A meta-analysis of the relation between creative self-efficacy and different creativity measurements

This meta-analysis investigated the relations between creative self-efficacy (CSE) and creativity measures and hypothesized that self-assessed questionnaires would have a different relation to self-efficacy beliefs compared to other creativity tests. The meta-analysis synthesized 60 effect sizes from 41 papers (overall N = 17226). Taken as a whole, the relation between CSE and creativity measures was of medium size (r =.39). Subgroup analyses revealed that self-rated creativity correlated higher with self-efficacy (r =.53). The relation with divergent thinking (DT) tests was weak (r =.23). Creativity scales had a medium size relation (r =.43), and was stronger than the relation to verbal performance tasks (r =.27) and figural performance tasks (r =.19). In a comparison between measures focusing on the creative person (r =.47), the creative product (r =.32), and the creative process (r =.27), the person aspect was most strongly linked to CSE. Thus, the relation between self-efficacy and creativity measures is dependent on the type of measurement used, emphasizing the need for researchers to distinguish between different instruments—not the least between self-report scales and more objective test procedures. Conceptual implications are discussed and critique concerning the creativity concept is brought up.