In Handbook of Creativity (Cambridge: University Press.1999), Robert Sternberg discusses several limitations to the way creativity has been studied by researchers in psychology in the past. Many research studies viewed creativity as an extraordinary result of ordinary structures or processes, oftentimes emerging from divine intervention. Moreover, creativity had only been studied through uni-disciplinary lenses. Sternberg calls for more multidimensional and developmental approaches to understanding creativity. He suggests a new robust framework — one that is dependent on a convergence of six distinct but interrelated resources: intellectual abilities, knowledge, styles of thinking, personality, motivation, and environment.

Three intellectual abilities are particularly important to creativity: (a) the synthetic ability to see problems in new ways and to escape the bounds of conventional thinking, (b) the analytic ability to recognize which of one’s ideas are worth pursuing and which are not, and (c) the practical-contextual ability to know how to persuade or sell other people on the value of one’s ideas. The nexus of these three abilities is also important. Analytic ability, used in the absence of the other two abilities, results in powerful critiques but not creative thinking. Synthetic ability, in the absence of the other two, results in new ideas that are not subjected to the scrutiny required to (1) evaluate their promise and (2) make them work. And practical-contextual ability, in the absence of the other two, may result in the transmission of ideas, not because the ideas are good, but rather because they have been powerfully presented.

With regard to knowledge, creators need to know enough about a field to move it forward. Yet, knowledge can produce a paradox. While one cannot move ahead in a field that one does not know, too much knowledge about a field can result in a closed and entrenched perspective. This can prevent a person from moving beyond the way in which he or she has seen problems in the past.

With regard to thinking styles, it is particularly important for people to think in novel (divergent) ways, rather than following the crowd. This includes how one questions, frames problems, makes connections, envisions scenarios, reflects, etc. It also helps if one is able to think globally as well as locally and can distinguish the forest from the trees. They can thereby recognize which questions are important and which ones are not.

Numerous research investigations have highlighted the importance of certain personality attributes for creative functioning. These attributes include, but are not limited to, self-confidence and a willingness to overcome obstacles, to take sensible risks, and to tolerate ambiguity. Pursuing ideas that are unknown or controversial often means defying the crowd, so would-be creators have to be willing to stand up to established rules or norms.

Intrinsic, task-focused motivation is also essential to creativity. Research has shown the importance of such motivation for creative work. It has suggested that people rarely do truly creative work in an area unless they really love what they are doing. This love allows them to focus on the work rather than on the potential rewards. Interestingly, carrying out creative activities also helps to generate intrinsic motivation.

Finally, one needs an environment that is supportive and rewarding of creative ideas. One could have all of the internal resources needed to think creatively, but without some environmental support (such as a forum for proposing those ideas and constructive feedback), this creativity might never be displayed.

With regard to the confluence of components, creativity is hypothesized to involve more than a simple sum of a person’s attained level of functioning in each component. First, there may be thresholds for some components (e.g., knowledge) below which creativity is not possible, regardless of the levels attained in other components. Second, partial compensation may occur, in which a strength in one component (e.g., motivation) counteracts a weakness in another component (e.g., environment). Third, interactions may also occur between components, such as intelligence and motivation, in which high levels on both could exponentially enhance creativity.