On Bartlett's (1928) "Types of imagination"

Known for his work on memory, Sir Frederick C. Bartlett also repeatedly wrote about imagination as part of his attempt to understand the dynamics of mind. Bartlett’s 1928 text explores autobiographical and literary material so as to identify three types of imagination (assimilative, creative, and constructive) on a continuum, depending on how much passive or intentional these are. This chapter discusses how three of Bartlett’s propositions have been taken on by research: processes of imagination, typology of people, and methodological choices. Finally, it is proposed that researchers pursue the exploration of variations of processes involved in imagination as proposed by Bartlett, as well as his original methodologies.