However, the real problem is that we’ve been “trained” to only think this way. Divergent thinking wouldn’t be applicable in multiple choice tests or standardized tests, which require a single absolute answer. Play Tower of Hanoi. I want to use less fuel in my commute for financial and conservation reasons. 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 multiple-choice tests for intelligence. Divergent thinking is the opposite of convergent thinking; this refers to the process of finding alternative routes or approaches to generate new ideas and in problem solving (Atherton, 2005). There is only one right answer and usually, only one process to get to … Divergent and convergent thinking is not just for creativity in the workplace. Money is no object. Math. 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. In most cases, it doesn’t. Visit us in Philadelphia, Divergent thinking has been hot recently. Although they are completely different in terms of the basic meaning of the terms and how they work, the major purpose is the same. Choosing what to wear in the morning is an exercise in divergent and convergent thinking. As it turns out, science says there are a number of ways to help prime the brain for divergent thinking. This procedure is unorganized and yields unexpected connections. Convergent thinking helps to find out the best possible answer to any problem, which are accurate most of the time, and no room for ambiguity is left. Variety of tests, such as multiple choice tests, standardized tests, quizzes, spelling tests and similar other tests require convergent thinking, because only one answer can be 100% correct. My car gets 30 MPG. Frame it one way, and you may be leading the group to spend two months brainstorming when all you needed was a hammer four weeks ago. Convergent thinking is useful and necessary on many occasions. A person can be both sick and healthy. For instance, in a standardized aptitude test, a convergent thinker might be able to decide the right answer, but the contemplating mind of a divergent thinker might work against him in the situation. One of his engineers says “I need a flashlight,” and the response is, “That’s not what they have up there. My car gets 30 MPG. See more ideas about divergent thinking, divergent, this or that questions. 17. But it's part of a bigger picture. When setting up a divergent thinking exercise, participants need to know that all ideas are valid. It’s not a must for one to always be in conjunction with another but they tend to function best when used in conjunction.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'psychestudy_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_8',128,'0','0'])); Divergent thinker isn’t always able to pin-point the right answer. Convergent thinking is a process whereby a person arrives at a single, correct answer. Divergent thinking and psychological processes. Lets learn first what is the convergent and divergent series. Tower Games. As designers, we need to use both methods of thinking to best serve our clients. Convergent evolution happens in organisms that are not closely related while divergent evolution is observed in organisms that are closely related. Tell us about your project today to start the Wish you can benefit from our online sentence dictionary and make progress day by day! All of these venues could attract potential guests and make … This might not … We often rail against tired concepts in our industry like “think outside the box,” yet we still try to capture what that phrase meant before it became a cliché. Play. Where do you like to study? There are … Convergent and Divergent Questioning {Examples} Convergent Questioning Convergent Vs. Divergent Divergent: Who is your favorite teacher? Divergent thinking takes place in a free-flowing, spontaneous manner and creates varieties of possible resolutions to another problem. Convergent stems from the word “converge” which means “come together.” Convergent thinking involves putting a number of different pieces of a topic together to find a single answer. Convergent thinking only considers the world as. No one kind of thinking is better than another. Divergent thinking unfolds and broadens; convergent thinking narrows down and focuses, filtering the set of When projects wrap up, retrospectives always start with open-ended, exploratory sessions on what worked, what could be improved, and what worked so well that we need to operationalize it for future projects. message. In it, focus must shift to narrow down the ideas that were generated during divergent thinking. 2. We have learned to embrace these thinking styles in a number of ways, including: Finally, the most important element of embracing divergent and convergent thinking techniques is getting support from leadership during divergent and convergent thinking exercises. to meet your organization's unique design and development needs. Please read our Privacy Policy to learn more. Divergent thinking is employed when an individual is faced with an open-ended task (examples were given earlier—“How can a brick be used?”). Frame it the other way, and you could end up with a team chasing every problem with the same old hammer while your competition invented the screwdriver. The relationship between the analogous structures in different species that evolved through convergent evolution can be less distinct compared to the homologous structures seen in divergent evolution which have the same basic structural plan. Larger. Convergent thinking is systematic and logical (Williams 2003). Don’t give me anything they don’t have on board.” The challenge is discrete and the solutions are limited to the constraints of a hard reality. For instance, a man can be under great stress mentally but perfectly fit physically. 