The myth is broken: Adults are more creative than children, but one thing stops them

A new study published in PLOS One finds that adults are more creative than children, contrary to the common myth. Researchers from the University of Graz in Austria compared 92 kindergarten children to 70 adults on three creative tasks: drawing a mythical creature, finding uses for an empty tin can, and free drawing. Adults outperformed children in originality, effectiveness, and overall creative quality. However, children showed joy and full confidence, while adults reported anxiety and fear of judgment. The article cites experts like Emily Liu and Matthias Benedek, and suggests ways to foster creativity at any age, emphasizing that fear of failure is the main barrier.

A new study published in the journal PLOS One finds that adults are more creative than children, contrary to the prevailing myth. Researchers from the University of Graz in Austria compared 92 kindergarten children to 70 adults on three creative tasks: drawing a mythical creature, finding uses for an empty tin can, and free drawing. Adults outperformed children in all measures – originality, effectiveness, and overall creative quality. However, children displayed joy and full confidence, while adults reported anxiety and fear of judgment. The article cites experts such as Emily Liu and Matthias Benedek, and suggests ways to foster creativity at any age, emphasizing that fear of failure is the main barrier.

The myth is broken: Adults are more creative than children, but one thing stops them