The Box Interaction Game: Action-Based Divergent Thinking Tests for Chinese Preschoolers

TL;DR

The Box Interaction Game is a new action-based test designed to assess creativity in Chinese preschoolers, offering a more suitable alternative to traditional verbal methods.

Contribution

BIG adapts the Unusual Box Test for Chinese preschoolers using action-based assessments, with initial validation for reliability and validity.

Findings

BIG shows low-to-moderate correlations with the verbal UUT, suggesting preliminary convergent validity.

BIG has strong internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability for fluency and originality.

BIG is a promising tool for assessing divergent thinking in Chinese preschoolers.

Abstract

The current methodologies for assessing divergent thinking in children are predominantly based on verbal response, which limits their applicability for evaluating the creative potential of preschoolers and toddlers. This study introduces the Box Interaction Game (BIG), which is an adaptation of the Unusual Box Test (UBT) to make it more suitable for Chinese children. By simplifying, reorganizing, and expanding the actions in the UBT, the BIG employs action-based assessments that are relevant to the Chinese context and evaluate validity and test-retest reliability in preschoolers. The results revealed statistically significant but modest correlations between the verbal Unusual Uses Task (UUT) and the BIG test. Specifically, total scores (τ = 0.24, p = 0.02), fluency scores (τ = 0.23, p = 0.029), and originality scores (τ = 0.21, p = 0.04) showed low-to-moderate associations, indicating preliminary support for convergent validity, although further refinement is needed to strengthen these relationships. Additionally, the BIG demonstrates strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83 for both fluency and originality) and moderate test-retest reliability (ICC for fluency = 0.67, for originality = 0.74). These findings suggest that BIG is a promising and developmentally appropriate tool for assessing divergent thinking in Chinese preschoolers, offering a foundation for future work on early creative thinking in China.

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