Divergent thinking vs convergent thinking think company. Divergent thinking involves artistry which is associated with the right brain while convergent thinking encompasses logical reasoning which employs the left brain. A cognitive process a mode of critical thinking in which a person generates many unique, creative responses to a single question or problem. At certain points in the creative process, thinking and focus needs to shift. Convergent thinking is often used in accordance with divergent thinking. Convergent thinking definition of convergent thinking by. Villalba, in reference module in neuroscience and biobehavioral psychology, 2017. How convergent and divergent thinking foster creativity. One important question concerns how to define creativity.
In contrast, convergent thinking describes the ability to provide a correct or wellestablished answer or solution to a problem cropley, 2006. Introduction to psychology michigan state university. The concept of convergent thinking requires the design thinker to go through all the possible solutions thought during divergent thinking and come up with a correct solution. Before we delve into the specifics of prisms ideation and how it relates to creative thinking theories, you will need to understand what. Increasing number of students with psychological andor social issues most frequent cause. All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering an communicating. Jul 19, 2018 convergent thinking involves starting with pieces of information, converging around a solution. In the following, an example of project learning is described where.
Rudn journal of psychology and pedagogics, 2016, 4, 7 15. Convergent thinking is a fundamental tool in a childs education. Critical thinking, including definition and examples. It is the very definition of thinking outside the box. Psychology 447 section 001 fall 2000 tuesdays and thursdays 2. Also creative personality traits like the big five seem to be dialectically intertwined in the creative process. Convergent thinking doesnt always involve seeking out new procedures to solve the problem. Divergent thinking is defined as producing a diverse assortment of appropriate. This involves also convergent thinking, and thus, both convergent and divergent thinking processes intertwine and cooperate to reach a viable solution of an illdefined problem in a process called. Pdf convergent and divergent thinking in verbal analogy. Nov 17, 2017 convergent vs divergent thinking, differences. Guilford considered divergent thinking to be a central component of creativity. Define creativity, convergent thinking, divergent thinking and brainstorming identify and describe sternbergs three types of intelligence required for creativity to unlock this lesson you must be. Other articles where convergent thinking is discussed.
Pdf free production of variability through unfettered divergent thinking. Its extremely critical for all cbse students to practice all assignments which will help them in gaining better marks in examinations. Divergent thinking is an important aspect of creative thinking. Explain the relationship between language and thinking. The first step identify the problem starts the entire process. Divergent thinking, on the other hand, is when a person. Miniquiz question adam is a bright young man, who scored very high on both the critical reading and mathematics sections of the sat. Convergent thinking medical definition merriamwebster. For example, you may feel that you are more of a divergent thinker, because you frequently come up with novel and atypical solutions to problems. The important thing to recognize is that they work together if you can demonstrate that you have evidence for both convergent and discriminant validity, then youve by definition demonstrated that. Convergent thinking can be used in psychology and is founded on deductive and analytical thinking. Oct 26, 2011 convergent thinking, on the other hand, is the practice of trying to solve a discrete challenge quickly and efficiently by selecting the optimal solution from a finite set again, these are my words. Language is a communication system that involves using words and systematic rules to organize those words to transmit information from one individual to another.
Information might be a question, a problem, pieces of evidence, or data. Compare divergent or creative lateral thinking, characterized by unorthodox mental processes but often productive of a number of different and sometimes valuable solutions. The secret to creating new ideas is to separate your divergent thinking from your convergent thinking. Thought also called thinking is the mental process in which beings form psychological associations and models of the world. Thinking can be interpreted to remember something, and questioned whether there is a relationship between what is intended.
Criteria are purposefully applied as we screen, select, evaluate, and refine the options, all the. Oct 06, 2019 creative thinking means looking at something in a new way. Understanding convergent and divergent thinking can allow you to consciously use the appropriate thought process to get the best results. These are mental representations of the objects and events that we are, or we have been, in. This is different from convergent thinking which attempts to find a single, correct answer to a problem. Most of the thinking called for in schools is convergent, as schools require students to gather and remember information.
Jun, 2019 divergent thinking can be described as thinking outside the box. Convergent thinking, on the other hand, requires one to restrict ideas to those that might be correct or the best solution to a problem. Divergent thinking treats all ideas equally divergent thinking is often hard to measure divergent behavior in larger classrooms might cause disruption. So, think of psychologists as scientists who study behavior. Creative thinking an overview sciencedirect topics. By comparison, the thinking skills used in critical. It is relevant to creating art, music, and fiction. Psychology shows how the dialectics of convergent and focused thinking with divergent and associative thinking leads to new ideas and products. On the other hand, divergent thinking was equated with creativity and both were not uncommonly presented as competing or.