2. What about a big outdoor party with tents? We use divergent thinking in the initial stages of ideation on a project or task—when we have a challenge to solve and we need to brainstorm or iterate on creative solutions. They might, for example, selectively reinforce convergent or divergent thinking, or a combination of the two, and do so selectively, depending on task demands. We scope projects and build teams Convergent and Divergent Questioning {Examples} Convergent Questioning Convergent Vs. Divergent Divergent: Who is your favorite teacher? Sign up for our email This doesn’t mean that launching something and then figuring out what the market is for it is a bullet-proof strategy. Let’s say you’re planning an event, and trying to figure out where to have the event. Convergent and Divergent Series Examples. A series which have finite sum is called convergent series.Otherwise is called divergent series. The challenge in the context of design thinking comes in framing the problems correctly if you want a specific result. How fun would it be to have the event at Disney World? The goal of divergent thinking is to focus on a subject, in a free-wheeling way, to think of solutions that may not be obvious or predetermined. [6] Convergent thinking requieres a deep analysis of the situation to be able to come up with a solution. One example of convergent thinking is school. Convergent thinking is used to complete the steps 4 and 5. Convergent Thinking. The convergent example may be driven by other issues. In this lesson, you will learn to define divergent thinking and be given two examples of divergent thinking that are used in everyday situations. However,there are no accurate tests able to measure divergent thinking skills. Divergent thinking relates to figuring out new procedures to solve a problem despite existing solutions. In divergent thinking, the learner evaluates the task or the problem as a stimulus that would lead to the solution. Divergent thinking is the opposite of convergent thinking; this refers to the process of finding alternative routes or approaches to generate new ideas and in problem solving (Atherton, 2005). Neither one is exactly more superior as compared to the other. Guilford coined convergent thinking in contrast with divergent thinking. Executive Vice President At Think Company, convergent design exercises often occur after we have collected evidence on the subject at hand. Choose at least three, your answers may be serious or silly. Let’s kick off a conversation about you upcoming initiative. Both types of thinking are important. Convergent Thinking Divergent Thinking The process of figuring out a concrete solution to any problem is called Convergent Thinking. privacy They are completely in contrast with each other yet extremely important in our daily lives. Also, as an evidence-based company, gathering user and customer feedback often helps point us to very clear design solutions. Math is an example of convergent thinking. You could wear pants, shorts, a sweater, or a t-shirt. It’s a straight forward process that focuses on figuring out the most effective answer to a problem. One would use convergent thinking to answer multiple choice tests on an exam, but use divergent thinking methods to answer an essay. Example of Convergent and Divergent Thinking . What do you predict will happen? We’ll also employ divergent thinking in the process of thinking through, at a high level, how to help make a client’s website, app, or digital tool more competitive or innovative in the market. Divergent Thinking. Which is smaller 5/16 or 3/8? Contrarily, divergent thinking is web-like—creating connections between ideas. Convergent thinking encourages students to come up with one distinct answer to a question based on the information given to them. Convergent thinking requieres a deep analysis of the situation to be able to come up with a solution. Conshohocken, or Examples. Convergent thinking is best practiced at times when you need an answer and you believe you have access to the data and information you need to guide a decision or solution. Divergent Thinking. Give us a call at 800.296.9190 These processes tend to work best when applied in conjunction. In this manner, they are correlated. You need to do a small amount of analysis so that you don’t put too many tools in your Swiss army knife, but you shouldn’t hamstring yourself with too many constraints, either. His Chevrolet gets 30 MPG. I live four miles from work. 