Divergent thinking

Divergent thinking(from Latin divergere - to diverge) - a method of creative thinking, usually used to solve problems and problems. It involves finding multiple solutions to the same problem.

Divergent thinking was studied by E. Torrance, D. Guilford, K. Taylor, G. Grubber, I. Hein, A. B. Schneder, D. Rogers.

Complemented convergent thinking.

Convergent thinking(from Latin convergere) is based on the strategy of precise use of previously learned algorithms for solving a specific problem, i.e. when instructions are given on the sequence and content of elementary operations to solve this problem.

There are special tests of divergent abilities, for example, the Gestalt and Jackson's test: the subject needs to find as many more ways using items such as a brick, a piece of cardboard, a bucket, a rope, a cardboard box, a towel.

Divergent Thinking Methods

See also

Literature

• Razumnikova, O. M. Functional organization cerebral cortex in divergent and convergent thinking: The role of gender factors and personal characteristics: dissertation for competition scientific degree Doctor of Biological Sciences. - Novosibirsk, 2003. - 312 p.

• Guilford, J. Three sides of intelligence // Psychology of thinking - M.: Progress, 1965.

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See what “Divergent thinking” is in other dictionaries:

divergent thinking- Etymology. Comes from Lat. diverge to disperse. Category. Form of thinking. Specificity. Based on the strategy of generating multiple solutions to a single problem. Psychological Dictionary. THEM. Kondakov. 2000...

- (from Latin divergere to diverge) form of thinking. Based on the strategy of generating multiple solutions to a single problem... Psychological Dictionary

Divergent thinking- (Latin – divergence) is thinking that is capable of grasping and comprehending the whole variety of phenomena of reality, their properties and connections between them. Manifests itself in the use of various forms of organizing information, including different ones -... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)

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Divergent thinking - special kind thinking, which assumes that there can be many equally correct and equal answers to the same question. It is generally accepted that this type of thinking is one of the components of creativity... Human psychology: dictionary of terms

Divergent thinking- (lat. divergere to deviate, diverge) characterizes the movement of thought in different directions in order to embrace various aspects problems in search of a solution or consider the possibility of solving a problem from different angles. Thinking like...

DIVERGENT THINKING- Thinking, which is characterized by the process of movement in different directions, a divergence of ideas in order to cover various aspects relevant to a given problem. This kind of thinking is often associated with creativity, as it often gives... Dictionary in psychology

Divergent thinking- thinking that manifests itself when the problem has yet to be defined or disclosed and when there is no predetermined, established path to solution... Dictionary-reference book on philosophy for students of medical, pediatric and dental faculties

Lateral thinking- a method or heuristic of problem solving in which an individual tries to look at the problem from an different angles vision, avoiding a direct, head-on solution. Synonym: Divergent thinking... Encyclopedic Dictionary in psychology and pedagogy

creativity- (from the English creativity) the level of creative talent, the ability to create, constituting a relatively stable characteristic of a person. Initially, K. was considered as a function of intelligence, and the level of development of intelligence was identified with... ... Great psychological encyclopedia

Books

• Solving problems using the methods of special services. 14 Powerful Tools, Jones M. A collection of proven and practical tools for faster adoption right decisions and simplifying problems. Modern humanity knows more about the world around us than anyone else...

American psychologist Joy Paul Guilford in her book “The Nature of Human Intelligence” writes that there is convergent and divergent thinking (intelligence). Today we will talk about the difference between convergent and divergent thinking.

Differences between convergent and divergent thinking

Convergent thinking is a linear approach to completing tasks that is based on precision and stage-by-stage implementation instructions and algorithms. In a similar way Employees, computers and people “think” without a creative approach. Convergent thinking comes from Italian convergere(translated as “converge”). Convergent thinking is based on strict adherence to instructions. Basically, this type of thinking is developed by the standard school education system, where learning is associated with:

• strict adherence to the rules (mathematics, physics, chemistry)
• memorizing facts (history, philosophy)

We can say the same about final exams, which take the form of the Unified State Exam (tests that specifically test convergent thinking).

However, in school curriculum There are relatively few activities aimed at developing creativity. We know that many gifted people sometimes did quite poorly in school because they had a slightly different type of thinking - a more creative approach. This is called divergent thinking.

