Dual physicist and psychologist Shaw (1989) published an account speculating on the modelling of a series of feedback loops within the structure of the creative process following a series of in-depth interviews with 12 scientists concerning the use of cognitive and affective processes in the act of scientific creation. These feedback loops were hypothesized to operate between each phase of the classical model of creative problem solving as typified by the seminal work of Wallas (1926). However, data providing evidence of their operation has been scarce.Using a sizable sample (n = 405) and recently developed software that enables bidirectional pathways to be modelled (M-Plus v6), this study examines the evidencefor the existence of feedback loops within the creative processusing structural equation modelling (SEM) procedures.The research builds on the findings of a previous study in which participants solved two novel mathematics problems in the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians. Empirical evidence for both the classical stage model of creative problem solving and Shaw’s feedback loops namely the Vinacke and Lalas loops, are presented and discussed. The participants were middle school students in Grades 7 to 10 drawn from across two states of Australia.
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