The consensual assessment technique: An examination of the relationship between ratings of product and process creativity

Abstract: For over two decades, researchers have employed a consensual assessment technique in their investigations of creativity. Formally articulated by Amabile in 1982, this subjective rating procedure is based upon a consensual assessment of creativity: A product or response is creative to the extent that appropriate observers agree that it is creative. Although there exists a wealth of data on the reliability and construct validity of this approach, very little is known about what judges are responding to when they make assessments of product creativity. The four studies described here represent a preliminary exploration of the mechanisms underlying the consensual assessment procedure. Findings were that: (a) judges were able to reliably assess not only the creativity of a finished product but also the creativity of the process that went into producing that product; (b) ratings of process and product creativity (as well as a variety of other dimensions) tend to be highly correlated; and (c) information about the age of a creator can also significantly affect judges’ subjective assessments.