Is mental imagery ability an element for identifying creative consumers

Corresponding author: cyrielle.vellera@upmf-grenoble.fr - CERAG, 150 rue de la chimie, 38040 Saint Martin Hères, France - : +33 (0) 4 76 63 53 82CAHIER DE RECHERCHE n°2012-02 E3Integration of creative individuals in innovation processes is crucial. Nevertheless their identification is particularly challenging. From a psychological standpoint, the importance of mental imagery in the creative process has been highlighted. A first study examines the relationship between mental imagery ability and creative ability, and identifies two categories of individuals: those who are recognized as creative through their creative productions (artists and inventors) and those without particular creative skills (" ordinary " individuals). This research confirms that the former are stronger image makers than the later. A second study explores the association between self-reported mental imagery and performance on a creative task and shows that individuals who have a high imagery score perform creative tasks better than those with a low imagery score. Thus, mental imagery ability can be employed by firms as an element for identifying creative individuals