Prediction of creative thinking in music by emotional intelligence, cognitive control/flexibility.

While creativity is considered essential for students' academic and artistic development in music education, limited attention has been given to fundamental emotional and cognitive factors that shape creative thinking. Addressing this gap, the current study aims to investigate the relationship between creative thinking dispositions, emotional intelligence, cognitive control/flexibility among higher education students in music education. Using a relational survey model, data were collected from 152 higher education students studying in the Department of Music Education. The Marmara Creative Thinking Dispositions Scale, Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form, and Cognitive Control and Flexibility Questionnaire were used as data collection tools. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze data. The findings revealed that music students' creative thinking dispositions, emotional intelligence traits and cognitive control/ flexibility are above the moderate level. It is found that emotional intelligence and cognitive control/flexibility significantly contribute to creative thinking dispositions. These findings suggested that while both cognitive control/flexibility and emotional intelligence played crucial roles in enhancing musical creativity, cognitive control/flexibility emerged as the stronger predictor. Based on these, music education curricula should aim to create a balanced approach that supports both cognitive adaptability and emotional sensitivity, equipping students with the necessary skills for musical creativity and performance resilience.