Measurement Invariance and Latent Mean Analysis of the Trait of Creative Potential Questionnaire (TCPQ-12) for Dance Students

Objectives Creative potential refers to an individual's ability to express his or her creative abilities and perform creatively in the face of challenges. This study examined whether the Trait of Creative Potential Questionnaire (TCPQ-12: Penagos-Corzo & Saucedo, 2021) is equally applicable to measure creative potential traits in high school and college students majoring in dance (measurement invariance test) and compared latent means of the sub-scales (exploration, rule-breaking, and challenge) to see if they differ between the two groups (latent mean analysis). Methods A total of 772 students (387 high school students, 385 university students) from four art high schools and four university dance departments participated in the survey. The data were conducted using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, internal reliability analysis, and multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. Results The results of the multi-group analysis are as follows: First, the measurement model that assesses creativity exploration, transgression, and challenge is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the trait creative potential of dance students. Second, the factor structure and factor loadings of the TCPQ-12 are the same between high school and college students majoring in dance, but the intercept and covariance are somewhat different between the two groups. Third, among the three subscales of the Trait of Creative Potential Questionnaire, the latent mean of transgression is slightly larger for the college students than for the high school students, but the latent means of exploration and challenge do not differ between the high school and college students. Conclusions These results suggest that although the Creative Potential Traits Questionnaire was developed to measure an individual's potential for creativity, it is also applicable to dance students.