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THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE STUDENTS’ PERSONALITY TRAITS AND
THE COMPONENTS OF PERCEIVED CREATIVITY
Kristina SAMAŠONOK, Ala PETRULYTĖ*, Giedrė STAŠKIENĖ
Vilniaus Kolegija / University of Applied Sciences, Lithuanian University of Educational
Sciences*, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Abstract
Personality traits are the strongest predictors of creative achievements. Research objective: to investigate the
distinctive features of creativity and personality traits of Lithuanian higher school students and identify their
interfaces. Comparative analysis of the estimates of components of students’ creativity and personality traits
was carried out using a table of values from Student's t criteria. The analysis of estimates of the interfaces
between the components of students’ creativity and personality traits is provided when using the Pearson
correlation coefficient. Research methodologies: NEO FFI questionnaire (NEO Five Factor Inventory, Costa,
Mc.Crae, 1992) was used to identify the student's personality traits delineated by these scales: extraversion,
agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness. The student's creativity was explored using the
Personality creativity questionnaire (Петрулис, 1988) and following these sub- scales of creativity: intuition,
fantasy, prone to creativity and innovation, flexibility, originality, criticism, inversiveness and childishness.
Research results will have an enduring value in discussions on the interface between the student's personality
traits and the expression of components of perceived creativity, their practical significance for higher schools
in developing the learner's creativity and improving the quality of studies.
Keywords: personality traits, creativity, students.
Introduction
In recent years, a rapid economic growth has been increasing the role of creativity in every
sphere of life. As noted by J. R. Šinkūnienė (2011), a creative personality affects economic,
political and educational decision making and is considered as an indicator of public welfare
and innovation. Creativity is becoming the guarantee of success in the professional sphere,
it helps solve everyday problems more effectively, ensures the labour market flexibility and
helps quickly adapt to changes; therefore the aspects of a creative personality are more
often becoming a major theme of researches. Scientific literature states that creativity and
creative achievements depend on personality traits to a great extent. However, until
recently there have been discussions on distinctive features peculiar to creative people
when trying to identify, which personality traits most strongly impact creativity, and explain
the impact of major personality traits on various creativity aspects. On the other hand, it is
asserted that personality traits of people of different occupations that affect the expression
of components of creativity might differ.
Over the last few decades numerous Lithuanian and foreign researchers explored the
distinctive features of creativity and personality traits in various aspects. D. Grakauskaitė –
Karkockienė (2006, 2010, 2013), G. Beresnevičius (2010), B. Петрулис (1988, 1991), A.
Petrulytė (2001, 2007, 2011), R. J. Sternberg, T. I. Lubart (1999), Е. E. Туник (2002), E.
Torrance (1986), T. Kriščiūnaitė, A. Perminas (2011) and other researchers emphasized
certain characteristics of a creative personality. Some authors analysed various factors and
environmental impacts influencing the creative expression of individuals (Hemlin, Allwood,
Martin, 2008; Grakauskaitė – Karkockienė, 2006, 2010). Nevertheless, researchers lay
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