Using implicit and explicit theories of creativity to develop a personality measure for assessing creativity
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to introduce and investigate the psychometric properties of a new personality measure for assessing creativity (i.e., CART). This instrument was designed from implicit (idea based theories from non-experts) and explicit (evidence based theories developed through empirical research) theories of creativity. A total of 377 people participated in this study; the sample was then randomly divided in half so that the findings could be replicated and the scale cross-validated. In this study participants completed the Adjective Checklist (ACL: Gough & Heilbrun, 1965) and scores were computed for all of its 37 standard scales, which include the CPS (Gough, 1979) and A1-A4 (Welsh, 1975) creativity scales. In addition, completion of the ACL enabled this study to obtain scores for the DCS (Domino, 1970) and SS (Smith & Schaefer, 1969) creativity scales. Item analysis was used on the first sample to determine which items would comprise the final scale. Ultimately, 37 items of the original 100 were retained. The study found preliminary support indicating that the CART is user friendly and that it has good reliability (internal consistency above .90) and validity (content validity, concurrent criterion validity, construct validity, both convergent and discriminant, and known groups validity). The CART had significant, moderate-sized positive correlations with participant scores on their self-reported creative activities/achievements and these concurrent criterion validity coefficients were greater than those of the established ACL creativity measures. The CART also had significant, moderate-sized positive correlations with participant scores on the ACL creativity measures. The discriminant validity coefficients for the CART were smaller than the discriminant validity coefficients of the ACL creativity measures and support for the known group (artists) validity of the CART was found. Finally, all the variables of interest were taken together and an exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed. The scales that loaded on the fifth factor clearly indicated that this factor should be labeled "creativity," as only creativity scales had significant factor loadings and the CART had the highest loading on this factor. The practical and theoretical implications and limitations of this research are discussed.
Subject Area
Quantitative psychology|Personality psychology
Recommended Citation
Salcedo, Jesus, "Using implicit and explicit theories of creativity to develop a personality measure for assessing creativity" (2006). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3216924.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3216924
