DOI: 10.5061/dryad.79cnp5j6p
title: Can creative thinking predict academic success in medical education? Correlating Torrance Test of Creative Thinking scores and five-year GPAs of Japanese medical students

description: This study determined the correlation between creative thinking aptitude,
 measured by the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking–Figural (TTCT–F), and
 five-year academic achievement. The TTCT–F was administered to
 135 first-year medical students at a Tokyo-based medical school in 2018.
 Participants’ academic records—annual GPAs over five years—were averaged,
 and data were analyzed in 2023. Pearson correlation coefficients examined
 the relationship between the TTCT–F Creativity Index and the five-year
 average GPA; multiple linear regression assessed the predictive value of
 TTCT–F components on GPA; canonical correlation analysis explored
 multivariate relationships. The Creativity Index demonstrated a
 weak, non-significant correlation with the five-year average GPA. Fluency,
 Originality, and Elaboration components were not significantly correlated,
 while Abstractness of Titles demonstrated a moderate positive correlation.
 Linear regression indicated that Abstractness of Titles significantly
 predicted GPA, accounting for approximately 8% of the variance. Canonical
 correlation analysis revealed a moderate multivariate association between
 TTCT–F components and academic performance. Certain aspects of
 creative thinking, particularly abstract reasoning, may relate to academic
 success in medical education. Further research is needed to clarify the
 role of creative thinking in medical training and whether it warrants
 greater integration into curricula.
description: Participants We conducted a retrospective
 cohort study, administering the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Figural
 (TTCT–F) in 2018 as a proctored and timed test to a cohort of 135
 first-year medical students at Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine in
 Chiba, Japan. The participants took the test simultaneously and were
 between the ages of 18 and 23 years old at the time. The cohort comprised
 42 women (31.1%) and 93 men (68.9%) (see Table 1). The study was approved
 by the Juntendo University Institutional Review Board and conducted in
 accordance with ethical guidelines to ensure participant confidentiality
 and data anonymity. All participants provided informed consent before
 participation and allowed access to their academic records for research
 purposes. No exclusion criteria were applied, and all first-year medical
 students in the cohort were eligible to participate. Data were collected
 and stored in compliance with ethical guidelines to ensure confidentiality
 and anonymity.
 <strong>Instrumentation</strong>
 We collected participants’ five-year average GPAs from 2018 to
 2023. In cases where students were absent from the TTCT-F or where GPA
 records were incomplete, the missing data were handled using listwise
 deletion to maintain data integrity in statistical analyses. Our main tool
 was a Japanese translation of the TTCT–F, a standardized instrument
 designed to assess creativity through figural tasks. In 2011, Scholastic
 Testing Service Inc. (Bensenville, Illinois, USA) granted permission to a
 member of the present research team to translate and use the Torrance
 Tests of Creative Thinking – Figural (TTCT-F) for research purposes.
 Additionally, members of the research team obtained formal certification
 in TTCT scoring and interpretation from the Torrance Center for Creativity
 and Talent Development at the University of Georgia in 2012 and
 2018.  The TTCT has two versions: a Verbal (TTCT–V) and
 a Figural (TTCT–F) test. The TTCT–F, which relies on images, is less
 biased for non-native English speakers, as the verbal test relies heavily
 on language and understanding of social and cultural context (Kim, 2006).
 The TTCT–V is more difficult to translate while maintaining the original
 meaning, as translation is subject to interpretation. Since the TTCT–F
 only required translation of the instructions, this was less likely to
 affect the outcome. A comparison of the two tests further confirms the
 comprehensiveness and validity of the TTCT–F (Kim, 2006; Kim, 2017;
 Torrance, 1977). We thus chose it to assess creative aptitude.
 <strong>The TTCT–F has the following
 components:</strong> 
 *Fluency *– assesses the ability to generate many ideas or
 solutions based on the number of drawings or ideas a person can create
 from a given stimulus. 
 *Originality *– assesses the ability to produce unique and
 uncommon ideas, based on the novelty of responses compared with
 others. 
 <em>Elaboration</em> – assesses the ability to add
 detail and further develop an idea by evaluating how well participants
 expand upon their initial ideas or drawings. 
