Effects of Abstract Image on Invention: Representation Change from Preinventive Form to Inventive Form

• Komazaki Hisaaki

  Tokyo Institute of Technology

• Kusimi Takashi

  Tokyo Institute of Technology

• Shigemasu Kazuo

  University of Tokyo

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 発明品アイデアの考案に及ぼす抽象的イメージの効果 : 前発明形態から発明形態への表象変化

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of provided forms on creating inventions. In creative cognition approach, Finke, Ward, & Smith (1992) showed that people can create products using specific object forms and exploring the forms' possible functions. Accordig to their account, these self-generated preinventive forms were more useful for creating inventions than externally provided forms. One hundred and thirty three undergraduates were divided into six groups. The subjects of five experimental groups used the provided objects made of three parts, and 1) thought of some reasons why the objects had those forms, 2) recombined the parts to the objects in imagery, 3) rotated them inversely in imagery, 4) transformed them into stable forms, 5) evaluated them on quality, novelty, usefulness, and ambiguity. The subjects of the control group generated objects using the three parts by themselves. All subjects described the features of the objects, and next, they interpreted them as some kind of inventions restricted by one of eight categories (e.g., furniture). The results showed that the subjects using the externally provided object forms with thinking of reasons or mental rotation, could produce inventions the same as the control group subjects. These subjects also could find attributes related to the purposes and functions of the object forms, and then they used them in creating products. In order for creative inventions, it is important to find the purposes and functions of the preinventive forms by which are both provided and self-generated.

Journal

• Cognitive Studies: Bulletin of the Japanese Cognitive Science Society

  Cognitive Studies: Bulletin of the Japanese Cognitive Science Society 5 (4), 4_97-4_107, 1998

  Japanese Cognitive Science Society

Keywords

• creativity
• imagery
• cognitive processes
• abstraction
• category

Details

• CRID: 1390001204484496256
• NII Article ID: 10009704528
• NII Book ID: AN1047304X
• DOI: 10.11225/jcss.5.4_97
• ISSN: 18815995
• ISSN: 13417924
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed