Effects of Structure in Instruction and Materials on Preschoolers' Creativity.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of structure in instructions and materials on preschoolers' creativity. Forty-seven preschool children were assigned to one of four conditions: structured instructions with either structured or unstructured materials, and unstructured instructions with either structured or unstructured materials. In a subsequent session the materials were reversed, with the instructions remaining constant. Analysis revealed that flexibility scores were significantly lower with structured materials compared to unstructured materials, especially given structured instructions. The data suggest that the use of struc tured materials limits the preschooler's ability to produce a variety of ideas.