Divergent thinking is an approach to a
situation or concept which focuses on exploring as
many aspects of the concept as possible. Starting with a
single idea, the divergent thinker allows his or her
mind to wander off in many different directions, gathering numerous thoughts
and ideas which relate to the concept. Divergent thinking can be used as a
method of creative brainstorming in a wide variety of
settings, ranging from the research and development department of a major
company to the classroom.
With divergent thinking, people start out
thinking about a single concept, and develop many
solutions and approaches to the concept. This contrasts
with convergent thinking in which many ideas are brought together to a single focus,
often by following a series of logical steps to arrive at this focus. Divergent thinking is often associated
with creative pursuits and the humanities, which tend to encourage a more
free-form method of thinking, but in fact, it can be beneficial in the sciences
as well, with the ability to think in a far-reaching and erratic way being a
useful skill when it comes to solving some scientific puzzles.
It is difficult to test for divergent thinking on examinations
which are designed to test intelligence and mental ability. This type of
thinking cannot be pinned down or categorized, because it relies heavily on the
ability to generate random, disorganized thoughts in a free-flowing way, and
there is no way to test for this with a conventional examination. As a result,
people who are skilled at divergent thinking may not perform
terribly well on intelligence tests, when they are in fact quite intelligent.
Divergent thinking exercises can help
develop the mind and foster creativity. For example, students might be given a
list of items and asked to think of as many possible uses as they can for each.
Or, students may be presented with a problem and asked to brainstorm a number
of different solutions. Divergent thinking can also be used as
the basis for the development of products in addition to intellectual ideas.
For people who are used to convergent thinking, it can be
difficult to explore divergentthinking. Aids
such as free association exercises, free writing diaries, and so forth can help
people grow accustomed to thinking in this way while allowing them to develop
their thoughts. There are also numerous divergent thinking exercises available
on the Internet, including exercises designed for classrooms and groups.
Strategies of Divergent Thinking
The goal of divergent thinking is to generate many different ideas
about a topic in a short period of time. It involves breaking a topic down into
its various component parts in order to gain insight about the various aspects
of the topic. Divergent th inking typically occurs in a spontaneous,
free-flowing manner, such that the ideas are generated in a random, unorganized
fashion. Following divergent thinking, the ideas and information will be
organized using convergent thinking; i.e., putting the var ious ideas back
together in some organized, structured way.
To begin brainstorming potential topics, it is often helpful to
engage in self analysis and topic analysis.
Self Analysis
Ask the following questions to help brainstorm a list of potential
topics.
How do I spend my time? What are my activities during a normal
day?
What do I know about? What are my areas of expertise? What am I
studying in school?
What do I like? What are my hobbies? What are my interests?
What bothers me? What would I like to change in my world or life?
What are my strongest beliefs, values and philosophies?
Topic Analysis
Ask the following questions to help narrow and refine a broad
topic into a specific, focused one. Substitute your topic for the word "something."
How would you describe something?
What are the causes of something?
What are the effects of something?
What is important about something?
What are the smaller parts that comprise something?
How has something changed? Why are those changes
important?
What is known and unknown about something?
What category of ideas or objects does something belong
to?
Is something good or bad? Why?
What suggestions or recommendations would you make about something?
What are the different aspects of something you
can think of?
Techniques to Stimulate Divergent Thinking
1. Brainstorming. Brainstorming is a technique which
involves generating a list of ideas in a creative, unstructured manner. The
goal of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas as possible in a short
period of time. The key tool in brainstorm ing is "piggybacking," or
using one idea to stimulate other ideas. During the brainstorming process, ALL
ideas are recorded, and no idea is disregarded or criticized. After a long list
of ideas is generated, one can go back and review the ideas to criti que their
value or merit.
2. Keeping a Journal. Journals are an effective way to
record ideas that one thinks of spontaneously. By carrying a journal, one can
create a collection of thoughts on various
subjects that later become a source book of ideas. People often
have insights at unusual times and places. By keeping a journal, one can
capture these ideas and use them later when developing and organizing materials
in the prewriting stage.
3. Freewriting. When free-writing, a person will focus
on one particular topic and write non-stop about it for a short period of time.
The idea is to write down whatever comes to mind about the topic, without
stopping to proofread or revise the writing. This can help generate a variety
of thoughts about a topic in a short period of time, which can later be
restructured or organized following some pattern of arrangement.
4. Mind or Subject Mapping. Mind or subject mapping
involves putting brainstormed ideas in the form of a visual map or picture that
that shows the relationships among these ideas. One starts with a central idea
or topic, then draws branches off the main topic which represent different
parts or aspects of the main topic. This creates a visual image or
"map" of the topic which the writer can use to develop the topic
further. For example, a topic may
have four different branches (sub-topics), and each of those four branches may
have two branches of its own (sub-topics of the sub-topic) *Note* this includes
both divergent and convergent thinking.
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