Measuring Creativity

This book collects together contributions from the conference that took place in Brussels on 28 and 29 May 2009 : "Can creativity be measured?" organised by the Directorate- General for Education and Culture (Education and Culture DG) together with the Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning (CRELL) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC). The book provides an overview of two main approaches to the measurement of creativity. Firstly, aggregate level approaches, where different existing statistical indicators can be used as pointers of creativity in a region or a nation. Secondly, it explores some aspects in the measurement of creativity at the individual level. If we want to foster creativity we need to measure it. Without adequate tools to monitor whether or not the policies in place are actually raising the capacity to be creative, there is no way to know that the policies are being effective. The main conclusion of the conference was that, despite its complexity, creativity can be measured. Still, further work is needed to ascertain what aspects of creativity should be measured and for what purpose. The conference constituted the first step in the challenge of measuring creativity in an international, comparative way. The next step would be to build consensus in a common approach to measurement and thus define with all relevant stakeholders' involvement what the universal, necessary characteristics of creativity are. The present publication contains some proposals for discussion. The European Year of Creativity and Innovation is providing a perfect platform for building this consensus. The challenge of measuring creativity requires clear political will and leadership. It is, necessarily, a long-term, difficult challenge, but there are some reasons for optimism. Firstly, the field of creativity has more than 50 years of history and 'confluence approaches' are providing some degree of consensus in the measurement of creativity characteristics. Secondly, there is more and more evidence of the importance of creativity for economic and social success and, thus, the need for politicians to address the issue of creativity and its measurement. Thirdly, the European Year of Creativity and Innovation has been instrumental in the promotion and awareness of the importance of creativity on both economic and social grounds. This provides a window of opportunity to establish a clear political and research agenda on creativity for the coming years. Finally, Europe has a privileged position for building upon its creative capacity; because of the enormous heterogeneity of Europe, there is a tremendous potential for the exchanging of ideas and enhancing possibilities for creative accomplishments.

VILLALBA Ernesto; 

2010-06-08

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC56582

978-92-79-12862-2,   

1018-5593,   

EUR 24033 EN,    OP LB-NA-24033-EN-C,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC56582,   

10.2760/11878,