Measuring Creativity

Can Creativity Be Measured?

 What is Creativity?

The ability to produce work that is

BOTH
novel
(i.e., original, unexpected)
AND
appropriate
(i.e., useful, adaptive)
 Some added distinctions

Some people distinguish between a

Creative Person,
like Mozart
Creative People:  Aware of Creativeness
Creative  Original
 Independent
Characteristics  Risk Taking
 Energetic
 Curious
 Humorous
 Attracted to Complexity
 Artistic
 Open-Minded
 Needs Alone Time
 Perceptive
The characteristics of the
creative personality are
 Creative individuals not only have a great deal of
energy, but they are also quiet.
 Creative individuals tend to be smart, yet also
naive at the same time.
 Creative individuals alternate between
imagination and reality.
 Even if creative individuals are remarkable
humble, they are proud at the same time.
 Most creative people are very passionate about
their work, yet they can be extremely objective
about it as well.
 Creative individuals have a combination of or
responsibility and irresponsibility.
Exercise:
Using Visualization
and Imagination
Creative visualization is the technique of
using your imagination to create what you
want in life • use your imagination to create a
clear image, idea or feeling of something you
wish to manifest • continue to focus on the
idea feeling or picture regularly giving it
positive energy until it becomes objective
reality - till you achieve what you are
imagining Creative visualization is
something you probably do quite often
without even realising it
 4 steps to Creative visualization
Set your goal
• Decide on something you would like to have, work
toward, realize or create.
• Choose goals that are fairly easy for you to believe
I, that you feel are possible to realise in the near future.

Create a clear idea or picture

• Create an idea or a mental picture or a feeling of the
object or situation exactly as you want it. You should think
of it in the present tense as already existing the way you
want it to be.
• Imagine yourself in the situation as you desire it –
include as many details as you can
Focus on it often
•Bring your idea or mental picture to mind often, both in
quiet meditation periods and also casually throughout the
day and when you happen to think of it – so that it becomes
an integrated part of your life
•Focus on it clearly, yet in a light and relaxed way

Give it positive energy

•As you focus on your goal, think about it in a positive
encouraging way.
•Make strong positive statements (Affirmations) to yourself
– that it exists, that it has come or is coming to you.
•See yourself receiving or achieving it.
 ELEMENTS OF VISUALIZATION

Desire
• “Do I truly, in my heart, desire this goal to be
realised?”

Belief
• “Do I believe that this goal can exist or do I think it is
possible for me to realise or attain it”

Acceptance
• “Am I completely willing to have this?”

The sum total of these 3 elements is the “intention”

Pick a person you know very well. An absolute
requirement is to know this person very well. Focus
on the details of their face first and then move to their
body. See them from behind, zoom in and zoom out,
circle them 360 degrees. When you have a clear picture of
the person, try to change their clothes. Imagine that they
wear your favourite clothes. See if they look good or bad.
See if the clothes fit their bodies or not. Then try to
change them hair styles.

In this part, you involve creative visualization. At this

point, your skill starts to advance and also your creativity
does.
 Some added distinctions

the Creative
Process
 Creative Process
 Combinations of two ideas that
are unrelated
 Torrance’s Definition
 Creative Problem Solving (CPS)
 Brainstorming
 Torrance’s Definition
“I have tried to describe creative thinking as
taking place in the process of
(1) sensing difficulties…
(2) making guesses/formulating hypotheses…
(3) testing these guesses and possibly revising
(4) communicating the results. I like this
definition because it describes a natural
process” (1995)
Creative Problem Solving (CPS)

CPS MODEL (sometimes without first step)

• Mess finding (locating a problem)
• Fact finding (examine what you know)
• Problem finding (select a definition)
• Idea finding (brainstorming)
• Solution finding (evaluating ideas)
• Acceptance finding (implementing ideas)
 Brainstorming
• As much as you can as fast as you can
• Piggyback on the ideas of others
• Don’t judge yourself or others
• Wild, wacky, zany is desired
Brainstorming Rules
Expressiveness - Say whatever ideas come
to mind without focusing on constraints
Non-evaluation - No criticism allowed; all
are valuable
Quantity - Produce as many ideas as
possible
Building - Expand on other people’s ideas
 Brain Writing
• Hybrid of both individual and
group brainstorming
• Produces more ideas than
brainstorming
 Brainwriting
• In five minutes or less, write down five ideas on the
topic you’ve been given
• Don’t try to defend your idea or deeply document
your idea
• When time is called, pass your ideas to the person on
your right and receive ideas from the person on your
left
• Review the ideas from the person on your right, add
new ones and build on the existing ones
 Some added distinctions

a Creative
Product
What makes a product, service, process or
procedure innovative? It is useful to think of
product/service as a collection of consumer
benefits – technical, non-technical and
attitudinal
PRODUCT
 Some added distinctions

and a Creative Environment

 Concept Generation

Divergent Possible convergent

thinking solutions thinking

Given Real
problem Solution
problem chosen

Conceptual design

C.Hales, “Managing engineering design”, 1993

Convergent Questions Example
 EXAMPLES
Convergent example:
I live four miles from work. My car gets 30 MPG. I want to
use less fuel in my commute for financial and conservation
reasons. Money is no object. Find the three best
replacement vehicles for my car.

