What Promotes Divergent and Convergent Thinking Skills? Essay Example

Distinguish between convergent and divergent thinking.

Convergent is the opposite of divergent thinking and vice versa. The concept was created by Joy Paul Guilford (1897-1987). It was used to explain a student’s ability to provide correct answers when responding to standard questions, which do not pressure him/her for expressive creative thinking. The theoretical assumptions embodied in convergent thinking are applied when standardized test are administered (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2008). For example, if a student is asked who is the president of United States of America and do you think he is the best president ever? Importantly, it focuses on forging the student to arrive at a single, but comprehensive response to the question (Clark, Weldman & Thorpe, 2005).

Alternatively divergent thinking forces the student to provide numerous solutions or possible answers to a question. This means that he/she must be creative in responding to the question. Often divergent thinking is combined with convergent thinking for efficacy. However, divergent thinking follows a process or series of logical steps, which must be taken by the facilitator to forge this into expression (Wade & Tavris, 2008).

Design at least one learning activity that promotes divergent and convergent thinking skills

Divergent thinking activity

Gather students in a classroom and offer them 10 unrelated questions about current affairs in their community. Allow them one hour to answer questions. Collect the answers and allow sharing of responses and comments from students listening who are not sharing at the time. Have scribe record contributions and allow group to highlight similarities and differences in responses.

Convergent thinking activity

Conduct a mental exercise whereby students are asked to recall basic information on the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Ten questions are read consecutively and they are given one minute to write the correct answers, which is one word. For example, is high blood sugar associate with type 2 diabetes? (yes/no); what hormone is responsible for storing glucose in the body? At the end of the 10 minute exercise students are given the correct answers and they match it with what they have written to see how many answers were correct.

References

Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2008). Effects of Personality and Threat of Evaluation on Divergent and Convergent Thinking. Journal of Research in Personality. 42(4);1095-1101

Clark, C. Weldman, D., & Thorpe, J. (2005). Convergent and Divergent Thinking Abilities of Talented Adolescents. Journal of Educational Psychology, 56 (3); 157–163

Wade, C., & Tavris, C. (2008). Inviation to Psychology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson – Prentice Hall.