Creativity test. The full version of E. Torrens's technique is 12 subtests, grouped into three batteries. The first is intended for the diagnosis of verbal creative thinking , the second is for non-verbal creative thinking (visual creative thinking) and the third for verbal and sound creative thinking. The non-verbal part of this test, known as the "Figural forms of creative thinking of Torrens" (Figural forms), was adapted in the Institute of General and Pedagogical Psychology of the APN in 1990 on a sample of schoolchildren.
The proposed version of the Torrens test is a set of pictures with some set of elements (lines), using which the subjects need to draw a picture to some meaningful image. In this version of the test, 6 pictures are used, selected from 10 original ones. According to A.N. Voronin, these pictures do not duplicate each other's original elements and give the most reliable results.
Diagnostic possibilities of the adapted variant of the technique allow to estimate such 2 indicators of creativity as:
- originality;
- uniqueness.
Indicators of "fluency" of performance, "flexibility", "complexity" of the image, available in the full version of the "Completion of pictures" Torrance, in this modification are not used.
In the course of adaptation of this methodology, norms and an atlas of typical drawings for the sample of young managers were compiled, allowing to estimate the level of development of creativity in this category of persons.
The test can be conducted in both individual and group versions.
Features of the testing procedure
When carrying out the test, it is necessary to take into account that creativity manifests itself in full only under favorable conditions. Unfavorable functional conditions, difficult conditions of conducting, insufficiently benevolent atmosphere of tests sharply lower results. This requirement is common in testing any form of creativity, so before testing creativity, they always try to create a favorable environment, minimize the motivation for reaching and orient the testers to the manifestation of their hidden abilities. It is better to avoid open discussion of the subject orientation of the methodology, that is, you do not need to report that creative abilities are tested (especially creative thinking). The test can be presented as a technique for "originality", an opportunity to express oneself in an unfamiliar business, etc. The testing time is not as limited as possible, roughly assigning to each picture for 1-2 minutes. At the same time it is necessary to encourage the tested, if they think about it for a long time or linger.
Instructions
"In front of you there is a blank with 6 unmarked pictures. You need to finish them. You can finish anything and anything. After the drawing is complete, you need to give it a name and sign it in the line below. "
Stimulus material
Interpretation
In the original Torrance test, several indicators of creativity are used. The most significant of them is the originality, dissimilarity of the image created by the subject to the images of other subjects. In other words, originality is understood as a statistical rarity of the answer. It should be remembered, however, that there are no two identical images, and, accordingly, one should speak of a statistical rarity of the type (or class) of figures. In the block of interpretation, various types of figures and their conventional names, proposed by the author of adaptation, are presented, which reflect some essential characteristic of the image. It is important that the conventional names of the drawings, as a rule, do not coincide with the names of the drawings given by the subjects themselves. In this, in A.N. Voronina, the differences between verbal and non-verbal creativity are quite clearly manifested. Since the test is used to diagnose non-verbal creativity, the names of the pictures given by the subjects themselves from the subsequent analysis are excluded and are used only as an aid to understanding the essence of the picture.
The indicator "originality" of the figure is estimated from its data array and is calculated by the following formula:
where Or - originality of this type of drawing; x - number of pictures of a different type; Xmax is the maximum number of patterns in a type among all types of drawings for a given sample of subjects.
The originality index by Torrance was calculated as the average originality in all the pictures. If the originality of the figure was 1.00, then this picture was recognized as unique. In addition, the unique index was calculated, defined as the number of pictures for a given subject.
Along with the "originality" indicator in the full Torrance test, the "fluency" of the performance is used, defined as the number of drawings except for recurring (without significant variations) and irrelevant. By irrelevant we mean drawings that do not include the lines of the stimulus material or are not part of the picture. When adapting the methodology, this indicator was not very informative. In the presence of irrelevant drawings, as a rule, there was a process of transition from non-original drawings to original and unique ones, that is, there was a consistently unfolding in time process of transition to creative solutions. Much less often (1-2 cases) there was a misunderstanding of the instructions. In both of these cases, the standard procedure for calculating the test score is not applicable and re-testing is required to determine the level of creativity.
Such an indicator as "flexibility" works well enough in the "Parallel Lines" subtest, where you need to draw a twelve pairs of parallel lines to a meaningful image. "Flexibility" in this case implies the availability of different types of images for each pair of lines and the ease of transition from one type of image to another. In the case of various stimulant material proposed for painting, such an indicator is hardly intelligible, and when it is defined as "the number of different categories of images", it is hardly distinguishable from originality. The indicator of the "complexity" of the image, understood as "the thoroughness of the drawing design, the number of additions to the main picture, etc.," characterizes rather some "visual" experience of the subject and certain personality traits (eg, epileptoidity, demonstrativeness) than the characteristics of creativity. In this version of the test, the "fluency" of performance, "flexibility", "complexity" of the image is not used.
Interpretation of test results for this test is highly dependent on the specifics of the sample, therefore, adequate and reliable conclusions about an individual can be obtained only within the framework of this sample or similar to it. In this case, the norms and atlas of typical drawings for the sample of young managers are presented, and accordingly it is possible to estimate rather well the non-verbal creativity of people of this or similar contingent. If the sample is very different from the one proposed, then it is necessary to analyze the results for the entire new sample and only then to give conclusions about individual people.
To evaluate the results of testing people related to the contingent of managers or similar to it, the following algorithm is proposed.
It is necessary to compare the finished ones with the ones available in the atlas and in finding a similar type, assign the originality indicated in the atlas to this figure. If in the atlas there is no such type of drawings, then the originality of this finished picture is 1.00. The originality index is calculated as the arithmetic average of the originals of all pictures.
Let the first picture be similar to the 1.5 atlas picture. Its originality is 0.74. The second picture is similar to the picture 2.1. Its originality is 0.00. The third drawing is not similar to anything, but the elements originally proposed for painting are not included in the drawing. This situation is interpreted as a departure from the task and the originality of this figure is estimated at 0.00. The fourth figure is missing. The fifth figure is recognized as unique (for nothing in the atlas is not similar). Originality - 1,00. The sixth drawing was similar to the picture of 6.3 and the originality of 0.67. Thus, the total score for this protocol is 2.41 / 5 = 0.48.
When assessing the originality of this picture, it should be taken into account that sometimes "typical" drawings appear in response to atypical incentives for them. So, for the picture 1, the most typical drawing is a conditionally named "cloud". The same type of picture may appear in response to the stimulus material of picture 2 or 3. In the atlas such cases of duplication are not given and the originality of such figures should be evaluated according to the images available for other images. In our case, the originality of the "cloud" pattern, which appeared in the second picture, is estimated at 0.00 points.
The index of uniqueness (the number of unique pictures) of this protocol is 1. Using the percentile scale constructed for these two indices, it is possible to determine the place of this person with respect to the proposed sample and accordingly draw conclusions about the degree of development of his non-verbal creativity.
The results of the above protocol show that this person is on the border of 80%. This means that in about 80% of people in this sample, non-verbal creativity (according to the originality index) was higher than that of him. However, the index of uniqueness is higher and only 20% have an index higher. To evaluate creativity as such, the uniqueness index is of greater importance, showing how truly a new person can create, but the differentiating power of the proposed index is small and therefore the originality index is used as an auxiliary index.
Percentile scale
- percentage of people whose results exceed the specified level
- value of the originality index
- unique index value
| 1 | 0% | 20% | 40% | 60% | 80% | 100% |
| 2 | 0.95 | 0.76 | 0.67 | 0.58 | 0.48 | 0.00 |
| 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.00 |