Through time, this later definition of psychology was given up because the mind as an object does. Traditionally, divergent thinking is defined as the generation and application of many. Thinking that formulates new solutions to problems. Pdf human thinking, and in particular, the human ability to solve complex, reallife problems contributes more than any other human ability to the. Convergent thinking is a process whereby a person arrives at a single, correct answer. The core steps of creative problem solvingdivergent and convergent thinking define a sequence of phases that are common to creativity and engineering. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to thought thinking. Cbse class 11 psychology thinking chapter wise assignments are being given by teachers to students to make them understand the chapter concepts. Mar 18, 2014 divergent thinking refers to the way the mind generates ideas beyond proscribed expectations and rote thinkingwhat is usually referred to thinking outside the box, and is often associated with creativity. Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. When a student contemplates the possible answers available, they use convergent thinking to weigh alternatives within a construct. Today, most educational opportunities are tied to ones performance on standardized tests that are often multiple choice in nature. Thus divergent thinkingfinding novel and unique optionsrequires an open mind. Convergent thinking is a problem solving technique involving the bringing together different ideas from different participants or fields to determine a single best solution to a lucidly defined problem.
However, the idea that there was a specific pattern of problem solving in design thought came much earlier in herbert a simons book, the. Creative thinking convergent and divergent thinking. Convergent thinking is linear, but divergent thinking stimulates multiple thoughts, leading to multidirectional thinking. Divergent and convergent thinking in the ideation process. Convergent thinking definition at, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation.
A cognitive process a mode of critical thinking in which a person attempts to find a single, correct answer to a problem. Finally, examples of new ways to measure convergent thinking for creativity are presented. Divergent thinking is one strategy for solving problems. Such brainstorming techniques are used during divergent thinking. How to teach convergent and divergent thinking prodigy. This means generating lots and lots of options before you evaluate them. Thinking is a reasonable working of various views with the knowledge that has been stored in the mind long before the emergence of new knowledge. Convergent is a form of the word converging and so it means coming together. 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. Divergent thinking works in the opposite direction. Convergent thinking is the ability to apply rules to arrive at a single correct.
The divergent thinking aspect, however, was not related to the standard version. In the convergent thinking process, choice is deliberate and conscious. Pdf on jan 1, 2016, todd lubart and others published creativity. Developing novel and effective solutions to problemsin engineering and in generalinvolves moving through phases of synthesis and analysis, each of which has a unique set of. Creativity, intelligence, convergent thinking, divergent thinking, reflective thinking. With convergent thinking, we begin with pieces of information, and we converge around a solution. Divergent thinking is the process of thinking that explores multiple possible solutions in order to generate creative ideas. Fuel creativity in the classroom with divergent thinking.
In contrast to convergent thinking, which aims at solving a specific problem divergent thinking is creative, openended thinking aimed at generating. This definition of creative thinking is compatible with the definition of critical thinking being used in this article, differing only in that creative thinking requires the use of unusual strategies or skills. In other words, this is a kind of thinking that concentrates on finding out the single best or frequently. Miniquiz question adam is a bright young man, who scored very high. Watson urged that psychology be defined as the scientific study of behavior. Following divergent thinking, ideas and information are organized and structured using convergent thinking, which follows a particular set of logical steps to arrive at one solution, which in some cases is a correct solution. Divergent thinking is a process wherein as many solutions as possible to a problem are generated, and then the best solution from that. Its a straight forward process that focuses on figuring out the most effective answer to a problem. Divergent thinking vs convergent thinking by phil brian recently pointed everyone in the office to the wikipedia article on design thinking. Divergent and convergent thinking skills are both important aspects of intelligence, problem solving and critical thinking.
The creative process doesnt always take you directly to the best solution but, by encouraging a variety of possible solutions, new. A cognitive process in which a person attempts to find a single, correct answer to a problem. Convergent thinking relates to combining or combining information geared towards problem solving. When it comes to problem solving and idea generation, two ways are commonly cited, namely divergent and convergent thinking strategies. The terms convergent thinking and divergent thinking were introduced by a psychologist j. Divergent thinking is the process of thinking that explores multiple possible solutions in order to generate creative ideas its a straight forward process that focuses on figuring out the most effective answer. Moreover, convergent and divergent thinking were predictive above and beyond creative behaviours in study 1 and a composite measure of crystallised intelligence in study 2. 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. Thinking is an important part of our human experience, and one that has captivated people for centuries. A mental grouping of similar objects, events, ideas or people. Gene balinggan is a registered psychologist, licensed professional teacher, and a freelance academic and. Convergent thinking is a style of thought that attempts to consider all available information and arrive at the single best possible answer.
