DIVERGENT THINKING: CHARACTERISTICS, DEVELOPING IT, EXERCISES - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

The divergent thinking, also known as lateral thinking is a cognitive skill that is used to find new possible solutions to a problem or situation using creativity. In many respects, it is the ability contrary to convergent thinking, based on logic and reason.

On the contrary, divergent thinking normally takes place in a non-linear, spontaneous and free way, in such a way that ideas appear to arise on their own. When produced properly, the person is able to reach unusual conclusions, and explore a myriad of possibilities in a short time.

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The term "divergent thinking" was created by the psychologist JP Guilford in 1956, together with convergent thinking. During the following decades, a large number of researchers have tried to find the best way to develop this creative capacity, which has become especially important in today's society.

Divergent thinking has proven to be very useful in areas such as entrepreneurship, personal relationships, art, and in general any aspect of life in which there is not a single correct answer for each problem. However, most people have not developed it sufficiently.

characteristics

What exactly is divergent thinking, and how does it differ from other related psychological processes? In this part of the article we will tell you everything about this mental ability.

It is not linear

When talking about divergent thinking, it is often said that it is a "non-linear" process. This means that, when carried out, a specific strategy is not followed; on the contrary, to be able to apply it correctly it is necessary to suspend judgment and explore reality openly.

In this sense, divergent thinking is closely related to procedures such as "brainstorming" or brainstorming. When a person uses this skill, they have to be able to abandon their preconceptions about a topic or situation, and reflect and compare alternatives no matter how unusual they may seem.

In fact, in many cases this thought process is closely related to intuition and emotions. Instead of using logic or reasoning, the person has to be able to access their subconscious and allow ideas to emerge, without judging or labeling them.

It is related to certain psychological characteristics

Because divergent thinking is not particularly common in today's society, many researchers have tried to find out what it depends on whether a person can use it, and why there are such great differences between individuals. Thus, certain traits have been found that strongly correlate with this ability.

For one thing, it has been found that smarter people generally have a greater ability to use divergent thinking. In addition to this, those who score higher on traits such as extroversion and openness to experience also find it easier to use this process.

On the other hand, some research suggests that emotional intelligence also helps to use divergent thinking correctly. This relationship is also two-way: it has been found that people who use this skill often tend to experience more positive emotions.

It does not serve to make decisions

When he described divergent and convergent thinking, JP Guilford understood them as complementary processes, both being equally important when making decisions. Because of this, the strengths of each of them are the weaknesses of the other.

This implies that divergent thinking is very useful when it comes to exploring new possibilities, carrying out creative processes and in general getting out of the known; But it is not useful when making a decision, finding a concrete answer to a problem, or solving a complicated situation.

The reason is that by using divergent thinking, the person does not examine whether his ideas are good or bad, or whether they have practical application in real life.

Therefore, once this psychological resource has been used and several alternatives have been found, the ideal is to use convergent thinking to select the most useful or effective.

How to develop divergent thinking?

Due to the way our society is structured, and the way the educational system works, divergent thinking is not widely encouraged in any setting. The result is that most people are not able to use it even in situations where it could be very useful.

And it is that, in areas of life such as work, relationships or health, it is often essential to be able to break out of the established, look for alternatives to what we know and explore new ways of acting that can produce better results.

Fortunately, although divergent thinking depends to some extent on innate psychological traits, this ability can also be trained. To do this, you need to focus on four areas: fluency, flexibility, originality, and development. Next we will see what each one of them consists of.

Creep

Fluency is the ability that allows us to produce a large number of different ideas from a single field or element. A classic example of this skill is the exercise of finding new uses for a pencil: someone with high fluency will be able to name a large number of them with ease.

Fluency is largely related to the knowledge and experiences of the person. Someone who has a lot of information stored in his mind will have an easier time finding new ideas on the same topic than someone whose life experience is more limited.

Flexibility

Flexibility has to do with the ability to relate ideas or fields of knowledge that apparently have nothing to do with each other. It has to do with fluency, but it takes it a step further: a person with high flexibility does not limit herself to listing new ideas, but to finding what unites them.

Originality

Originality still goes one step beyond flexibility and flow. The previous two skills focused on reflecting on existing knowledge in one's own mind, either through simple enumeration or by relating ideas from different fields in a new way.

Originality, on the other hand, is about creating totally new ideas. Because of this, it is much more difficult to master than the other two skills, and it is a much more complex process.

Much research has been done to try to understand originality and creativity, but these processes are not yet well understood.

Development

The most logical skill related to divergent thinking is one that allows you to develop the ideas that have been arrived at using flexibility, fluency and originality.

Without the capacity for development, it would be impossible to apply convergent thinking later to make a decision or act effectively.

Practical exercises

As we have already mentioned, despite having a certain relationship with innate components such as personality or intelligence, divergent thinking can also be developed and trained in a conscious way. In this section you will find some of the most effective exercises to accomplish this goal.

Scamper Technique

The Scamper technique is an exercise designed to develop creativity and find innovative solutions to a problem. It consists of modifying an idea that we have already arrived at, applying a series of filters and changes to it.

Some of the changes that can be made are as follows:

- Modify one of the elements of the idea.

- Combine this possibility with other similar ones.

- Delete some part of the idea.

- Try to apply it to a situation other than the one for which it was initially developed.

- Substitute one of the elements of the idea for one of another alternative.

Increase knowledge about a topic

We have already seen that two of the skills necessary to develop divergent thinking, fluency and flexibility, have to do with the ability to access information that we already have on a topic, and relate different data to each other. Therefore, the simplest way to improve this skill is by increasing our knowledge.

Let's imagine a person who has to lead a work team. If you've never studied topics like leadership, social skills, or persuasion, you'll have trouble doing it effectively.

On the other hand, if you have read about the subject, have attended classes or have practical experience, you will not have difficulties in finding innovative solutions.

Fortunately, on almost any subject that requires divergent thinking there is an almost infinite amount of information that can be easily accessed. The more knowledge you have about an area, the easier it will be to reach creative and different conclusions.

Improve emotional intelligence

Creative thinking is closely related to emotions, self-control and the management of one's own feelings. Therefore, improving emotional intelligence can help us access better ideas, suspend judgment, and be more creative.

In addition, various studies have indicated that creative thinking is easier to use in moments when you are in a good mood. To develop skills in this area, studying about topics such as assertiveness or emotional control can be very helpful.

References

1. "Divergent thinking" in: Science Direct. Retrieved on: April 26, 2019 from Science Direct: sciencedirect.com.
2. "Divergent thinking" in: Creative Education Foundation. Retrieved on: April 26, 2019 from Creative Education Foundation: creativeeducationfoundation.org.
3. "Divergent thinking" in: Exploring Your Mind. Retrieved on: April 26, 2019 from Exploring Your Mind: exploringyourmind.com.
4. "What type of thinker are you?" in: Psychology Today. Retrieved on: April 26, 2019 from Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com.
5. "Divergent thinking" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: April 26, 2019 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.