Can Creative Thinking Predict Academic Success in Medical Education? Correlating Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Scores and Five-year GPAs of Japanese Medical Students.

Abstract

Background: This study determined the correlation between creative thinking aptitude, measured by the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking-Figural (TTCT-F), and five-year academic achievement.

Methods: The TTCT-F was administered to 135 first-year medical students at a Tokyo-based medical school in 2018. Participants' academic records-annual GPAs over five years-were averaged, and data were analyzed in 2023. Pearson correlation coefficients examined the relationship between the TTCT-F Creativity Index and the five-year average GPA; multiple linear regression assessed the predictive value of TTCT-F components on GPA; canonical correlation analysis explored multivariate relationships.

Results: The Creativity Index demonstrated a weak, non-significant correlation with the five-year average GPA. Fluency, Originality, and Elaboration components were not significantly correlated, while Abstractness of Titles demonstrated a moderate positive correlation. Linear regression indicated that Abstractness of Titles significantly predicted GPA, accounting for approximately 8% of the variance. Canonical correlation analysis revealed a moderate multivariate association between TTCT-F components and academic performance.

Conclusions: Certain aspects of creative thinking, particularly abstract reasoning, may relate to academic success in medical education. Further research is needed to clarify the role of creative thinking in medical training and whether it warrants greater integration into curricula.