Creativity Outside School: The Influence of Family Background, Perceived Parenting, and After‐school Activity on Creativity

The present research involved two studies that investigated the creativity development of Chinese children and young adolescents (9–14 years old). It was hypothesized that family socio‐economic status (SES), perceived parenting (e.g., parental autonomy support, involvement, and overcontrol), and after‐school activities contribute to the development of creativity. Study 1 showed that self‐rated creativity (mini‐c) was positively associated with children's perceived parenting and SES, whereas expert‐rated creativity (little‐c) and teachers’ rated creativity was positively associated with academic achievement. Study 2 replicated and expanded Study 1 by involving a larger sample and adding factors from the parents' perspective and new measurements of creativity. Study 2 found that children’s perceived parenting and SES were the most significant contributors to the mini‐c, followed by age. In terms of little‐c, the most significant contributor was children’s age, followed by children’s perceived parenting and SES. Moreover, participation in after‐school activities played a critical role in the development of creativity, as represented by both little‐c and mini‐c. The implications of this study are discussed.