Test of Creativity in Engineering

Abstract

The Test of Creativity in Engineering (TCE), developed by Harris in 1960, is a specialized psychological scale designed to measure the ability of individuals to generate a variety of original ideas when confronted with engineering problem situations. Its primary application is in the personnel selection and placement process for engineering staff within industrial organizations. The TCE comprises 40 items across two forms, categorized into three types (Type I, Type II, and Type III), each administered with a strict 2-minute time limit. The test yields three distinct scores reflecting different aspects of creativity: Flexibility (variety of categories in responses), Originality (weighted categories), and Fluency (number of responses). Development involved samples of engineering students, and its strong psychometric properties, including high split-half reliability coefficients, were established through empirical studies with practicing engineers.

Keywords

Test of Creativity in Engineering, Creativity, Engineering Personnel, Personnel Selection & Placement, Psychometric Properties, Test Development, Organizational Psychology, Fluency, Flexibility, Originality

Authors

Harris, D.

Purpose

The core purpose of the Test of Creativity in Engineering (TCE) is the assessment of an individual’s capacity to generate original and divergent ideas when presented with specific problem situations relevant to the engineering field.

This instrument was specifically developed for practical application within industrial settings, serving as a tool for the selection and placement of engineering personnel. By quantifying creativity components such as Fluency, Flexibility, and Originality, the test aims to predict potential success or suitability in roles requiring high levels of innovative thinking.

Construct

The primary psychological construct measured by the TCE is Creativity, specifically as it manifests within a technical or engineering context.

The TCE operationalizes creativity not as a single factor, but as a set of three distinct, yet related, dimensions: Fluency (the sheer volume of ideas generated), Flexibility (the diversity of conceptual categories utilized in the responses), and Originality (the statistical infrequency or uniqueness of the ideas presented, often derived through the weighting of response categories).

Validity

Evidence for the validity of the TCE was established through several empirical methods, including correlation studies with established measures of mental ability and other creativity tests.

The Fluency, Flexibility, and Originality scores were correlated with the Wonderlic Personnel Test (a measure of general mental ability), the Mechanical Comprehension Test, and the AC Test of Creative Ability. Furthermore, the relationships between the three TCE scores themselves were investigated using product-moment correlations based on a sample of 64 engineers. These inter-score correlations demonstrated strong internal relationships, suggesting they measure overlapping aspects of the creative construct: Fluency versus Flexibility correlated at 0.56; Fluency versus Originality correlated at 0.49; and, most notably, Flexibility versus Originality showed a very high correlation of 0.95. This high correlation between Flexibility and Originality suggests that, in this context, the ability to generate varied categories of responses is highly linked to the generation of unique, weighted responses.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability of the Test of Creativity in Engineering was demonstrated using the Spearman-Brown extension of the split-half correlation method. The calculated coefficients indicated high reliability across all three scoring dimensions.

The specific reliability estimates obtained were: Fluency score (.93), Flexibility score (.86), and Originality score (.80). These coefficients suggest that the TCE possesses sound internal consistency, confirming its ability to reliably measure the intended dimensions of creativity in the target population.

Factor Analysis

The source material does not explicitly detail the results of a formal factor analysis (e.g., Exploratory Factor Analysis or Confirmatory Factor Analysis) used to confirm the underlying dimensional structure (Fluency, Flexibility, Originality) of the 40 items. However, the use of three distinct scores suggests an assumed or hypothesized three-factor model of creativity measurement.

Instrument

Test Type: Test

Format: The test consists of two forms, each containing 40 items categorized as Type I, Type II, or Type III. Each item is presented on a separate page and is subject to a strict 2-minute time limit.

Language Available: English (developed in the United States)

Population Group: Engineering students (sophomore, junior, and senior levels) and practicing engineers in industrial organizations.

Age Group: Adulthood (18 years & older), Young Adulthood (18-29 years)

Population Details: The initial development and refinement were conducted on samples of engineering students. Final validation studies were performed using engineers working at an automotive accessories manufacturing company.

Test Methodology: The test development process involved administering experimental versions to engineering students and selecting the final 40 items based on their high indices of discrimination. The methodology includes comprehensive assessments of test validity, including construct validity and correlations with external measures of mental ability.

Keywords

Personnel Selection, Engineering Creativity, Psychometric Properties, Test Format, Spearman-Brown Formula, Industrial Psychology, Organizational Development, Originality Score, Flexibility Score, Fluency Score

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Test of Creativity in Engineering was first published in 1960. Information regarding current permissions, licensing fees, and commercial availability is not detailed in the original source reference. Researchers interested in utilizing the scale should contact the journal publisher or the author’s estate for licensing details.

Reference’s

• Harris, D. (1960). The development and validation of a test of creativity in engineering. Journal of Applied Psychology, 44(4), 254–257. The original source document is available via DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0047444

Items of the Test of Creativity in Engineering

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The source content provides details regarding the test format (40 items, Type I, Type II, Type III) but does not include the specific text or content of the 40 test items themselves. These items are typically proprietary and not published in the validation literature.