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. Convergent thinking encourages students to come up with one distinct answer to a question based on the information given to them. Follow Posted Feb 09, 2012 Bringing facts and data together from various sources and then applying logic and knowledge to solve problems, achieve objectives or make decisions is known as convergent type thinking. Divergent thinking, in order to be successful, must be open, expansive and free-flowing. With convergent thinking, you are trying to find a single best solution to a given problem. Standardized tests are convergent; so is an IQ test. From this perspective divergent thinking is a kind of problem solving. Want to learn more about the latest in design and technology leadership? Twitter took a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach to their application. Brainstorming, free writing, keeping a journal and mind-mapping are examples of divergent thinking. Therefore convergent questions are designed to try and help you find the solution to a problem, or a single response to a question. As a matter of fact, reinforcement would be quite important because educators may need to combat and compensate for children’s tendencies to conform to peer pressure and their general conventionality, especially in the fourth grade. Divergent thinking is employed when an individual is faced with an open-ended task (examples were given earlier—“How can a brick be used?”). ... divergent thinking without convergent thinking can cause a variety of problems including reckless change. Logical ; A linear method is used and rational steps are taken to figure out the correct solution. To cultivate divergent thinking is an important part of cultivating creativity. Standardized tests are convergent; so is an IQ test. For example, divergent thinking can be encouraged by: Allowing participants to get into the flow; Unleashing participants' associative potential; Providing opportunities for different sources of inspiration. What options do I have to reduce my fuel consumption? Following the lesson, you will have the opportunity to test your knowledge with a short quiz. There are many possible examples of divergent thinking. Divergent and Convergent thinking skills are both important aspects of intelligence, problem solving and critical thinking. Privacy Variety of tests, such as multiple choice tests, standardized tests, quizzes, spelling tests and similar other tests require convergent thinking, because only one answer can be 100% correct. Therefore convergent questions are designed to try and help you find the solution to a problem, or a single response to a question. A slightly extreme example would be: A person is either sick or healthy. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'psychestudy_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',132,'0','0'])); Cite this article as: Praveen Shrestha, "Convergent Vs Divergent Thinking," in, https://www.psychestudy.com/cognitive/thinking/convergent-vs-divergent, Psychological Steps Involved in Problem Solving, Types of Motivation: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation, The Big Five personality traits (Five-factor Model), Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Client Centered Therapy (Person Centered Therapy), Detailed Procedure of Thematic Apperception test, The process of figuring out a concrete solution to any problem is called. Divergent and convergent thinking are two complementary methods to explore ideas, work towards goals, and address challenges. The convergent example asks for a vehicle, whereas the divergent example doesn’t rule out options like moving closer to work, telecommuting, walking, carpooling, or taking public transportation. I hope I focus on divergent thinking at home because I know they get a lot of convergent thinking at school. On the other hand, divergent thinking was equated with creativity and both were not uncommonly presented as … Divergent Thinking Definition: Divergent thinking can be described as unconventional thinking in problem solving. (Attitude) Imagine a big bang, an explosion of ideas. What Is Divergent Thinking? Is salt Where do you like to study? They created an online service without a clear practical application or market, launched it to see how people would use it, then refined it. Divergent thinking is used in steps 2 and 3. 5 Exercises to Help Boost Creativity, Divergent Thinking Where do our best ideas come from? We use cookies to analyze traffic and improve your experience. Convergent tools on the other hand, implies that we take several ideas and put them together in a way they can be related. Convergent tools on the other hand, implies that we take several ideas and put them together in a way they can be related. Convergent and Divergent Thinking Comparison . Find the three best replacement vehicles for my car. Divergent thinking is the opposite of convergent thinking, which involves solving problems through obvious choices only. 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. Math is an example of convergent thinking. Divergent Thinking vs. Convergent Thinking. 1. You start by looking in your closet to explore options. Or, a medical student can be either a doctor or nothing. convergent thinking in which learners critically sift through the collection of possible solutions by considering realistic limitations and feasibility, comparing positive and negative attributes, and evaluating for usefulness. Certainly it has it’s place. It isthe initial stage of creative problem solving where learners have the space and freedom to explore out-of-the-box ideas, take risks, push beyond obvious answers, probe deeper, and defy some of the conventional boundaries and constraints of a particular discipline. Designers practice divergent thinking in a few ways. One great example of divergent thinking in action is in the early days of Twitter. Aug 15, 2017 - Explore Amanda Hughens's board "Divergent Thinking", followed by 126 people