Creative thinking- this is, in fact, the psychology of the creator. It is believed that creative thinking is responsible right hemisphere brain, and that is why left-handers often have more pronounced than right-handers.

Thanks to this type of thinking, there are new ideas in society, and everything that carries unusual and non-standard. Few people manage to repeat the result of one author, and this is precisely what distinguishes creativity from production, which has set standards and a scheme of actions for creating a product.

This also makes creativity a very valuable phenomenon in our lives: one has only to see the difference between furniture handmade and standard factory, between a picture painted by a painter and printed with a machine, a text created by a man and artificial intelligence- it will immediately become clear why it is so valued in any field human activity.

Psychology of creative thinking

In psychology, there whole section, which is dedicated to the study of creative thinking and the products that are created with it. But specialists who work in this direction have a problem of criteria: after all, in fact, everything that has been created in the world is unique. Thus, the field of study of the issue takes on such a vague form that to come to specific scientific findings almost impossible: no the same movements, events, even the same words are pronounced differently each time. However, scientists still bothered to find some common points that are key in the process of creating a unique one:

1. So, first there is a reason to realize creativity. The same stage is called preparation in some sources, but between them lies a lot of processes that the human brain needs to work out in order to start creating: first, a person understands what he needs, and then prepares for it. Here, the formation of the goal takes place, and the tasks that need to be solved in order to achieve it emerge.
2. stage of incubation. Then a person is distracted from a specific direction, paying attention to areas that may be associated with the subject of creation.
3. Illumination stage. At that moment, Archimedes exclaimed: "Eureka!", and an apple fell on Newton. Something serves as a hint, and then deduces the optimal solution to a problem that has been thought about for a long time. This moment is the climax of creative process.
4. The last step is verification. After the fall of the apple, Newton returns to his notes and conducts experiments that confirm the discovery. The painter at this moment looks at the completed picture, correlating colors, evaluating the technique and checking how correctly the idea is conveyed. After that, the creation is ready, and society begins to use what has been created.

For a full understanding of creativity, it is important to understand that it is a way of liberation.

Creative thinking: characteristic

This type of thinking has certain features that allow you to see and invent non-standard and new.

1. Mindfulness and "lateral thinking". Creative thinking obliges a person to see a non-standard basis of phenomena, events, objects. Most often, it is the details that can “remind” a person that an item can be used differently. And if this object is seen as a whole, then it is unlikely that the observer will be visited by thoughts about any new way of using it, because it already exists. The simplest example: mug. If we perceive it holistically, then we know that they drink liquid from it. But if you pay attention to its shape, material, and, for example, leave it on your desktop, then sooner or later the idea will appear that it is convenient to put pencils and pens in it. So there will be a "new" invention - a stand for pens.
2. Good memory. A person with a short memory cannot have creative thinking, because creativity is a long process that requires maturation and knowledge of external facts. The Creator must be concentrated on several phenomena at the same time: the very subject of creation and the phenomena, information about which will make it perfect. A randomly seen thing once pops up in memory and turns out to be the key to the solution.
3. Flexibility and associativity of thinking. Creative thinking is often accompanied by a rejection of habitual hypotheses. If you do not show mental flexibility and listen to outdated theories, then this will never lead to a discovery. helps the creative to "connect" and classify objects and phenomena in an original way, which, in turn, leads to unique ideas, one of which may turn out to be brilliant.

Thus, creative thinking still has some General characteristics, and requires certain inclinations from a person, developing which, he can become a happy owner fresh ideas and unique items.

Most people associate creativity with arts such as writing a novel, painting a picture, or composing music. These are all creative endeavors, but not all creative thinkers are artists. Indeed, many jobs require a lot of creative thinking despite having nothing to do with art.

Most people associate creativity with arts such as writing a novel, painting a picture, or composing music. These are all creative endeavors, but not all creative thinkers are artists. Indeed, many jobs require a lot of creative thinking despite having nothing to do with art. Creativity simply means being able to come up with something new. If you can do this, you will not only enrich your personal life, but you will also get an advantage in any place you enter.

You just need to acknowledge your creativity.

What is creative thinking?

Creative thinking means thinking about new things or thinking in new ways. This is "thinking outside the box". “Often creativity in this sense includes what is called lateral thinking, or the ability to perceive patterns that are not obvious. The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes used lateral thinking in one famous history when I realized that the barking of the dog was not an important clue to the murder case.

