figural
FIG-yuh-rul
Definition
Relating to or consisting of shapes, pictures, or patterns rather than written words or numbers.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'figura,' meaning 'shape' or 'form,' which evolved through Old French to mean a representation or image. In modern English, it is used to describe things related to physical shape or symbolic imagery.
In the news
In this article, the term describes the specific 'figural' form of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, where participants must complete drawings or manipulate shapes rather than write text. It matters because it highlights that the test measures a specific type of visual-spatial creativity, not total creative output.
Something strange happened to American children after 1990: while IQ scores continued their historic rise, an analysis of 272,599 creativity tests found creative thinking falling — with the biggest losses among the youngest children.
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com