Convergent thinking occurs when the solution to a problem can be found by applying established rules and logical reasoning. The term convergent thinking was first described by American psychologist Joy Paul Guilford in 1950. The process of convergent thinking involves finding the single best solution to a problem or question amongst many possibilities.
Component
Description
Definition
A cognitive process that focuses on narrowing down various possible solutions or ideas into a single, best, or most appropriate solution. Convergent thinking aims to identify the optimal answer to a specific problem.
Goal
The primary goal of convergent thinking is to arrive at a single, well-defined, and often predetermined answer or solution. It emphasizes finding the most effective, efficient, or practical solution to a given challenge or problem.
Process
The process typically involves several sequential steps: defining the problem or challenge, generating a range of potential solutions or ideas, systematically evaluating and comparing these options, and ultimately selecting the best-suited solution based on predetermined criteria.
Criteria
Convergent thinking relies on specific criteria or metrics to assess and rank potential solutions objectively. These criteria are established to ensure that the chosen solution aligns with predefined goals, constraints, and performance expectations.
Analysis
Convergent thinking encourages a systematic and analytical approach to problem-solving. It often employs tools such as decision matrices, scoring methods, or objective assessments to help in the selection process.
Metrics
Metrics associated with convergent thinking may include “time to solution” and “decision-making efficiency” to measure the effectiveness of the process.
– May limit creativity and innovation. – Risk of prematurely discarding potentially valuable ideas.
Applications
Convergent thinking is commonly used in fields such as engineering, scientific research, quality improvement, project management, and decision-making processes where clear, well-defined outcomes are essential. It ensures that the chosen solution aligns with predefined goals and requirements.
Examples
– Selecting the optimal design for a new product based on criteria like cost, functionality, and customer preferences. – Ranking job applicants based on qualifications, skills, and experience to make a hiring decision. – Choosing the most efficient project management approach based on available resources and project goals.
Multiple-choice tests, logic puzzles, text comprehension questions, or simply working out how to use the television remote are all examples of situations where convergent thinking is used.
In each situation, the subject is usually required to resolve, explain, identify, or define.
Convergent thinking differs from divergent thinking, a more creative process where the individual searches for multiple viable solutions to a single problem.
Though they appear to be separate processes, convergent thinking and divergent thinking occupy opposite ends of the same spectrum. This means some problems may favor either approach or a mixture of both.
Four principles of convergent thinking in brainstorming
In a Walden University MBA course on innovation, students learn about convergent thinking and how it can be used to foster creativity during the brainstorming process.
While convergent thinking is not typically associated with creativity, this strategy can be used in business contexts when a single solution is favored. With that said, it is useful to keep these four principles in mind:
Use affirmative judgment
The cornerstone of convergent thinking is the ability to evaluate potential solutions by examining their positive aspects and then building on each to make them stronger.
The tendency, when confronted with something new, is to focus on the bad aspects first.
However, the most productive way to brainstorm is to change perceptions and consider the positive aspects of a solution before its limitations.
Keep novelty alive
The careful and selective nature of creative thinking can impede creativity.
Despite intentions to the contrary, decision-makers routinely default to staying within their comfort zones and making choices that are far from innovative.
Again, it is important to focus on the positive aspects of an idea before considering how to minimize risk. Teams should resist the temptation to discard unique, unusual, or high-risk ideas without exploring them further.
Be persistent
The process of convergent thinking requires time and effort.
The team will be required to select the most viable option from a long list of ideas and then refine it, which can be labor-intensive. Persistence is key in ensuring the selection process is rigorous and fair.
Check your objectives
The goals and objectives of the team and organization should always guide the selection process touched on in point three.
Periodically running through the objectives helps the team avoid losing focus.
Drawbacks of Convergent Thinking:
While Convergent Thinking is valuable for arriving at precise solutions, it does have its limitations and potential drawbacks:
1. Narrow Focus:
Convergent Thinking tends to narrow the focus to a single solution or answer, potentially overlooking innovative or unconventional ideas that could lead to better outcomes.
2. Limited Creativity:
Due to its goal of finding the “correct” answer, Convergent Thinking may discourage creative thinking and exploration of alternative solutions that could be more effective or efficient.
3. Applicability to Complex Problems:
This type of thinking may not be suitable for highly complex or ambiguous problems that require a more open-minded, exploratory approach.
4. Time-Consuming:
Convergent Thinking can be time-consuming, especially when dealing with a large number of potential solutions or when multiple criteria must be considered before making a decision.
