Demons and muses: An exploration of cognitive features and vulnerability to psychosis in creative individuals

Both biographical evidence and recent empirical research have demonstrated a relationship between creativity and certain forms of psychopathology. Four papers tested the hypothesis that highly creative persons: (1) share some common vulnerability factor/factors with individuals who are at risk for psychotic illness, and (2) possess some cognitive factor/factors that allow them to use the characteristics of the shared risk factor to creative advantage. The first paper described the development of the Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ), a new creativity measurement to be used in the current research. Both test/retest reliability and internal consistency were well above established standards for psychometric tests. The CAQ also demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity. The second paper described two studies that examined the relationship between psychosis-proneness (a potential shared vulnerability factor between creativity and psychopathology), IQ, and creative achievement. A schizotypal personality measure was used as the primary indicator of psychosis-proneness. In both studies, the creative achievement score for the High IQ/High Schizotypy group was significantly higher than for any other combination of factors. Higher schizotypy scores were reported for creative achievers in the arts than in the sciences. In the third paper, reduced latent inhibition was examined as an additional vulnerability factor. A meta-analysis of two studies revealed that reduced latent inhibition was associated with higher creative achievement scores. Further, a group of high IQ/low latent inhibition participants demonstrated significantly higher creative achievement scores than all other groups combined. The final paper examined working memory capacity as a potential protective factor that may moderate the relationship between creativity and underlying vulnerability factors. Creative achievement scores were highest in the group that combined high working memory span with either high schizotypal personality scores or reduced latent inhibition scores. The results of these papers support a shared-vulnerability model of creativity and psychopathology in which both increased proneness to psychosis and reduced latent inhibition serve as vulnerability factors, while high IQ and increased working memory capacity serve as protective moderating factors.