Creativity and Schizophrenia: An Equality of Empirical Constructs

Abstract
Summary: The possibility that schizophrenia and creativity are two aspects of the same process is discussed, and parallels between different types of schizophrenia and different factors of creativity are sought. The discussion begins at a theoretical level, but its main thrust is an analysis of the research literature at an empirical level. Similarities are pointed out between tasks used for the purpose of operationally defining the schizophrenic ‘deficit’ and tasks used to define creativity. Some evidence is found for different subtypes of schizophrenics exhibiting different factors or types of creativity.