Thomas A. Edison: Wizard of Menlo Park, or Ordinary Thinker? A Case Study in the Psychology of Creativity (2005)
Buonanno, Joseph F. (Author)
Temple University
Weisberg, Robert W.
Edition Details: Advisor: Weisberg, Robert W.
Physical Details: 104 pp.
Language: English
This dissertation examines the cognitive processes underlying Edison's development of three revolutionary technologies: the phonograph, the electric light, and the system of electrical power and distribution. The development of those technologies is examined from the standpoint of the creativity-as-ordinary-thinking perspective, a theoretical approach which emphasizes that the development of extraordinary creative products can be explained through the innovator's use of ordinary thought processes. Consistent with the assumptions that underlie this perspective, the preponderance of evidence gathered from this investigation suggests that Edison used ordinary cognitive processes to develop such seminal inventions as the phonograph, the electric light, and the system of electrical power and distribution. Examples include Edison's use technological antecedents to guide the development of those devices, and his use of structured thought processes, such as regional analogies and homing space searches, in his inventive thinking. These findings are in agreement with a growing body of evidence which suggests that other revolutionary creative products were developed through the use of ordinary cognitive processes.
...MoreDescription Cited in Diss. Abstr. Int. B 67/01 (2006): 568. UMI pub. no. 3202991.
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