Development and Initial Validation of the State Spontaneity Scale

In psychodrama, spontaneity is a state of readiness that propels individuals to respond in new and appropriate ways, serving as the vehicle through which creativity finds expression and acts as a catalyst for creativeadaptive responses to life changes and unexpected challenges. Given the limitations of previous attempts to measure spontaneity, this research, consisting of three consecutive studies grounded in psychodrama theory, aimed to develop and validate the State Spontaneity Scale in English. Study 1 defined the psychological construct of spontaneity by generating a pool of items based on responses from 108 international psychodrama experts. Study 2 identified the most suitable items reflecting the construct of spontaneity based on 13 experts’ and authors’ evaluations of the responses. Study 3 (N= 240) supported a 12-item State Spontaneity Scale measurement model, which showed that spontaneity could be measured as a latent construct underlying four interrelated factors: dynamic presence, readiness, intuition, and openness. The State Spontaneity Scale presented strong internal consistency reliability, and its correlations with other measures (spontaneity, state anxiety, and creative adaptability) pointed to convergent and discriminant validity. The discussion interprets the findings in light of psychodrama theory and empirical research. In addition, associations between spontaneity, theater, creativity, and divergent thinking are offered to encourage future studies.