CREATIVE THINKING: what it is, characteristics and how to enhance it

In the complex society in which we live, creativity is a capacity not only useful for innovation, but also necessary for the survival of organizations and social groups. Evolution and change, which especially technology has generated in recent decades, are increasingly rapid and unpredictable. That is why the answers to everyday problems are increasingly difficult to find: experience, by itself, does not help to resolve situations as easily as in the last.

Many tend to associate creative thinking with artists, children, and those who "can afford to dream or fantasize." In the reality of all of us, creative thinking serves to think of possible alternatives, to have ideas to find solutions, get out of difficult situations or behavior patterns that block. With this article from Psychology-Online, we are going to delve into the characteristics of creative thinking, to understand what it is and how to improve it.

Index

1. What is creative thinking
2. Characteristics of creative thinking
3. Phases of creative thinking
4. Tips and exercises to enhance creative thinking

Creative thinking is a higher aspect of thought, because it is the power of the mind that can lead us to change it. It is the kind of thinking that has gradually evolved the world of men from barbarism and ignorance to the comforts and knowledge that we enjoy today.

Without a doubt, J. P. Guilford was one of the first authors to systematically study the creativity. In fact, in 1950-1955 he used, from a psychological point of view, the word "creativity" to focus on the characteristic features of a authentic personality and, in a discourse on creativity held in America, he analyzed all the aspects related to the problems of the creativity. Guilford identifies seven characteristics of creativity:

1. Sensitivity: timely awareness of problems.
2. Verbal dissolution or fluency, ideative, associative: willingness to produce resolving hypotheses of perceived problems, to elaborate and act, in the same perspective, verbal, written and pictorial expressions.
3. Flexibility: adaptation to unusual and unexpected situations.
4. Divergent thinking: rejection of deteriorating conformity, obvious, unproductive thinking, and therefore the ability to elaborate and propose new, unusual theses.
5. Redefinition: ability of original treatment of known things, of use of the vector force that is contained in the definition of knowledge.
6. Analysis: ability to identify and capture meaningful data.
7. Summary: research and articulation of a meaningful structure between elements of knowledge and experience.

The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking, considered one of the most reliable, measures the ability to offer different, original, precise answers that combine heterogeneous elements. Designed by psychologist Ellis Paul Torrance, it is primarily used to predict creative development in children as young as 5 years old. The child who scores well, therefore, is more likely to become a creative adult, such as an entrepreneur, an artist, or a scientist. The TTCT thus examines and attempts to measure individual ability in what are the four pragmatic dimensions of all creative work well done:

1. Fluency. It is the ability to provide many different, acceptable or good solutions in a reasonable but limited time.
2. Flexibility. It is the ability to develop solutions from different ingredients with multiple perspectives, and to quickly change the perspective and the reference contexts.
3. Originality. It is the ability to develop never-before-thought ideas, knowing that being original does not mean producing irritating or outlandish ideas. Instead, it means venturing into creative spaces not yet visited by anyone, looking for new and effective solutions.
4. Elaboration. It refers to the care for details and respect for one's own work, and to the presentation of a consistent product: that is, finished in all its parts, impeccable in both substance and form. Taking the time necessary for checks and finishes, but respecting delivery times: a job submitted out of time, no matter how good, is a useless job.

Although the creative process has been analyzed by many, the sequence that seems most plausible to me and to which many have been inspired, it is the proposal of Graham Wallas who in 1926 together with Richard Smith wrote The Art of Thought. Creative thinking is mobile: it goes back and forth between the left and right hemispheres, and in fact in the four phases of Wallas there is an alternation of convergent thought and of thought divergent.

1. Preparation. In this phase the materials and information are collected, the data is organized in a methodical way, the problem to which a solution must be found is defined. The thoughts move between what we already know: all creative action is based on everything that we have lived and known; nothing is born from nothing, so it goes beyond experience, experience, knowledge, experience, experience, experience, experience, experience, experience, experience, experience, experience, experience, possible stimuli and pathways possible.
2. Incubation. It foresees the elaboration of what we know, we know, we have lived, in search of an order that produces a new meaning. It is a process that unfolds by trial and error, by streams of thought that can seem messy and fickle. In this phase it is essential to have a propensity to get rid of inappropriate or ineffective ideas, an ability to understand what is not working.
3. illumination. It is insight, the quick and spontaneous intuition that presents itself without warning, brilliant and incipient, a different solution of all those considered up to that moment: it comes suddenly and also carries with it a strong emotional reaction of excitement. Those with such an intuition think in images and this allows them to visualize complex structures and create metaphors.
4. check. Analysis, tests: it is a rigorous moment of the creative process in which the consistency of an intuition, where the idea is tested by comparing it with reality, arranging it so that work. For scientists this phase consists of laboratory tests.

If until now you have thought that creativity is the prerogative of others, it is time you realized that you can train yourself to think more creatively. If you are already confident in your creativity, you can continue to develop your skills.

• Be positive. The first important step is to recognize that by nature you are as creative as anyone and to be able to learn techniques and methods to improve this ability: think positively: one of the main obstacles to creativity is the fear of committing mistakes
• Welcome the change. A good way to encourage creativity is to stimulate yourself through change, because even in the simplest things change can stimulate thought. In the office, home, or study, try moving some furniture; if possible, change your morning routine, or change your look or haircut.
• Speaks. Scientists explain that the brain is often more active when working with others. So take advantage of collaborative thinking and talk as much as you can: with others when you do shopping, with friends or family when you are having dinner, and also between you and you when you work.
• Relax and take advantage of the fun side. You are more likely to be creative when you are relaxed. Simple breathing exercises and meditation can be good preparations for creativity. Laughter is also good for igniting creative thinking: you make jokes, look for books and movies that make you laugh, and try to spend time with people you consider funny.
• Exercise and solve puzzles. To train creative thinking, a good exercise is the brainstorming technique, literally "brain storm", which consists of inventing freewheeling the greater number of possible solutions to a problem: solutions of all kinds, even implausible and / or buffets, without any of them being censored in the initial phase. Another fun game to train to see reality from new perspectives is this: once you are in the table, take any object (for example, a drink) and ask yourself: if you did not know what it was, what name would it be? would give? If you didn't know what it was for, what would you use it for? If it wasn't what it is, what would it be? For example, if you dump it, what does it look like?

In this article you will find more information about How to develop creativity.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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