The relationship between child creativity and maternal empathy, respect, and genuineness

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between child creativity and maternal expressions of empathy, respect, and genuineness. The rationale for such a relationship derives from the theories of Maslow and Rogers. It was hypothesized that there is no relationship between any child creativity variable (fluency, flexibility, originality, or total creativity) and either claimed or observed maternal empathy, respect, or genuineness. It was reasoned that the mothers who had participated in Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) classes and mothers who had no participated would provide a range of therapeutically facilitative behavior. Subjects were 46 children ranging in age from 6-17 years, 18 boys and 28 girls, 30 with mothers who had participated in P.E.T. classes and 16 mothers who had not. Children were administered the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (Verbal Form A). Mothers were evaluated for empathy, respect and genuineness on the basis of their own and their children's responses to a paper-and-pencil projective test as well as video-taped laboratory observation of mother-child dyads engaged in a situational task. ...