Effects of explicit instructions to "be creative" on the psychological meaning of divergent thinking test scores. 1975

D M Harrington

The Alternate Uses Test was administered to 50 undergraduate males instructed to produce creative (i.e., novel and worthwhile) uses and to 55 comparable subjects simply instructed to produce as many uses as possible. All uses were rated for creativity. An index of self-assessed creative thinking ability correlated significantly more strongly (p less than .05) with the number of creative uses produced in the qualitatively-oriented condition than with the number of creative or total uses produced in the standard, quantitatively-oriented condition. The correlation between self-rated creative ability and creative uses production in the qualitatively-oriented condition remained significant (p less than .001) after indices of achievement motivation and general verbal aptitude were partialled out. The results were interpreted as demonstrating the value of coordinating informative divergent thinking test instructions with qualitative scoring criteria.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D011340 Problem Solving A learning situation involving more than one alternative from which a selection is made in order to attain a specific goal.
D011581 Psychological Tests Standardized tests designed to measure abilities (as in intelligence, aptitude, and achievement tests) or to evaluate personality traits. Parenting Stress Index,Trier Social Stress Test,Trier Stress Test,Psychologic Tests,Psychological Test,Test, Psychological,Tests, Psychological,Index, Parenting Stress,Psychologic Test,Stress Index, Parenting,Stress Test, Trier,Test, Psychologic,Test, Trier Stress,Trier Stress Tests
D011594 Psychometrics Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures. Psychometric
D003405 Creativity The ability to generate new ideas or images. Creativeness,Innovativeness,Originality,Artistic Creativity,Creative Ability,Creative Thinking,Ability, Creative,Creative Abilities,Creativity, Artistic,Thinking, Creative
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000124 Achievement Success in bringing an effort to the desired end; the degree or level of success attained in some specified area (esp. scholastic) or in general. Accomplishment,Accomplishments,Achievements
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D012647 Self-Assessment Appraisal of one's own personal qualities or traits. Self Assessment,Self Assessment (Psychology),Assessment, Self,Self-Criticism,Assessment, Self (Psychology),Assessments, Self,Assessments, Self (Psychology),Self Assessments,Self Assessments (Psychology),Self Criticism,Self-Assessments,Self-Criticisms
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