Creativity definition and examples social psychology. In an abundance of enthusiasm generated postsputnik 1, the convergent style of thinking was rapidly equated with typical intelligence. However, a combination of thinking processes is necessary for novel. Divergent thinking medical definition merriamwebster. Valid reasons why divergent thinking is often discouraged in classrooms. The convergent thinking aspect of the invented task wasunsurprisinglyrelated to the standard ravens format.
To select the best of our divergent options, determine their potential value. There are a lot of memorable examples of convergent thinking out there that demonstrate the necessity for this technique. 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. Mental images are an integral part of the thinking process. Many tests that are used in schools, such as multiple choice tests, spelling tests, math quizzes, and standardized tests, are measures of convergent thinking. The process of figuring out a concrete solution to any problem is called convergent thinking. Thinking definition of thinking by the free dictionary. Creative thinking is the production of unusual and good responses to problems. 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. Convergent thinking is the exercise of processing multiple pieces of information to arrive at a single piece of information i.
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. Problem solving technique in which ideas from different fields or participants are brought together synthesized to find a single optimum solution to a clearly defined problem. Often, creativity in this sense involves what is called lateral thinking, or the ability to perceive patterns that are not obvious. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In this thesis, two different thinking styles were considered as two different types of creativity. Divergent thinking is a longer process as compared to convergent thinking. The differences between convergent and divergent thinking in information processes, psychological operations, and brain. The term convergent thinking was coined by joy paul guilford in 1956. Divergence and convergence of mental forces of children in.
Convergent thinking definition psychology glossary. Creative thinking convergent and divergent thinking 1. Because of this, psychology began to be regarded as the study of an individuals mind or mental process. Convergent thinking is used to complete the steps 4 and 5. Convergent thinking an overview sciencedirect topics. Introspection was the first technique for studying the mind there are some terms related to psychology that are frequently. Convergent thinking definition of convergent thinking at. Methods involved in convergent thinking also involve recognizing the previously tried out techniques and reapplying them along with the readily stored information. Since about 1920, most university psychologists have accepted watsons definition. The term design thinking dates back to the 1987 book by peter rowe. Contrary to what is sometimes assumed, both convergent and divergent thinking lead to.
Convergent thinking is exactly opposite of what divergent thinking is. Convergent and divergent thinking in verbal analogy article pdf available in thinking and reasoning 214. 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. This is opposite from divergent thinking in which a person generates many unique, creative responses to a single question or problem. Convergent thinking and divergent thinking are the polar opposites of each other. In that book he describes the way that architects and urban planners would approach design problems. A source book for creative thinking, new york, charles scribners. Guilford first coined the terms convergent thinking and divergent thinking in 1956. Convergent thinking is the process of finding a single best solution to a problem that you are trying to solve. Define language and demonstrate familiarity with the components of language. That something still eludes specific definition, but with a renewed apa emphasis on creativity from apa president robert j. I never thought to go to wikipedia to learn about what we do, but its always good to see what the crowd divergent thinking vs convergent thinking by phil 11. Jan 29, 2018 creative thinking convergent and divergent thinking 1.
Convergent thinking, or analytical thought, is quite the opposite. Difference between divergent thinking and convergent thinking. The distinction between these two types of thinking was covered in his psychometric study of human intelligence. On the other hand, divergent thinking was equated with creativity and both were not uncommonly presented as. Critical thinking can be seen as part of the more general convergent thinking skills that involve the production of one correct answer.
The relationship between creativity and critical thinking will depend on the different conceptualizations of the constructs and what aspects of each of the. Idea generation technique such as brainstorming in which an idea is followed in several directions to lead to one or more new ideas, which in turn lead to still more ideas. Convergent thinking questions often require the subject to resolve, explain, identify, or define. Convergent thinking noun the noun convergent thinking has 1 sense 1. Convergent thinking is what you engage in when you answer a multiple choice question. Define convergent thinking by websters dictionary, wordnet lexical database, dictionary of computing, legal dictionary, medical dictionary, dream dictionary.
Thinking is the activity of human reason as a process of strengthening the relationship between stimulus and response. As you can infer, it emphasizes finding the single, optimal solution to a given problem and usually demands thinking at the first or second depth of knowledge dok level. Thinking is manipulating information, as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, reason and make decisions. Convergent and divergent thinking writing prompt 1. Both seem necessary to creative performance, although the degree of each varies. Both osborn and parnes note the importance of removing the barriers to divergent thinking in their book. Convergent and divergent thinking a pedagogical approach for classrooms. In this sense, thinking is inclusive of imagining, recalling, solving problems, free association, daydreaming, concept formation, and a variety of other procedures.
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