Stretching the Mind: The Effect of Yoga on Children's Imagination and Creative Thinking

August 29, 2026 updated by: Yasemin OZYER, Sinop University

Stretching the Mind: The Effect of Yoga on Children's Imagination and Creative Thinking: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: This study was conducted to examine the effect of a yoga-based intervention program on children's imagination and creative thinking.

Methods: The study was conducted using a randomized controlled experimental design. A total of 60 eighth-grade middle school students participated in the study, with 30 assigned to the experimental group and 30 to the control group. The experimental group received structured yoga sessions twice a week for eight weeks (45 minutes per session), while the control group received no yoga-based intervention and continued routine educational activities. The Dual Facet Imagination Scale (DFIS) and the Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale (CTTS) were used as data collection instruments. Pre-test and post-test assessments were conducted in both groups. Data were analyzed using independent-samples and paired-samples t-tests and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate changes in imagination and creative thinking outcomes.

Keywords: Yoga, Creativity, Mindfulness, Imagination, Mental Flexibility

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This randomized controlled experimental study was conducted to examine the effect of a yoga-based intervention program on children's imagination and creative thinking. Class-level cluster randomization was used to assign participants to the experimental and control groups.

A total of 60 eighth-grade middle school students who met the study eligibility criteria and voluntarily participated in the study were included. The participants were recruited from two different classes within the same school. Using a lottery method, one class was assigned to the experimental group (n=30) and the other class was assigned to the control group (n=30). Class-level randomization was used to minimize interaction between participants in the experimental and control groups during the intervention.

Before the intervention, pre-test assessments were administered to both groups. The experimental group received a structured yoga-based intervention twice a week for eight weeks, with each session lasting approximately 45 minutes. The control group continued its routine educational activities and did not receive the yoga-based intervention. After completion of the intervention period, post-test assessments were administered to both groups. Pre-test and post-test measurements were used to evaluate changes in participants' imagination and creative thinking and differences between the experimental and control groups.

Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Dual Facet Imagination Scale (DFIS), and the Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale (CTTS). The DFIS consists of 16 items and assesses general imagination as well as two dimensions: experiential simulation and conceptual innovation. The CTTS consists of 25 items and six dimensions and was used to assess children's creative thinking tendencies.

Sociodemographic characteristics, including age and gender, were collected at baseline. Because of the nature of the yoga-based intervention, blinding of participants and intervention providers was not feasible. Outcome data were coded for statistical analysis. Statistical analyses included independent-samples and paired-samples t-tests and repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate within-group and between-group changes in imagination and creative thinking outcomes.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Sinop
      • Sinop, Sinop, Turkey (Türkiye), 57000
        • A Public Middle School

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being an eighth-grade middle school student.
  • Being enrolled in one of the two classes selected for the study.
  • Meeting the age requirements specified in the study protocol.
  • Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study.
  • Having the necessary parental/guardian consent to participate.
  • Being able to understand and follow the instructions given during the study.
  • Being able to participate in the yoga-based intervention program.
  • Completing the required pre-test assessments.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not meeting the age or educational-level requirements of the study.
  • Declining to participate in the study or withdrawing consent.
  • Having a condition that prevents participation in the yoga-based intervention.
  • Being unable to follow the instructions or participate in the intervention activities.
  • Failing to complete the required baseline (pre-test) assessments.
  • Withdrawing from the study before completion of the intervention or post-test assessment.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Yoga-Based Intervention Group
Participants in this group received the yoga-based intervention program for the predetermined intervention period.
Behavioral: Yoga-Based Intervention Program
The intervention consisted of a structured, age-appropriate yoga-based program for eighth-grade middle school students. The program was implemented for 8 weeks with participants assigned to the experimental group. The intervention was designed to support participants' imagination and creative thinking through yoga-based activities. Participants in the experimental group received the yoga-based intervention in addition to their regular educational activities, while participants in the control group continued their routine educational activities without receiving the intervention.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants in this group continued their routine educational activities and did not receive the yoga-based intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
A Personal Information Form
Time Frame: first week
A Personal Information Form was used to collect participants' sociodemographic characteristics. The form included questions regarding participants' age, gender, and other relevant sociodemographic characteristics. The information obtained from the form was used to describe the study sample and to assess the baseline comparability of the experimental and control groups.
first week
The Dual Facet Imagination Scale (DFIS)
Time Frame: 8 week
This scale was used to measure the children's levels of imagination. It assesses individuals' mental imagery and creative capacity. The DFIS measures both general imagination and its two subdimensions: "experiential simulation" and "conceptual innovation". Experiential simulation is particularly associated with a predisposition toward imagination/fantasy and rich emotional/sensory experiences; it refers to the mental recreation of sensory experiences that do not currently exist. Conceptual innovation is associated with intellectual engagement and idea generation; it refers to the production of new ideas independent of contextual cues. The scale consists of a total of 16 items. There are no reverse-scored items. The sum of all scale items (1-16) yields the general imagination score. The sum of items 1 through 8 yields the experiential simulation subscale score, while the sum of items 9 through 16 yields the conceptual innovation subscale score (Ay & Soyer, 2025). The Dual Facet Imagina
8 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale (CTTS)
Time Frame: 8 week
The Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale (CTTS), also known as the Marmara Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale (MCTTS), was developed by Özgenel and Çetin (2017) to assess individuals' tendencies toward creative thinking. The scale was initially developed as a 40-item instrument, and following validity and reliability analyses, the final version consisted of 25 items organized into six dimensions: self-discipline, seeking innovation, courage, curiosity, doubting, and flexibility. The scale assesses the extent to which individuals demonstrate characteristics associated with creative thinking, such as generating novel ideas, seeking innovative approaches, questioning existing assumptions, being curious, approaching situations from different perspectives, and maintaining flexibility in thinking. The CTTS is a five-point Likert-type scale, with response options ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always). The total score is obtained by summing the responses to all 25 items, with higher scores indic
8 week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Sinop University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Yasemin Özyer Güvener, Sinop University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 1, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 21, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 1, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • sinopUyasemin-3

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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