In problem solving, you must master two ways of operating. Every person can be distinguished from the other by the way he thinks. In this figure ive identified four phases of data analysis that alternate between divergent and convergent forms of thinking. Divergent thinking generally resists the accepted ways of doing things and seeks alternatives.
Ensuring that preschoolers receive the correct instruction sets them. Divergent thinking generates its name from the idea that there are limitless number of solutions for any given problem, however unrelated they might be, which are then spread on the table to pick out the best one. Jul 19, 2018 the definitions of convergent and divergent thinking. Convergent thinking and divergent thinking are the polar opposites of each other. The findings suggest that acute exercise may affect both, divergent and convergent thinking. Convergent thinking an overview sciencedirect topics. This may limit generalizations because tests of dt are not equivalent. Divergent thinking treats all ideas equally divergent thinking is often hard to measure divergent behavior in larger classrooms might cause disruption. The deductive reasoning sherlock holmes used in solving mysteries is a good example of. Jul 25, 2017 both convergent and divergent evolution generate variation, aiding species to perform their niche in the environment. Dec 11, 2017 in problem solving, you must master two ways of operating. Developing strong commands of convergent and divergent thinking should empower students to tackle challenging problems, in and out of the classroom. The impact on convergent thinking, the task that presumably required more cognitive control, depended on the training level.
Well look at generating more ideas, how to critique and make improvements, and continue to practice our development of ideas. 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. Convergent and divergent thinking writing prompt 1. It starts from a common point and moves outward in diverging directions to involve a variety of aspects or persp. Apr 18, 2015 divergent thinking specifically requires to think about several approaches and bring about options. When an individual is using critical thinking to solve a problem they. Dec 02, 20 the impact on convergent thinking, the task that presumably required more cognitive control, depended on the training level. Convergent and divergent thinking in verbal analogy article pdf available in thinking and reasoning 214. If you are unsure what construct validity is, we recommend you first read. 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. Oct 26, 2011 the problem is the same, but the questions change slightly. Both convergent and divergent evolution generate variation, aiding species to perform their niche in the environment. Study 2 was an online survey study that replicated study 1 and extended the measures to include selfrated risk and a measure of divergent thinking the alternate uses task. Divergent thinking is related to creativity, and is always required in creative fields.
According to guilford, creative thinking involves more of divergent thinking. Convergent thinking is a process whereby a person arrives at a single, correct answer. Convergent and divergent thinking are two opposite ends of a spectrum for cognitive approaches to problem solving. Divergent thinking, on the other hand, is when a person. A convergent thinker sees a limited, predetermined number of options. Teaching and learning of divergent and convergent thinking. American psychologist jp guilford coined the terms in the 1950s, which take their names from the problem solving processes they describe. Individual differences in convergent and divergent thinking may uniquely explain variation in analogical reasoning ability. How convergent and divergent thinking foster creativity. Diverge means separated, so when any same ancestral species get diverged or change into another new form of species is called divergent evolution. This quiz is based on the trilogy by veronica roth. So i am going to take you on a bit of the same journey. In this video, filipe takes you through what each of those entails and how to use them as a. Convergent and divergent questioning examples convergent questioning convergent vs.
Convergent naming divergent naming synonyms antonyms homonyms multiple meaning words compound words rhyming words. On the other hand, divergent thinking was equated with creativity and both were not uncommonly presented as. Divergent thinking takes place in a freeflowing manner and is spontaneous, which results in multiple possible solutions in short amount of time. When it comes to problem solving and idea generation, two ways are commonly cited, namely divergent and convergent thinking strategies. Across two studies we investigated the relative influences of divergent and convergent thinking as predictors of verbal analogy performance. 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 the peak performance center. Convergent evolution is a process by which distantly related species develop similar structures as adaptations to the environment. On the other hand, divergent thinking was equated with creativity and both were not uncommonly presented as competing or.
Convergent thinking involves starting with pieces of. 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. Convergent thinking involves putting a number of different pieces of a topic together to find a single answer. Convergent thinking is exactly opposite of what divergent thinking is. While convergent thinking proceeds mainly along known and proximate principles of association, divergent thinking follows channels of remote association. Mar 28, 2017 divergent evolution is totally opposite of convergent evolution where related species evolve different characters and gradually result in new species. Anne manning demonstrates the concepts of divergent and convergent thinking to inspire new ways to approach problemsolving with your team. Divergent thinking seeks to generate multiple possible answers to problems from multiple perspectives. Convergent and divergent teaching methods are from these ways of education. Pdf convergent and divergent thinking in verbal analogy. Very likely, divergent thinking and convergent thinking are actually two ends of a continuum eysenck 2003. The impact of physical exercise on convergent and divergent.
Convergent and divergent thinking represent two different ways of looking at the world. Convergent thinking is linear, but divergent thinking stimulates multiple thoughts, leading to multidirectional thinking. Divergent thinking comes naturally to a person who has a creative mind, but can also be induced and put into practice by the art of relaxing ones mind with sleep, humor or even alcohol. This may make the most sense, given we know about individual differences they tend to fall along continua, and it is. Divergent thinking dt tests are probably the most commonly used measures of creative potential. Divergent thinking divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. Convergent thinking is the process of finding a single best solution to a problem that we are trying to solve williams, 2003. 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. Creative thinking convergent and divergent thinking. Convergent thinking is often used in conjunction with divergent thinking. The learning objectives of teaching divergent and convergent thinking skills are. Divergent and convergent thinking skills are both important aspects of intelligence, problem solving and critical thinking.
