Beyond measure: On the assessment of creativity

Reviews the book, Theory and Practice of Creativity Measurement edited by Eunice M. L. Soriano de Alencar, Maria de Fátima Bruno-Faria, and Denise de Souza Fleith (see record 2014-16264-000). Creativity has only been recognized as a topic of scientific inquiry for sixty-some years. It is, in fact, still a problematic topic of inquiry. The problem is this: In order to be studied scientifically, a construct must be capable of being defined and of being measured. Both definition and measurement are ongoing areas of debate in the field of creativity research. This book provides a set of validated measures of the environmental press aspect of creativity, but without completely addressing the definition issue. The editors present measures of environmental press in the classroom (both elementary school and college), in the workplace, and in the formation of obstacles to personal creativity. The editors believe strongly that environmental factors are crucial to creative effort and accomplishment, and that assessing one’s environment can be the first step toward enhancing creativity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)