Seminar on Intelligence and Creativity
PSYC 354Z
Winter 2026
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
EDST 354Z |
What does it mean to be smart? Who decides whether something or someone is creative? The answers to these questions are of great consequence as they often determine who gets access to scarce resources. This course will introduce students to some of the most vibrant and lively debates in the fields of intelligence and creativity. Our goal will be to discuss relevant theories and evaluate empirical data associated with various perspectives and approaches to understanding these important constructs. In addition, students will gain familiarity with and critically evaluate how intelligence and creativity are measured, as well as the usefulness of different measures for predicting the success of individuals and organizations. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS PSYC |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Education Studies Minor)(Education Studies)(Psychology) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
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All readings will be posted to Moodle and noted in the syllabus. It is expected that you will
complete the readings before coming to the relevant class sessions with which those readings are associated.
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Examinations and Assignments:
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Two major presentations, some reflection papers and activities, and one final paper. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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Pre-course readings (available on Moodle):
¿ Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2009). Beyond big and little: The four C model of
creativity. Review of General Psychology, 13(1), 1-12.
¿ Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The standard definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92-96.
¿ Sternberg, R.J., Kaufman, J.C., & Pretz, J.E. (2001). The propulsion model of creative
contributions applied to the Arts and Letters. Journal of Creative Behavior, 35(2), 75-101.
Pre-course Assignment:
Please think of the most creative thing you have ever encountered. Then create a
document/presentation in which you:
1) Explain what it is and why you think it is creative
2) Explain whether or not it fits the "Standard Definition of Creativity"
3) Describe which of the 8 categories it fits into (if any) of the Propulsion Theory of Creativity that
you were assigned to read about
4) Comment on which of the 4 categories of "c" (e.g., mini-c, Big C) you think it represents
5) Come to class prepared to present on your example and discuss it with the class in terms of the
4 points above.
There is no page expectation - just do your best to address the questions above. I expect the presentations will likely be in the range of 10-15 minutes each. You will want to give us a little background about the thing you have selected and give us some exposure to it/examples of it. |
| Instructor(s): Stemler,Steven Times: .MTWRF. 09:30AM-11:30AM; .MTWRF. 12:30PM-02:30PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 12 | | SR major: 2 | JR major: 2 | | |
| Seats Available: 4 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 2 | JR non-major: 2 | SO: 2 | FR: 2 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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