Stimulating Creativity: Examining the Effectiveness of Four Cognitive‐based Creativity Training Techniques

Abstract

Creative thinking is needed to thrive in our fast‐changing world. It has been shown that creative thinking skills can be enhanced through training. Whereas previous research has mainly focused on examining the overall effectiveness of comprehensive creativity training programs, this study examined the effectiveness of four cognitive‐based training techniques (SCAMPER, random connection, schema violation, and simple ideation), each with the aim of training specific cognitive processes underlying creativity. The effectiveness of the four techniques was tested using a pre–posttest between‐subjects design. The participants were assigned to one of the four creativity training conditions or a control condition and practiced each training technique for approximately 20 min. Before and after training, the participants’ creative performance was measured with divergent thinking (Alternative Uses Task; fluency, flexibility, originality, creativity, usefulness) and convergent thinking (Remote Associates Test) tasks. The results showed marginal to significant improvements on several key indicators of divergent thinking, but none of the techniques led to improvement in convergent thinking. Specifically, the SCAMPER technique targeting conceptual expansion marginally improved idea originality, while the random connection technique targeting conceptual combination and the schema violation technique targeting cognitive flexibility seemed to facilitate idea fluency and idea flexibility. No improvement was observed for the simple ideation technique and the control condition.

Improvisation Exercises Increase Negotiators' Divergent Thinking, and Sometimes their Negotiation Outcomes

“…This latter study shows that increased divergent thinking can indeed increase negotiation outcomes under certain circumstances, and improvisation training is one way to increase the divergent thinking of people. There might be other ways to increase creativity, however, for example, by the SCAMPER technique, which is a recent problem‐solving technique that uses seven different approaches (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Rearrange) to tackle a problem (Gu, Ritter, Delfmann, & Dijksterhuis, 2022; Osborn, 1953), or being in a good mood (Davis, 2009). It might be that different creativity‐enhancing techniques trigger different components of creativity, like problem‐solving abilities or fluency or flexibility of ideas.…”

Strengthening Creative Problem‐Solving within Upper‐Elementary Science Education

“…The current study aims to strengthen creative problem‐solving through instructional support focussed on the random association technique (Gu, Ritter, Delfmann, & Dijksterhuis, 2022; Malycha & Maier, 2017) and the constraint identification technique (Medeiros, Steele, Watts, & Mumford, 2018). Research investigating these techniques among elementary school children seems limited, yet adult studies underline the potential effectiveness of both techniques.…”

“…Research investigating these techniques among elementary school children seems limited, yet adult studies underline the potential effectiveness of both techniques. With the random association technique children generate associations to a random stimulus and subsequently link these associations to the task at hand (Gu et al., 2022; Malycha & Maier, 2017). Herein, children are first asked to think of a random object (e.g., an elephant), then to think of different characteristics of this object (e.g., large ears, tail, trunk), and finally to apply these characteristics to the problem at hand (e.g., use “trunk” in a research question about a boat).…”

Examining the attribute inheritance in Janusian thinking: An intensional study on the mechanisms of combining opposite concepts.

“…The innumerable new concepts generated via conceptual combination are associated with creativity. Actually, training activities concerned with conceptual combination are found to enhance creative thinking (e.g., Gu et al, 2022; Scott et al, 2004). Many creativity theories and techniques used to facilitate creative thinking literally involve the process of conceptual combination (Baughman & Mumford, 1995; Scott et al, 2005).…”

“…For example, Mednick’s (1962) associative theory proposed that combining elements mutually remote from each other is conducive to creative solution. Likewise, the random connection technique (also called the random-input technique) implicates combining unrelated concepts to generate novel ones (Beaty et al, 2014; de Bono, 1992; Gu et al, 2022). Based on Koestler’s (1978) bisociation, the highest level of creative accomplishments is demonstrated by “the endeavor to bridge the gap between the two planes” (p. 146).…”