Or at the new hotel that is opening down the street? Divergent thinking opens the imagination to all possibilities, while convergent thinking analyzes and chooses from among those possibilities. The alterations in brain activity, as they appeared in the EEG, were different for the two kinds of thinking. This break could be an overnight break - many people have their best creative ideas when they are sleeping, showering, or thinking about other things. Bubble mapping, creating artwork, maintaining a journal, subject mapping, devoting some time to meditation and thinking, and building lists of questions are all examples of activities that trigger divergent thinking. With respect to the convergent tasks, two kinds were used. You’ve found your solution. Productivity, Mindfulness, Health, and more. But they were quickly getting shot down. Divergent thinking: Mr. A’s home is at a distance of five miles from work. In an abundance of enthusiasm generated post-Sputnik 1, the convergent style of thinking was rapidly equated with typical intelligence. Divergent vs Convergent Thinking Divergent and Convergent thinking skills are both important aspects of intelligence, problem solving and critical thinking. Kennedy utilized data and facts to find out how the U.S. could defeat the Russians in the space conquest. Convergent thinking is ideally suited for situations where there exists one best correct answer and it is feasible to determine the answer by way of evaluation of available stored information. Divergent and convergent thinking are two complementary methods to explore ideas, work towards goals, and address challenges. As you can see, both of these processes are necessary to come to a solution. But let’s approach this same problem with our “convergent thinking cap.” Disney World? (2020, June). The new hotel down the street? This process is more analytical and “realistic.” It uses logic to narrow down ideas. Flickr | Playing Futures: Applied Nomadology, How to Best Manage Your Time as Entrepreneur, Idea Generation: Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking. Convergent and divergent thinking are similar in that both thinking strategies are used to determine solutions to problems. And multitasking is not as effective as you may think. A manifold number of potential solutions are studied in a brief span of time, and unconventional connections may be drawn. By understanding the difference between convergent and divergent thinking, you can more effectively plan out your brainstorming session and come to the best solution without frustration. In other words, this is a kind of thinking that concentrates on finding out the single best or frequently, correct solution to a problem or answer to a question. That’s closer to the budget and guests can easily travel there. A big outdoor party? The trigger for the convergent example could be some other problem – maybe his car was totaled, and he only had a weekend to find an answer to the problem. Lateral Thinking. The first were remote associates tasks, which provided the subject with three words and asked the subject what word the three given words are connected to. Creative Ability – Creative ability was gauged in a study having both divergent and convergent tasks. Please subscribe to my channel: http://bit.ly/spencervideosImagine you have a problem you need to solve and you’re looking for innovative solutions. In contrast to a resting control group, both divergent and convergent thinkers produced considerable Alpha 1, 2 desynchronization. You might find yourself coming up with a great solution without frustrations! Skyrocket your resume, interview performance, and salary negotiation skills. Having said that, an important development in recent years is the increasing acceptance of the fact that real creative production needs both divergent thinking and convergent thinking, and not just the former. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Divergent and convergent thinking is not just for creativity in the workplace. And multitasking is not as effective as you may think. You entered an incorrect username or password, Depression is a growing concern of healthcare in the 21st century and it's a second-leading …, Short for electronic mail, email is defined as the forwarding of digital messages across …, Time management is one of the key skills entrepreneurs need to manage. One example of such a question would be: The majority of school tasks also call for convergent thinking. In divergent thinking, a single question returns multiple answers, and though the answers vary considerably depending on the person, all answers are of equal value. No wonder the group became worn out so fast! However, it may also be the case in an absolute sense. At times, this is true purely for the specific setting or in the experience of the person responsible for the variability in question. Convergent thinking is a term coined by Joy Paul Guilford as the opposite of divergent thinking. This type of thinking requires you to expand your mind and find innovative solutions. This is an option too, but only if the cost for lights, heating, and the tents actually did fit in the budget. October 14th, 1957 is an important day in history. 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 … What follows is an extreme example of divergent thinking. Convergent thinking encourages students to come up with one distinct answer to a question based on the information given to them. Convergent vs Divergent Thinking (Definitions + Examples). More time may be required to investigate the divergent example. Start studying Convergent vs. Divergent thinking. All of these venues could attract potential guests and make the event really stand out! 1,700,000 Youtube subscribers and a growing team of psychologists, the dream continues strong! To achieve this, researchers analyzed the electroencephalography (EEG) patterns of participants in the course of divergent and convergent thinking. In the late 1960s, the psychologist J.P. Guilford drew a distinction between two forms of thinking: convergent and divergent. [6] His Chevrolet gets 30 MPG. It’s necessary! You start by looking in your closet to explore options. Your email address will not be published. This type of thinking is also associated with knowledge (one of the key facets of creativity) as it entails using existing knowledge by way of standard procedures. But, before you run off and demand an end to all convergent thinking, don’t. Results show that two personality characteristics namely Extraversion and Openness were seen to make possible divergent thinking. Wikipedia states that convergent thinking is often used in conjunction with divergent thinking. The person that was critiquing their argument was in “convergent thinking” mode. Give your team a break. When starting a new venture, …. Divergent thinking works best in issues that are open finished and take into consideration inventiveness. No personality characteristics were found to be associated with convergent thinking. Divergent thinking refers to the ability to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions in an effort to find one that works. “Divergent thinking is the process of coming up with new ideas and possibilities—without judgment, without analysis, without discussion. Just keep expanding the ideas of where you should hold the event, for a solid block of time. This phase involves being open to generate ideas and possibilities. You’ll be able to cross some ideas off of your list pretty quickly. © Flickr | Playing Futures: Applied Nomadology. