Creativity often involves divergent thinking.Which one of the following is the best example of divergent thinking?
A)Marsha builds a bookcase by following directions she has found in a hobby magazine.
B)Frank solves several multiplication problems using a strategy he has learned for solving "9's" problems.
C)Lacking any wooden blocks to build an arch for his toy soldiers to march under, Thomas builds an arch using upside-down paper cups.
D)After reading in a library book about what hamsters like to eat, Jennifer gives her pet hamster a diet of vegetables, fruit, and hamster pellets to help him grow faster.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Building an arch using upside-down paper cups shows that Thomas is using creativity and originality to solve a problem (the problem being the lack of wooden blocks). This is an example of divergent thinking because he is coming up with a unique solution to the problem. The other options involve following directions, using a learned strategy, and applying knowledge from a book, which are not necessarily examples of divergent thinking.

Creativity Often Involves Divergent Thinking