Individual Differences in Ideational Behavior: Can the Big Five and Psychometric Intelligence Predict Creativity Scores?

This study explored the extent to which ideational behavior (IB; Runco, Plucker, Lim, 2000-2001), an indicator of creativity, is related to established individual differences in personality traits (Five Factor Model or FFM; Costa McCrae, 1992), fluid (gf) and intelligence (IQ). A total of 158 (112 female) college students from British and American universities took part in this study. Bivariate correlations showed that IB was significantly associated with Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness (negatively), and gf. Hierarchical regression analysis showed personality to be a better predictor of IB than was intelligence. Cognitive ability measures only accounted for 4% of the variance in IB, whereas the Big Five superfactors explained an additional 22% of the variance (with gender explaining a further 3%). Furthermore, selected personality facets of Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, explained the largest amount of variance in IB, namely 35%. Results are discussed with regard to the theoretical implications of the taxonomic place of IB in the wider realm of individual differences constructs.