Explaining Standardized Educational Test Scores: The Role of Creativity Above and Beyond GPA and Personality

Abstract

Most standardized educational tests are not intended to assess creativity. Past research in this domain has been largely correlational, examining the associations between creative beliefs or performance and scores on such tests. Hence, the primary aim of the current investigation was to determine the degree to which different metrics of creativity account for performance on standardized academic tests. Specifically, measures of creative performance, potential, self-reports, and beliefs were collected along with personality indicators and academic data (grade point averages, Australian Tertiary Admission Ranking [ATAR] scores) for Australian student participants. Results from a hierarchical multiple regression indicated that various creative potential, ability, and trait measures accounted for 18% of unique variance in ATAR scores over and above the contribution of GPA, higher conscientiousness, and higher introversion. Specifically, significant creativity variables were self-rated scholarly creativity and intellectual risk-taking, independently scored flexibility on a divergent thinking task, and objectively rated originality in generating a math equation. The findings suggest that both convergent and divergent thinking abilities play an important role in traditional academic outcomes. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.