TY - JOUR
T1 - Divergent thinking in arts and science students
T2 - the effect of item content
AU - Webster, Michelle A.
AU - Walker, M. B.
PY - 1981/8
Y1 - 1981/8
N2 - Two four‐item tests of divergent thinking were developed. Both included the item types: uses, similarities, consequences and instances. The first test concerned non‐scientific objects while the second concerned objects that were of specific interest to engineers. One hundred and thirty‐nine engineering students and 94 business studies students took both tests. Using a fluency measure of divergent thinking it was shown that item content has a significant effect on divergent production. The result casts doubt on the validity of previous studies which have found that arts students are better able to think divergently than science students.
AB - Two four‐item tests of divergent thinking were developed. Both included the item types: uses, similarities, consequences and instances. The first test concerned non‐scientific objects while the second concerned objects that were of specific interest to engineers. One hundred and thirty‐nine engineering students and 94 business studies students took both tests. Using a fluency measure of divergent thinking it was shown that item content has a significant effect on divergent production. The result casts doubt on the validity of previous studies which have found that arts students are better able to think divergently than science students.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85004723109&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1981.tb02192.x
DO - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.1981.tb02192.x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85004723109
SN - 0007-1269
VL - 72
SP - 331
EP - 338
JO - British Journal of Psychology
JF - British Journal of Psychology
IS - 3
ER -