Examining the Relationships Among Working Memory, Creativity, and Intelligence

In this study we investigated the relationships among working memory, creativity (measured as divergent thinking and creative achievement) and nonverbal intelligence. Furthermore, this study examined the roles of working memory and intelligence in the creative process. In order to examine this, participants were evaluated using a variety of cognitive tasks that included the Alternative Uses Test, the Consequences Task, the Creative Achievement Questionnaire, the Alloway Working Memory Assessment, and the matrix test from the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. The results of this study indicate that verbal working memory was related to divergent thinking over and beyond intelligence and creative achievement. Nonverbal intelligence was found to be related to divergent thinking over and beyond working memory. Finally, according to the model used in this study, creative achievement was the best predictor of divergent thinking. The findings of this study expand on the previous literature pertaining to the relationships between working memory, creativity and intelligence