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/convergent-vs-divergent-thinking/. When trying to solve any problem, there are two basic ways we can think about the possible solution. You’ll never come up with a solution if everything is immediately torn apart! and so 3) which is better? Would you need a permit to hold the party outside? Find your dream job. Your email address will not be published. Theodore created PracticalPsychology while in college and has transformed the educational online space of psychology. Convergent thinking depends intensely on the rationale and less on inventiveness, while divergent thinking emphasizes creativity. Divergent thinking is employed when an individual is faced with an open-ended task (examples were given earlier—“How can a brick be used?”). He came up with the term as an opposite term to “divergent thinking.” The focus for this thinking strategy is speed, logic and accuracy and on identifying the known, reapplying techniques, and amassing stored information. The next person comes up with a solution, and that’s immediately shot down, too. Outcomes from the tests showed that subjects who were categorized as considerably divergent thinkers had considerably higher reading and word fluency scores compared to subjects who were categorized to be low on divergent thinking. Neither is superior to the other – simply more appropriate for the task at hand. Convergent thinking isn’t bad or unproductive. Remember, you are expanding what is possible, not limiting it. Picture this. Divergent thinking is a creative process of exploring many possible solutions to a problem. Login form Standardized multiple choice questions are also an example of testing convergent thinking. Convergent and divergent thinking require two different parts of the brain. With its frequent use of standardized tests, education today tends to lean heavily toward convergent thinking, which emphasizes the … His Chevrolet gets 30 MPG. divergent vs. convergent thinking for idea generation. Divergent Thinking vs. Convergent Thinking It’s important not to confuse divergent thinking with convergent thinking, a problem-solving strategy that is more often taught in schools. American psychologist JP Guilford coined the terms in the 1950s, which take their names from the problem solving processes they describe. Divergent thinking involves artistry which is associated with the right brain while convergent thinking encompasses logical reasoning which employs the left brain. You may decide to make the event Disney-themed, for example, to have a fun event without shelling out the costs of actually going to Florida. Choose cover letter template and write your cover letter. Divergent vs. convergent thinking. Similarities Between Convergent and Divergent Thinking In theory, convergent and divergent thinking are two completely different aspects of thinking. Divergent and convergent thinking • Divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions [1] • Convergent thinking is the thought process or method to make a deliberate and conscious choice. Moving to everyday life, here’s an example of convergent and divergent thinking in practice. Please use the. On the other hand, divergent thinking was equated with creativity and both were not uncommonly presented as competing or conflicting processes. Let’s say you’re planning an event, and trying to figure out where to have the event. In a sense, divergent and convergent thinking are the Yin and Yang of creative problem solving. While convergent thinking relies more on logic, divergent thinking relies more on creativity. 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 … Mood – Research shows that gearing up for a creative thinking job can bring on mood swings determined by the kind of thinking utilized for the task. Money is not an issue. Let’s start by talking about divergent thinking. Openness analyzes intellectual curiosity, artistic interest, originality, liberal attitudes, and imagination. Choose resume template and create your resume. Given below is a comparison of the two thinking styles with the factors of comparison being mood, creative ability, intellectual ability, brain activity, personality and sleep deprivation. There doesn’t have to be a lot of logic used when you are in “divergent thinking” mode. It is true that withstanding the earth’s gravity to travel in space has been a dream that existed ever since women and men first cast their eyes on the stars. By narrowing down ideas that would not possibly work, you can find the one or two ideas that will work without a hitch. Sleep deprivation – A 1988 study by J.A. Theodore. Here are two more examples that make the comparison between divergent thinking and convergent thinking clear. This part of the thinking process requires looking for fallacies and potential problems. You can’t just set your heart on Disney World without considering practical factors, like budget or location. As per the research, convergent and divergent thinking affect mood in converse ways. The next time you’re faced with a problem, try this batching technique. The credit for coining the term “convergent thinking” goes to Joy Paul Guilford. Convergent thinking refers to the ability to put a number of different pieces from different perspectives of a topic together in some organized, logical manner to … Think about budget. However, he wishes to expend less fuel in his travel for both monetary and conservation-associated reasons. Twitter developed an online service that did not have any obvious practical application. Required fields are marked. Resume, Interview, Job Search, Salary Negotiations, and more. Choosing what to wear in the morning is an exercise in divergent and convergent thinking. Then, hold a meeting that is focused solely on convergent thinking. And voila! Standardized tests are convergent; so is an IQ test. When new, creative, innovative, and vague ideas are presented as a result of divergent thinking; systematic, procedural, precise and time-effective convergent thinking is required to work on the results of divergent thinkers, scrutinize and reach an unambiguous answer. Divergent thinking brings out the best outcomes when it is used for open-ended problems that enable creativity. This was shown to be considerably dissimilar by a one-way ANOVA. 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