CREATIVE THINKING

CHAPTER 1

SCHOOL OF SECRETARIAL SCIENCEDIPLOMA IN E-SECRETARYSHIP

Cosmopoint International University College

Topic Outline

• What is Creative Thinking• Theories of Creative Thinking:

Three Perspectives• Characteristic of a Creative Thinker• Three major views of Creative

Thinking• Implications of Creative Thinking

Theories• Enhancing Creative Thinking in

Students• Removing Blockages to Creative

Thinking

At the end of this chapter students will be able to

• Understand and describe theories of creative thinking

• Understand the different in major views of creative thinking

• Understand the implications of creative thinking theories

• Understanding and enhance creative in their thinking

• Have clear understanding in removing blocks in their thinking

What is Creative Thinking?

• Creativity is a creation of a new and unique idea, not in practice earlier. It is the exciting road to innovation and new discovery.

• Creative thinking is thinking out of the box • involved breaking down and restructuring our

knowledge in producing and advancements in new technology, medicine, management, transportation and every element of human life.

What is Creative Thinking?

• The creative process involves processing relevant ideas and information to come out with creative ideas and perspectives

• Creative thinking is a divergent process • Creative Thinking is a process of creating

new ideas • It begins at a single question or point.

From there the search is expanding into many different directions, generating a wide variety of new ideas

Theories of Creative Thinking: Three Perspectives

Can be divided into three categories:

a) Supernatural Perspective– The supernatural perspective is a traditional view

of creative thinking. – In this perspective, people are born with

creativity and are not made it through training

• b) Rational Perspective– Rationalism presents the creative process in terms of

natural consequences resulting from the application of universal principles.

– This view holds that all activities of our world complement one another

Theories of Creative Thinking: Three Perspectives

c) Developmental Perspective– Developmental appears to present an overall view of how

creative thinking develops as an individual grows to maturity.

– The creative growth stages includes the world, the egos and the others, is one of energy transformation from one level of growth to the next stage of development to adulthood.

Characteristic of Creative Thinker

• Each of us has creative talents that reflect our individual personality and experiences in pursuing creativity.

• Most often people who believe that they are creative will achieve success in their career.

• In order to achieve creativity, we must be able to think positively and have a good attitude for example willing to learn new things to improve your level of knowledge and educational.

• A positive attitude and mindset for beneficial change guides your brain and energy toward getting the results your desire.

Three major views of Creative Thinking

1) The Creative Person• The creative person are

include persons that have higher:-– Imagination– Curiosity– Openness– Objectivity– Flexibility– Fluency– sensitiveness to sensory stimulation

Three major views of Creative Thinking

2) The Creative Product• Creative products can ultimately be

judged by the levels of creative thinking, which range from basic to complex.

• They include: – expressive creative thinking which illustrated

in brainstorming. – productive creative thinking which is judged

by the number of products, – inventive creative thinking which couples

efficiency and originality with available materials and ideas

– innovative creative thinking which rear-ranges the field as does cubism in visual art.

Three major views of Creative Thinking

3) The Creative Process– The Creative Process also known

as the “heart” of creative thinking – Involve ability to produce original

ideas to a unique and quality production.

– It also does not involve just one of a kind of behaviour.

– All people have it but in different degrees.

Theorist and models of the creative problem solving process.

Theories

Stage

1 2 3 4 5 6

Dewey Sensing difficulty

Defining difficulty

Suggesting possible solution

Considering solutions

Accepting a solution

Walls Helmholtz-Wallas

Preparation Saturation

Incubation Incubation

Illumination Inspiration

Verification Verification

Osborn Problems and fact finding

Ideas finding1. Idea

production2. Ideas

development

Solutions finding

1.Evaluation2.Adoption

Guilford Problems observed

Filtering Cognition and evaluation 1

Productions ideas

Cognition and evaluation 2

Production of news ideas

Theorist and models of the creative problem solving

process.

Dewey’s model problem solving – Described the process of solving problems

in four logical steps which are:-– a difficulty is felt– the difficulty is located and defined– possible solutions are considered – consequences of these solutions are

accepted.