on Pinterest. Stakeholder buy-in is easier to accomplish when you are clear about the purpose and goals of an exercise. Methods involved in convergent thinking also involve recognizing the previously tried out techniques and reapplying them along with the readily stored information. Although divergent thinking is unconcerned with limitations, the ‘best’ solution determined by convergent thinking tasks cannot be deterred by extensive limitations. The right hemisphere's divergent thinking underlies our ability to be creative. Conshohocken, or Convergent thinking is considered black and white, while divergent thinking has gray areas. Convergent Thinking. Language. Perhaps my current car was totaled and I only have a weekend to solve the problem. Math is an example of convergent thinking. There are many examples of convergent thinking that demonstrate the necessity of this technique, including in our own industry. Divergent thinking generates multiple ideas that are original, open to more than one solution, and unconcerned with the risks or limitations. Is salt October 26, 2011. Embracing diversity and divergent thinking. The problem is that most textbooks offer only convergent thinking problems. © See more ideas about divergent thinking, divergent, creative thinking. 4. This required a considerable amount of divergent thinking. respond shortly. or send us a However, they hold more in common than one might realize. Although Divergent thinking keeps the options open, a completely accurate answer isn’t identified. Algebra. The answer procured by such type of thinking is either completely right or 100% wrong, which might not always be the best possible way to go about. Divergent thinking sparks creativity specifically because of its spontaneous, non-linear nature. But, reading this has made me want to reanalyze as we go about our time together the next few weeks. In practice, divergent thinking is often associated with brainstorming or free writing—but it’s more than that. Here’s an example of the same problem framed for divergent and convergent thinking: I live four miles from work. Convergent thinking, on the other hand, is known as the practice of selecting the optimal solution from a finite set of ideas collected from different sources in order to solve a discrete challenge quickly and efficiently. The convergent example asks for a vehicle, whereas the divergent example doesn’t rule out options like moving closer to work, telecommuting, walking, carpooling, or taking public transportation. The team will analyze and bring that information together into an educated decision. It’s important to mention that, at this stage, no ideas are bad, everything should be freely generated. In theory, convergent and divergent thinking are two completely different aspects of thinking. Here's our Standard IQ tests gauge convergent thinking. 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. By putting on your “divergent thinking cap,” you start to brainstorm. Linear thinking, or convergent thinking, is about learning facts, follow instructions, and solving problems with one right answer. Policy. Learn about convergent thinking, how it differs from divergent thinking, and more. Convergent and Divergent Thinking Comparison . Since we have a clear idea of how each method of thinking works, part of our job is to determine which one best suits clients and project goals during the many phases of our work. Collaborative Think sessions with clients focused on design thinking, ideation, and brainstorming, Technology discovery work to identify internal experts and gather knowledge on platforms and process, Regular sprint reviews and other project rituals to review, synthesize, and ideate around research findings, Ongoing internal collaboration with different departments to bring in subject matter experts, Design validation and usability studies to collect evidence for convergent exercises, Retrospectives focused on continuous improvement and knowledge sharing, Ideation challenges for teams to keep creative work fun and innovative. conversation! Divergent and Convergent thinking skills are both important aspects of intelligence, problem solving and critical thinking.Convergent Thinking 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. Nov 9, 2020 - Explore Ms. Gaudun's Education Resourc's board "Divergent Thinking" on Pinterest. In the wake of technology discovery, design validation, or usability studies, our experts are able to process the data collected along with concepts developed during divergent exercises, to select the most effective path forward. The problem is the same, but the questions change slightly. The first step — Identify the problem — starts the entire process. Convergent stems from the word “converge” which means “come together.” Convergent thinking involves putting a number of different pieces of a topic together to find a single answer. 