Some people are naturally more creative than others, but creative thinking can be enhanced with practice. You can practice creative thinking by solving puzzles, realizing and discarding your assumptions, and through the game - something unstructured and relaxing. Even daydreaming can help.

Creative people can develop new ways of solving problems, solving problems, and solving problems. They bring a new and sometimes unorthodox perspective to their work and can help departments and organizations move in more productive directions.

No wonder so many employers are looking for candidates with creative thinking skills for many different professions?

Creative thinking and job search

Some descriptions should state that the position requires creative thinking. In this case, you should come to the interview prepared with specific examples of how you can showcase your creativity, just like with any other skill.

However, many employers want creative thinkers, even if they don't say so in those words. In such cases, think about how your creative nature has helped you in the past and how it can again be an asset in the jobs you require. In these cases, you can also showcase your creativity in your app materials, or you can use other words, such as discussing your "fresh and innovative" work.

If you're looking for creative opportunity as a means of personal fulfillment, know that you can find it in sometimes unexpected places. Any task that allows you to put your efforts into work can be creative.

Examples of Creative Thinking

The possibilities for creative thought in the workplace range from the overtly artistic to the high-tech and yet inspired. Generally, anything to do with “aha! “A moment at some point is creative. See if anything on this list inspires you. You may already be more creative than you thought.

Artistic creativity

Your occupation title does not have to be "artist" for your work to have an artistic element. Perhaps you're organizing retail displays for maximum impact, or shaping the pavement of an enticing hiking trail. Other assignments are sometimes assigned specifically to self-described artists, but if your company is smaller, the task may fall to those who agree to do so.
These tasks include designing logos, writing promotional copy, creating product packaging, or writing a phone script for a cumulative fundraiser.

creative problem-solution

Creative problem solving stands out as innovative. A creative problem solver will find new solutions, not just identify and implement the most appropriate standard solution. You can spend brainstorm new ways to reduce energy use, find new ways to cut costs during a budget crisis, or develop a litigation strategy to protect a client. All creative.
Creativity in STEM

Some people think of science and technology as the exact opposite of art and creativity; these people are not scientists or engineers. Designing a more efficient assembly robot, writing an innovative new computer program, and developing a testable hypothesis are all highly creative activities.
In fact, the history of science and technology is littered with projects that didn't work, not because of any errors in technique or methodology, but rather because people stayed in the assumptions and habits of the mind. Science and technology need radical creativity to do something new.

Creative thinking skills in the workplace

A-F

Satisfying the maximum impact on the retail display

• Brainstorming at a staff meeting to determine strategy for the next year
• Brainstorming Ways to Reduce Energy Use
• Adoption of new procedures for quality improvement
• Drafting a New Volunteer Fundraising Scenario
• Writing dialogue for television or radio advertising
• Building a research model to test a hypothesis
• Creating an exam to test students' knowledge
• Create product packaging
• Logo development
• Developing a Lesson Plan for the U.S. Electoral Process That Will Engage Students
• Strategy Development litigation to protect the client
• Development computer program to automate the billing process
• Development over effective way reimbursement processing
• Strategy Development social networks for new iPhone
• G-Z

Creating themes for a fundraising campaign

• Creating Unusual Interview Questions to Assess a Candidate's Key Skills
• Identifying ways to cut costs during a budget crisis
• Increasing staff productivity by developing performance incentives
• Increasing innovative retail products to consumers
• Offering a new look to the clothing line > Representing behavioral change for the overweight patient
• Redefining responsibilities for dealing with a sick employee
• Recycling equipment on the assembly line to improve productivity
• Restructuring the filing system to make it easier to find information
• Reviewing the construction process when the contractor does not show up
• Offering a way to improve customer service
• Offering new ways of communication to alleviate marital conflict
• Thinking about ways to increase the number of blood donors
• Writing compelling copy for print or online
• related:
• What critical thinking?

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Feb 03 2016

The very phrase "creative thinking" gives rise to associations associated with something mysterious and new. Indeed, this kind of mental activity is associated with a special function of the brain - imagination.

Imagination is not part of any of the mental functions (memory, perception, attention). It unites them and becomes a transitional form between all the structures of a holistic intellect.

Generating reality in images is a physical ability only of the human brain. Its features are that it has a connection with organic, semantic and mental components thinking and unites them. Where the neural structures of the brain responsible for its appearance are localized is still unknown. Therefore, in general, the word “imagination” justifies its mystery and phenomenality, is the essence creativity. With its help, artistic and cultural masterpieces are created: literature, painting, sculpture. All these achievements are realized by mankind thanks to this phenomenon.

