| Title | Author | Created | Published | Tags | | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ---------------------- | | Divergent and Convergent Thinking | <ul><li>Jon Marien</li></ul> | January 28, 2025 | January 28, 2025 | [[#classes\|#classes]] | # Divergent and Convergent Thinking in Creative Problem Solving In creative problem solving (CPS), **divergent thinking** and **convergent thinking** are two key phases in the ideation stage. They represent opposite approaches to generating and evaluating ideas. ## **Divergent Thinking** - Divergent thinking is a process of generating a **wide range of diverse ideas without initial judgment**. It's about exploring various perspectives and possibilities. - The goal is to create **as many ideas as possible** to expand the range of potential solutions. - Key guidelines for divergent thinking include: - **Defer Judgment:** Avoid evaluating ideas immediately. - **Go for Quantity:** Focus on generating a large number of ideas. - **Seek Novelty:** Aim for unique and original ideas. - **Make Connections:** Build upon other ideas to create new combinations. - A useful tool to help produce novelty is **forced connections. - Divergent thinking is important in generating a large quantity of diverse ideas for potential solutions to a problem. It involves **open-ended thinking**, seeking novelty, and making connections between different ideas. ## **Convergent Thinking** - Convergent thinking is the process of **narrowing down ideas** by systematically evaluating and selecting the best solutions for a problem. - It uses specific criteria to determine which ideas are most viable. - Key guidelines for convergent thinking include: - **Use Affirmative Judgment:** Evaluate ideas to determine their value and potential. - **Keep Novelty Alive:** Don't dismiss unique ideas too quickly. - **Be Deliberate, Stay Focused:** Evaluate ideas in a systematic way to stay on task. - **Check Your Objectives:** Ensure that the selected ideas align with the goals of the project. - The purpose is to **evaluate and narrow down the ideas** generated during the divergent phase. In summary, **divergent thinking** focuses on generating many varied ideas, and **convergent thinking** focuses on critically evaluating and selecting the most promising of those ideas. Both are essential for effective creative problem-solving.