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Publications
Publications
  • November 1982
  • Article
  • Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

The Social Psychology of Creativity: A Consensual Assessment Technique

By: T. M. Amabile
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:17
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Abstract

States that both the popular creativity tests, such as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, and the subjective assessment techniques used in some previous creativity studies are ill-suited to social psychological studies of creativity. A consensual definition of creativity is presented, and as a refinement of previous subjective methods, a reliable subjective assessment technique based on that definition is described. The results of 8 studies testing the methodology in elementary school and undergraduate populations in both artistic and verbal domains are presented, and the advantages and limitations of this technique are discussed. The present methodology can be useful for the development of a social psychology of creativity because of the nature of the tasks employed and the creativity assessments obtained. Creativity assessment is discussed in terms of the divergent aims and methods of personality psychology and social psychology.

Keywords

Social Psychology; Creativity; Measurement and Metrics; Research; Perception; Theory

Citation

Amabile, T. M. "The Social Psychology of Creativity: A Consensual Assessment Technique." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 43, no. 5 (November 1982): 997–1013.
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About The Author

Teresa M. Amabile

Entrepreneurial Management
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  • The Turn Toward Creative Work By: Spencer Harrison, Elizabeth D. Rouse, Colin M. Fisher and Teresa M. Amabile
  • What Do I Make of the Rest of My Life? Global and Quotidian Life Construal across the Retirement Transition By: Jeff Steiner and Teresa M. Amabile
  • The Undervalued Power of Self-relevant Research: The Case of Researching Retirement While Retiring By: Teresa M. Amabile and Douglas T. (Tim) Hall
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