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This study attempts to clarify the effects of varying testing conditions on creative performance in divergent thinking and product-based tasks. Two meta-analyses, one for time limits (short vs. long) and one for instructions (standard vs. explicit), were conducted. Moderator analyses were performed to examine whether the effects of time limits and instructions differ by measurement method, domain of creative performance, gender, study’s country of origin, educational level, study quality, and scoring method of originality. It was also investigated whether the effects of time limits vary depending on whether long time condition is timed or untimed, and whether the effects of instructions vary under timed versus untimed conditions. A total of 57 effect sizes (12 studies) for time limits and 165 effect sizes (38 studies) for instructions were analyzed using a meta-analytic three-level model. The time limits meta-analysis showed that long time limits (vs. short time limits) significantly enhanced creative performance, with smaller effects in studies from the USA (vs. non-USA). Analyses on divergent thinking indicators showed that long time limits (vs. short time limits) yielded higher originality scores, with no significant differences for fluency or flexibility. Long time limits showed greater effects on fluency and flexibility in timed (vs. untimed) long conditions. The instructions meta-analysis revealed that explicit (vs. standard) instructions significantly enhanced creative performance. An examination of divergent thinking indicators showed that explicit (vs. standard) instructions resulted in higher originality scores, with no significant differences for fluency or flexibility. Explicit instructions demonstrated larger effects on originality in non-college (vs. college) subjects, as well as in untimed (vs. timed) conditions. ispartof: Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts vol:14 issue:1 pages:1-24 status: Published online

The development of divergent thinking (DT) in school-age children and adolescents has received considerable attention in the educational psychology literature since the 1970s. A body of research has outlined the existence of slumps (i.e., temporary declines) in this development with, however, conflicting findings concerning the magnitude and timing of these slumps. This study is the first to meta-analyze prior research findings regarding DT development from Grades 1 to 12, with a particular emphasis on the widely controversial fourth-grade slump. A total of 2139 standardized means from 41 studies involving 40,918 subjects were analyzed using a meta-analytic three-level model. The findings showed an overall upward developmental trend of DT across grade levels, with some discontinuities. Specifically, there was no evidence of a general fourth-grade slump; rather, evidences for a seventh-grade slump were found. Moderator analyses indicated that a fourth-grade slump might be observed depending on DT test, task content domain, intellectual giftedness, and country of study. The existence of the seventh-grade slump was also moderated by DT test, task content domain, and gender. Together, this study deciphers a longstanding debate regarding DT development, a prerequisite knowledge to support age-appropriate educational strategies that encourage creativity development. Implications of these findings for creativity research and practice are discussed.

This paper presents a review of the literature on the measurement of creativity. Creativity definitions are discussed as a starting point for understanding the nature of this con-struct. The four major approaches to measuring creativity (process, person, product and press) are reviewed, pointing out commonly used instruments as well as the advantages and weaknesses of each approach. This review reveals that the measurement of creativity is an unsettled issue, and that the existing instruments purporting to measure creativity suffer from serious conceptual and psychometric shortcomings. Research gaps and suggestions for future research are discussed. ispartof: Creativity. Theories-Research-Applications vol:4 issue:2 pages:238-275 status: published

The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking-Verbal (TTCT-Verbal) is a commonly used measure of creative potential. The present study examined the factor structure, measurement invariance, and latent mean differences across gender, year of study, and academic major for the Arabic version of the TTCT-Verbal. Data were collected among 621 Egyptian undergraduate students. The results supported a bifactor structure for the TTCT-Verbal scores, in which a general divergent thinking factor coexisted alongside six activity-specific factors. Strict invariance was supported for this structure across gender, year of study, and academic major. Latent means were found to significantly differ by year of study, but not by gender or academic major. In contrast, comparisons of observed means showed significant differences by year of study and academic major, but not by gender. Implications of these findings for creativity measurement and development as well as directions for future research are discussed.

The Verbal Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (Verbal TTCT) is one of the most frequently used instruments in creativity research. However, its factor structure is still debated and mostly assessed in western contexts. The purpose of the current study was to provide new insights into the factor structure underlying this instrument, with a particular focus on an Arabic context. A sample of 621 undergraduate students from Egypt completed an Arabic version of the Verbal TTCT (Form B). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses based on classical test theory were performed, followed by a confirmatory multidimensional item response theory analysis. The findings suggested a novel bifactor structure comprising a general factor in addition to six activity-specific factors. Further support for the bifactor structure was provided by subsequent analyses of residual correlations, empirical reliability, item fit, and item parameters. Theoretical and applied implications of these findings are discussed. ispartof: Thinking Skills and Creativity vol:35 status: published

The growing body of creativity research has raised several challenging issues with regard to the measurement of this construct. This paper aims to provide a review of current challenging methodological issues related to measuring creativity. Five methodological issues are discussed: selecting measurement instruments, sampling, testing conditions, psychometric properties and domain-generality/specificity of creativity. This paper reveals that there remain a number of unresolved issues and serious questions surrounding the measurement of creativity. Research gaps and suggestions for future research are discussed. ispartof: Creativity. Theories-Research-Applications vol:4 issue:2 pages:276-301 status: published