Counting the Muses in German Speakers – Evaluation of the German-Language Translation of the Kaufman Domains of Creativity Scales (K-DOCS)

Abstract

The Kaufman Domains of Creativity Scales (K-DOCS) assess individual differences in creativity across five domains (Everyday, Scholarly, Performance, Science, and Artistic). We provide data on the psychometric properties and the structural and nomological validity of the German adaptation of the K-DOCS from three samples (Ntotal = 1,379). Our findings supported the 5-factorial structure of the German K-DOCS in line with the original version and prior language adaptations. Our findings showed overall satisfying psychometric properties (reliability:.78 ≤ ωs ≤.87) and scalar measurement invariance for gender. Correlations with external measures of broad and narrow traits supported the convergent validity (self-reports of creativity and a situational judgment test of creative thinking) and the nomological validity (e.g., Big Five personality traits, cognitive styles, and adult playfulness). Overall, the findings support the notion that the German-language adaptation of the K-DOCS can be used to study individual differences across five domains of creativity.