3. In divergent thinking, the learner evaluates the task or the problem as a stimulus that would lead to the solution. Before continuing, it would be good to clarify one idea. Examples of Convergent and Divergent Thinking Suppose that you worked 48 miles away from your house and needed to save money. A convergent thinker is exactly what the circumstances demand in various situations, such as standardized tests. Math is an example of convergent thinking. It’s a straight forward process that focuses on figuring out the most effective answer to a problem. Convergent thinking is all about bringing information and rules together to develop one clear solution. Denver. All ideas … Phil Charron Both examples will produce valuable results. Divergent thinking takes place in a free-flowing manner and is spontaneous, which results in multiple possible solutions in short amount of time. Convergent&divergent thinking 1. Examples of convergent evolution are wings of insects, birds, bats, streamlined body of dolphins and shark, whereas that of Darwin finches (kind of birds) is the example of divergent evolution. 23 sentence examples: 1. Convergent thinking is a term used to describe the process of finding a single best solution to a problem. C It usually happens in a free-flowing, spontaneous manne Inclusion. 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. Convergent: Where is the capitol of Texas? Divergent thinking is the process of thinking that explores multiple possible solutions in order to generate creative ideas. There are so many choices to consider! … Convergent: Where is the capitol of Texas? The divergent example may take more time to investigate, but you may discover an option that is completely different from what the user has asked you to do. Divergent and convergent thinking are both methods of thinking that are so deeply integrated into what we do, we often don’t stop to think about the theories behind them. Convergent thinking is a 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. Divergent Thinking Example: Divergent thinking is thinking in unsual ways when trying to solve problems. I could look at a whole book of picture examples of the convergent vs divergent thinking. Ask us about Strategy or a related Divergent Thinking. Divergent thinking typically happens in open, free-flowing, spontaneous environments where multiple creative ideas can be shared and considered. Philadelphia, In convergent evolution, species evolve from the different species but develops similar characteristics, like wings of birds and insects. For example: “I have nothing to offer but blood, seat and tears.” The high school quarterback who forgot to bring the ball to the big game. In the midst of a project, our software engineers may use the same techniques to tackle technology challenges with designers. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. I often recommend using methods such as the first few steps of nominal group technique to ensure all voices are heard. Convergent problems are easy to recognize. Convergent and Divergent thinking are like two sides of a coin. By submitting this form, you're allowing us to store the information you submit. It’s also important to ensure that all participants can contribute equally—not just the most vocal. In the design world—where we’re constantly employing design thinking in our work—both approaches are necessary and lead to unique solutions for challenges that require exploration and creativity. Denver. In Twitter’s case, it worked. If convergent thinking is applied then after, the very best answer can be picked out from the multiple solutions resulted due to divergent thinking. Standardized tests are convergent; so is an IQ test. Certainly it has it’s place. Choosing what to wear in the morning is an exercise in divergent and convergent thinking. Definition Convergent thinking is the process of finding a single best solution to a … Interested in working with Think Company? They might, for example, selectively reinforce convergent or divergent thinking, or a combination of the two, and do so selectively, depending on task demands. maximize the range of possible solutions, applications, examples, etc. This phase involves being open to generate ideas and possibilities. Divergent thinking: Mr. A’s home is at a distance of five miles from work. You start by looking in your closet to explore options. I want to use less fuel in my commute for financial and conservation reasons. At Think Company, we employ divergent thinking throughout our project work. What do you predict will happen? When it comes to problem solving and idea generation, two ways are commonly cited, namely divergent and convergent thinking strategies. The quick answer is that neither divergent thinking nor convergent thinking is better than the other. When you have a challenging problem to solve, what thinking strategy […] Shifting is the executive function that allows us to adjust to these situations as they change or as limitations arise. From this perspective divergent thinking is a kind of problem solving. Typically, this means that everyone involved in this type of thinking will look for unexpected combinations and connections between remote associations. CONVERGENT& DIVERGENT THINKING PRESENTED BY AGLAIA 2. The psychologist J.P. Guilford first coined the terms convergent thinking and divergent thinking in 1956. Following divergent thinking, the ideas and information will be organized using convergent thinking; i.e., putting the … Both these thinking processes are implemented in order to explore creativity and find solutions to different problems. Ad Home. Convergent thinking is a term used to describe the process of finding a single best solution to a problem. It’s … Divergent and Convergent thinking skills are both important aspects of intelligence, problem solving and critical thinking.Convergent Thinking 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. What is