The Relationship Between Creativity Score and Creative Outcome in Popular Songwriting 

Robert A. Garfrerick

University of North Alabama

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between scores on a measure of creativity and a creative outcome as judged by a panel of experts. The subjects were thirty college music students from the University of North Alabama. All participants completed the Khatena and Torrance Sounds and Images from Thinking Creatively with Sounds and Words. Participants also submitted a self-written song for evaluation by a panel of experts. Judges were interviewed and a content analysis instrument was constructed from the literature and interviews. Six variables were rated in the instrument: appropriateness, commercialism, emotion, imagery and analogy, originality, and structure. The instrument was subjected to a factor analysis to determine internal consistency which revealed that there was only one factor and all six variables loaded highly on that factor. Additionally, high correlations were found between all variables. No significant correlation was found between the scores of the songs and the scores of the Sounds and Images with a correlation coefficient −.0998. The data suggest that variables associated with creativity as measured by Khatena and Torrance Sounds and Images are not significantly related to creative outcomes in songwriting.

Keywords: creativity, creativity measurement, songwriting, music business, entertainment industry

Garfrerick, Robert A. “The Relationship Between Creativity Score and Creative Outcome in Popular Songwriting." Journal of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association 3, no. 1 (2003): 13-21. https://doi.org/10.25101/3.1

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