5. Potential for Confirmation Bias:
The pursuit of a single correct solution can lead to confirmation bias, where individuals tend to favor information or solutions that confirm their preconceived notions.
When to Use Convergent Thinking:
Convergent Thinking is beneficial in specific problem-solving scenarios:
1. Well-Defined Problems:
It is useful when dealing with well-defined problems that have a clear and specific solution. This includes mathematical calculations, logical puzzles, and certain engineering or technical challenges.
2. Decision-Making:
Convergent Thinking helps in decision-making processes where you need to evaluate different options and select the best one based on predefined criteria.
3. Critical Thinking:
It plays a crucial role in critical thinking tasks that require individuals to analyze information, weigh pros and cons, and arrive at a logical conclusion.
4. Efficiency and Precision:
When the goal is to optimize efficiency and achieve precision in problem-solving, Convergent Thinking is the preferred approach.
How to Use Convergent Thinking:
Implementing Convergent Thinking effectively involves several key steps:
1. Define the Problem:
Clearly articulate the problem or question you need to address, ensuring that it is well-defined and specific.
2. Gather Relevant Information:
Collect all the information, data, or options related to the problem. Ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the context.
3. Generate Possible Solutions:
List all potential solutions or answers to the problem. Encourage brainstorming and creativity at this stage.
4. Evaluate and Compare:
Systematically evaluate each solution or option, considering predefined criteria or constraints. Compare them to identify the most suitable one.
5. Select the Best Solution:
Choose the solution that best meets the established criteria and solves the problem effectively.
6. Validate and Test:
If applicable, validate the selected solution through testing or experimentation to ensure its effectiveness.
7. Implement and Monitor:
Put the chosen solution into action and monitor its performance to assess whether it achieves the desired results.
What to Expect from Implementing Convergent Thinking:
Implementing Convergent Thinking can lead to several outcomes and benefits:
1. Precise Solutions:
Convergent Thinking helps identify the most precise and accurate solutions to well-defined problems.
2. Effective Decision-Making:
It aids in effective decision-making by systematically evaluating options and selecting the best course of action based on predefined criteria.
3. Problem Resolution:
Convergent Thinking can lead to successful problem resolution, particularly in situations where there is a clear and correct solution.
4. Time and Resource Efficiency:
This type of thinking can optimize the use of time and resources when dealing with structured problem-solving tasks.
5. Objective Solutions:
Convergent Thinking encourages objective assessment and solution selection, reducing the influence of personal biases.
6. Improved Critical Thinking:
Implementing Convergent Thinking can enhance critical thinking skills, helping individuals make well-informed decisions in various aspects of life.
In conclusion, Convergent Thinking is a valuable cognitive process for finding precise solutions to well-defined problems. While it has its limitations, understanding when to use it and how to apply it effectively can lead to efficient problem-solving and decision-making. By following the steps outlined in the process and recognizing its potential benefits and drawbacks, individuals and organizations can harness the power of Convergent Thinking to address specific challenges and achieve desired outcomes.
Convergent thinking case study
Think Company is a software development and experience design company that was founded in 2007 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The company primarily works with large enterprise clients but also well-funded start-ups and non-profits.
Think Company sees both divergent and convergent thinking as two complementary aspects of its design thinking process.
The company uses the former to brainstorm ideas and determine how it can help a client’s product become more competitive, but it also uses the latter to solve discrete problems efficiently.
According to the company, convergent thinking is ideal, ”when you need an answer, and you believe you have access to the data and information you need to guide a decision or solution. Convergent thinking typically calls for speed, accuracy, and knowledge on a subject, so it’s best used when the team has access to experts and relevant data.”
What techniques does Think Company use?
Here are some specific techniques Think Company teams use to practice convergent thinking.
Grouping
Most processes start by grouping together similar ideas and hypotheses.
To organize and categorize, some teams use mapping tools such as Miro and FigJam while others prefer to use the old-fashioned setup of a whiteboard and post-it notes.
Prioritizing
Once the first step has been completed, the team must decide which concepts are important and which have the potential to become important later.
In product-design scenarios where features are prioritized for a mobile experience, for example, any desktop capabilities are moved down the importance list.
When Think Company worked with life insurance firm Penn Mutual, it set out to improve the ease of access to vital information for financial professionals.
To uncover the valuable data hidden in the client’s PDFs, the team audited all its documents to identify and then prioritize topics that would feature in a new content library known as Gateway.
Dot-voting
This is a technique that enables individuals within a team to participate in the prioritization process irrespective of their preferences or participation style.
Here, the individual is assigned a certain number of dots that can then be used to vote on choices in the list.