Divergent thinking

Divergent thinking is the ability to think creatively (imaginatively). To develop a creative approach to your work, you can use special techniques:

The word divergent comes from the Latin divergere and means to diverge, to diverge. Figuratively speaking, a discrepancy here means that a person is trying to approach the solution of a problem from different angles. As a result, the unexpected may be found, non-standard solution. They wrote more about these issues:

• E. Torrance
• K. Taylor
• G. Grubber

Divergent thinking helps you find original ideas. This type of nonlinear thinking is suitable for creative professions, scientific research and so on.

People prone to divergent thinking have the following characteristics:

• ability to quickly generate large number ideas;
• originality and non-standard thinking (not stereotyped);
• ability to quickly switch between different ideas;
• the ability to see the unusual in small details;
• figurative thinking;

If tests like the Unified State Exam and IQ tests are used to measure convergent thinking, there are no classical tests to measure divergent thinking.

To achieve maximum results in work, it is desirable to develop both classical intelligence in the form of convergent thinking, and creative abilities in the form of convergent thinking.

The concept of divergent thinking serves as an explanation of the creativity of thinking within a certain direction - the direction of J. Guilford. However, creativity (creative thinking) is studied from the perspective of other explanatory schemes, therefore creative thinking and divergent thinking are not identical concepts, which Dorfman also notes. As examples, he cites the understanding of creativity as a discretionary by-product of activity by Ya. A. Ponomarev, as intellectual activity and creativity Bogoyavlenskaya D.B., investment Sternberg R., Grigorenko E.E., etc.

We think it is especially important in the analysis of divergent thinking to have a clear connection between divergence and the mechanism of associations. The associative theory of creative thinking makes this connection explicit. In others, work, on the contrary, associations and divergence are interpreted as two sides of the theory of creative thinking.

The associative theory of creativity is based on the idea that associations are the basis of creative thinking. Creative thinking arises, in part, from new combinations of associations between ideas. The more distant the ideas between which associations arise, the more creative thinking is considered - provided that these associations meet the requirements of the task and are characterized by usefulness. Mednick distinguished three ways of creative solutions based on associations: through serendipity, finding similarities between distant elements (ideas), and mediating some ideas with other ideas. Martindale argues that all creative products arise from the recombination of known ideas through new associations. Based on analogy (similarity), creative thinking is able to establish associations between previously unrelated ideas. This feature of creative thinking is central and covers the specifics of individual areas creative activity(for an opposite view of the areas of creative activity that give creativity specificity, see: Sternberg,.

According to Eysenck, creativity is a non-random process of search and combination aimed at creative problem solving. A central feature of creativity is “overinclusiveness.” Cognitive overengagement is the ability to produce a lot creative ideas through the production of a number of associations - as wide as the associations are relevant to the problem. Eysenck argued that cognitive hyperinvolvement is genetically determined, associated with psychoticism and creates a predisposition to creative behavior in people (compare with Druzhinin's data). The presence of unusual associations characterizes creative thinking. Thus, there is a connection between the ability to generate associations, divergent thinking and creativity.

The issue of the relationship between divergent and associative creative thinking is a definite problem. Since the coexistence of several ideas can serve as the basis for both their divergence and their associations. But the coexistence of several divergent ideas, leading to a decrease in their coherence (divergence), and the coexistence of several ideas, leading to an increase in their coherence (association) are formally mutually exclusive. But, if we take into account that when a bifurcation occurs at the crossroads of “evolutionary channels”, several new and various options development. Moreover, there are as many of these options as there are new “channels” entering the “crossroads”. It seems to us that this “crossroads” is an analogy of associations. Thus, the association is contained in the very genesis of divergent thought.

According to Dorfman, associations and divergence can be considered as phenomena that manifest themselves in different layers of thinking. Divergent ideas are found in the superficial layers of thinking, and unusual associations, on the contrary, arise in the deeper layers of thinking. They may represent fragments of deep associations. The latter assumes that divergence and associations do not exclude, but, on the contrary, complement each other and are interconnected.

In general, Dorfman correctly writes that divergent thinking is not synonymous with creative thinking. Firstly, creative thinking can be studied from other angles, and secondly, divergent thinking in itself is not always creative. Divergent thinking may consist of a number of ideas, but each (or most) of them may be trivial.

In this paragraph, we presented the ideas of foreign colleagues about the associative nature of divergent thinking as impartial experts in our interpretation of Guilford’s theory.

With great disappointment, psychologists unanimously note that the tasks that modern traditional education offers schoolchildren, in 70% of cases, require only an almost mechanical reproduction of memorized material. At the same time, psychologists do not at all question the unconditional usefulness of mastering knowledge that has been tested by time and accumulated by the experience of all mankind.

