The ways in which the mind creates new worlds, new contexts, and possible alternate realities are described. It is proposed that with this information, facility in devising new worlds and realities may be enhanced and imaginative reach expanded. (MSE)

Discussed is the identification and stimulation of creative imagination imagery. (Author/DLS)

The paper questions the relationship among reason, imagination, and empathy, and argues that empathy fosters critical and creative thinking and that its enhancement should be adopted as an important educational goal. The paper proposes that critical and creative thinking are much more integrated processes than often supposed. (JDD)

This paper argues that emphasis on conventional critical thinking ("logicism") skills neglects nonlogical, imaginative ways of knowing and suggests that imagination is a necessary condition for good thinking. Education in thinking skills should encourage both imaginative thinking and logical analysis. (DB)

This paper outlines cognitive processes underpinning creative ability, considers their development, and discusses the creative potential of the individual at various life stages. Creativity is viewed as an outcome of self-directed transformational activity. The roles of fantasy and imagination are discussed, as is the contrast between public and…

This article considers the synergistic force, specifically imagination, which can serve as the catalyst for motivation and learning. The importance of classroom climate in fostering imagination and developing growth, discovery, and vision is emphasized. Ways to make imagination an important element of classroom climate are listed. (JDD)

The philosophy, purpose and methods of the Creative Problem-Solving Institute are discussed. (RW)

Seven principles are presented for improving creative thinking, based on assumptions of creativity as a perceptual shift resulting from a metamorphic mental image. Principles include (1) the future initiates and pulls creative thought; (2) initial fact finding is best postponed; (3) problem redefinition is often retrospective; and (4) metaphors…

A study examined the relationship between structured imagination and creativity in story writing among 108 undergraduates. Subjects produced paragraphs that were meaningful/original, meaningful/non-original, or non-meaningful/non-original. Results showed that groups 1 and 2 wrote psychologically meaningful stories significantly more than group 3…

This study evaluated the use of guided imagery practice to enhance creative writing with 43 academically gifted students (stratified as either high or low creativity) in grades 3 and 4. Groups receiving the guided imagery practice (regardless of original creativity level) generated more original writing, which contained more sensory descriptions…

This study examined the impact of three conditions on how subjects (105 college students) generated ideas about imaginary extraterrestrials. Results are discussed in terms of constraints on innovation, ways of overcoming those constraints, and the general tendency for new ideas to preserve many of the central properties of existing concepts.…

Forty-two undergraduates were tested to determine how scores on visual and verbal divergent thinking tests would be affected by instructions to use visual imagery and by individual differences in visual imagery ability. Results indicated that such instructions may interfere with test performance, but that individual differences did not influence…

Two studies involving 60 graduate and undergraduate students explored the role of structured imagination in story creation. Results indicate representational knowledge was an important influence on story meaning and originality and that meaningful and original stories were more likely to contain abstract concepts than were nonmeaningful and…

Responding to a definition of creativity, 449 Chinese language teachers identified imagination foremost, followed by inspiration and original ideas as a component of effective writing. Teachers identified developing student confidence and providing an open atmosphere as essential means of fostering creativity. The majority of teachers, however,…

This article presents a model to evaluate the imagination and creativity of strategic planners. Characteristics recommended for strategic planners include the cognitive styles of extroverted, intuitive, feeling, and perceptive; marginal personality orientation, which allows for an open-minded viewpoint with integrative skills; internal locus of…