Preliminary research by these researchers suggest that creative thinking may continue to develop in Romanians after high school and during their university years (Taylor, Harlow, Munteanu, 2006). The 2006 research of creative thinking identified a significant difference in the creativite thinking profile of students at the Romanian pedagogical high school from the Romanian university students in Special Education (with the university students being significantly higher). This is in conflict with the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) American sample norms that places a normative ceiling on divergent thinking at age nineteen. Current development of creative thinking theory indicates that creative thinking can be developed through education and exposure in childhood then plateaus in adulthood. Furthermore, that the childhood measure of creative thinking will predict creative outputs as an adult. This is why the American norms stop at age 19 for the test administered. The 2006 preliminary research for this study suggests that creative thinking in Romania continues to develop throughout the university years (continue to develop after age 19). Therefore, a larger study was developed to acertain if this true. The 2006 and 2008 research was made possible by a liaison between the University of Nevada, Reno with the Universitatea Babes-Bolyai and the Universitatea de Arta si Design in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. These liaisons enable both faculty and students to attend or teach at an alternate university. It provides research opportunities and international research and publication liaisons for students and faculty. The purpose of this current research is multifaceted. First, the researcher will identify the results on the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking from a sample (of convenience) of Romanian students. The analysis will identify a Romanian profile of creative thinking using the factors of creativity as measured by the TTCT (fluency, originality, abstractness of titles, elaboration, and resistance to premature closure). This study will then investigate if there is a significant difference in creative thinking between Romanian university-bound high school and university students. There were 673 participants in this study. A Kruskal-Wallis One Way Analysis of Variance revealed a significant different pattern of creative thinking between the pedagogical high school students and students studying special education at the university. It also revealed a significant difference between the art high school students and the art majors at the university. Known bilingual high school students also scored significantly higher in their pattern of creative thinking than the monolingual Romanian high school sample.

The research hypothesis was that there would be a significant difference between the high school students' level of creative thinking and the university student's level of creative thinking (as measured by the TTCT). The investigator used a convenience sample. Specific participants were chosen because of their location (Romania) and their willingness to participate. Two universities, the Universitatea Babes-Bolyai and the Universitatea de Arta si Design granted permission for research to be conducted. Opportunity for this research was due to a reciprocal agreement between the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) with both Babes-Bolyai Universitatea and the Universitatea de Arta si Design. Quantitative data was collected using the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking-Figural Form A (TTCT). All instructions were translated into Romanian (and back translated to check for translation accuracy) and administered in Romanian. Students were approached in classes and given the opportunity to take the assessment. *** continues in References

There were 673 participants in this study. A Kruskal-Wallis One Way Analysis of Variance revealed a significantly different pattern of creative thinking between the pedagogical high school students and students studying special education at the university. It also revealed a significant difference between the art high school students and the art majors at the university. Known bilingual high school students also scored significantly higher in their pattern of creative thinking than the monolingual Romanian high school sample.