The Independence of Creative Potential and Behavior Disorders in Gifted Children

Abstract

Samples of gifted children in Louisiana ( N = 44) and Connecticut ( N = 34) were administered the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT), and their parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). As predicted, scores on the TTCT and CBCL were statistically unrelated. Also as predicted, scores for the CBCL were very similar to national norms (Achenbach. 1991) and represented an absence of behavior disorders. Contrary to expectations, TTCT scores were slightly below national norms (Torrance, 1990c). Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between creativity and psychopathology. The results of this study suggest that this relationship is a result of selection on the basis of artistic eminence rather than superior intellectual functioning.