A New Measure of Imagination Ability: Anatomical Brain Imaging Correlates

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00496

Tags:

Jung, R. E., Flores, R. A., & Hunter, D. (2016). A new measure of imagination ability: anatomical brain imaging correlates. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00496

Abstract

Imagination involves episodic memory retrieval, visualization, mental simulation, spatial navigation, and future thinking, making it a complex cognitive construct. Prior studies of imagination have attempted to study various elements of imagination (e.g., visualization), but none have attempted to capture the entirety of imagination ability in a single instrument. Here we describe the Hunter Imagination Questionnaire (HIQ), an instrument designed to assess imagination over an extended period of time, in a naturalistic manner. We hypothesized that the HIQ would be related to measures of creative achievement and to a network of brain regions previously identified to be important to imagination/creative abilities. Eighty subjects were administered the HIQ in an online format; all subjects were administered a broad battery of tests including measures of intelligence, personality, and aptitude, as well as structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI). Responses of the HIQ were found to be normally distributed, and exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors. Internal consistency of the HIQ ranged from 0.76 to 0.79, and two factors (“Implementation” and “Learning”) were significantly related to measures of Creative Achievement (Scientific—r = 0.26 and Writing—r = 0.31, respectively), suggesting concurrent validity. We found that the HIQ and its factors were related to a broad network of brain volumes including increased bilateral hippocampi, lingual gyrus, and caudal/rostral middle frontal lobe, and decreased volumes within the nucleus accumbens and regions within the default mode network (e.g., precuneus, posterior cingulate, transverse temporal lobe). The HIQ was found to be a reliable and valid measure of imagination in a cohort of normal human subjects, and was related to brain volumes previously identified as central to imagination including episodic memory retrieval (e.g., hippocampus). We also identified compelling evidence suggesting imagination ability linked to decreased volumes involving the nucleus accumbens and regions within the default mode network. Future research will be important to assess the stability of this instrument in different populations, as well as the complex interaction between imagination and creativity in the human brain.

Authors

Rex E. Jung1
Ranee A. Flores1
Dan Hunter1

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to create a better way to measure imagination and see how it relates to the physical structure of the brain. Instead of just looking at "mental imagery"—the ability to picture things in the mind—they looked at imagination as a complex process involving memory, planning for the future, and creative thinking.

How They Studied It

The study involved 80 healthy young adults (29 men and 51 women). Participants completed a new tool called the Hunter Imagination Questionnaire (HIQ), which asked them to describe their imaginative activities over several days or weeks. This provided a more "natural" look at how people use their minds in daily life. The researchers also used MRI scans to measure the volume of different brain regions to see if people with higher imagination scores had specific physical differences in their brains.

What They Found

The researchers discovered that imagination is linked to a specific network of brain regions. People who scored higher on the imagination questionnaire tended to have more gray matter (brain tissue) in the hippocampus, which is essential for memory. Interestingly, they also found that higher imagination scores were linked to smaller volumes in parts of the "default mode network"—a group of brain regions active when we are daydreaming or thinking about ourselves—and the nucleus accumbens, an area usually associated with reward and novelty-seeking.

What This Might Mean

This suggests that imagination isn't just one "thing" in the brain but a complex interaction between memory systems and the networks we use to think about the future. The finding that some brain areas were smaller in highly imaginative people suggests that a "leaner" or more efficient brain network might actually be better for certain types of creative thought. However, because the study was small and focused on young adults, more research is needed to see if these patterns hold true for everyone, including those with aphantasia.

One Interesting Detail

The study found that two specific types of imagination—"Implementation" (planning how to do things) and "Learning"—were the strongest predictors of actual creative achievements in science and writing.

A New Measure of Imagination Ability: Anatomical Brain Imaging Correlates

Abstract

Authors

A New Measure of Imagination Ability: Anatomical Brain Imaging Correlates

Abstract

Authors

A New Measure of Imagination Ability: Anatomical Brain Imaging Correlates

Abstract

Authors

A New Measure of Imagination Ability: Anatomical Brain Imaging Correlates

Abstract

Authors

What This Study Is About

How They Studied It

What They Found

What This Might Mean

One Interesting Detail

What This Study Is About

How They Studied It

What They Found

What This Might Mean

One Interesting Detail

Joel Pearson

Merlin Monzel

Adam Zeman

Rebecca Keogh

Martin Reuter

Juha Silvanto

Paolo Bartolomeo

Carla Dance

Jianghao Liu

Fraser Milton