Developing creative capacities:Implications of cognitive processing models∗

Creative problem solving is based on the effective application of certain cognitive processes. After specifying the nature of these processes, the educational interventions likely to contribute to effective process application were examined. These observations lead to the conclusion that educational interventions providing requisite knowledge structures that stress controlled application of these processes in solving progressively more complex problems contribute to the development of creative thinking skills. Some practical implications of these observations for curriculum design are considered.