Abstract
Generative thinking is defined as the active construction of a creative instantiation of some familiar concept or object. Four studies examined differences in the generative thinking of 6-, 9-, and 12-year-olds. All versions of the task involved imagining where on the body they would place a third eye and why. In Study 1, when children and adults were required to draw their eye placement, only the adults considered novelty and utility, e.g., seeing all around with the eye behind the head. In Study 2, when children were instructed to place the eye so that they could see more, only 12-year-olds improved their performance. In Study 3, when a model was provided on which the third eye could be placed, both 6- and 9-year-olds improved but their thinking was limited to considerations of the eye still within the face region. In Study 4, when children could place the third eye on their own bodies, 6- and 9-year-olds clearly displayed generative thinking. Results are discussed in terms of constraints on children's generative thinking.