A Common Item Creativity Scale for the Adjective Check List

The Adjective Check List (ACL; Gough & Heilbrun, 1965) has proven useful for the development of scales to measure creativity (Domino, 1970; Smith & Schaefer, 1969; Welsh, 1967). Domino (1970) developed a 59-item scale that was cross-validated using creative and noncreative students. Smith and Schaefer (1969) developed a 27-item scale that could distinguish creative from noncreauve high school stduents. Welsh (1967) developed two independent scales which identify creative Ss with high intelligence and creative Ss with low intelligence. For present purposes, these scales were combined as one measure of creativity for high and low intellectual levels. A review of these scales indicated that there were 28 ACL adiectives which were common to at least two of the three scales and when selected, were indicative of creativity. These adjectives are: adventurous, aloof, artistic, assertive, clever, complicated, cynical, disorderly, dissatisfied, egotistical, idealistic, imaginative, impulsive, individualistic, ingenious, insightful, intelligent, inventive, original, outspoken, quick, rebellious, reflective, resourceful, restless, sharpwitted, spontaneous, and unconventional. Seven of these adjectives were common to all three scales. They were: clever, complicated, cynical, imaginative, original, reflective, and unconventional. This list of 28 ACL adjectives represents a common core for ACL measures of creativity and may provide a new measure of creativity superior to any of the other scales. The usefulness of this new scale will, however, depend on future validicy srudies. Research is presently being conducted on the validity of this scale and it is hoped that with the publication of the items, others will also explore its usefulness as a measure of creativity.