A scattered CAT: A critical evaluation of the consensual assessment technique for creativity research

Amabile’s consensual assessment technique (CAT)—taking the consensus opinions of domain experts—is considered a “gold standard” of creativity assessment for research purposes. While several studies have identified how specific procedural choices impact the CAT’s reliability as a measure, researchers’ depth of knowledge about procedures and their effects still remains incomplete. This article explores gaps in the research by reviewing CAT and creativity literature and aims to explore to what extent the creativity research community needs to revisit and reflect on the CAT and solidify protocols for its implementation. The conclusion highlights the need for new debate and a program of research to clarify, evidence, and harmonize CAT methodology while simultaneously preserving the CAT’s flexibility. This would enable the development and sophistication of the CAT, including possible new assistive technologies, to further strengthen its use within the science of creativity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved

A DigitalCAT: A Fusion of Creativity Assessment Theory and HCI

As a ‘gold standard’ creativity assessment method, it is important to reflect on the digital future of Amabile’s Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT). Over the past three decades, the CAT has given creativity researchers a formal tool on which to build a true science out of the subjective phenomenon of creativity in a vast range of domains. Research practice, however, has relied on primitive paper-based tools or only rudimentary digital technology. As a result, it is high time a more sophisticated, standardized research tool is developed to greatly facilitate future creativity research and assessment - a DigitalCAT - building on expertise from the design research, psychology and human-computer interaction (HCI) disciplines