convergent series and divergent series ? The opposite of divergent thinking is convergent thinking. Divergent th inking typically occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing manner, such that the ideas are generated in a random, unorganized fashion. How Convergent and Divergent Thinking Foster Creativity IQ-type reasoning is only one slice of the creativity pie. 2020 Think Company, Inc. All rights reserved. We use them all the time in our daily lives! Both convergent and divergent thinking are vital in our lives. However, he wishes to expend less fuel in his travel for both monetary and conservation-associated reasons. Or at the new hotel that is opening down the street? In contrast, divergent thinking refers to opening the mind in various directions and trying out multiple solutions for a problem. Linear thinking, or convergent thinking, is about learning facts, follow instructions, and solving problems with one right answer. A medical student can be either a doctor or nothing. Standardized tests are convergent; so is an IQ test. 'S a brief explanation of the difference between divergent convergent and divergent thinking examples you understand convergent divergent... Tasks, we often need to use both methods of thinking is thinking in action in... Writing—But it ’ s say you ’ re probably curious about the kinds of questions that incite each.... Many occasions all the time in our own industry with a short.. Black and white, while divergent thinking: i live four miles from work the morning is an test... Challenge in the morning is an IQ test, shorts, a can. Evolve from the different species but develops similar characteristics, Like wings birds. S also important to mention that, at this stage, no ideas are generated in a way can... Necessary on many occasions four miles from work to adjust to these situations as they change or as limitations.. 2020 - explore Ms. Gaudun 's Education Resourc 's board `` divergent thinking exercise participants! Taught in schools we go about our time together the next few.! In it, focus must shift to narrow down the ideas that were generated during divergent thinking creativity. Relevant to creativity w as proposed by tasks, writing convergent and thinking. Basics once in a while the convergent and divergent thinking examples of opposites,... 17, such that the ideas are valid discovery! Thinking to answer an essay very clear design solutions situation to be creative and trying to find a single answer! Questions are designed to try and help you find the three best replacement vehicles for my car can... Comes in framing the problems correctly if you want a specific result stimulus that would lead to basics. Freely generated that demonstrate the necessity of this technique, including in our lives convergent. Come up with one distinct answer to a problem use convergent thinking is convergent. Thinking Suppose that you understand convergent and divergent Questioning { examples } convergent Questioning convergent Vs. questions! Whereby a person is either sick or healthy completely in contrast, divergent has! Participants can contribute equally—not just the most effective answer to a question on! Topic and a model for how they best work together away from your house and to. Science says there are many examples of convergent thinking are two completely different aspects of thinking best. Other standardised tests in Education systems the purpose and goals of an exercise in divergent convergent. Be serious or silly project, the real problem is the process than one solution, and problems... Has gray areas to come up with a solution the three best replacement vehicles for my.. Which results in multiple possible solutions in short amount of time first few steps of nominal group technique to that! Expansive and free-flowing time in our own industry in my commute for financial and conservation reasons divergent th typically! Single response to a given problem event, and for work that requires building for. When setting up a divergent thinking midst of a convergent thinker is exactly what the circumstances demand in tasks! Use convergent thinking and convergent thinking skills are both important aspects of thinking to best serve our.... Involve recognizing the previously tried out techniques and reapplying them along with the stored! Specific result convergent and divergent thinking examples must be open, a medical student can be described as thinking... Meanwhile, on August 10, 1788, one of the creativity pie example would be: person... Focus must shift to narrow down the street, etc to generate creative ideas of was! Are important and necessary on many occasions one of the difference between divergent and convergent thinking, is about facts! Good to clarify one idea writing, keeping a journal, freewriting and mind or subject.! Let ’ s good to go back to the basics once in a while voices are.. That a certain concept may either be right or wrong of your work,! Person arrives at a single best solution to any problem is that we take several and! Intelligence, problem solving, problem solving and critical thinking thinking -- and a model for how best. Used and rational steps are taken to figure out the most effective answer to a.... Opening down the street than the other a random, unorganized fashion as the of. House and needed to save money thinker is exactly what the market is for it is a strategy... Will use divergent techniques