Abstract Summary/Description
This study examines generative thinking in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children using the "third-eye task," where participants are asked to imagine and draw a third eye on their body1. Generative thinking, a key aspect of creativity, is often linked to cognitive flexibility and problem-solving skills2. While TD children usually place the third eye in unconventional spots (e.g., back of the head)3,4, it remains unclear if similar patterns appear in children with ASD, who often show variability in generative tasks5. We assessed 18 TD children (Mage=5;5) and 18 children with ASD (Mage=8;1), comparable in cognitive ability at group level. Each child’s explanation and drawing of their third eye were scored for generative thinking3. Both groups demonstrated similar generative thinking in their explanations and drawings (ps>.40). TD children tended to place the eye on the face and associated it with enhanced vision, while children with ASD gave more variable, sometimes incongruent, responses. Cognitive ability was moderately correlated with creativity in drawing for TD children (r= .53, p=.05) and creativity in explanations for children with ASD (r=.64, p< .01), suggesting preserved generative thinking ability in children with ASD that is more strongly linked to verbal ability. (Word Count = 200) References: 1. Piaget, J. (1970). Science of education and the psychology of the child. Orion. 2. Paz-Baruch, N., & Maor, R. (2023). Cognitive abilities and creativity: The role of working memory and visual processing. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 48, 101294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2023.101294 3. Low, J., & Hollis, S. (2003). The eyes have it: Development of children’s generative thinking. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27(2), 97-108. 4. Mushoriwa, T.D. (2003). Testing Generative Thinking Among Zimbabwean Children. Zimbabwe Journal of Educational Research, 15(3), 173-186. 5. Kasirer, A., Adi-Japha, E., & Mashal, N. (2020). Verbal and Figural Creativity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typical Development. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org10.3389/fpsyg.2020.559238
