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Why There Were Relatively Few Eminent Women Creators
Author(s) -
OCHSE RHONA
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
the journal of creative behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.896
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 2162-6057
pISSN - 0022-0175
DOI - 10.1002/j.2162-6057.1991.tb01146.x
Subject(s) - solitude , genius , value (mathematics) , psychology , productivity , work (physics) , social psychology , sociology , public relations , gender studies , developmental psychology , political science , economic growth , engineering , economics , psychotherapist , mechanical engineering , machine learning , computer science
Researchers who have studied the characteristics of genius generally agree that the most salient characteristic of eminently creative people is persistent single‐minded dedication to work. It has also been found that eminently creative people tend to develop a particular type of skill at an early age, and to place high value on achievement in that area. Also typical of eminent creators is their need for solitude and lack of interruption. In the past, intellectual achievement in women was little valued or encouraged, and women were given relatively little opportunity to develop skills upon which creative productivity seems to depend. They also enjoyed little uninterrupted solitude. Today, however, women are better able to develop intellectual skills‐but they are still more prey to interruption than men are, not only because their relatively strong need for social contact and intimacy leads them to seek out company.