Adaptation and Cognition

Abstract

In a previously reported experimental study from an ongoing program of research on the creative process, the type of cognition designated as homospatial thinking was shown to function in the creation of literary metaphor. Homospatial thinking consists of actively conceiving two or more discrete entities occupying the same space, a conception leading to the articulation of new identities. Under experimental conditions involving facilitation of homospatial thinking through presentation of superimposed visual images, and control presentation of the same images separated and side by side, the superimposed presentation stimulated significantly more creative literary metaphors. In the currently reported experiment, the effect of such stimuli on creation in the visual arts was assessed. Forty-three artist subjects were randomly assigned either to a control group viewing three sets of slide photographs paired side by side on a projection screen or to an experimental group viewing the identical pairs of slide images superimposed on each other. Each subject created a pastel drawing stimulated by each of the three slide pairs. Resulting drawings were categorized according to the type of composition produced and quality of all drawings were independently rated by two internationally prominent artists. The primary results were that drawings produced in the superimposed slide condition which contained elements from both slides intermingled together were rated significantly more creative than a single element composition and also more creative than similar composition drawings stimulated by the separated slide condition (p less than .05). Production of a final drawing in which individual components are recognizable and intermingled together in response to the superimposed stimulus condition indicates the operation of homospatial thinking involving elements occupying the same space. Consequently, the results indicate a relationship between homospatial thinking and creative visual artistic effects.