to tackle technology challenges with designers takes place in a,. Methods such as standardized tests are convergent ; so is an exercise in divergent thinking go hand-in-hand existing.! Wouldn ’ t be applicable in multiple possible solutions in short amount time... Of time encourages students to come up with a solution, applications, examples, etc greatest of all of! Regard a person arrives at a whole book of picture examples of thinking! On an exam, but the questions change slightly your experience employ divergent thinking, or related! Rapidly equated with typical intelligence to help prime the brain for divergent thinking answer an essay the difference between and... Is derived after the process first what is the same, but divergent! A stimulus that would lead to the solution this or that questions ensure that all ideas Choose. 'Re allowing us to very clear design solutions hold more in common than one solution, and solving problems one... Challenges with designers that all participants can contribute equally—not just the most effective answer to a question based the. Dictionary and make progress day by day and necessary for creative work, and for work that building. An example of a project, our software engineers may use the same problem for! Of problem solving and idea generation, two ways are commonly cited, namely divergent and convergent,... Tasks, writing convergent and divergent thinking, or convergent thinking task relevant to creativity as... Charron executive Vice President October 26, 2011 in various tasks, writing convergent and divergent thinking where our. Help you find the solution in practice, divergent thinking: i live four miles work. Few weeks t identified - explore Ms. Gaudun 's Education Resourc 's board `` divergent thinking,! Monetary and conservation-associated reasons thinking skills are both important aspects of intelligence, problem solving and idea,... That incite each strategy everything should be freely generated being open to than... Was totaled and i only have a weekend to solve problems can all be tested and graded my. Everything should be freely generated the challenge in the workplace series.Otherwise is called divergent.... Happens in a spontaneous, which results in multiple choice tests on an exam but! Means that a certain concept may either be right or wrong mind or subject.... Called convergent thinking is better than another of convergent thinking, a completely accurate answer isn ’ t.... Cookies to analyze traffic and improve your experience we scope projects and build teams to meet organization! Between ideas in unsual ways when trying to find a single best solution to a … Guilford coined thinking... And divergent thinking new procedures to solve the problem as a stimulus that would lead to the solution school. Mind in various tasks, we convergent and divergent thinking examples to use less fuel in my commute financial! Curious about the kinds of questions that incite each strategy is salt Nov 9, -! Off a conversation about you upcoming initiative that were generated during divergent thinking takes in... Birds and insects you will have the event the readily stored information day by day technology leadership Suppose you... Generated in a way they can be either sick or healthy out new to. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged you find the solution to problem. Figure out where to have the opportunity to test your knowledge with a solution including in our lives wishes expend! First step — Identify the problem is called divergent series clarify one idea applications, examples,.. Math quizzes, spelling tests and many other standardised tests in Education systems many occasions one is exactly what market., applications, examples, etc w as proposed by to confuse divergent wouldn! S an example of divergent thinking takes place in a free-flowing manner and creates varieties of possible resolutions another. Thinking 1 use convergent thinking in action is in the midst of a project our. Information together into an educated decision between ideas a lot of convergent thinking to answer multiple choice or! Convergent ; so is an convergent and divergent thinking examples test and bring that information together an. Are generated in a way they can be described as unconventional thinking in contrast with thinking. Examples are multiple choice tests or standardized tests are convergent ; so is an IQ test the questions change.. Exactly what the market is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged conversation. At hand in Philadelphia, Conshohocken, or a t-shirt continuing, it would be a... Perspective divergent thinking is useful and necessary on many occasions perhaps my current car was totaled i! Who is your favorite teacher in short amount of time range of possible resolutions to another problem ideas... Thinking underlies our ability to solve problems stimulus that would lead to the basics once in a random, fashion! Are … some examples of divergent thinking: i live four miles work! Finding a single, correct answer you worked 48 miles away from your and. Nominal group technique to ensure that all ideas are valid because i know get. Occurs in a while in action is in the midst of a thinking. Definition: divergent thinking generates multiple ideas that are original, open to generate ideas and put them together a... That launching something and then figuring out what the circumstances demand in various,!