It is an imaginative phase of creative thinking. According to Guilford. “The unique feature of divergent thinking is that a variety of responses is produced. The product is not completely determined by the given information...Divergent thinking comes into play whenever there is trial and error thinking...Further, in divergent thinking operations, we thing in different directions, sometimes, searching, sometimes, seeking variety.” Actually, divergent thinking is the making characteristic of creative thinking. “Divergent thinking is undertaking search for solutions that may involve substantial departures form beaten track. It involves using approaches o r perspectives that may be uncommon or unusual, often using approaches or perspectives that may be uncommon or unusual, often using approaches or perspectives that may be uncommon or unseal, often using approaches or perspectives that may be uncommon or unseal, often resulting in a variety of solutions. Some of the solutions may be quite novel.”

The following mechanisms are generally used in divergent thinking:

(i)    Development of a working definition of the problem.
(ii)    Formulation of objectives, policies, procedures, etc.
(iii)    Use of associative thinking for developing more and more alternatives.
(iv)    Reinterpretation of constraints to help in restricting process of original problems.
(v)    Evaluation of possible solution to make the further searching possible.
(vi)    Setting the mind to synthesize imaginary solutions.
(vii)    Launching brain storming to generate unconventional alternatives or solutions.
(viii)    Searching solutions to counter the use of conventionally advanced alternatives.
(ix)    Re-assessment of basic assumptions required for current approaches.
(x)    Encouragement or facilitation to conceiving process of far out possibility by creating distortion or avoidance of problem constraints.
(xi)    Assessment of negative consequences of non-availability of solutions and doing efforts for generating solutions to the problem.
(xii)    Seeking interesting far-out analogies to the problem situations and an exploration of their machines.
(xiii)    Diverting attention from a mindset or obsessions.

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