Stretching the Mind: The Effect of Yoga on Children's Imagination and Creative Thinking
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
Conditions
Intervention / Treatment
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
Enrollment (Actual)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Locations
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Sinop
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Sinop, Sinop, Turkey (Türkiye), 57000
- A Public Middle School
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Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Child
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Other
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
- Masking: Single
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
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Experimental: Yoga-Based Intervention Group
Participants in this group received the yoga-based intervention program for the predetermined intervention period.
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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.
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No Intervention: Control Group
Participants in this group continued their routine educational activities and did not receive the yoga-based intervention.
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What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
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A Personal Information Form
Time Frame: first week
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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.
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first week
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The Dual Facet Imagination Scale (DFIS)
Time Frame: 8 week
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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
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8 week
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Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
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Creative Thinking Tendencies Scale (CTTS)
Time Frame: 8 week
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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
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8 week
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Collaborators and Investigators
Sponsor
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Yasemin Özyer Güvener, Sinop University
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Primary Completion (Actual)
Study Completion (Actual)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Other Study ID Numbers
- sinopUyasemin-3
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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