The Development and Validity of a Chinese Version of the Compound Remote Associates Test

Abstract Numerous recent studies have used neuroscientific methods such as event-related potentials and functional magnetic resonance imaging to demystify insight and creativity. To do so, 1 key prerequisite is the creation of a large enough number of homogeneous problems that can reliably produce insight-like experiences within a short time window. The Remote Associates Test (RAT) and its variant, the compound remote associate (CRA) problems developed by Bowden and Jung-Beeman (2003), are 2 of the most popular and important instruments for unraveling the behavioral and cognitive, especially electrophysiological and neural, mechanisms of creative thinking and insight. However, little research has examined cognitive, neural, or even behavioral correlates of remote association and creative insight in the Chinese context because of the absence of a Chinese RAT/CRA. The present work, based on Mednick’s (1962) associative theory, developed a Chinese version of the CRA test with enough items. The reliability, criterion-related validity, and underlying structure of this test were then further assessed. The results revealed that the test possesses satisfactory psychometric properties and is an appropriate psychometric instrument for uncovering neural correlates of creative thinking, creative insight, and associative thought.