Filtering
Think Company acknowledges that its teams are unable to review copious amounts of data or take action on every possibility.
This convergent thinking technique eliminates ideas or concepts teams cannot pursue because of time, importance, lift, or some other factor.
How does Think Company make decisions?
Think Company is often asked questions by clients that have a single, clear answer.
The company is confident about this fact because its employees have spent years accumulating knowledge about design and technology.
Over time, they have also recognized patterns or commonalities in specific types of goals, decisions, and problems.
Think Company also uses evidence-based design thinking to build better products that are pragmatic and relevant to the problem at hand.
In many cases, the user and customer feedback it collects points toward clear design solutions with little ambiguity.
These solutions are based on hard data collected from technology discovery, design validation, or usability studies.
Key takeaways
Convergent thinking occurs when the solution to a problem can be found by applying established rules and logical reasoning. The process involves finding the single best solution to a problem or question amongst many possibilities.
Convergent thinking differs from divergent thinking, which encourages the practitioner to develop multiple ideas or solutions to a single problem. Both strategies occupy opposite ends of a spectrum, with certain situations favoring a predominant approach or a mixture of the two.
Convergent thinking and the creative process of brainstorming may not appear a good fit at first glance. However, convergent thinking can yield creative ideas if the team uses affirmative judgment and maintains a sense of novelty. For best results, the team should also be rigorous, persistent, and ensure their solutions align with organizational goals and objectives.
Key Highlights
Definition and Origin: Convergent thinking is a problem-solving approach characterized by applying established rules and logical reasoning to find a single best solution among various possibilities. It was introduced by psychologist Joy Paul Guilford in 1950.
Process: Convergent thinking involves identifying a clear answer to a problem or question. Examples include multiple-choice tests, logic puzzles, and practical situations like using a TV remote.
Contrast with Divergent Thinking: Divergent thinking seeks multiple creative solutions to a problem, whereas convergent thinking aims for the single best solution. They represent opposite ends of the creative thinking spectrum.
Principles in Brainstorming:
Use Affirmative Judgment: Evaluate solutions by focusing on their positive aspects before limitations.
Keep Novelty Alive: Avoid defaulting to familiar choices; explore innovative ideas before risk mitigation.
Be Persistent: Rigorously refine the best solution from a list of ideas, which may require time and effort.
Check Objectives: Ensure the selection aligns with the team’s and organization’s goals to maintain focus.
Case Study – Think Company: A software development and design firm that integrates both divergent and convergent thinking in their design process.
Complementary Approach: Think Company uses divergent thinking for ideation and innovation, while convergent thinking is applied to solve specific problems efficiently.
Ideal Scenarios for Convergent Thinking: Used when clear answers are needed, and relevant data is accessible. It’s efficient with expert teams and well-defined objectives.
Techniques for Convergent Thinking:
Grouping: Organize similar ideas or hypotheses using tools like Miro, FigJam, whiteboards, or post-it notes.
Prioritizing: Determine the importance of concepts, features, or ideas for further development.
Dot-Voting: Engage team members in prioritization by assigning dots to vote on choices.
Filtering: Eliminate unfeasible ideas based on factors like time, importance, or feasibility.
Decision Making at Think Company: The company applies convergent thinking in decision-making processes based on accumulated knowledge, patterns, and customer feedback.
Evidence-Based Design: Utilizes user and customer feedback, technology discovery, and usability studies to inform design solutions.
Pragmatic Approach: Focuses on practical and relevant solutions that align with the problem and goals.
Key Takeaways:
Convergent thinking seeks the single best solution using established rules and logic.
Contrasts with divergent thinking, which generates multiple creative solutions.
It can be creative if combined with affirmative judgment and novelty.
Convergent thinking suits situations where a clear answer is needed and relevant data is available.
Techniques include grouping, prioritizing, dot-voting, and filtering.
Decisions are informed by accumulated knowledge, patterns, and user feedback.
Convergent thinking occurs when the solution to a problem can be found by applying established rules and logical reasoning. Whereas divergent thinking is an unstructured problem-solving method where participants are encouraged to develop many innovative ideas or solutions to a given problem. Where convergent thinking might work for larger, mature organizations where divergent thinking is more suited for startups and innovative companies.
The concept of cognitive biases was introduced and popularized by the work of Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in 1972. Biases are seen as systematic errors and flaws that make humans deviate from the standards of rationality, thus making us inept at making good decisions under uncertainty.
Second-order thinking is a means of assessing the implications of our decisions by considering future consequences. Second-order thinking is a mental model that considers all future possibilities. It encourages individuals to think outside of the box so that they can prepare for every and eventuality. It also discourages the tendency for individuals to default to the most obvious choice.
