Validation and network structure of the Kaufman domains of creativity scale: A psychometric investigation in an Arabic context

The Kaufman Domains of Creativity Scale (K-DOCS), a self-report measure designed to capture creative behaviors across various domains, has been utilized and validated across different cultural contexts. The present study sought to assess the psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the K-DOCS. Using exploratory graph analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory analysis, the factor structure of the K-DOCS was assessed. Additionally, the criterion validity of the K-DOCS was assessed in relation to measures of openness and emotional intelligence. Beyond validation, the study examined the network structure of the K-DOCS domains to understand their interconnections and investigated potential domain network differences based on gender, age, and academic major. Data were collected among 2,594 Egyptian university students. The results suggest that the K-DOCS has a five-factor structure broadly consistent with the theoretical factor structure and demonstrates acceptable criterion validity. The results further reveal that the K-DOCS domains cluster together into a single interconnected community, with significant differences in domain connectivity based on gender and age, but not on academic major. The implications of these results for the conceptualization and measurement of creativity are discussed.