Do socially competent children have high levels of creativity? Investigating the relationship between social competence and creativity in Taiwanese children

Pages: 171-176
Yen-Chun Lin (University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, Georgia)

The study was designed to explore the relationship between children’s creativity and social competence. Three kindergartens in Taiwan were purposefully selected to diversify parents’ socioeconomic backgrounds. The sample was composed of 142 Taiwanese parents with children aged from 4 to 7 years old. Parents and teachers evaluated children’s social competence and creativity by filling out a questionnaire. Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between parents’ and teachers’ ratings of children’s social competence. However, no significant relationship exists between parents’ and teachers’ ratings of children’s creative behaviors. Children who were reported by their parents as creative were socially competent at home and in school settings. In the correlation analysis among children’s creativity and parents’ backgrounds, parents with high education levels and high house hold income have highly creative children. These findings reveal a positive relationship between children’s social competence and creativity and point out the influence of parents’ socio-economic status on children’s development.