Construction and Validation of the Postgraduate Research Innovation Ability Scale (PRIAS): A Three-Dimensional Structural Model Based on Componential Theory of Creativity

To explore the structure of postgraduate research innovation ability and verify the Postgraduate Research Innovation Ability Scale.This study was based on the componential theory of creativity. First, we drafted an item pool from the literature review, semi-structured interviews, and group discussions. A total of 125 postgraduates were selected for the pre-test. After item selection and exploratory factor analysis, an 11-item, 3-factor postgraduate research innovation ability scale was formed. The scale was applied to a sample of 330 postgraduates from various domestic universities. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to examine the factor structure of the scales.The results support a three-factor model including creativity-relevant processes, domain-relevant skills, and intrinsic motivation for the Postgraduate Research Innovation Ability Scale. The scale showed good internal consistency (α =0.89) and test-retest reliability (r=0.86). Exploratory factor analysis showed that the KMO value was 0.87, and the Bartlett's sphericity test results were significant. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the three-factor construct demonstrated a good model fit (χ2/df=1.945, GFI=0.916, CFI=0.950, RMSEA=0.076).The Postgraduate Research Innovation Ability Scale has good reliability and validity, and it can be used for future research in related fields.