TEC 830

Creative Problem Solving

 

Lesson Nine

 

Testing for Creativity

 

Creativity testing has been a topic of interest for many years.  In this lesson, you will have an opportunity to explore some types of tests that are used to assess creativity and related personality traits.  Historically, the tests developed by Torrence were made available as early as 1960. Several tests are now used that relate to creativity.  Among these are the MBTI, CPI, Kiersey, and DiSC.  These tests are very interesting!  I have personally used the MBTI (military) and the DiSC (National Joint Apprenticeship Training Council).  Large organizations use these tests for job placement and for assessing management characteristics, including problem-solving potential.
   This lesson provides an overview of several types of creativity and personality tests.  Websites are linked to the lesson for your convenience and further study.

 

Lesson Outline:

 

  1. The Meyer Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) – This instrument describes individuals in terms of how they relate to people and life in general.  The MBTI uses four continua:  Extroversion to Introversion, Sensing to Intuition, Thinking to Feeling, and Judging to Perceiving.

Website:  http://www.creativeideasforyou.com/testintro.html. 

           

2. California Psychological Inventory – This instrument provided another view of creative ability.  The descriptors given for such a person are as follows:  participative, rule or norm questioning, adept at spotting flaws or incongruities in conventions, including those of the work place; eager for change and innovation, creative in their own thinking and behavior.

                        Website:  http://www.creativeideasforyou.com/testintro.html. 

 

  1. Strong Interest Inventory – This instrument inventories your interests and compares them to that of various professionals.  The idea being that if your responses parallel those of a given kind of profession then you might consider it.  Career counselors use this test.

Website:  http://www.creativeideasforyou.com/testintro.html. 

 

      4.   The Creativity Model - This is an interesting model that relates to creativity.

                        Website:  http://www.thomasleonard.com/ctpmodels/creativity.html. 

 

  1. Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking

                        The different kinds of Torrance tests include:

a.       Word fluency - Measures the factor known as divergent production of symbolic units. In this test the respondent is to produce as rapidly as possible words, which fulfill specified symbolic (letter) properties.

b.      Ideational fluency - Measures the factor known as divergent production of semantic units, which is defined as the ability to produce with efficiency many ideas, which fulfill meaningful specifications.

c.       Associational fluency - Designed to measure one factor of divergent production of semantic relations, which is defined as the ability to produce efficiently ideas bearing prescribed relations to other ideas or to produce alternative relations.

d.      Expressional fluency - Measures the factor known as divergent production of semantic systems. The factor is defined as the ability to produce with efficiency appropriate verbal expressions of organized thought.

e.       Match problems - Measures the factor known as divergent production of figural transformations, this factor was formerly known as adaptive flexibility, and represents the ability to revise conceptions of figures.

f.        Pertinent questions - Measures the factor known as cognition of semantic implications, or conceptual foresight.

                Website:  http://www.coe.tamu.edu/~ice/creativhome.htm. 

  1. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter        

The fun, interesting, and revealing questionnaire that tells you if you're an Artisan, Guardian, Rational or Idealist. This is the same test used in career development programs at Fortune 500 companies and in counseling centers and career placement centers at major universities.

    Websites:    http://www.advisorteam.com/user/ktsintro1.asp. 

            http://keirsey.com/matrix.html. 

 

  1. DISC Personal Style Profile

DISC helps people explore behavior across four primary dimensions: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. The start of this understanding begins with a person understanding the meaning of DISC and then taking a DISC profile, either by paper or through the Internet. They will then get an interpretation in a class or through an extensive paper printout.

                Website:       http://www.tamcoinc.com/products/disc/. 

 

  1. Research on Creativity

The history of divergent-thinking tests suggests that new approaches to creativity testing are needed.  Research has focused on the relation of creativity to insight, divergent problem solving, problem finding, and intelligence.  A proposed situational model of creativity defines creativity as meaningful response to open-problem, open-solution situations.  The model explains relationships between different types of thinking skills and explains why creativity and intelligence are not highly correlated.  Based on this model, a new test of creativity is being developed, using the blank card of the Thematic Apperception Test and blank cards in divergent-thinking measures that use pattern and line meanings.  No one current measure of problem-solving tests, personality tests, and occupational interest inventories can provide multiple criteria for decisions on special program admission.  Psychometric data should not be the only data on which admissions decisions are based.  Peer or teacher nominations or juried evaluations of creative performances need to be considered.

The Outlook for Creativity Tests by John F. Wakefield, 1987.

 

Assignment:

1.   Discuss the test assigned during online time and place on the discussion board.

 

References:

 

1.         The Outlook for Creativity Tests by John F. Wakefield, 1987.

 

2.         Several internet websites.