The disappointment is caused by the fact that in this way schoolchildren develop only one type of thinking, while two are required to make an independent decision. What kinds of thinking are we talking about here?

About forty years ago, a psychologist J. Guilford proposed to distinguish between convergent and divergent thinking e. He called convergent thinking, with the help of which a person must find the only correct answer to a question posed.

This kind of thinking is required, for example, if one asks:

• What time is it?
• How many days, weeks and months are there in a year?
• What is the capital of this or that state?
• What is written in the job description?
• How to drive a car?
• What is your age?
• What is the name of your place of work?

Convergent thinking operates:

• historical dates;
• mathematical formulas;
• culinary recipes;
• safety instructions;

and helps us navigate a homogeneous, repetitive and predictable life and professional situation.

Convergent thinking develops through the ability to thoroughly examine the facts that are revealed to us. In order to use your convergent thinking, it is enough to learn to consistently ask questions like:

• When?
• Why?

For example, to develop convergent thinking in children, they are asked to answer these questions after reading a book or watching a movie. It is easy to see that convergent thinking is aimed at reproducing acquired knowledge, and it is the more successful, the more accurately this knowledge is learned.

Divergent thinking allows you to select several relatively equally correct answers to one question. Today's diverse and highly turbulent environment requires a person to be increasingly willing to turn to divergent thinking.

Here is just the most modest list of situations where decision-making based on convergent thinking is obviously not effective:

• finding ways to reduce costs,
• choosing a place and method of relaxation,
• career planning,
• raising a child,
• relations with superiors,
• writing an article,
• problem statement,
• personality characteristics,
• use of multifunctional items.

Only divergent thinking can be a reliable assistant here.

Techniques for developing a divergent mind

So, it is clear that the peculiarities of the development of divergent thinking do not allow us to hope that it will develop simultaneously with the assimilation of knowledge.

These features include:

• the ability to operate acquired knowledge in situations of uncertainty,
• skills in generating different approaches to a given task,
• understanding that the same problem can be solved in different ways,
• the ability to distinguish between problems with only one correct solution and problems that allow the choice of an optimal solution from several equally correct ones.

The development of divergent thinking in adults and children, in principle, involves the same techniques and techniques. For example, both adults and children will benefit from the following exercises.

With Vikium you can develop divergent thinking online

"In someone else's shoes." When solving a problem, try to look at it through the eyes of other people and imagine how those others would solve it. It is important not just to be in a different role, but to understand the difference between your view and the view of the one whose role you are currently playing. Let it be a variety of personalities and persons - the heroes of your favorite books and films, your relatives and friends, colleagues and rivals. When talking with those who are very different from you, try to track the logic of his reasoning, to understand why exactly he thinks this way. In short, learn to look at a situation from different points of view and think like another person.

"Professional photographer". If you watch a tourist take photographs and professional photographer, then you will certainly notice their different relationships to the first frame. The tourist will choose an angle that seems interesting to him, click the camera shutter and switch to searching for a new subject. A professional photographer, even having found a good angle, will not be satisfied with the first photo. He will definitely change something in the setting of the shot and repeat it, then change something again and repeat it again. And so on until he is completely satisfied with the achieved result.

Try yourself in the role of a professional photographer. Go to a photo shoot and take each shot only after changing the angle several times. Try to guess what kind of frame a tourist would take if he found himself in this place, and give up these angles. Look for something unexpected, fundamentally different from the “tourist” look.

Use the “professional photographer” technique when solving any problem. Don't let yourself settle for the first answer that comes to your mind. Continue to “look for the best shot,” tell yourself: “Most likely, this is not the best solution. Perhaps it’s worth continuing the search.”

"Organization of Information". Since the development of divergent thinking is based on the involvement of a wide variety of information, it makes sense to organize these information flows in a certain way.

The following techniques will help you quickly find the information you need:

• clustering,
• typology,
• classification,
• construction of matrices,
• development of cognitive schemes,
• creating various tables.

For example, if you look at the tools that are used when developing an organization's development strategy or marketing strategy, you will be surprised by their variety:

• Ishikawa fish,
• Goal tree
• Task tree,
• “5 P – 5 Why” approach
• BCG matrix,
• "Porter's Five Forces"
• Risk calculation table,
• Decomposition of goals

and many more.

Practice divergent thinking

Divergent thinking is developed, among other things, by regular practice of addressing it.. For effective mental work, understanding and acceptance are important psychological fact that idea and judgment have different natures. An idea initially begins as a weak and fragile assumption, which, at the very beginning of its appearance, can be easily destroyed in the bud with the help of categorical judgment.

