Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which creativity and expressed interpersonal needs correlate with philosophies of human nature.Procedure. The respondents were 64 students who were enrolled in four EDP 101: Introduction to Education classes and two doctoral seminars, EED 695 and ELI 695, in the School of Education and Allied Professions, during the Fall of 1981.Three research instruments were administered to the clusters from which the Ss were randomly selected, namely: the Philosophy of Human Nature Scale (PHN Scale, Wrightsman, 1965), the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation--Behavior (Schutz, 1977 ed.) and the Creativity Scale (Scott, 1965).Findings. (1) There was a significant difference in PHN scores of males and females; significant differences in PHN scores of graduates and freshmen were found in two of the six PHN subscales. (2) Significant correlations were found between scores on certain dimensions of philosophies of human nature and scores on specific aspects of expressed interpersonal needs; the same was true of philosophies of human nature and creativity scores. (3) Females scored significantly higher than males on creativity; no significant difference was found in creativity scores of graduates and freshmen. (4) Freshmen scored significantly higher than graduates on expressed inclusion; no significant difference was found in expressed inclusion scores of males and females. (5) There were no significant differences in expressed control scores of graduates and freshmen and of males and females. (6) Freshmen scored significantly higher than their graduate counterparts on expressed affection; no significant difference was found between scores of males and females on expressed inclusion.Conclusions. Based on the limitations and the findings of the study, the following conclusions appeared to be warranted: There seemed to be no definitive relationships between philosophies of human nature and expressed interpersonal needs and between philosophies of human nature and creativity. Certain dimensions of philosophies of human nature correlated with some aspects of expressed interpersonal needs; the same was true of certain dimensions of philosophies of human nature and creativity. For instance, there was a negative correlation between complexity and expressed inclusion; conventional goodness of people correlated positively with creativity.Significant congruencies and non-correspondences were noted between males and females and between graduates and freshmen in terms of philosophies of human nature, expressed interpersonal needs and creativity.