A study conducted by researchers at the University of Graz in Austria, in partnership with institutions in Belgium and the United States, challenges the common assumption that children possess greater creative capacity than adults.
The research involved 92 preschool children between four and seven years old and 70 adults primarily in their 20s participating in three creative exercises. Participants were asked to generate multiple uses for a tin within three minutes, create drawings without time constraints, and sketch an imaginary animal within eight minutes. Independent judges evaluated the outputs based on originality, usefulness, and overall creativity. Participants also completed surveys assessing their enjoyment levels, motivation, confidence, and anxiety during the tasks.
Judges rated adult submissions as significantly more original, useful, and creative compared to children’s work, particularly when explicit objectives and time parameters were established. However, children reported substantially higher levels of confidence, motivation, and lower anxiety levels while engaging in the activities. The analysis revealed that adults consistently outperformed children in measurable creative output despite experiencing diminished self-assurance.
Dr. Mathias Benedek, the study’s lead researcher, attributed the performance gap to differences in psychological approach rather than inherent creative ability. Children engaged with activities through intrinsic motivation and play-based exploration, freely experimenting and viewing errors as learning opportunities. Adults, by contrast, concentrated on achieving specific outcomes and remained apprehensive about potential rejection of unconventional ideas, causing them to self-censor before fully pursuing original concepts.
The researchers acknowledged methodological constraints, including the comparison of only two age groups at a single point in time, which limits conclusions about creativity changes across the lifespan. They suggested, however, that the widespread belief in declining creativity with age may actually reflect a loss of confidence rather than genuine loss of creative ability.
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