CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

UNIT 3 Topic: Creativity | INTRO | EXERCISE 1 | 2 | OUTLINE | Next Topic: Assignments

HOW CREATIVE ARE YOU?

Business and industry are stepping up their search for the Creative Person. Creativity-testing,
while still an infant science, is helping organizations and agencies find imaginative people. The
corporate concern is both urgent and practical. Business must have men and women with the
knack for finding new solutions. This instrument contains several examples of creativity tests now
being used. They will let you assess your own creativity.

These sample tests were assembled by psychologist Eugene Raudsepp, an expert in business
creativity for fifteen years. He is co-founder of Princeton Creative Research, Inc., and periodically
conducts creative workshops for some of the country's largest industrial concerns. Mr. Raudsepp
cautions that while great progress has been made in testing for creative ability, certain tests may
not measure the particular type of creativity businesses need. Premature conclusions could
demoralize and even fail to single out potentially creative employees. You will find Mr.
Raudsepp's interpretation of your own test scores following the tests themselves.

This instrument is composed of four "tests" that measure one's creative abilities. This instrument
does not test all forms of creativity, but simply provides information that can assist in an initial
exploration of one's abilities. The first test is based on familiarity with the English language and
may be very difficult for international students.

Questions to Consider When Completing This Exercise

• How do you define creativity?

• What impact does creativity have upon problem solving?
• Do you feel that this instrument accurately reflects your creative abilities? If not, why not?
• When do you find you are the most creative?
• Does your organization or agency encourage creativity in problem solving? If so, how?
• How can you assist others in becoming more creative?
• What effects does working as a group have upon creative problem solving?
• Did any of your scores surprise you? If so, in what way?
• When was the last time you felt truly creative in your work setting?
• How can one learn to be more creative?
• How can one learn to be more creative in problem solving?

1. Word Hints to Creativity

OBJECT: Find a fourth word that is related to all three words listed below. Print this page for your
convenience in recording the answers.

For example, what word is related to these? cookies, sixteen, heart The answer is "sweet".
Cookies are sweet; sweet is part of the word "sweetheart" and part of the phrase "sweet sixteen."

What word is related to these words? poke, so, molasses Answer: slow.

Now try these words:

 1. surprise, line, birthday
2. base, snow, dance
3. rat, blue, cottage
4. nap, rig, call
5. golf, foot, country
6. house, weary, ape
7. tiger, plate, news
8. painting, bowl, nail
9. proof, sea, priest
10. maple, beet, loaf
11. oak, show, plan
12. light, village, golf
13. merry, out, up
14. cheese, courage, oven
15. red, star, house
2. Pictures Test Your Creativity
Tell whether you like or dislike each of the following drawings (L for like and D for dislike).
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3. Which Traits Describe You?

OBJECT: Check the adjectives that you believe really describe you. Your selections can be clues
to your creativity. Print this list for convenience in marking your replies.

determined life-of-party stern

responsible dynamic sociable
tolerant polite sensitive
independent informal restless
inventive impulsive reflective
enthusiastic excitable rational
clear-thinking popular preoccupied
understanding cheerful practical
individualistic obedient peaceable
industrious self-demanding organized
dependable unassuming moody
absent-minded worrying masculine
logical polished loyal
versatile fashionable good-natured
4. Your Choice Shows Creativity

OBJECT: Check the responses that you feel apply to you.

1. Would you rather be considered:

a - a practical person?
b - an ingenious person?
2. If you were a teacher, would you rather teach:
a - fact courses?
b - courses involving theory?
3. Does following a schedule:
a - appeal to you?
b - cramp you?
4. When there is a special job to be done, do you like to:
a - organize it carefully before you start?
b - find out what is necessary as you go along?
5. Do you often get behind in your work?
a - yes.
b - no.
6. Do you prefer specific instructions to those that leave many details optional?
a - yes.
b - no.
7. Do hunches come to you just before going to sleep?
a -.yes.
b - no.
8. Do you often fret about daily chores?
a - yes.
b - no.
9. Do you like to introduce the speaker at a meeting?
a - yes.
b - no.
10. Do you get your best ideas when you are relaxed?
a - yes.
b - no.
11. Do you sometimes feel anxious about the success of your efforts?
a - yes.
b - no.
12. Do you like work in which you must influence others?
a - yes.
b - no.
13. Are you fundamentally contented?
a - yes.
b - no.
14. Do you like work that has regular hours?
a - yes.
b - no.
15. Do you spend many evenings with friends?
a - yes.
b - no.
16. As a child, were you inclined to take life seriously?
a - yes.
b - no.
17. Do you frequently daydream?
a - yes.
b - no.
18. Do you remember the names of people you meet?
a - yes.
b - no.
19. Do you like to keep regular hours and run your life according to established routine?
a - yes.
b - no.
20. Is it hard for you to sympathize with a person who is always doubting and unsure about
things?
a - yes.
b - no.

