The Effects of Creativity and Sex Differences on Grades of Above Average Children

The present study was an attempt to determine whether creative potential, as measured by certain divergent-thinking tests, has any effect on school grades. The study also attempted to determine whether boys and girls of differing creative levels, as measured by tests of divergent thinking, received significantly different grades. Two second grade classes in a large city school were administered three tasks from the Minnesota Tests of Creative Thinking. The three tasks included (1) Picture Completion, (2) Picture Construction (Triangle), and (3) Squares. The scores were totaled for a measure of creativity. Eighteen boys and seventeen girls were selected from the classes by scoring at 110 or above on the California Test of Mental maturity. Grade point averages were computed for these subjects. A two way analysis of variance compared the effects of sex and creativity on grade point average. The interaction of sex by creativity was significant at the .05 level. Cell means were tested by a Duncan Multiple Range Test. A significant difference (.05 level) was found between the mean grade point averages of boys scoring high on creativity and girls scoring high on creativity, favoring the girls. A significant difference also was found between girls scoring low and girls scoring high on creativity, favoring the high creative girls