Prediction of Interest in the Creative Arts from Scores on Creativity Measures

The predictive validities of (1) a test of divergent thinking, (2) an experimental measure of creative performance, and (3) an inventory of creative personality characteristics were compared by correlating scores on each measure for 19 fifth graders with scores on the ACT Interest Inventory one year later. It was expected that each of the three creativity scores would predict interest in the creative arts. Scores on the creative performance measure significantly predicted interest in the creative arts, as expected. Scores on the creative personality inventory (the Group Inventory for Finding Creative Talent) predicted interest not only in the creative arts, but also in business contact and business detail. Scores on the divergent-thinking test (Pattern and Line Meanings) significantly predicted interest only in business contact. It was tentatively concluded that the creative performance measure is (1) more accurate than the divergent-thinking tests for predicting interest in the creative arts; and (2) more specific for this purpose than the creative personality inventory. (Author)