Is creativity domain specific or domain general? Evidence from multilevel explanatory item response theory models

Creativity, as one of the key 21^st century skills, has become increasingly important. Yet despite the huge volume of research on creativity in the past 60 years, a fundamental debate about the nature of creativity still remains unsolved: Is creativity domain specific or domain general? In the present study, multilevel explanatory item response theory models were used to analyze 359 undergraduate and graduate students’ participation and achievements in a wide range of creative activities in six distinct domains. Results suggested that creativity was relatively domain general rather than domain specific. The findings will provide valuable insights for researchers and educators in issues related to creativity assessment and efforts to fulfill students’ creative potential in schools.