Novelty

Novelty, defined as the quality of being new, has always been associated with a vast range of phenomena which had never existed before. The concept is of particular relevance espe- cially in the fields of science, technology, and art, because they mutually deal with discovery, innovation, and invention. As it is apparent, the three disciplines mutually share the impor- tance of creative processes, which lie at their very core. For this reason, the main investiga- tions on novelty, both theoretical and empiri- cal, from the twentieth century onward have mainly been carried out by philosophical and psychological studies related to creativity. Novelty indeed represents one of the funda- mental criteria of creativity. Accordingly, this entry (1) begins with a general, phenomeno- logical description of novelty, (2) points out the current relevance of novelty, (3) focuses on its history by providing a theoretical framework for its understanding, (4) explores different empirical researches and cognitive models of novelty elaborated hitherto, and (5) illustrates the fundamental relation between novelty and the possible.