Com 420 - Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving
Introduction
This paper will introduce critical thinking and creative problem solving with an emphasis on the latter. In doing so, it will attempt to describe any similarities and differences between the two.
Critical thinking is the process of rationally analyzing and attempting to solve a problem accurately without guessing. The first step in critical thinking is to understand the problem thoroughly which will allow you to restate the problem in different ways to learn about it and other related issues and where to look for possible solutions.
Critical thinking is the general cognitive skill of determining the best answer when there is not one correct answer. Critical thinking is a trainable skill that can create innovative problem-solvers but not necessarily creative problem solvers.
The creative problem solving process rejects standardized formats for problem solving, takes multiple perspectives on a problem, generates unique ideas to solve a problem, and displays self-confidence and trust in his or her work.
Theory of Intellectual Functioning
According to Guilford intellect consists of five types of mental operations and these mental operations form a central theme in his model of creative problem solving. These operations are; cognition- discovery, rediscovery or recognition of a situation’s relevant characteristics; memory- retention of what is known; convergent thinking- thinking that results in the right answer for a question that has only one correct answer; divergent thinking- thinking in different directions for questions that may have many right answers; and evaluation- reaching a decision about the correctness, accuracy, or goodness of an answer that has been generated from the previous four operations.
In his model Guilford claims that divergent thinking and convergent thinking are the most critical. Using divergent thinking the widest range of ideas are generated then they can be evaluated using convergent thinking to determine the most
This paper will introduce critical thinking and creative problem solving with an emphasis on the latter. In doing so, it will attempt to describe any similarities and differences between the two.
Critical thinking is the process of rationally analyzing and attempting to solve a problem accurately without guessing. The first step in critical thinking is to understand the problem thoroughly which will allow you to restate the problem in different ways to learn about it and other related issues and where to look for possible solutions.
Critical thinking is the general cognitive skill of determining the best answer when there is not one correct answer. Critical thinking is a trainable skill that can create innovative problem-solvers but not necessarily creative problem solvers.
The creative problem solving process rejects standardized formats for problem solving, takes multiple perspectives on a problem, generates unique ideas to solve a problem, and displays self-confidence and trust in his or her work.
Theory of Intellectual Functioning
According to Guilford intellect consists of five types of mental operations and these mental operations form a central theme in his model of creative problem solving. These operations are; cognition- discovery, rediscovery or recognition of a situation’s relevant characteristics; memory- retention of what is known; convergent thinking- thinking that results in the right answer for a question that has only one correct answer; divergent thinking- thinking in different directions for questions that may have many right answers; and evaluation- reaching a decision about the correctness, accuracy, or goodness of an answer that has been generated from the previous four operations.
In his model Guilford claims that divergent thinking and convergent thinking are the most critical. Using divergent thinking the widest range of ideas are generated then they can be evaluated using convergent thinking to determine the most
References: What Is Self-Efficacy?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/self_efficacy.htm