Never suffer from writers block again! Smartphone app could give your imagination a creative boost
- Psychologists are developing a test for imagination and daily exercises
- They say their tests will measure people's 'Imagination Quotient' or ImQ
- Scientists have struggled to understand how the human imagination works
- Research will attempt to produce an 'imagination training' smartphone app
It afflicts all authors and aspiring novelists at some time in their careers, but technology may provide a way to combat the dreaded writers' block by giving them a creative boost.
Psychologists are developing a smartphone app they say will help to improve people's imagination.
The researchers are conducting tests to measure imagination and looking for ways to then strengthen creativity through daily training exercises.
Most writers will suffer problems with their imagination drying up, leading to writer's block but research by psychologists is aiming to test people's Imagination Quotient. This they hope could lead to new smartphone apps to help train and improve their creative powers. Pictured above is a typewriter and screwed up pages
Dr Sophie von Stumm, from Goldsmiths, University of London, who is heading the two-year project, said: 'We will develop new psychometric tests to assess imagination, and then validate them in several studies.
'Most importantly, however, we will find ways to improve imagination that everybody can use.
'We will develop an iPhone application that will be freely available with exercises and tips for enhancing imagination.
'This will be the greatest contribution of our project to society, because imagination is at the core of our everyday thinking and behaviour.'
Imagination is defined as the creation of mental representations of images, sensations and concepts, which are not perceived at the same time by the senses.
However, despite appearing to play a key role in psychological development, pinning down exactly how it works has remained elusive.
There are few ways to measure imagination, and little is known about how it works and what impact it has on people.
The Goldsmiths researchers plan to explore the mysteries of imagination and come up with psychometric tests that can deliver an 'Imagination Quotient', or 'imQ'.
Genetic and environmental influences on imagination will also be investigated by comparing identical and non-identical twins.
The team will look at how imagination is related to intelligence and personality, and the way it affects behaviour, the acquisition of knowledge, and academic achievement.
Dr von Stumm has been awarded a research grant from the Imagination Institute, based at the University of Pennsylvania, US, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.
Brain training on gaming devices and smartphones has been a popular way for the older generation to keep their mind active and improve cognitive powers. Researchers at Goldsmith's University of London say they will produce a smartphone app that will do the same for imagination and creativity
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