ERIC Number: EJ1483351
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1929-7750
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Disentangling the Influences of Creativity and Verbal Fluency on Writing
Journal of Learning Analytics, v12 n2 p67-82 2025
This study investigates how individual differences related to creative and verbal fluencies can be differentiated and modelled through the linguistic features that manifest in student writing. Using computational linguistics, we analyzed samples of intrapersonal writing to extract linguistic features that align to specific dimensions of language. Creative fluency scores were calculated based on the number of unique ideas generated during the Alternate Uses Task (AUT); verbal fluency scores were calculated based on the number of unique semantic categories produced during the animal naming task. We then developed machine learning models to predict creative and verbal fluency scores based on the linguistic features of participant essays. Results indicate that creative fluency is more strongly predicted by linguistic features (particularly descriptive and cohesion indices) than verbal fluency. Key predictors of creative fluency include features that capture lexical diversity and the global connectedness of ideas. Importantly, our results align with theoretical frameworks related to convergent and divergent thinking. Findings highlight the potential for leveraging learning analytics to offer new insights into complex cognitive processes such as creativity. Implications for stealth assessments and personalized feedback within automated writing systems are discussed as paths for future research.
Descriptors: Creativity, Language Fluency, Verbal Ability, Writing Ability, Semantics, Artificial Intelligence, Prediction, Computational Linguistics, Undergraduate Students
Society for Learning Analytics Research. 121 Pointe Marsan, Beaumont, AB T4X 0A2, Canada. Tel: +61-429-920-838; e-mail: info@solaresearch.org; Web site: https://learning-analytics.info/index.php/JLA/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

Peer reviewed