 <em>Abstractness of Titles</em> – assesses
 the ability to produce abstract and symbolic titles for drawings,
 reflecting deeper thinking and the ability to connect the drawing to
 broader or less obvious concepts. 
 <em>Resistance to Premature Closure</em> – assesses
 the ability to keep an open mind and avoid hasty conclusions; by measuring
 how willing a person is to explore different possibilities rather than
 quickly concluding their drawings. 
 Additionally, three main scores were reported to reflect overall
 creative performance: the Sum Score, Average Standard Score, and
 Creativity Index Score. Here’s what each means:
 <strong>1. Sum Score</strong> This
 is the total raw score across the main TTCT creativity traits listed
 above. The Sum Score gives a comprehensive raw score of
 the individual’s performance across all creative dimensions.
 <strong>2. Average Standard Score</strong>
 Each TTCT trait is standardized based on age-specific normative
 data. The Average Standard Score is the mean of the standardized scores
 across the subscales. It accounts for differences in age, allowing for
 comparison across individuals. This score helps place
 an individual's creativity level relative to a normative
 population. The data set reflects the average standard
 score for college-aged students. <strong>3.
 Creativity Index Score</strong> The Creativity
 Index Score is a composite score combining: - the five
 norm-referenced creativity trait scores, plus - two
 criterion-referenced measures: - Creative Strengths
 (based on checklist behaviors such as emotional expressiveness,
 storytelling, humor, etc.) - Checklist Score (a count
 of those strengths) This score is intended to be a
 broad indicator of creative potential and development, incorporating both
 quantitative and qualitative aspects. For more
 information on how TTCT-F scoring works, please refer to the
 following: Torrance, E. P., & Safter, H. T.
 (2008). Scoring manual for the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking –
 Figural A and B. Scholastic Testing Service, Inc.
 Procedure In 2018, 135 first-year Japanese
 medical students were gathered in one room under the supervision of
 faculty and administrators, including trained staff certified by the
 University of Georgia to administer the TTCT. A Japanese translation of
 the TTCT–F was provided by a third-party Japanese company specializing in
 TTCT administration and scoring. The test consisted of three sections:
 picture construction, picture completion, and lines. Each section was
 allotted 10 minutes, with 35–40 minutes allocated for the full test,
 including introduction, explanations, and wrap-up. After the TTCT–F, all
 related documents were collected, and scores were calculated by the
 company that provided the translation. The scores were then double-checked
 and verified by a TTCT-certified faculty member. Over
 the next five years (2018–2023), after completion of the TTCT–F,
 participants’ academic records, specifically their annual GPAs, were
 collected from university records to calculate the five-year GPA. All data
 were anonymized to ensure participants’ confidentiality.
 <strong>Note</strong> Scoring of
 the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking – Figural Form A (TTCT-F) was
 conducted in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the official
 scoring manual (Torrance & Safter, 2008). The test was evaluated
 for five norm-referenced dimensions: Fluency, Originality, Elaboration,
 Abstractness of Titles, and Resistance to Premature Closure, as well as 13
 criterion-referenced Creative Strengths. All scoring
 was performed by trained scorers certified by the Torrance Center for
 Creativity and Talent Development at the University of Georgia to ensure
 reliability and validity of the results.
description: # Can creative thinking predict academic success in medical education?
 Correlating Torrance Test of Creative Thinking scores and five-year GPAs
 of Japanese medical students
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.79cnp5j6p](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.79cnp5j6p) ## Description of the data and file structure ## Data Set The data set shows the following: 1. An anonymous student number is assigned to each student from 1 to 135. 2. Gender 3. Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Figural (TTCT-F) Fluency Score  4. TTCT-F Originality Score 5. TTCT-F Elaboration Score 6. TTCT-F Abstractness of Titles Score 7. TTCT-F Premature Closure Score 8. TTCT-F Sum Score 9. TTCT-F Average Standard Score 10. TTCT-F Creativity Index Score 11. First year of medical school (M1) GPA - Fifth year of medical school (M5) GPA 12. Average 5-year GPA TTCT-F scores and categories are described above in the methods section. GPA = Grade Point Average.