Modeling the inter-relationship of latent factors of intelligence and information processing speed with creativity of students

Intelligence and creativity are two very important components of human intellectual abilities. So, to study and explain the relation of these two elements are the researchers intend. The main purpose of the current study was to find out the relationship between intelligence and creativity and to explain this relation through elementary cognitive factor (information processing speed). A total of 418 students of Tehran human science faculties responded to the research instruments. The research instruments were: a) the sub-scales of Wechsler adult intelligence test (WAIS-R), b) Divergent thinking tests, c) Zahlen-Verbindungs-Test (ZVT,) and d) Coding Test (KDT). Structural equations model to examine the assumed model of the relationships among these variables were developed based on the research literature, were used. The result indicated that, when this relationship investigates through latent variable analysis, the relationship boosts compared with it analyzed through observed variable. Another result of the study was the importance of information processing speed as a second-order factor in explaining the intelligence-creativity relation. In other words, processing speed is elementary cognitive ability that affects both intelligence and creativity simultaneously, and the indirect effect of processing speed on creativity was more than direct effect, in other word, intelligence mediated the processing speed and creativity relation. The results are explained in terms of their importance and possible applied aspects.