Studies in Creativity: V. the Selection Process in Recall and in Problem-Solving Situations

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Abstract
The purpose of the experiment was to compare the ways learned material is utilized in memory and in problem situations. In contrast to earlier studies in this series (in which Ss were asked to memorize word pairs) Ss in this study were given single words, and no associative bonds were built up experimentally. Learning was measured by 3 free-recall memory tests, and problem solving by 2 creative stories. A qualitative analysis of the memory tests revealed that individuals tended to organize the words using content or first letters. A comparison of Repeated-pairs (pairs repeated in a story or used in 1 Memory test and a story) with Old-pairs (used in previous experiments) showed that the associations formed for recall, although weaker than those experimentally imposed, function in much the same way. An analysis of 2 Key Words (first two words on last Memory test) showed that Ss with wide differences in positioning of Key Words on the previous Memory checks did not differ in their positioning of the Key Words within the stories. It is concluded that Ss differ in how they store learned material (with no one method seeming to be superior) and in how stable their organization becomes. However, the posing of a problem seems to bypass the organization established for recall with Ss selecting from the entire bank of material. The problem, rather than the storage, seems to determine the usage of the material.