How Much Retrieval Ability Is in Originality?

Abstract

Creative fluency and originality are pivotal indicators of creative potential. Both have been embedded in hierarchical intelligence models as part of the ability to retrieve information from long-term memory; an ability that is often measured with indicators of retrieval fluency. Creative fluency and retrieval fluency, both expressed by the count of correct responses, are procedurally highly similar. This raises the question how creative fluency and originality are related with retrieval fluency and how both are predicted by other cognitive abilities. In a multivariate study (N = 320), we found that retrieval fluency is very strongly related with creative fluency (r = .87) and substantially related with originality (r = .59). A combined fluency factor still fitted the data well. Cognitive abilities accounted for 63% variance in fluency and 47% variance in originality. After controlling for established cognitive abilities, latent variables for fluency and originality were unrelated with one another. This suggests that the procedural proximity of the ability to fluently generate either information from long-term memory or ad-hoc solutions to unusual tasks and the ability to come up with original ideas needs reconsideration. Locating originality below an overarching retrieval factor is contradicted by the present data.