In an abundance of enthusiasm generated postsputnik 1, the convergent style of thinking was rapidly equated with typical intelligence. I was just curious to know if you were either a divergent or convergent thinker. Divergent and convergent phases of data analysis simply. Gene balinggan is a registered psychologist, licensed professional teacher, and a freelance academic and. Divergent evolution is totally opposite of convergent evolution where related species evolve different characters and gradually result in new species. The xaxis is roughly time or the timeline of the analysis. Comparing the effects of convergent and divergent teaching. The term convergent thinking was coined by joy paul guilford in 1956.
Divergent thinking is the process of thinking that explores multiple possible solutions in order to generate creative ideas. Divergent thinking is the ability to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions in an effort to find one that works. Divergent thinking specifically requires to think about several approaches and bring about options. The findings were fully replicated, showing that low risktaking goes with better convergent thinking and risktaking was not significantly correlated with divergent thinking. Convergent validity helps to establish construct validity when you use two different measurement procedures and research. The process of figuring out a concrete solution to any problem is called convergent thinking. The challenge during divergent thinking is pushing through the initial blockers, blinders, and biases, and resisting the natural inclinations to turn. In this video, filipe takes you through what each of those entails and how to. These two types of thinking are called convergent and. Jan 29, 2018 divergent thinking divergent thinking is a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions.
Convergent and divergent questioning by madison reese on prezi. Convergent stems from the word converge which means come together. The term divergent thinking refers to that strategy of solving problems characterized by the proposal of a multiplicity of possible solutions in an attempt to determine the one that works. Using a teaching method at the preschool level may seem trivial to some because youngsters just seem to want to play all the time. When new, creative, innovative, and vague ideas are presented as a result of divergent thinking.
I came to this presentation via a circuitous route. You have 4 choices that could state if you are either divergent, allegiant, convergent, or insurgent. Valid reasons why divergent thinking is often discouraged in classrooms. The distinction between divergent and convergent thinking implies a dichotomy. Convergent thinking, the bias of which is to assume that there is a correct way to do things, is inherently conservative. Difference between convergent and divergent evolution with. Brown, tumeo, larey, and paulus 1998 examined interactions between those with convergent and divergent thinking styles. Create a repeatable process you can use each time youre attempting to solve a new problem. The approach one takes to find the solution to a problem can be categorized into convergent and divergent thinking. Difference between divergent thinking and convergent thinking. Nov 17, 2017 convergent vs divergent thinking, differences. Divergent thinkers tend to have increased flexibility i. Convergent thinking when trying to solve any problem, there are two basic ways we can think about the possible solution. Convergent thinking is used as a tool in creative problemsolving.
While the former is to a larger extent concrete, the latter is more abstract. Patient will categorize items during structured therapy tasks with 80% accuracy. Criteria are purposefully applied as we screen, select, evaluate, and refine the options, all 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. The yaxis can be thought of as indicating the range of possibilities. To select the best of our divergent options, determine their potential value. Diverge means separated, so when any same ancestral species get diverged or change into another. On the other end of the spectrum, convergent thinking involving finding the one right answer to a problem that has a single solution.
In mathematics, convergent refers to approaching a definite limit in a series. Convergent thinking is the type of thinking that focuses on coming up with the single, wellestablished answer to a problem. The approach i describe here is a mashup of concepts from eric knight reframing. Okay, its not exactly a numerical graph, but you get the idea. How to teach convergent and divergent thinking prodigy.
Convergent and divergent thinking the peak performance. Convergent thinking is used in accordance with divergent thinking. Understanding convergent and divergent thinking can allow you to consciously use the appropriate thought process to get the best results. May 16, 2016 anne manning demonstrates the concepts of divergent and convergent thinking to inspire new ways to approach problemsolving with your team. Difference between convergent and divergent evolution. The problem is the same, but the questions change slightly. Convergent and divergent thinking are opposites, but both have places in your daily lessons. Apr 29, 2015 when it comes to problem solving and idea generation, two ways are commonly cited, namely divergent and convergent thinking strategies. Divergent and convergent thinking in this unit well look as some of the ways we can describe creativity and examine the concepts of divergent and convergent thinking. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Nov 17, 2017 divergent thinking takes place in a freeflowing manner and is spontaneous, which results in multiple possible solutions in short amount of time. Aug 31, 2016 divergent thinking is the ability to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions in an effort to find one that works. Divergent thinking is a longer process as compared to convergent thinking.
This procedure is unorganized and yields unexpected connections. At certain points in the creative process, thinking and focus needs to shift. Whats more, being able to use the thinking styles independently and together is critical in many projects, group activities and forms of assessment. As for convergent thinking, it is generally related with logic which is generally processed in the left hemisphere. Difference between convergent and divergent evolution definition. The convergent example asks for a vehicle, whereas the divergent example doesnt rule out options like moving closer to work, telecommuting, walking, carpooling, taking public transportation, etc.
Divergent thinking involves artistry which is associated with the right brain while convergent thinking encompasses logical reasoning which employs the left brain. Researchers have attempted to get at the answer to that questionreporting on average a small correlation between convergent thinking tests and divergent thinking tests. Divergent thinking is taking a challenge and attempting to identify all of the possible. Several extensive batteries are available but most research relies on one or two specific tests rather than a complete battery.
Divergent thinking vs convergent thinking think company. Spend more time in divergent thinking and use a variety of ideation methods. The information and ideas obtained as a result of divergent thinking can be structured using convergent thinking to produce a single. In the convergent thinking process, choice is deliberate and conscious. Convergent thinking is a term coined by joy paul guilford as the opposite of divergent thinking. Convergent thinking is a term proposed by guilford in 1967 as the opposite of divergent thinking. Bringing together divergent and convergent thinking.