Structured imagination refers to reliance upon prior knowledge
when generating novel examples of a provided category. Yet
studies supporting this tenet use experimental designs where
the stimuli themselves cue exemplars based on culturally
relevant items. The present study combined exemplar
generation with abstract stimuli as a means of attenuating
instructional bias. Participants were shown a group of abstract
shapes identified as a single category and instructed to generate
another member of this category. We additionally examined
whether the introduction of a cognitive conflict (by including
an anomalous category member) and self-explanation during
generation affected the level of imaginative responses.
Contrary to expectations, the presentation of a conflicting
category member did not result in more imaginative responses
when compared to more homogenous stimuli sets. However, a
significantly greater degree of imaginative responses was
observed from participants who were required to explain their
thinking prior to and whilst constructing their exemplars.