The second is that creative thinking can be stimulated by teachers efforts. It is about having the insight about the possible solution. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. However, owing to the fact that the focus of divergent thinking is ideas rather than process, any solution determined as a result of divergent thinking, frequently needs convergent thinking to convert it into a practicable todolist. Convergent thinking examples include spelling tests, standardized tests, and so on, which can have only one correct answer. Very likely, divergent thinking and convergent thinking are actually two ends of a continuum eysenck 2003. Define the concepts of brain plasticity, neurogenesis, and brain lateralization. Convergent thinking looks for gradual emergence of a solution and proceeds on the assumption that the knowledge, ideas, principles and directions of thinking already known are to a large extent correct. There are a number of unanswered questions about childrens divergent thinking and creativity which are answered throughout the volume and may be identified. List of books and articles about divergent thinking online. In problem solving, you must master two ways of operating. According to anne manning, coinstructor of creative thinking. Its a straight forward process that focuses on figuring out the most effective answer to a problem. Convergent thinking emphasizes speed, accuracy, and.
Apr 07, 20 psychology definition of convergent thinking. Convergent thinking is defined as the ability to apply conventional and. Define brainstorming, its purpose, and its requirements. Convergent thinking is usually contrasted with divergent thinking, which is defined as searching for a variety of relevant solutions to problems that have many possible answers, such as when one is brainstorming for topics to write about for a poem. Divergent thinking is stimulated by openended questionsquestions with many possible answers, such as the. Divergent thinking examples are creative writing and brainstorming. Psychology of aesthetics, creativity, and the arts. Brain dopamine function and performance on divergent and convergent thinking tasks. Convergent thinking definition of convergent thinking at. Divergent thinking is used to generate a list of issues, while convergent thinking is. Difference between divergent thinking and convergent thinking. In this stage a potential solution to the problem seems to be realized as if from nowhere. Lateral thinking is more concerned with the movement value of statements and ideas. Convergent thinking definition psychology glossary.
Every person can be distinguished from the other by the way he thinks. This is opposite from divergent thinking in which a person generates many unique, creative responses. Further, the unconscious thought processes involved in creative thinking are at work during this stage. For instance, john kennedy used convergent thinking to figure out that america could beat russia into space by sending a man on the moon and nasa team employed divergent thinking in developing the equipment and lunar modules. In an abundance of enthusiasm generated postsputnik 1, the convergent style of thinking was rapidly equated with typical intelligence. There are a number of unanswered questions about childrens divergent thinking and creativity which are answered throughout the volume and may be identified as themes in the research. Pdf convergent and divergent thinking in verbal analogy. In the convergent thinking process, choice is deliberate and conscious. Analytical thinking that follows a set of rules, as in arithmetic, or in which the logical validity of the thought processes is checked and verified. The capability to narrow the number of possible answers to a problem by applying logic and knowledge. Cognitive abilities like thinking, reasoning and problemsolving may be considered to be some of the chief characteristics which distinguish human beings from other species including the higher animals. Convergent thinking definition at, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Convergent thinking relates to combining or combining information geared towards problem solving. Creativity data were drawn from the book series american men and.
You might think that psychology was the study of the mind due to the. It generally means the ability to give the correct answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity, for instance in most tasks in school and on standardized multiplechoice tests for intelligence. Convergent and divergent thinking in verbal analogy article pdf available in thinking and reasoning 214. In contrast, convergent thinking describes the ability to provide a correct or wellestablished answer or solution to a problem cropley. Other articles where convergent thinking is discussed. Convergent thinking questions often require the subject to resolve, explain, identify, or define. If so, then mood is unlikely to affect convergent and divergent thinking in the same fashion, which is yet another. The studies of this thesis provide empirical evidence that creativity is not a homogeneous. Teachers can, for example, encourage students divergent thinking ideas that are openended and that lead in many directions torrance, 1992.
In the circle of divergent and convergent thinking and through conceptual blending, novel ideas are. A cognitive process a mode of critical thinking in which a person attempts to find a single, correct answer to a problem. Social psychology is the scientific study of how peoples thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others allport, 1985. Convergent thinking definition of convergent thinking by. Divergent thinking talks about considering several solutions to a certain problem. The research presented in this volume suggests that divergent thinking is an important component of the creative process. Bringing facts and data together from various sources and then applying logic and knowledge to solve problems, achieve objectives or to make informed decisions is known as thinking convergently. Nov 17, 2017 convergent vs divergent thinking, differences. Convergent thinking is a term coined by joy paul guilford as the opposite of divergent thinking. Creativity introduction to psychology lumen learning.
This may make the most sense, given we know about individual differences they tend to fall along continua, and it is apparent when various divergent. Villalba, in reference module in neuroscience and biobehavioral psychology, 2017. Criteria are purposefully applied as we screen, select, evaluate, and refine the options, all the. Convergent thinking also plays a role in innovative creativity, though the role is often more subtle than divergent thinking. May 18, 2017 convergent thinking is a cognitive process a mode of critical thinking in which a person attempts to find a single, correct answer to a problem.