Divergent Example:
I live four miles from work. My car gets 30 KPL. I want to
use less fuel in my commute for financial and conservation
reasons. Money is no object. What options do I have to
reduce my fuel consumption?
Tools for Idea/Concept Generation

 Brainstorming
 Brainwriting
 Checksheets
 Interviewing
 Surveying
 Creative Thinking (1)
 Generate large number of alternatives
T. Edison: “It’s easy to obtain 100 patents if you also have 5000
unsuccessful inventions”
– Do not detail concepts
– Avoid critizing any of the concepts
 Perseverance
T.Edison: “Invention is 95% perspiration and 5% inspiration”

 Mental push-ups
– Making lists (ex: twenty different uses of pencil)
– Word games (ex: Scrabble)
– Solving puzzles
– Magic tricks
 Creative Thinking (2) – Procedural
Techniques
 Brainstorming
– Generate and list as many ideas as possible
– No critism of ideas
– No negative reaction
 Brainwriting
– Each group member writes ideas on papers, then papers are
circulated among group members
 Story boarding
 Random stimulation
– Choose a word from newspaper, use it to suggest an idea
 Anologies, similar solutions, opposite ideas, adjacent
ideas
 Tools for reaching consensus (1)
 Consensus plays an important role in problem

solving. One should say

– I believe that you understand my point of view

– I believe that I understand your point of view

– Whether or not I prefer this decision, I will support it

because it was reached openly and fairly.

 Tools for reaching consensus (2)

 List reduction
 Balance sheets
 Criteria rating forms
 Weighted voting
 Paired comparisons
 List Reduction
List reduction is a way of processing the output of a
brainstorming session
 Everyone in the group must have a clear understanding
of all items in the list

 Criteria that should be satisfied for an item to remain

in consideration should be indentified

 Group members vote on each item, keeping criteria in

mind

 Process can be repeated with different criteria untill

the list is reduced to 10-12 options
 Balance Sheets

It is used to identify and review the pro’s

and con’s of a variety of options

+ -
Positive aspects of Negative aspects
each alternative of each alternative
 Criteria Rating Forms

List the criteria

Rate the alternatives/problems accordingly
Criteria can be treated equally or weighted
relative to each other
 Criteria Rating Forms
Criteria Problem Problem Problem
weights 1 2 3

Total points
 Weigthed Voting

• a way to quantify the preferences of group

members
• No decision factors or criteria
• No discussion to reach agreement on a
single number
• Every group member has same amount of
votes to distribute among the options
 Weigthed Voting

Beach Trecking Foreign Grand

country parents
Mother 1 0 2 3

Father 2 1 2 1

Zeynep 4 0 2 0

Ali 1 3 0 2
 Tools for data collection and analysis
 Flowcharts
 Check sheets
 Histograms
 Pareto Diagrams
 Paired Comparison Analysis
 Decision Tree Analysis
 Cause and Effect Diagrams
 Scatter Diagrams
 Control Charts
 How creative are you?

Here’s a simple test that will shed some

light on how creative you are.

I’m going to ask you a question. You will

have two minutes to write down AS
MANY DIFFERENT answers as you can.
 How creative are you?

Ready….?
 How creative are you?

Think of all of the different things

that would happen if people did not
need sleep. List as many as you can
in the next three minutes.
How do we measure Creativity?

First, count how many responses you

wrote down for each question. Simply
count each one -- it doesn’t matter
whether they are good or bad.
 How do we measure Creativity?

The number of items you’ve written down

is called Fluency.
 refers to the production of a great number of ideas or
alternate solutions to a problem. Fluency implies
understanding, not just remembering information that
is learned.
Keywords: Compare, convert, count, define, describe,
explain, identify, label, list, match, name, outline,
paraphrase, predict, summarize.
How do we measure Creativity?

Second, divide up your responses into

categories -- so for the “no sleep” item,
saying “there would be no pillows” and
“there would be no pajamas” would
count as the same category. Find out
how many different types of responses
you had.
 How do we measure Creativity?

The number of categories that you have is

called Flexibility.

 refers to the production of ideas that show a variety of

possibilities or realms of thought. It involves the
ability to see things from different points of view, to
use many different approaches or strategies.
Keywords: Change, demonstrate, distinguish, employ,
extrapolate, interpolate, interpret, predict.
How do we measure Creativity?