Lateral thinking is a business strategy that involves approaching a problem from a different direction. The strategy attempts to remove traditionally formulaic and routine approaches to problem-solving by advocating creative thinking, therefore finding unconventional ways to solve a known problem. This sort of non-linear approach to problem-solving, can at times, create a big impact.
Bounded rationality is a concept attributed to Herbert Simon, an economist and political scientist interested in decision-making and how we make decisions in the real world. In fact, he believed that rather than optimizing (which was the mainstream view in the past decades) humans follow what he called satisficing.
The Dunning-Kruger effect describes a cognitive bias where people with low ability in a task overestimate their ability to perform that task well. Consumers or businesses that do not possess the requisite knowledge make bad decisions. What’s more, knowledge gaps prevent the person or business from seeing their mistakes.
Occam’s Razor states that one should not increase (beyond reason) the number of entities required to explain anything. All things being equal, the simplest solution is often the best one. The principle is attributed to 14th-century English theologian William of Ockham.
The Lindy Effect is a theory about the ageing of non-perishable things, like technology or ideas. Popularized by author Nicholas Nassim Taleb, the Lindy Effect states that non-perishable things like technology age – linearly – in reverse. Therefore, the older an idea or a technology, the same will be its life expectancy.
Antifragility was first coined as a term by author, and options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Antifragility is a characteristic of systems that thrive as a result of stressors, volatility, and randomness. Therefore, Antifragile is the opposite of fragile. Where a fragile thing breaks up to volatility; a robust thing resists volatility. An antifragile thing gets stronger from volatility (provided the level of stressors and randomness doesn’t pass a certain threshold).
Systems thinking is a holistic means of investigating the factors and interactions that could contribute to a potential outcome. It is about thinking non-linearly, and understanding the second-order consequences of actions and input into the system.
Vertical thinking, on the other hand, is a problem-solving approach that favors a selective, analytical, structured, and sequential mindset. The focus of vertical thinking is to arrive at a reasoned, defined solution.
Maslow’s Hammer, otherwise known as the law of the instrument or the Einstellung effect, is a cognitive bias causing an over-reliance on a familiar tool. This can be expressed as the tendency to overuse a known tool (perhaps a hammer) to solve issues that might require a different tool. This problem is persistent in the business world where perhaps known tools or frameworks might be used in the wrong context (like business plans used as planning tools instead of only investors’ pitches).
The Peter Principle was first described by Canadian sociologist Lawrence J. Peter in his 1969 book The Peter Principle. The Peter Principle states that people are continually promoted within an organization until they reach their level of incompetence.
The straw man fallacy describes an argument that misrepresents an opponent’s stance to make rebuttal more convenient. The straw man fallacy is a type of informal logical fallacy, defined as a flaw in the structure of an argument that renders it invalid.
The Streisand Effect is a paradoxical phenomenon where the act of suppressing information to reduce visibility causes it to become more visible. In 2003, Streisand attempted to suppress aerial photographs of her Californian home by suing photographer Kenneth Adelman for an invasion of privacy. Adelman, who Streisand assumed was paparazzi, was instead taking photographs to document and study coastal erosion. In her quest for more privacy, Streisand’s efforts had the opposite effect.
As highlighted by German psychologist Gerd Gigerenzer in the paper “Heuristic Decision Making,” the term heuristic is of Greek origin, meaning “serving to find out or discover.” More precisely, a heuristic is a fast and accurate way to make decisions in the real world, which is driven by uncertainty.
The recognition heuristic is a psychological model of judgment and decision making. It is part of a suite of simple and economical heuristics proposed by psychologists Daniel Goldstein and Gerd Gigerenzer. The recognition heuristic argues that inferences are made about an object based on whether it is recognized or not.
The representativeness heuristic was first described by psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. The representativeness heuristic judges the probability of an event according to the degree to which that event resembles a broader class. When queried, most will choose the first option because the description of John matches the stereotype we may hold for an archaeologist.
The take-the-best heuristic is a decision-making shortcut that helps an individual choose between several alternatives. The take-the-best (TTB) heuristic decides between two or more alternatives based on a single good attribute, otherwise known as a cue. In the process, less desirable attributes are ignored.
The bundling bias is a cognitive bias in e-commerce where a consumer tends not to use all of the products bought as a group, or bundle. Bundling occurs when individual products or services are sold together as a bundle. Common examples are tickets and experiences. The bundling bias dictates that consumers are less likely to use each item in the bundle. This means that the value of the bundle and indeed the value of each item in the bundle is decreased.
