8. Creative thinking

Question 1

Creative thinking

Answer 1

ability to generate new ideas by combining, changing or reapplying existing ideas, intuitions, sensations, memories and feelings. The ability to imagine or invent something new

Question 2

Left vs right brain

Answer 2

Left (critical thinking): language, math, writing, science, facts, logic and convergence

Right (creative thinking): intuition, artistic, musical, insightful, imagination, 3D images and divergence

Question 3

Divergent thinking

Answer 3

thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions and drawing connections in a short amount of time.

• occurs in a spontaneous, free-flowing, non-linear manner
• After it has been completed, convergent thinking is used to organize ideas
• Personality traits: extraversion and openness (O= intellectual curiosity, imagination, artistic interests, liberal attitudes and originality)
• Mood: leads to a positive mood

Question 4

Convergent thinking

Answer 4

logic, conventional and rational thinking that focuses on coming up with a single, well-established answer to a problem.
Emphasizes speed, accuracy and logic and focuses on recognizing the familiar, stored information.

-Most effective in situations where answer readily exists and simply needs to be either recalled or worked out through decision-making
- Insight (aha moment) very common
- Personality traits: none
- Mood: leads to a more negative mood

Question 5

Convergent thinking

The aha! moment and the brain

Answer 5

Asked: “Which word will form a compound word with the words; pine, crab and sauce?” (Solution: apple)

fMRI and EEG show
- extra frontal lobe activity
- experiencing aha! and stating the answer
- burst of activity in the right temporal lobe

Theoretically:
- we start methodologically, eg word for sauce and try it for pine and crab

Commonly:
- Insight (aha!), the “internal retrieval processes” search in memory ideas that can be used to reinterpret your knowledge

Question 6

Creative cognition and brain:

Default network

Answer 6

• Midline and posterior inferior parietal regions
• Spontaneous and self-regulated thought (mind-wandering, episodic thinking)
• Generation of candidate ideas

BOTTOM-UP

Question 7

Creative cognition and brain:

Control network

Answer 7

• Lateral prefrontal and anterior inferior parietal regions
• Cognitive processes that require externally-directed attention (working memory, relational integration)
• Evaluate ideas

TOP-DOWN

Question 8

What is a problem and what are its parts?

Answer 8

Matter or situation regulated as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome

Parts:
- current state (givens)
- obstacles (means)
- goal state

Question 9

Stages of problem solving

Answer 9

1. Preparation stage (understand there is a problem)
2. Production stage (potential solutions)
3. Evaluation stage (likelihood of success of chosen solution)
4. Incubation stage: additional (putting it out of mind or working on something else to help solve it)

Question 10

Types of creative thinking

Answer 10

• Reframing (changing interpretation)
• Brainstorming (generate potential solutions)
• Insight (no immediate preceding conscious though, aha! moment)
• Creative flow (fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus)