MLC1013 Creative Studies

Convergent thinking and divergent thinking might sound complicated on the surface, and they can be when practiced, but as concepts they are fairly simple. Both styles of thought are employed in problem solving, and each may complement the other. In this article you will learn the difference between convergent thinking and divergent thinking, and also how the two types may best complement each other.


We locate a problem at the "center" of our focus and then gather peripheral resources to bear down on the problem. So then our resources "converge" on the problem. Often times with convergent thinking, there is a single best solution that is sought. An example of convergent thinking might involve taking a multiple choice test in which there is a single "correct" answer. The test-taker brings knowledge from outside of the problem (perhaps learned in a course) and converges it all onto the problem in order to choose the correct answer.

Divergent thinking involves some stimulus, which can take the form of a problem, and we can locate this at the center, as we did with convergent thinking above. However, the procedure is different. Rather than gathering information and converging it on the central problem, we branch off (diverge) and shoot for novel ideas, new perspectives and creativity. Instead of a single correct answer, there may be a whole host of possibilities.