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Watching films with magical content facilitates creativity in children

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>08/2010
<mark>Journal</mark>Perceptual and Motor Skills
Issue number1
Volume111
Number of pages17
Pages (from-to)261-277
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Two experiments examined the possible link between magical thinking and creativity in preschool children. In Exp. 1, 4- and 6-yr.-old children were shown a film with either a magical or nonmagical theme. Results indicated that the mean scores of children shown the magical film was significantly higher than that of children watching the nonmagical film on the majority of subsequent creativity tests for both age groups. This trend was also found for 6-yr.-olds’ draw- ings of impossible items. In Exp. 2, Exp. 1 was replicated successfully with 6- and 8-yr.-old children. Exposing children to a film with a magical theme did not af- fect their beliefs about magic. The results were interpreted to accentuate the role of magical thinking in children’s cognitiv