It enables you to reduce the possibility outcomes or solutions through the use of knowledge and logic. Creative problem solving resource guide creative education. Methods involved in convergent thinking also involve recognizing the previously tried out techniques and reapplying them along with the readily stored information. Convergent thinking medical definition merriamwebster. For example, stephen king is a famous author of horror novels, and hes written about 50 different books.
The core steps of creative problem solvingdivergent and convergent thinkingdefine a sequence of. Convergent thinking, at the higherorder level, brings facts and data together from various sources and applies logic and knowledge to find solutions. Divergent thinking, also referred to as lateral thinking, is the process of creating multiple, unique ideas or solutions related to a problem that you. This is different from convergent thinking which attempts to find a single, correct answer to a problem. Thought and knowledge, fifth edition is appropriate for use as a textbook in critical thinking courses offered in departments of psychology, philosophy, english, humanities, or as a supplement in any course where critical think. Guilford considered divergent thinking to be a central component of creativity. Critical thinking can be seen as part of the more general convergent thinking skills that involve the production of one correct answer. It is oriented toward deriving the single best, or most often correct answer to a question. The group member would be required to participate in convergent thinking methods in order.
Innovative solutions to complex challenges, this constant switch between modes of idea generation divergent thinking and idea analysis convergent thinking prevents many teams from succeeding in the creative thinking process. It helps people redefine the problems and opportunities they face, come up with new. It is opposite of divergent thinking, where thought processes diverge, or spread, towards multiple good outcomes. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Convergent and divergent thinking are like introversion and extroversion.
Critical thinking is primarily concerned with judging the truth value of statements and seeking errors. Divergent thinking definition of divergent thinking by. Philosophical essays on mind and psychology montgomery, vt. The sixstage process includes finding the objectives, facts, problems, ideas, solutions and acceptance. A person uses lateral thinking to move from one known idea to creating new ideas. Divergent thinking is used to generate a list of issues, while convergent thinking is used to pinpoint the issues that are likely to yield answers. Compare divergent or creative lateral thinking, characterized by unorthodox mental processes but often productive of a number of different and sometimes valuable solutions. Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions.
Getting needed rest is difficult in part because school and work. How convergent and divergent thinking foster creativity. Divergent thinking is the process of thinking that explores multiple possible solutions in order to generate creative ideas. Convergent thinking an overview sciencedirect topics. Divergent thinking is a process wherein as many solutions as possible to a problem are generated, and then the best solution from that. Divergent thinking an overview sciencedirect topics. It typically occurs in a spontaneous, freeflowing, nonlinear manner, such that many ideas are generated in an emergent cognitive fashion. Convergent thinking can be used in psychology and is founded on deductive and analytical thinking. Both seem necessary to creative performance, although the degree of each varies. Nov 17, 2017 convergent thinking doesnt always involve seeking out new procedures to solve the problem. This type of problemsolving is about seeking data and narrowing them down.
Define creativity, divergent, and convergent thinking. The distinction between divergent and convergent thinking implies a dichotomy. Divergent and convergent thinking skills are both important aspects of intelligence, problem solving and critical thinking. Teachers can, for example, encourage students divergent thinkingideas that are openended and that lead in many directions torrance, 1992.
In practical situations, divergent thinking without convergent thinking can cause a. I wrote this book to help students organize their thinking about psychology at a. Thinking that formulates new solutions to problems. In convergent thinking, the thinking process progresses from parts of a particular problem to specific data. Convergent thinking is the type of thinking that focuses on coming up with the single, wellestablished answer to a problem. In this video, filipe takes you through what each of. The relationship between creativity and critical thinking will depend on the different conceptualizations of the constructs and what aspects of each of the. To select the best of our divergent options, determine their potential value. Divergent thinking is one strategy for solving problems.
Divergent thinking treats all ideas equally divergent thinking is often hard to measure divergent behavior in larger classrooms might cause disruption. The mind is the idea while thinking processes of the brain involved in processing information such as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, to reason and make decisions. We may proceed to define the creative thinking process. Psychology is best defined as the scientific study of behavior in humans and animals. An important binocular depth cue is convergence, the inward turning of our eyes that is. Problem solving technique in which ideas from different fields or participants are brought together synthesized to find a single. A cognitive process a mode of critical thinking in which a person generates many unique, creative responses to a single question or problem. This is opposite from divergent thinking in which a person generates many unique, creative responses to a single question or problem. The definition of convergent thinking was coined j. Divergent thinking tests are probably the most commonly used measure of childrens potential for creative thinking. Apr 29, 2015 in addition, though it doesnt look the case, convergent thinking also contributes to idea generation. How convergent and divergent thinking foster creativity iqtype reasoning is only one slice of the creativity pie. Divergent thinking is a concept proposed by american psychologist joy paul guilford in 1967, and refers to the process or ability to generate several novel ideas or solutions to a problem. List of books and articles about divergent thinking.
Valid reasons why divergent thinking is often discouraged in classrooms. Convergent thinking is the ability to apply rules to arrive at a single correct. The process of figuring out a concrete solution to any problem is called convergent thinking. Thinking and problem solving in activity 1 you may not be able to solve the problem, because of the mental set that one has to keep the lines within the grid of nine dots. At certain points in the creative process, thinking and focus needs to shift.
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