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Potential

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The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible

Abstract

In this entry, the notion of potential is first introduced in its general meaning and then discussed for its role in creativity studies. In particular, by introducing the dynamic definition of creativity (Corazza, Creat Res J 28:258–267, 2016), which foresees that creativity is a context-embedded phenomenon requiring potential originality and effectiveness, this term becomes a central actor in the understanding of the complex creativity phenomenon in all its multiple nuances. In order to cover all the important dimensions in creativity studies, three classification frameworks are used: the 4P’s by Rhodes (Phi Delta Kappan 42:305–310, 1961), the 5A’s by Glăveanu (Rev Gen Psychol 17:69, 2013), and the 4C’s by Kaufman and Beghetto (Rev Gen Psychol 13:1, 2009). Exploiting these perspectives, 16 different forms of creative potential are introduced and discussed: individual creative potential, embedded individual creative potential, mini-c creative potential, little-c creative potential, Pro-c creative potential, Big-C creative potential, systemic process potential, embedded process potential, universal process potential, instantaneous product potential, experiential product potential, condensation potential, cultural evolution potential, sociocultural context potential, action potential, and virtual world potential. These relevant forms of potential in the creative process interact in various ways to determine the overall level of potential originality and effectiveness in a creativity episode.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. DEI-Marconi Institute for Creativity, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Giovanni Emanuele Corazza

  2. LAPEA, Université de Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt, France

    Giovanni Emanuele Corazza

  3. LAPEA, IFSTTAR, University Gustave Eiffel, Versailles, France

    Giovanni Emanuele Corazza

Authors
  1. Giovanni Emanuele Corazza
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Correspondence to Giovanni Emanuele Corazza .

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy

    Alice Chirico

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Corazza, G.E. (2021). Potential. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_163-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98390-5_163-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98390-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98390-5

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