Effects of incubation and imagery training on creativity

One hundred five business school students were given anagram and open‐ended ideational tasks under one of several conditions. One group of students received an incubation interval prior to problem solving. A second group received no such interval. A third group received imagery training to aid problem solving in addition to an incubation interval. A fourth group received imagery training but no incubation interval. The fifth and sixth groups received imagery training, incubation or no incubation, respectively, and deliberate instructions to use imagery in problem solving. Results showed significant effects for incubation on originality of ideas and imagery training on anagram solving, but the latter were inhibitory. Results are discussed in terms of incubation and imagery theories.