1) Dewey’s model problem solving

• According to Dewey the complexity of the process depends upon such factors:

• the maturity

• ability

• experience of the person

• environment

2) Wallach’s model problem solving

• In Wallach delineates four stages in the creative process. These stages are includes:

• Preparation

• Incubation

• Illumination

• Verification

Wallach’s model problem solving

• At the first stage, preparationA problem is detected and relevant data are identified

• Second stage, incubation Leave problem into the unconscious mind or alone. Try to think hard and mulling over the problem is counterproductive.Avoid to think about the problem itselfTry to do something that make you feel relax and enjoy yourself.

Wallach’s model problem solving

• At the third stage, illumination

the new solution is emerges suddenly and it been tested whether it is an applicable solution to the problem.

• Final stage is verification

This is an important stage because in this stage is the ability to recognise whether a solution fits to the problem or not

3) Osborn’s model problem solving

• Defines creative thinking as the problem solving process through which creative solutions to problems can be generated.

• This process includes three steps:

1) Fact-Finding

2) Idea-Finding

3) Solution Finding

4) Guilford’s model problem solving

• Guilford believed that creative thinking is like intelligent means potential for creation.

• He suggests that all individuals have some degree of potential for creativity thinking.

• He suggested five types of mental operation of the structure of intellect which are:

Guilford’s model problem solving

• Cognition – (discovery, recognition)• Memory – (retention of what is recognised)• Convergent thinking – (the thinking the result

in the right or wrong answer to a question that can only have one answer)

• Divergent thinking – (the thinking in different directions or searching for a variety of answers to questions that may have many right answers)

• Evaluation - ( the process of reaching decisions about the accuracy, goodness or suitability of the information).

Theories of Creative Process

• Saturation

• Incubation

• Inspiration

• Verification

Saturation• Divided into 2 stages:

1.Pooling elements - Process involve gathering information related to the problem

2.Searching for a combination in the creative process

Incubation

• Similar to Dawning’s theory • We just need to leave the problem alone.• Think other think that will make your relax and

happy

Inspiration

• When incubation is due to the process of unconscious mind

• The problem can be settled more easily without any interruption

Verification

• It is the Final stage• Valid the process in order to ensure it is applicable

solution or not.• If comes to failure, the creative process need to

return to the first step.

Four Characteristic of Creative Thinking

Originality The originality refers to the uniqueness

of any given response. Originality is shown by an unusual,

unique, or rare response. For examples:

Design a dream computer of the future. Think of how many things you could use a

cable for. How many uses can you list for a VCD?

Four Characteristic of Creative Thinking

Elaboration• The ability to clarify on a particular subject. • Elaboration is the bridge the individual must access

in order to communicate his ‘creative’ idea to outside of himself.

• Elaboration is shown by the number of additions and details that can be made to some simple stimulus to make it more complex.

• The additions can be in the form of decoration, colour, shading or design.

• For example, the design of the hand phone covers with different kinds of colours.

Four Characteristic of Creative Thinking

Fluency• The ability to produce an abundance of

ideas. • It is possibly one of the strongest

indicators of creative thinking, for the more plentiful the ideas, the greater the possibility there is to generate a significant one.

• For example, as a fashion designer, you try to come out or produce as much as you can in giving ideas and your creativity towards the main objective of the company.

Four Characteristic of Creative Thinking

Flexibility• The characteristic describes an

individual’s ability to shift his mental set when the circumstances require it.

• Flexibility is the ability to overcome mental blocks, to adjust the approach to a problem.

• Not to get stuck by assuming rules and conditions which do not apply to a problem.

• For example, you be able to work under pressure and be able to control your emotions.

Implications of Creative Thinking Theories

• The theories and models of creative thinking are similar and most of these theories and models claim that creative thinking is a process involving stages and skills and it cannot be learned in a short time.

• The main idea of these creative thinking theories and models is to generate unique ideas by using the right side of the brain.

Enhancing Creative Thinking in Students

• Four steps:– Remove the creative thinking blockages

in students – Make them aware of the nature of the

creative process– Introduce and practice creative thinking

strategies– Create a creative environment

Removing Blockages to Creative Thinking

• Fears of failure

• Lack of Confidence

• Thinking Fixity

• Lack of Breathing Space for Incubation

• Low tolerance for Ambiguity