In the imagination, there are hidden possibilities that make the processes of cognition in our world unlimited. The reflection of reality in consciousness with the help of imagination is essential for both the intellect and the psyche:

• a person, with the help of imagination, plans his further actions and can mentally imagine his behavior, think over preliminary result their actions;
• thanks to imagination, a person can be transported in time - to the past or future, arbitrarily recall long-gone events from memory, relive these states, extracting material for creativity from them.
• problems are solved in the imagination when direct real action in practice is not available or is not completely clear; improve with it missing details information.

Images enter the imagination different origin. Unlike perception, it may contain elements that are not in reality. Fictional objects and events are called fantasy. And wishes are dreams.

Imagination is:

1. Active, and causes specific images in the mind with the help of the will. However, the image does not always match. accurate description object, it can be an individual idea of ​​something.
2. images in passive imagination arise independently of the volitional efforts of a person, they appear spontaneously in the mind.
3. Via productive imagination a person seeks to create a new object of reality using the given one.
4. reproductive thinking is the process of restoring reality piece by piece, as it is. Almost no changes are introduced into this process, thus this kind of imagination resembles the perception or retrieval of memories from memory.

active imagination

The main material for the imagination is the surrounding reality. Without its elements that are fixed visual memory and perception, nothing new can be created. Therefore, in any fantastic work there are always fragments real world(already seen by a person before). And a creative person just passes reality through himself and recreates it again.

The fantasy or idea created also reflects a part of the author's own personality. Reality is translated into bizarre and supernatural forms, where the emotional world is revealed. Before creating his work, the "author-creator" tries to fix his idea on paper. He gets used to the game of imagination and the creative process captures him completely. Part of the consciousness is separated from its own "I", time ceases to exist or flow as usual. This is active imagination.

With Wikium, you can organize the process of developing creative thinking according to an individual program

passive imagination

Passive imagination is rarely involved in the creative process. It is devoid of willpower. His images in the mind are of a rational nature. An example of passive imagination is the works of Kafka. The writer often used his own gloomy dreams to create works. But even passive imagination at the beginning of the creative process requires willpower, then, as the structure of images unfolds, for example, the writer is so immersed in them that they come to mind already spontaneously.

This type of imagination should not be confused with hallucinations. Most hallucinations are a symptom mental illness associated with violation chemical composition in the brain. Unlike images, hallucinations do not belong to subjective thinking and are not associated with one's "I". They are delusional and uncontrollable, projected outward and visually perceptible, like other real objects.

Imagination functions

Imagination plays an important role in the regulation of the psyche:

1. Problems emotional stress associated with the expectation of a situation are partly removed ideas about this situation.. Long-term desires are satisfied.
2. Another function is related to regulation the rest cognitive abilities- perception, memory, attention, speech. The formed associative images associated with the search for the desired object in the environment direct human attention to objects that correspond to them.
3. Playback past situation in images does a search speech means in conversation faster and more spontaneous.
4. The next function of the imagination allows a person plan your actions for the future, represent your goal and plan for its implementation, grasping intentions and means as a whole.
5. A figurative representation of a future frightening situation partly prepares a person psychologically for it.
6. Positive images can be used in psychotherapeutic practice to relieve stress or as self-hypnosis (auto-training).

Psychological characteristics of creative thinking and psychotypes

Creativity is highly dependent on individual features memory, attention, perception. All these functions of the intellect depend on the type of organization of the psyche itself.

Some psychologists distinguish two types of thinking - concrete-shaped and verbal-logical.

The first is characterized by the perception of the world in concrete images. These people are the most creative. Most often these are artists, poets, writers. It is associated with the dominance of the right hemisphere of the brain, which is also called the "emotional brain".

People with the second type of thinking work more successfully with abstract concepts, symbols (mathematical, verbal). Respectively given type belongs to the left hemisphere - logical.

Naturally, the personality of the author is also involved in the creative process. Based on this fact, psychologists have developed many psychological tests that determine the personality of a person, his desires and emotions. Popular, for example, the Rorschach spot test, Luscher color text.

As a separate point, psychologists distinguish autistic thinking. It is primarily associated with a disease such as autism. However, autistic elements that were repressed social norms can be found in the psyche of any person. The autistic elements are directly related to the bizarre fantasies, similar to those we see in dreams. For example, in a dream it may be that the train does not go along the rails, but along the grass through the forest. In people with this type of thinking, any fantasy has a dreamlike nature of desire, reflects the author's intention and his desired goal.

