Part 7/11:
Measuring Creative Thinking
Creative thinking is characterized by fluency, originality, and the ability to produce ideas that are both novel and useful. When tested—for example, by asking individuals to list uses for a brick—responses can be scored along various parameters. Fluency measures how many ideas a person generates; originality assesses how uncommon or improbable those ideas are; and utility examines the practical usefulness of the ideas.
Research shows that the most typical response pattern is low in originality, with many people offering similar solutions such as "build a wall." Creative individuals, however, tend to produce responses that are more unique and unexpected, although these responses must still serve some useful purpose to be considered truly creative.