The Effects of Mental Imagery with Ocean Virtual Reality on Creative Thinking

Abstract

Mental imagery in creativity has been regarded as facilitating insight in creative thinking, but several issues remain to be addressed to clarify the extent to which forms, abilities and strategies of imagery affect creative idea generation (Palmiero, Piccardi, Nori, Palermo, Salvi, & Guariglia, 2016). In this study, the issue of whether if Mental Imagery with Ocean Virtual Reality (MIOVR) can be an effective external support for creative thinking was explored.Participants (n = 30) were undergraduate students in the course of Teaching for Creativity in National Taiwan Ocean University. Creative thinking skills were assessed via the administration of the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA; Goff & Torrance, 2002). 20 participants finished two tests, separated by a week. Before the second test, they saw an 8-minute virtual reality film of the underwater world, and at the same time they were free to create Mental Imagery. After seeing the film, they had three minutes to paint any images in their mind. Findings indicated that a significant difference (p < .05) between two tests existed, with post-test scoring higher than the pre-test on Creativity Index (CI), pre-test scoring as covariates. Narrative interviews and document analysis revealed that Mental Imagery with Ocean Virtual Reality can be used effectively to relax and involve in the mindfulness status. Finally, the differences of student creative performances on the ATTA test and their creative Interests in daily life were discussed.

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Author Information
Chih-Hsuan Chang, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan
Cheng-Chieh Chang, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan
Ping-Hsuan Sung, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan
Cheng-Hsin Chih, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan

• Category: ACE2017, Oral Presentation
• Tag: Nurturing Creativity & Innovation: New/Innovative & Radical Education

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

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