CONUNDRUM 3 - DIVERGENT THINKING - PART 2

Divergent thinking can be tested and enhanced through various tests. In the previous post, I have discussed one such test and now we will play and practice other two tests under divergent thinking.

 

1.Wallace and Kogan (1965)

In this test of creativity, examinees are asked to come up with many possible items that contain a specific component. Let us have a look at it with some example.

Name things with wings:

1. Aeroplane
2. Bird
3. Dragon
4. Dreams
5. Mind
6. Time
   Scoring
   Scoring is comprised of four components:

1. Originality - each response is compared to the total amount of responses from all the people you gave the test to. Usual responses are awarded 1 point and unique responses will be awarded 2 points. Total all the point. Higher scores indicate creativity
2. Fluency - Just add up all the responses. In this example, it is 6.
3. Flexibility – It’s also known as different category, in this case a (Vehicle), b and c (animals) and d,e,f (Metaphorically implied to have wings) are the 3 different categories. More the number of categories, more is flexibility and more points.
4. Elaboration - amount of detail (for Example "a car" = 0 whereas "a car racing down the street" = 1 (another point is given for the detail of where the car is going).

You might have noticed that the higher fluency the higher the originality.

You can try it out for other things. One example is given below.

Name things with wheels:

1. a car
2. a truck
3. a train
4. mind
   
    
   
   

2.Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) (1974)

The Figural TTCT: Thinking Creatively with Pictures is appropriate at all levels, kindergarten through adult. It uses three picture-based exercises to assess five mental characteristics – fluency, resistance to premature closure, elaboration, abstractness of titles and originality.

Appropriate for first graders through adults, the Verbal TTCT: Thinking Creatively with Words uses six word-based exercises to assess three mental characteristics – fluency, flexibility and originality.

These exercises provide opportunities to ask questions, to improve products, and to "just suppose."

Example - Figural TTCT

What might this be?

Responses:

a. A smooshed spider

b. A star

c. A clock with too many hands

d. Crazer map on pioneer spaceship

e. Butterfly with wings

f. A set of mini blinds caught in a tornado

Now see the example below.

Scoring

To score the TTCT you will need "Manual for Scoring and Interpreting Results", obtainable from the Torrance Centre, or from Scholastic Testing Service. The manual includes national norms, standard scores, and national percentiles for each age level.

Hope you are mesmerized with the conundrums.

Thank you for your time.