In Pursuit of Innovation: The Need for Rigorous Research on Individual Differences in Psychology

Innovation has been gaining increasing attention in the contemporary era as it is the most important driver of human civilization. It is the engine that propels society forward and enables us to solve complex problems and improve our quality of life. As such, numerous researchers have shown intense interest in studying innovation and understanding its underlying mechanisms.In the field of social science, innovation has also received much attention. A cluster of social scientists has focused on studying individual differences in innovation. They have found that various factors, such as individuals’ personality traits, emotional intelligence, and social relationships, can impact their innovation awareness, behaviors, and performance. These findings have provided valuable insights into how we can foster innovation and creativity in individuals and organizations.However, despite the merits of these findings, several issues (mainly in statistics) have been exposed. This paper describes several issues that occur in reliability analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), compares SEM with classical path analysis, and discusses the lack of causal inference in studies. Following the illustration of each issue, suggestions for solutions are given. By being cautious of and carefully treating these issues, researchers can conduct more rigorous studies and further advance our understanding of innovation.