Third, let’s look for the most original

responses….
 How do we measure Creativity?

The degree to which your responses are

unique is called Originality.

 involves the production of ideas that are unique or

unusual. It involves synthesis or putting information
about a topic back together in a new way.
Keywords: Compose, create, design, generate, integrate,
modify, rearrange, reconstruct, reorganize, and revise.
How do we measure Creativity?

Finally, consider the level of detail that

you went into. How much information
did you give for each answer?
 How do we measure Creativity?

This last one is called Elaboration.

 is the process of enhancing ideas by providing more

detail. Additional detail and clarity improves interest
in, and understanding of, the topic.
Keywords: Appraise, critique, determine, evaluate, grade,
judge, measure, select, and test.
How do we measure Creativity?

How did folks do?

 Creative Thinking Exercises
Consider the following aspects of Creative
Thinking and answer the following
questions by trying to find the correct, yet
perhaps less obvious answer.
 Major Characteristics of
Creative Thinking
• Fluency—coming up with many possible
solutions
• Originality—creating new and unique
solutions
• Flexibility—considering multiple theories
and different perspectives
• Elaboration—extending an idea to its
natural limits
 Question 1:

• A couple has nine sons. Each son has a

sister. How many children are there in the
family?
 Question 1:

• A couple has nine sons. Each son has a

sister. How many children are there in the
family?
• Hint: If everyone is here, each of you has
25 classmates.
 Question 1:

• Answer: 10—it is the same sister for each

of the nine sons.
– If you said 18, don’t feel bad—many people do.
• Critical/Creative Thinking Skills:
– Flexibility
– Originality
 Question 2:

• A basket containing 15 ears of corn is set by

the woods. A raccoon carries away three
ears a day. How many days will it take for
the raccoon to empty the basket?
 Question 2:

• A basket containing 15 ears of corn is set by

the woods. A raccoon carries away three
ears a day. How many days will it take for
the raccoon to empty the basket?
• Hint: The answer is not five.
 Question 2:

• Answer: 15—did you forget that the

raccoon has two ears?
– Please don’t hurt me!
• Critical/Creative Thinking Skills:
– Fluency
– Flexibility
– Originality
 Question 3:

• A train one mile long traveling 60 miles per

hour enters a tunnel one mile long. How
long will it take the train to pass through the
tunnel?
• (This is strictly math, actually)
 Question 3:

• A train one mile long traveling 60 miles per

hour enters a tunnel one mile long. How
long will it take the train to pass through the
tunnel?
• Hint: 60 miles per hour equals one mile per
minute, but don’t let this fool you.
 Question 3:
• Answer: 2 minutes. The entire train has
to pass through the tunnel, not just the
front.
– If you said one minute, at least you did
the math right
• Critical/Creative Thinking Skills:
– Elaboration
– Flexibility
 Question 4:

• A man has one brother and one sister. All

three children have the same parents. The
man says he is related to neither of the other
two. What is he?
 Question 4:

• A man has one brother and one sister. All

three children have the same parents. The
man says he is related to neither of the other
two. What is he?
• Hint: Adoptees are considered to have the
same parents. Think creatively.
 Question 4:

• Answer: A liar. I would also accept insane.

• Critical/Creative Thinking Skills:
– Flexibility
– Originality
– Fluency
 Question 5:

• Which is correct?
– Eight and seven ARE fourteen.
– Eight and seven IS fourteen.
 Question 5:

• Which is correct?
– Eight and seven ARE fourteen.
– Eight and seven IS fourteen.
• Hint: Don’t let yourself be distracted.
 Question 5:

• Answer: Neither. 8 + 7 = 15
– Math is really at the root of everything.
– Which is correct?
• Eight and seven ARE fifteen.
• Eight and seven IS fifteen.
• Critical/Creative Thinking Skills:
– Flexibility
 How does this apply ?
• Fluency—actively developing concepts to research