The Barnum Effect is a cognitive bias where individuals believe that generic information – which applies to most people – is specifically tailored for themselves.
First-principles thinking – sometimes called reasoning from first principles – is used to reverse-engineer complex problems and encourage creativity. It involves breaking down problems into basic elements and reassembling them from the ground up. Elon Musk is among the strongest proponents of this way of thinking.
The ladder of inference is a conscious or subconscious thinking process where an individual moves from a fact to a decision or action. The ladder of inference was created by academic Chris Argyris to illustrate how people form and then use mental models to make decisions.
Goodhart’s Law is named after British monetary policy theorist and economist Charles Goodhart. Speaking at a conference in Sydney in 1975, Goodhart said that “any observed statistical regularity will tend to collapse once pressure is placed upon it for control purposes.” Goodhart’s Law states that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.
The Six Thinking Hats model was created by psychologist Edward de Bono in 1986, who noted that personality type was a key driver of how people approached problem-solving. For example, optimists view situations differently from pessimists. Analytical individuals may generate ideas that a more emotional person would not, and vice versa.
The Mandela effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people remembers an event differently from how it occurred. The Mandela effect was first described in relation to Fiona Broome, who believed that former South African President Nelson Mandela died in prison during the 1980s. While Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and died 23 years later, Broome remembered news coverage of his death in prison and even a speech from his widow. Of course, neither event occurred in reality. But Broome was later to discover that she was not the only one with the same recollection of events.
The bandwagon effect tells us that the more a belief or idea has been adopted by more people within a group, the more the individual adoption of that idea might increase within the same group. This is the psychological effect that leads to herd mentality. What in marketing can be associated with social proof.
Moore’s law states that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years. This observation was made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965 and it become a guiding principle for the semiconductor industry and has had far-reaching implications for technology as a whole.
Disruptive innovation as a term was first described by Clayton M. Christensen, an American academic and business consultant whom The Economist called “the most influential management thinker of his time.” Disruptive innovation describes the process by which a product or service takes hold at the bottom of a market and eventually displaces established competitors, products, firms, or alliances.
Value migration was first described by author Adrian Slywotzky in his 1996 book Value Migration – How to Think Several Moves Ahead of the Competition. Value migration is the transferal of value-creating forces from outdated business models to something better able to satisfy consumer demands.
The bye-now effect describes the tendency for consumers to think of the word “buy” when they read the word “bye”. In a study that tracked diners at a name-your-own-price restaurant, each diner was asked to read one of two phrases before ordering their meal. The first phrase, “so long”, resulted in diners paying an average of $32 per meal. But when diners recited the phrase “bye bye” before ordering, the average price per meal rose to $45.
Groupthink occurs when well-intentioned individuals make non-optimal or irrational decisions based on a belief that dissent is impossible or on a motivation to conform. Groupthink occurs when members of a group reach a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the alternatives and their consequences.
A stereotype is a fixed and over-generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. These beliefs are based on the false assumption that certain characteristics are common to every individual residing in that group. Many stereotypes have a long and sometimes controversial history and are a direct consequence of various political, social, or economic events. Stereotyping is the process of making assumptions about a person or group of people based on various attributes, including gender, race, religion, or physical traits.
Murphy’s Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Murphy’s Law was named after aerospace engineer Edward A. Murphy. During his time working at Edwards Air Force Base in 1949, Murphy cursed a technician who had improperly wired an electrical component and said, “If there is any way to do it wrong, he’ll find it.”
The law of unintended consequences was first mentioned by British philosopher John Locke when writing to parliament about the unintended effects of interest rate rises. However, it was popularized in 1936 by American sociologist Robert K. Merton who looked at unexpected, unanticipated, and unintended consequences and their impact on society.
Fundamental attribution error is a bias people display when judging the behavior of others. The tendency is to over-emphasize personal characteristics and under-emphasize environmental and situational factors.
Outcome bias describes a tendency to evaluate a decision based on its outcome and not on the process by which the decision was reached. In other words, the quality of a decision is only determined once the outcome is known. Outcome bias occurs when a decision is based on the outcome of previous events without regard for how those events developed.
Hindsight bias is the tendency for people to perceive past events as more predictable than they actually were. The result of a presidential election, for example, seems more obvious when the winner is announced. The same can also be said for the avid sports fan who predicted the correct outcome of a match regardless of whether their team won or lost. Hindsight bias, therefore, is the tendency for an individual to convince themselves that they accurately predicted an event before it happened.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
