J.P. Guilford
Creativity is a set of abilities, not a mystery.
American psychologist known for the structure-of-intellect model and research on creativity and divergent thinking.
Creativity can be studied as a set of mental abilities, not only as mysterious talent.
Who they were
J.P. Guilford broke intelligence open. Where others saw a single score, he saw many distinct abilities — and he gave creativity a place among them, defining divergent thinking as the power to generate many possibilities. His work made imagination something that could be studied and measured.
Famous books
What they left on the shelf
Terms they cared about
Ideas worth knowing
Their techniques
How the work was done
Best known as a theorist — their ideas shaped the techniques of those who followed.
Their big idea
Structure of Intellect
J.P. Guilford proposed that intelligence is not one factor but a structured set of distinct abilities, classified by the operations, contents and products of thought — a framework that brought creativity and divergent thinking into the study of the mind.
Questions in their spirit
What they’d ask you
Sit with one. Answer online, or in the app.
Carry the idea forward
Guilford — What they’d ask you
Psipas asks you one small, honest question at a time — and builds the picture from your answers.