Validating the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS) in Japan: Cultural reflections on everyday creativity

Abstract

This study investigates the reliability and factor structure of the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS) using a sample of 380 Japanese university students. The full 23-item RIBS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = .913). Exploratory analysis suggested a multidimensional structure, which we tested using set-Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (set-ESEM), an approach that allows theoretically motivated cross-loadings while retaining confirmatory rigor. Results supported a four-factor structure, Creative Production, Ideational Flow, External/Social Ideation, and Spontaneous Ideation, with good model fit (CFI = .949, RMSEA = .043), substantially better than the traditional two-factor CFA model (CFI = .853, RMSEA = .100). Several item-level patterns also invited cautious cultural interpretation. In particular, improvement- and refinement-oriented items loaded strongly, while items related to social recognition and spontaneous ideation showed more complex patterns. These patterns may be interpreted through Japanese cultural concepts such as kaizen (continuous improvement) and shokunin kishitsu (craftsmanship spirit), and norms of modest self-presentation, although they should not be taken as definitive evidence of cultural difference. Overall, the findings support RIBS as a reliable and structurally informative measure in this Japanese university sample and highlight the value of flexible modelling approaches such as set-ESEM when creativity scales are examined in new cultural contexts.