• Originality—creating your own search parameters

rather than relying on sources

• Flexibility—considering multiple approaches to the

issue and being able to question your own

• Elaboration—explaining your points fully with

evidence to completely and convincingly support your
thesis and supporting points
 How Can We Measure Creativity?
• Self-Assessment
• Ratings Scales
• Interviews
• Checklists
• Peer, Parent, Teacher Rating/Nomination
• Observations
• Products
• Personality Tests
• Biographical Sketches
• Aptitude and Ability Tests
• Awards
• Acceleration, Mentorship, Enrichment Programs
• Problem Finding/Solving
 Why Measure?
Þ Screen creative talent
Þ Identify Creative and Gifted
Þ Evaluate important features
Þ Determine potential
Þ Support Strengths of Individuals
Þ Provides baseline data to diagnose needs
Þ Evaluate efforts to enhance creativity
Þ Provide a common language and
comparison to discuss creativity
Concerns with Measuring Creativity
• Reliability and Validity of Measures
• Scorer reliability
• Authentic Assessment
• Predictive Validity
• Issue of areas of creativity that is being
measured
• Issue of honesty for Self-Assessment
What Can Creativity Measures do?
• Identify creative individuals for various
purposes
• Expand view of human ability and
achievement beyond the traditional
conception of intelligence
• At workplace, helps employers understand
and predict employee’s creative
productivity
• Helps understand various ways in which
people exhibit their creative behaviour
 What Can Creativity Measures do?
• Develop an understanding of the environmental
factors that facilitate or impede the development
of creative potential
• Predictive of creative performance across time
• Determine the impact of formal instruction in
creativity
• Help individuals and others in better
understanding self/other’s creative
strengths/weaknesses
• Enable educators, managers and recruiters to
discover hidden creative potential
 Tips for good creativity assessment:
• Adopt a specific definition of creativity and be clear about
its implications for the characteristics you plan to assess.
• Examine and review carefully assessment tools, representing
several different sources of data, that may be appropriate for
the definition and characteristics, for your setting, and for
the students/employees you will be assessing. Use only
resources that meet professional standards for practice.
• Do not rely solely on the scores for labelling as “creative” or
“not creative”. The purpose of the assessment is to
understand the student's/employee’s needs for appropriate
and challenging educational experience. Ask instead: “What
do these data tell us about the individual’s need for
coaching?”
 Improving Creativity!

• One of the biggest ways that creativity can

be enhanced in the schools can be found in
one word: Motivation.
 Motivation

• One current theory argues there are two

types of motivation:

Intrinsic
Extrinsic
 Motivation

Intrinsic Motivation

People who are intrinsically motivated do

something because they want to.
 Motivation

Intrinsic Motivation

An activity is performed out of enjoyment

of the activity.
 Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

The other type of motivation is extrinsic

motivation.

With extrinsic motivation, you are driven by

an outside thing.
 Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

You could be driven by a need for money…

 Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

You could be driven by

a need to be praised by
your teacher…
 Motivation

Extrinsic Motivation

You could be driven by the need for good

grades or winning an award.
 Motivation

Neither intrinsic motivation or extrinsic

motivation are inherently better.

It all depends on the situation, and what you

want out of the situation.
 Improving Creativity!
If you want to improve creativity, however,
intrinsic motivation tends to be associated
with higher creativity.

What does this mean?

People who love what they do tend to be
more creative.

This isn’t shocking.

 Improving Creativity!

To focus on intrinsic motivation and

improve creativity:

• Being able to choose assignments

• Not being overly evaluated or graded
• Focus on making the task enjoyable
 Improving Creativity!

To minimize extrinsic motivation and

improve creativity:

• Too many tangible rewards

• Too much graded work
• Many evaluations
• Observed performance
 Improving Creativity!

Some other personal qualities associated

with creativity include….

Tolerance for ambiguity

(Sensible) risk-taking
Being open to new experiences
Defying the crowd
 Uses of Paperclip
• Hold papers together
• Cufflinks
• Earrings
• Imitation mini-trombone
• Thing you use to push that emergency restart
button on your router
• Keeping headphones from getting tangled up
• Bookmark
 Fit the fourth word

• Falling – Actor – Dust

• Time – Hair – Stretch
• Manners – Round – Tennis
• Ache – Hunter – Cabbage
• Elephant–Lapse–Vivid
 Creativity: Why Bother?

We’ve made a lot of progress in measuring

creativity and figuring out how to improve
it. But there’s still a long way to go.
 Creativity: Why Bother?

Sometimes, it can seem that no one fully

agrees on what creativity is and how to
measure it. It’s a lot quicker to look at
personality and ability.

Why bother?
 Creativity: Why Bother?

Although creativity is related to personality

and intelligence, it is its own separate
concept.
 Creativity: Why Bother?

You can get more information about a

student by not only giving them a
personality measure and/or an ability
measure but ALSO a creativity measure.
 Creativity: Why Bother?

And unlike ability and achievement

measures, there are no differences by
ethnicity or gender. Everyone has the same
capacity to be creative.
 Creativity: Why Bother?

People who are creative….

Achieve more and receive more awards.

 Creativity: Why Bother?

People who are creative….

Are more likely to be successful in

developing a business.
 Creativity: Why Bother?

People who are creative….

Are more likely to be in leadership positions

as they advance at work.
 Creativity: Why Bother?

People who are creative….

Are more likely to persist in difficult

situations.
 Creativity: Why Bother?

People who are creative….

Tend to be happier.