The Discriminant Validity of Gifted Children's Divergent Thinking Test Scores

Abstract

Previous research suggests that the indices drawn from divergent thinking tests (i.e., ideational fluency, originality, and flexibility) lack discriminant validity. This is a serious problem because of the popularity of these tests, and because divergent thinking is probably our most useful model of creative thinking. Still, the research demonstrating a lack of discriminant validity was conducted primarily with nongifted subjects, and the findings may not apply to gifted individuals. The present project evaluated the discriminant validity of gifted children's ( N = 97) divergent thinking test scores with multitrait-multimethod and factor analytic procedures. Results indicated that the indices drawn from the divergent thinking tests did lack discriminant validity in this gifted sample.