Divergent Thinking and Age-Related Changes

Abstract

Aging can affect cognition in different ways. The extent to which aging affects divergent thinking is unclear. In this study, younger and older adults were compared at the performance on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking in visual and verbal form. Results showed that older adults can think divergently as younger participants, although they produce fewer visual ideas. This finding involves implications for active aging, given that also older adults can be still capable to produce original ideas and improve living conditions surrounding them.