Creativity and adolescence: Differences according to gender, course and cognitive level

The study analyzes whether there are differences in the levels of creativity of adolescents according to gender, cognitive level and academic course respectively. The sample consists of 670 adolescents (ages 12 to 16). The factorial analysis of the variable creativity reported two differentiated factors: divergent thinking (fluency, flexibility and originality components) and elaboration. In the intellectual aptitude variable, three intelligence groups were established (low, medium and high). In relation to the results, no statistically significant differences were found between genders for divergent thinking but in the elaboration factor in favor of the girls, which would indicate a significantly higher level of development, complexity and detail of a production or idea. No differences were found depending on the intellectual level for the divergent thinking factor. In the elaboration factor were found differences in favor of groups with greater intellectual capacity, which would partly support the independence of the constructs of creativity and intelligence. Lastly, the course variable shows a decrease in divergent thinking and the elaboration of progress in ESO, except that this last factor will present a zenith in the last year of ESO.