Can creative thinking predict academic success in medical education? Correlating Torrance Test of Creative Thinking scores and five-year GPAs of Japanese medical students

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. 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. 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. 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.