**8. Instruments**

The *PIC* 2004, as we said, evaluates narrative creativity and graphic creativity to obtain a result of general creativity for the imagination of children between 8 and 12 years. The 4 "tests" or "exercises" are used to count four di fferent facets of creativity originally suggested by Torrance (1966): Namely, fluidity, flexibility, elaboration, and originality, both in their narrative and graphic aspects. It o ffers scores on each of these facets and gives then a sum of both narrative and graphic aspects to render a total score of creativity. It may be characterized as a simple instrument, easy to apply or readjust with the help of guidelines given in the test manual. The term "game" is used on the front cover of the tests in order to minimize the impression of an evaluation or examination for participating subjects, and to obtain results of the application in an environment free from strict regulations since this encourages the ludic tendencies of creative subjects. The first game evaluates fluidity and flexibility with the help of an image in which children must write something by using given phrases to represent all the ideas that they consider may be passing through their minds. In the second, fluidity, flexibility, and originality are evaluated through a score for arrangemen<sup>t</sup> of one or several rubber tubes of di fferent sizes. The third test poses an unexpected situation for the young participants, which is that they would need to imagine what would happen under implausible conditions, like in a situation in which a squirrel would suddenly turn into a dinosaur. Finally, four incomplete drawings are presented in the fourth game. Here, children had to complete each inchoate figure by drawing out something no one has thought of before.

A pre-test and post-test were applied, for evaluating fluidity, flexibility, originality, and elaboration according to the following criteria:


The application of the test was carried out individually, since it was assumed that the creative imagination is a process that is strengthened individually.

### **9. Description of Experimental Procedure**

To achieve the objectives set out in this research, which is to determine how creative imagination augments learning and interpretive abilities, we examined an experimental group with pretest-and-post-test measurement, with a control group.

This measurement was made to determine the e ffects of a set of imaginative strategies (independent variables) on the dependent variable (creative imagination). In order to increase the internal validity of the study, intervening variables were controlled, thus excluding variables such as training and repetition.

### **10. A Detailed Report of the Pre-Test Activity**

(1) A pre-test procedure was carried out, in order to ascertain the initial level of creative imagination in participants of both groups. This was done on an individual basis, in the same school, and on the same day.

Teachers and parents were informed of the objectives of the study and were solicited for confidentiality. The families of the students gave authorization to carry out the study.

Prior to the application of the program, the group classes that were to constitute the experimental group where the program was applied, and the group that was to constitute the control group, in which only the *PIC* was applied, were randomly selected. The test was applied before and after the development of the program in the experimental groups. The program was carried out in two centers.

The *PIC* pass is made during class hours and in a classroom where students are alone and separated from their peers. It is a sunny classroom, well ventilated, and noise-free, following the original instructions of the test manuals [49]. The application is made by the school counselor of the center.

Each child received a copy of the application booklet. During the application, the children had a varied material to paint (pens, waxes, markers, pencil sharpeners, erasers, etc.). The instructions were adapted to the children's age and comprehension skills. The applications were collective respecting the distribution by classrooms, in a single session.

The test is applied at the beginning (pretest) and at the end (post-test) of the program development to both the control group and the experimental group.

(2) Subsequently, it was applied to the strategies of the creative imagination that contained new activities in the experimental group. The first strategy for increasing fluency and flexibility required four activities (Guilford circles, mystery problems, brainstorming, other uses of everyday objects). The other strategy for incremental originality and elaboration was shaped by five activities (verbal analogies, relaxation and imagination, the best animal in the world, improvement of designs, and the machine without use), which sought to increase the participants' creative imagination through indicators raised by Guilford (1950) and confirmed and developed by Torrance. Once again, these are fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration.
