Development and validation of the creative personality and thinking styles scale: a multifaceted measure for assessing creativity-related individual differences

Creativity is the process of generating contextually useful novel outcomes by uniquely reconfiguring existing knowledge and information. While various measures examine specific aspects of creativity, multifaceted measures that holistically assess creativity as a domain-general factor are still needed. This study developed the Creative Personality and Thinking Styles Scale (C-PETS), which measures personality, thinking styles, and creativity-related motivation based on Plucker et al.’s theory of creativity.

The initial C-PETS item pool was developed by referencing existing scales, followed by a qualitative screening process to ensure theoretical consistency. Exploratory factor analysis involving 572 participants was conducted to examine the underlying factor structure. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis and a higher-order model analysis involving 943 participants were performed to verify the model fit.

Exploratory factor analysis identified a five-factor, 16-item scale comprising Broad Thinking, Thorough Thinking, Information Manipulation, Challenge-Seeking, and Ambiguity Tolerance. The higher-order CFA model demonstrated an excellent fit (GFI = .97, CFI = .98, RMSEA = .02). Criterion-related validity was supported by significant correlations with the Short Scale of Creative Self-Efficacy (r = .75), Aesthetic Experiences Scale (r = .30), and Divergent Association Task (r = .18). Test–retest reliability after two weeks was strong (r = .87). Additionally, a positive correlation was observed with educational attainment.

The C-PETS represents a valuable contribution to creativity assessment by providing a multifaceted measure of creativity-related personality, thinking styles, and motivation.