Conceptual BlockbustingA Guide to BETTER Ideas

(John L. Adams)

Chapters 1&2

Enhancing Creativity Nickerson (1999: 407) lists the most common ways of enhancing creativity on

the level of personality.

establish purpose and intention acquire of domain-specific knowledge stimulate and reward curiosity and exploration build internal motivation encourage confidence and a willingness to take risks focus on mastery and self-competition promote supportable belief about creativity provide opportunities for choice and discovery develop self-management (metacognitive) skills learn techniques and strategies for creative

performanceRaymond Nickerson, “Enhancing Creativity” in Sternberg, Handbook of Creativity, Cambridge, 1999.

Conceptual blocksConceptual blocks. . .mental walls which block the

problem-solver from correctly perceiving a problem or conceiving its solution.

Thinking processes

Spontaneous Unconscious Little energy expended monitoring or

seeking to improve process. The Monk on the Mountain

Goal of this course segment . . . .to

Make you more aware of how you think Focus on

CONCEPTUALIZATION. . .CONCEPTUALIZATION. . .The process by which one has ideas.

Consider the Learning Connections InventoryLearning Connections Inventory

Sequential

Step by stepUse modelsWork from beginning to end

PrecisePrecise

Need detailed infoWrite down everythngNeed to be accurate

Technical

Figure things outDon’t write things downNeed Purpose

Confluent

Don’t like repetition See things differently Enjoy risks

Conceptual blocks (John L. Adams)

Perceptual blocks Emotional blocks Cultural blocks Environmental blocks Intellectual blocks Expressive blocks

PERCEPTUAL blocks: Detecting what you expect (stereotyping) Difficulty in isolating the problem Tendency to delimit the problem area

poorly Inability to see the problem from various

viewpoints Saturation Failure to utilize all sensory inputs

What do you see ???

WOWOLFOLWOWOLFOL PAWALKRK

1. Detecting what you expect (stereotyping)

Perceptual Stereotyping helps complete incomplete data.

BUT . . It’s a handicap to perceiving new combinations

Creativity involves combining disparate parts into a new whole.

Stereotype is a function of providing “CONTEXT” so we can remember and categorize information.

2. Difficulty in ISOLATING the problem

Problems obscured by inadequate cues or misleading information.

Problems are multidimensional. One may pick wrong facet to solve. (Mechanical Tomato Picker)

3. Tend to DELIMIT problem area too much

“Framing” a problem too narrowly. Imposing too many constraints on

problem solution Cat scratching furniture Reduced limits leads to

multidisciplinary considerations

4. Inability to see the problem from various viewpoints

Most problems affect people other than the problem solver.

5. Saturation

Want to try some more ???

GroundPennsylvania B&O

Shore Line Reading

Parting shots ???

ECONOMY XQQQME