SCORING INSTRUCTIONS

Answers to Test 1

1. party 2. ball 3. cheese 4. cat 5. club 6. dog 7. paper 8. finger

9. high 10. sugar 11. floor 12. green 13. make 14. Dutch 15. light

Creative individuals get 75 percent or more of these items right. The words are based upon the
Remote Associates Test developed by Dr. Sarnoff A. Mednick of the University of Michigan and
Dr. Sharon Halpern of the University of California, Berkeley. The actual test consists of 30 such
series and the individual is given 40 minutes to complete the test.

Dr. Mednick defines creative thinking as "the forming of associative elements into new
combinations that either meet specified requirements or are in some way useful. The more
mutually remote the elements of the new combination, the more creative the process or solution."
He also maintains that the richness or the number of associations the individual can marshal to
the requisite elements of a problem increases the probability of a genuinely creative solution.

The test has proved helpful in identifying IBM engineers and scientists rated as more creative.
Extensive experimentation with this test on engineering, scientific, and managerial personnel has
been, and is being, carried on also at General Electric, Lever Brothers, Dow Chemical, and
several other firms.

Answers to Test 2

Creative individuals prefer drawings 2, 3, 5, 8 and dislike drawings 1, 4, 6, 7. These sample

drawings are from the Barron-Welsh Art Scale, which consists of 86 abstract line drawings and
designs which range from simple geometric forms to complex and asymmetrical figures and
patterns. Several studies with this test have shown that creative individuals show a marked
preference for the complex and asymmetrical. The creative individual's preference for complexity
of experience is strikingly shown by this test. Several authorities feel that this test is exceedingly
promising. Dr. Harrison G. Gough, an author of several effective tests, says: "If there is one
single test which so far has shown promise as a forecaster of creativity, this is it."
Answers to Test 3

Highly creative individuals tend to describe themselves by these adjectives: determined,

independent, inventive, enthusiastic, individualistic, industrious, absentminded, versatile, daring,
dynamic, informal, impulsive, excitable, self-demanding, unassuming, worrying, thorough,
sensitive, restless, reflective, preoccupied, moody.

Less creative, or noncreative, favor adjectives such as sincere, responsible, tolerant, clear
thinking, understanding, dependable, logical, life-of-the-party, polite, popular, cheerful, obedient,
polished, fashionable, stern, sociable, rational, practical, peaceable, organized, masculine, loyal,
good-natured.

The adjectives are taken from the Adjective Check List, developed by Dr. Harrison G. Gough of
the University of California, Berkeley. The actual test consists of 300 adjectives. Although not
originally developed to assess creativity, this test has successfully differentiated highly creative
individuals from less creative or noncreative.

In one study with writers, mathematicians, architects, research scientists, and engineers,
conducted by Dr. Donald W. MacKinnon of the Institute of Personality Assessment and
Research, the adjectives, which the more creative individuals checked as descriptive of them,
show that they have excellent self-images. Yet, paradoxically, they also checked more
unfavorable adjectives than did their less creative colleagues. In Dr. MacKinnon's words: "One
finds in these contrasting emphases in self-description a hint of one of the most salient
characteristics of the creative person, namely, his courage." He says that it is not physical
courage, though a highly creative person may have courage of this kind too. It is rather personal
courage of the mind that often makes a person stand aside from society and in conflict with it. "It
is the courage to be oneself in the fullest sense, to grow in great measure into the person one is
capable of becoming."

Answers to Test 4

Creative individuals tend to check these responses: lb, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5a, 6b, 7a, 8a, 9b, 10a, 11a,
12b, 13b, 14b, 15b, 16a, 17a, 18b, 19b, 20b. These items are based on several questionnaires
used in creativity studies, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Cree Questionnaire,
California Psychological Inventory, and others.

There are several tests that were originally designed to measure attributes other than creative
ability, but which have nevertheless successfully differentiated between creative and noncreative
individuals.

One of the most outstanding among these is the Strong Vocational Interest Blank. There are 400
items to which the subject is asked to give his reaction including occupations, school subjects,
amusements, hobbies, characteristics of people, and personality traits, a broad range of possible
likes and dislikes. Also valuable is the Study of Values Test, developed by Professors Gordon W.
Allport, Philip E. Vernon, and Garner Lindsey. It consists of 45 items that measure the relative
dominance of six basic interests or motives: theoretical, economic, aesthetic, social, political, and
religious. The test has proved helpful in the identification of creative individuals who tend to make
highest scores on the theoretical and aesthetic scales and lower scores than the average on the
political, economic, social, and religious scales.