PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF DEVELOPING PERSONAL CREATIVITY: AN INTEGRATIVE MODEL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Keywords:
Creativity; personal creativity; divergent thinking; intrinsic motivation; self-regulation; metacognition; creative self-efficacy; emotional regulation; psychological safety; higher education; student development; cognitive flexibility; tolerance of ambiguity.Abstract
This article presents a conceptual analysis of the psychological mechanisms that support the development of personal creativity in educational contexts, with a special focus on higher education. Creativity is considered not only as the production of novel ideas but also as an integrative personal capacity that combines cognitive flexibility, intrinsic motivation, emotional regulation, and self-regulation of goal-directed activity. The paper systematizes key mechanisms into six interrelated groups: (1) cognitive mechanisms (divergent thinking, associative fluency, cognitive flexibility, problem representation), (2) motivational mechanisms (intrinsic motivation, autonomy, achievement goals), (3) affective mechanisms (emotional sensitivity, regulation of anxiety, tolerance of ambiguity), (4) socio-psychological mechanisms (supportive feedback, psychological safety, collaborative creativity), (5) metacognitive and self-regulatory mechanisms (planning, monitoring, reflective evaluation, creative self-efficacy), and (6) developmental-contextual mechanisms (identity formation, value orientation, learning environment). Based on these mechanisms, the article proposes an integrative model describing how creativity develops through a sequence of stages: activation of curiosity, exploration and idea generation, evaluation and refinement, implementation, and reflective consolidation. Practical implications for psychological and pedagogical work with university students are discussed, including designing learning tasks that encourage autonomy, foster structured reflection, and reduce the fear of error. The article avoids unsupported statistical claims and positions the model as a theoretical basis for further empirical research and diagnostics.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
