  59. Sternberg, R.J., Lubart, T.I. (1999). The concept of creativity: Prospects and paradigms. In R.J. Stenberg. Handbook of creativity. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  60. Suzman, R.M., Manton, K.G., & Willis, D.P. (1992). Introducing the oldest old. The oldest old, 3-14. DOI: 10.2307/3349879
  61. Vygotskij, L.S. (1972). Immaginazione e creatività nell’età infantile. Roma: Editori Riuniti.
  62. Warr, P., Butcher, V., & Robertson, I. (2004). Activity and psychological well-being in older people. Aging & Mental Health, 8, 172-183.
  63. Wertheimer, M. (1920). Ueber Schlussprozesse im produktiven Denken. Berlin: De Gruyter; trad. it. parziale Processi sillogistici e pensiero produttivo, in P. Legrenzi & A. Mazzocco (1973), Psicologia del pensiero. Firenze: Martello.
  64. Zhang, W., & Niu, W. (2013). Creativity in the later life. Journal of Creative Behavior, 47, 60-76. DOI: 10.1080/13607860410001649662
  65. Zimmer, Z., Hickey, T., & Searle, M.S. (1995). Activity participation and well-being among older people with arthritis. The Gerontologist, 35, 463-471.

  • Le concezioni dell'apprendimento negli anziani ospedalizzati Rosa Cera, Alessandro Antonietti, in RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA 4/2019 pp.565
    DOI: 10.3280/RIP2018-004002
  • Potenziare la flessibilità cognitiva in età anziana: gli effetti di un training Sabrina Rago, Valentina Rita Andolfi, Alessandro Antonietti, Giuseppe Iannoccari, Nicoletta Porcu, Chiara Valenti, in RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA 2/2020 pp.691
    DOI: 10.3280/RIP2020-002011

Valentina Rita Andolfi, Chiara Valenti, Marcello Cesa-Bianchi, Carlo Cristini, Creativita e tempo libero in eta senile: un’indagine delle relazioni tra propensione al pensiero divergente e passatempi praticati in "RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA " 4/2016, pp 497-513, DOI: 10.3280/RIP2016-004003