A Comparison of the Multitrait-Multimethod and Factor Analytic Methods in the Determination of the Discriminant Validity of Three Tests of Creativity

Creativity measurement has been a creative endeavor for researchers and practitioners. A salient characteristic of creativity measurements is their diversity which is indicative of the complexity of the construct and of the multitude of settings under which it is assessed. Creativity is often subjectively assessed; hence judges are expected to be able to distinguish creativity from other constructs such as intelligence, achievement, and originality. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether judges could discriminate validly between the correctness and the originality of responses to three tests of creativity. Evidence of convergent validity is demonstrated when there exists a significant agreement between measurements of the same traits (correctness or originality) with different methods (judges). The multitrait-multimethod procedure was used to assess these validities. The results showed compelling evidence for convergent and discriminant validity of the tests. Factor analysis revealed a factor structure that was generally consistent with the distinction between these two traits.