Creative Thinking Of 8-16-year-old Deaf Children And Correlation Factors

Objective: To approach the difference in creative thinking between deaf children and unimpaired children, thus we can protect and promote the development of their creativity.Methods: Observation group (n=122) comprised the hearing disability students from 5 special education schools in Shenyang and Dalian. Control group (n=144) was taken at random from 4 ordinary primary and middle schools in Shenyang and Dalian, matching the observation group by age and sex. The two groups were given both New Creativity Test and Combined Raven's Test. Statistical analysis methods involved t test, chi square test and multiple linear regression.Results:①Deaf children group scored lower than unimpaired children group on verbal fluency, verbal flexibility, verbal originality, verbal elaboration, figural flexibility and IQ (P<0.05). Deaf children group scored higher than unimpaired children group on figural elaboration (P<0.05).There was no significant difference in fluency and originality of figural task between two groups (P>0.05).②Deaf children's scores of verbal fluency correlated positively with their age and mothers'educational level (P<0.05), had negative correlation with their grade of deafness (P<0.05). The order of these influencing factors from big to small is the age, mother's educational level, the grade of deafness.③Deaf children's scores of verbal flexibility correlated positively with their mothers'educational level and length of bilingual education (P<0.05), had negative correlation with their grade of deafness (P<0.05). The order of these influencing factors from big to small is the length of bilingual education, the grade of deafness, mother's educational level.④Deaf children's scores of verbal originality correlated positively with their age (P<0.05).⑤Deaf children's scores of figural fluency correlated positively with their age of sign language (P<0.05).⑥Deaf children's scores of figural flexibility correlated positively with their age of sign language (P<0.05), had negative correlation with their grade of deafness (P<0.05). The order of these influencing factors from big to small is the age of sign language, the grade of deafness.⑦Deaf children's scores of figural originality correlated positively with their fathers'educational level and age of sign language (P<0.05). The order of these influencing factors from big to small is the age of sign language, father's educational level.⑧Deaf children's scores of figural elaboration correlated positively with their fathers'educational level and age of sign language (P≦0.05), had negative correlation with their age and grade of deafness (P<0.05). The order of these influencing factors from big to small is the age of sign language, the age, the grade of deafness, father's educational level.Conclusions:①There are some differences in creative thinking between deaf children and unimpaired children. Deaf children's verbal creative thinking is lower than unimpaired children's. There was no difference in figural fluency and figural originality between them. Deaf children's figural flexibility is lower than unimpaired children's. Deaf children's figural elaboration is higher than unimpaired children's.②Deaf children's intelligence is lower than unimpaired children's. Intelligence don't have a significant influence on creative thinking ability.③Sign language is a major influencing factor on deaf children's figural creative thinking. Deaf children's figural originality is the same as unimpaired children's. The longer the age of sign language, the higher figural creative thinking is.