This is why it is important to separate the generation of ideas (the work of our divergent thinking) from the judgment of their viability (the work of convergent thinking). It was this consideration that guided the American engineer Alan Osborne when he proposed using his famous “brainstorming” technique to solve extraordinary problems.

Imagine opening a hot water faucet and a warm water faucet at the same time. You know that in this case you will get warm water, and not two streams flowing from the tap at the same time - hot and cold. In the same way, instead of two streams of hot ideas and cold, sober criticism, you get a stream of lukewarm ideas and slightly cool criticism.

During the idea generation stage, try not to move on to evaluating them until you admit that you have exhausted all your mental capacity in the search process. The likelihood of the desired solution appearing increases with the number of proposed solutions. In other words, the more solutions we can come up with, the better. Our brain is terribly lazy by nature, so it happily grabs the first alternative as the best. Don't let your brain fool you like that.

Searching and generating solutions only appears to be creative work And interesting activity. In fact, this is hard work, where a suitable option appears only after at least two dozen ideas have been proposed. Brainstormers are even more categorical, they believe that the first ten ideas, as a rule, do not carry any useful potential.

IN real life, convergent and divergent thinking, as a rule, are inextricably linked with each other.

So, to make a decision you will need to take three main steps:

• Step 1– arm yourself with the knowledge necessary to solve the problem;
• Step 2– generate several solutions, then compare them and select the optimal one for a given situation;
• Step 3– pick up the right ways implementation of the chosen solution.

It is easy to see that the first step involves mainly the work of memory aimed at reproducing the necessary knowledge, the second involves divergent thinking, and the third is based on the process of convergent thinking.

A person as a result of which a thought or idea arises. It is believed that this activity is the main one. Ways of thinking are quite diverse: logical, geometric, insight, clairvoyance, brainstorming, etc. Its main feature lies in the ability to obtain certain knowledge about the world around us, which cannot be obtained through ordinary perception. Thinking is inextricably linked with the activity of the brain. This activity itself is inherent in every person from birth, but we can say that it “sleeps.” Its awakening occurs in the course of a person’s assimilation of cultural and forms practical life, in other words, in the process of socialization.

So, thinking arises as a result of human brain activity. Experts distinguish two main forms of it: convergent and divergent thinking. Also as forms of human mental activity the following are indicated: judgment, inference and concept.

Convergent thinking (analytical) is based on the strategy of using previously learned algorithms for solving a particular problem. In other words, in the process of assimilating social norms, a person receives certain instructions on what to do when one or another occurs. life situation, and follows these instructions throughout his life. At the same time, the person does not reason about why he should act this way and not otherwise; his thinking process is not connected with creativity.

The opposite of analytical is divergent, based on the search for solutions to certain problems using a creative approach. This form of thinking involves finding multiple solutions to the same problem or problem and then choosing the optimal one from them. The concept of “divergent thinking” was first introduced into psychology by the scientist D. Guilford, who described divergence as “thinking going in different directions.” Guilford also concluded that this form human brain activity allows for variation in the main ways to solve a problem, ultimately leading to unexpected results and conclusions.

Divergent thinking is based on imagination. Identification of abilities usually occurs early childhood. For such purposes there are special psychological tests, based on the results of which a specialist can determine whether the child thinks creatively or finds a solution based on previously learned rules and norms. As a test, a psychologist can ask the subject to find as many ways as possible to use materials such as cardboard, wood, paper, etc. in a limited amount of time.

The main methods of divergent thinking are: drawing up a mind diagram and brainstorming. The first is to depict the thought process in the form of a specific diagram, which presents individual words, tasks and ideas, interconnected by diverging from central concept follow the branches in arrows. This technique is based on the multiplicity of associations, which proves inexhaustibility. The brainstorming method consists of a quick solution specific task based on stimulating the creative activity of all participants involved in the process of discussing it and finding a solution. Each participant must express as much as possible more options solving the problem. Next from total number solutions are selected that are most appropriate in a particular situation.

Divergent thinking should be developed with early childhood. Various coloring books, puzzles and riddles help the child with this. Of course, not every person is born to the full extent of this word, but any person can achieve a creative approach to business and apply creativity in work. Children with a creative mind tend to be more successful in school and find it easier to learn new material, write essays. It is known that children fantasize a lot, but over time, fantasies are forgotten, giving way to harsh reality. Having creativity In addition, at an older age, you should be careful not to cross that fragile line between fantasy and madness. Creativity, of course, is welcome, but everything needs its own measure.