Theoretical Models of Creativity in Modern Psychology: Cognitive, Personality, and Sociocultural Approaches

This article presents a systematic theoretical review of major models of creativity within the Western psychological tradition, emphasizing cognitive, personality-motivational, and sociocultural approaches. Creativity is recognized as a multifaceted and dynamic capacity inherent to all individuals, expressed through the generation of new, original, and socially valuable products. The cognitive paradigm focuses on mental processes such as divergent thinking, cognitive flexibility, and associative thinking as core components of creative activity. The psychometric approach highlights standardized measurement ofcreative abilities, including fluency, originality, and flexibility, and underscores the potential for creativity development through education. The personality-motivational perspective stresses intrinsic motivation, self-development, emotional experience, and ethical values as central drivers of creativity, framing it as a form of personal autonomy and self-realization. Meanwhile, sociocultural and systemic approaches emphasize the interaction between the individual, social environment, and cultural context, considering creativity as a co-creative process influenced by social recognition and cultural domains. Despite varying emphases, all approaches converge on the understanding of creativity as an interplay between individual capacities and external factors, requiring a comprehensive, integrative framework. This synthesis of perspectives provides a solid foundation for further research, diagnosis, and practical application in educational, managerial, and therapeutic contexts, highlighting the importance ofnurturing creativity as a vital skill in the rapidly evolving social and cultural landscape