Relationship between creativity and classroom behavior

A relationship between creativity and misbehavior in the classroom often has been presumed by educators, but actually has had little substantiation. The present study attempts to clarify the dynamics of that relationship by determining the extent to which creativity test scores predict identification of students by teachers and/or peers as misbehavers. Intercorrelations between creativity subtests and peer perception of creative behavior suggest that students high in elaboration and in originality are more likely to be described by peers as exhibiting creative behavior. Results generally failed to support that high creativity scores predict teacher identification of students as behavior problems. However, the sociometric variables of popularity and misbehavior were significantly correlated with high creativity scores. Implications for further study are discussed.