Creativity Assessment

Test Number	6
Title	ALPHA – Biographical Inventory
Author
Category	Self-Report Inventory
Copyright Date	1972
Availability	Contact publisher
Restrictions
Age/Grade Level	Grades 9 – 12, adapted, possible use for age 12 through adult
Cost	No information is available at this time
Forms	One
Source	The Institute for Behavioral Research in Creativity
Address	1570 South 1100 East Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Phone	801-487-3209
Fax	801-487-3771
web or e-mail
Definition	p. 14 of the manual: “The creative student who scores high on the Creative Talent Key is one who is independent, exploring, self-sufficient, confident, aware of complexities in himself and in his environment, and is therefore more likely to express his individuality through his activities.” The creative person is independently competent, more capable of effectively and uniquely producing and expressing himself in his activities
Purposes	This is designed to predict creativity and college GPA, and aid in the identification of different talents.
Characteristics	Openness and Courage to Explore Ideas Listening to One's Inner Voice

Manual
Good	The manual seems well-organized. It includes a discussion of: its definition and purposes, the target populations and its norms; administration directions, its history and development, and citations of related research.

Validity
Fair	The manual indicates that the instrument has been validated against occupational and academic criteria.” however those criteria are not made clear in the manual. The instrument is reported to have a predictive validity of .87. The data reported are based

Reliability
Fair	While stability is reported as being between .83 and .91, there is no evidence reported form internal consistency. Much of the reported data are based on earlier editions.

Utility
Good	This untimed 300 item multiple-choice test takes from 9 to 120 minutes to complete. The instructions are clear. Scoring is by external service.

Interpretation
	Some of the items need to be updated. Half of the items refer directly to school related topics. Most refer to factors known to correlate with academic success. Some items tap aspirations, interests, and motivation with respect to education. Several self-report items deal with originality, creativity, and curiosity. The instrument seems relatively free from social bias in creativity.

Propriety
Poor	Not addressed in the manual.

Reviews & Related Lit

The manual states “past behavior, experiences, and self-descriptions can be used as indicators of future performance.” MMY #7, 1972; Ward, W. C. “Despite … reservations, it appears likely that the ALPHA – Biographical Inventory can provide meaningful variance that is not identical to the variance captured by more standard instruments in the creativity and academic performance domains, and that it is deserving of attention now as a research instrument, and eventually as a possible aid in academic and occupational selection. Davis, G. A., & Belcher, T. L. (1971). How shall creativity be measured? Torrance Tests RAT, Alpha Biographical, and IQ. Journal of Creative Behavior, 5(3), 153-161. Taylor, C. W. (1959). The identification of creative scientific talent. American Psychologist, 14, 100-102. Taylor, C. W., & Barron, F. (eds.). (1963). Scientific creativity: Its recognition and development. NY: Wiley.