Creative Problem Solving
Creative Problem Solving - Related Videos
06:42
From Theory to Design: The Role of Creativity in Designing Experiments
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Gary Lewandowski, Dave Strohmetz, and Natalie Ciarocco—Monmouth University Research studies come into being when a researcher speculates about human thought, emotions, or behavior, and has a theory that offers a potential explanation. Often the researcher’s theory is firmly situated in everyday common experiences that may not naturally lend themselves to direct empirical study. For example, researchers speculated that perception of a person on Facebook is influenced by...
01:25
Creative Thinking
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2025
Creative thinking encompasses innovative and unconventional methods for addressing challenges, often leading to groundbreaking solutions. Instead of focusing solely on enhancing existing systems, such as increasing smartphone battery capacity, creative thinking might inspire advancements like energy-efficient batteries or processors that minimize power consumption. This multidimensional approach underscores the importance of exploring novel pathways to innovation. Divergent thinking is the...
06:23
How Children Solve Problems Using Causal Reasoning
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Judith Danovitch and Nicholaus Noles—University of Louisville Imagine a young child hears an adult say, “I want to watch the news,” then watches the adult press a button on the remote control. A moment later, the television screen turns on. The next day, the child wants to turn on the television screen to watch cartoons. How does the child know what to do? Is it enough to say, “I want to watch cartoons,” or is pushing the button on the remote control necessary, too?...
01:29
Problem-Solving
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2025
Effective problem-solving consists of two steps: 1. identifying the problem and 2. selecting the appropriate problem-solving strategy (i.e., a plan of action used to find a solution). Humans use four problem-solving strategies: Trial and Error: This involves testing multiple solutions until one works. Thomas Edison exemplified this by testing thousands of filaments for the light bulb. It's not the most efficient process, but it's often necessary when no clear path exists. Algorithms: These...
01:25
First Derivative Test: Problem Solving
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2026
Imagine an asset price that crashes to a low point, rebounds sharply as bargain-hunters step in, and then gradually declines. Such behavior can be modeled with a smooth function whose turning points represent locally overvalued and undervalued regions. A convenient example that captures rebound followed by decay is:The high and low points of this curve are identified using the first derivative test, which determines where the function changes from increasing to decreasing or vice versa. To...
FAQs
Divergent thinking expands the search by producing multiple possibilities, while convergent thinking narrows that set through evaluation and refinement. Keeping these functions distinct helps prevent early judgment from suppressing unusual ideas, then directs attention toward options that satisfy practical criteria. Their sequence connects imaginative exploration with decisions that can be implemented.
Problem framing determines what the solver treats as the central challenge and therefore shapes which possibilities receive attention. A poorly framed problem can restrict exploration or direct effort toward symptoms rather than the broader challenge. Clarifying the problem before idea generation supports more relevant alternatives and creates a stronger basis for later evaluation.
Attention affects which features of a challenge are noticed, while memory can supply information and prior experiences relevant to new possibilities. Motivation influences persistence, insight can support sudden reorganization of a problem, and cognitive flexibility helps a person shift perspectives or strategies. Together, these processes affect both idea generation and adaptive decision-making.
Proposed solutions can be compared according to criteria such as feasibility and effectiveness. Feasibility concerns whether an option can be carried out, whereas effectiveness concerns how well it addresses the challenge. Applying these standards during convergent thinking helps transform a broad set of ideas into a refined choice with practical value.
A structured workflow begins by framing the challenge, followed by divergent thinking to generate several possibilities. The process then shifts to convergent thinking, where options are evaluated, refined, and selected against relevant criteria. This progression gives problem solvers a way to move from understanding an unfamiliar challenge to choosing a practical response.
Psychologists and other practitioners can apply the process in education, organizational development, clinical practice, and research. In these settings, structured techniques support complex reasoning, adaptive behavior, innovation, and decision-making when familiar approaches are insufficient. The specific setting changes the challenge and evaluation criteria, but each application connects psychological processes with practical problem responses.