The famous psychologist K. Jung once proposed another division of personality types:

1. On the intuitive type, which has an irrational component (emotions) and dominance of the right hemisphere of the brain. The intuitive type of personality is characterized by the spontaneity of the behavior of thoughts, ideology. Uses anticipation of the answer as a motivating state.
2. On the thoughtful type of personality in which a person is guided by stable logical connections. In some cases, concretely tangible. The solution of the problem is achieved with the help of sequential simulation. This type of thinking is accompanied by experimental verification of the theory, proof in practice.

It should be noted that the features of creative thinking can be inherent in any of the above types. The most common for their development is noted the ability to create abstractions, collect all images in one common. In abstractions, the subject reflects all multivariate applications. Reality is revealed in them in all possible senses.

Psychologists ask themselves the question: “What are the features of creative thinking?” And they distinguish the following signs:

1. Originality, the desire to create something new that did not exist before. The created thing or idea must be unique. As a rule, the creative mind does not make "foreign" decisions, it is everywhere looking for something of its own, different from the rest.
2. Semantic Flexibility. An attempt to apply a different point of view to an object. Consider the object from all sides, taking into account all its meanings and principles. Reveal its potential, which until now has been hidden.
3. figurative flexibility. adaptability of perception. The ability to change the vision of an object. See the sides that can make its application unique.
4. Spontaneous flexibility. The ability to switch from one thought to another. Generate different information. Spontaneously come up with ideas different situations not related to them.

Heuristic

Additionally, the property of creative thinking becomes heuristic. The heuristic method of solving problems does not involve any conventional method. This is a template break or its transformation. It is necessary to go beyond the generally accepted framework in order to come up with a new situation that will solve the problematic one. The search for a solution is usually carried out without complete information about its solution and does not have a clear algorithm of actions. Such tasks are solved using intuition, anticipation of the result, with a sense of inner insight (insights).

How do you solve such problems that require a creative approach? First, all available information on the problem is collected. Then there is a study with the subsequent promotion of theories, deliberation. More often, the first attempts to solve a problem are based on linear logic and reasonable explanations. But they do not give the desired answer. This is followed by an incubation period when the information is forced into the subconscious. Time is needed so that after a break intensive work brain, the answer came to mind. Sometimes you need to switch your thoughts to another activity.

Today, in the social sphere, economy, education and industry, the most creative and caring people. Logical thinking is necessary, but it alone is no longer enough. Organizations are looking for employees who can find innovative solutions. Fortunately, anyone can develop creativity. How exactly? Read about it in our news"flexible mind" . And now - a few tips and exercises from it.

"Free" thoughts

When solving problems, we rely on past experience, what happened before or what we once dealt with. Unconsciously we ask ourselves: what have I learned in life? After that, we choose the most promising approach and reject the rest.

Such thinking lacks flexibility, it generates standard and unoriginal ideas. The solutions found with its help exactly repeat our past experience or - at least - outwardly similar to it.

At creativity we do not rush to the problem, armed with past experience, but ask ourselves: how many points of view are there on it, ways to rethink and solve it? The goal is to come up with as many answers as possible, including non-template ones.

One of the forms of creative thinking - conceptual mixing - allows you to make associations between different topics. Kids are real experts at this. Their thoughts are like water: just as pure, fluid and all-encompassing. Everything is mixed and combined, many connections are created. Therefore, children spontaneously create.

In school, we are taught to define, discriminate, separate, and categorize. AT later life these categories remain separate and do not touch. The "liquid" thinking of the child seems to freeze in an ice mold, where each cell is a category. That is why it is so difficult for many to use their imagination and creativity.

For new opportunities, you need to “free” your thoughts. Fortunately, our brain is able to learn and change until death. This means that we can increase our creativity if we practice.

Warming up for the brain: creating associations

Choose four words at random.Come up with a criterion by which one becomes superfluous.For example: dog, cloud, water and door.

Criterion 1: The dog, water, and door can be in the house, but the cloud is not.

Criterion 2: The words "dog", "water" and "cloud" contain the letter "o", but the word "door" does not. Etc…

Additional techniques:

Randomly choose six words and divide them into two groups of three words. Each group should have its own selection principle.

Make two lists (A and B) of four words each. Come up with a criterion by which a word from list A is associated with a word from list B.

Make a list of five words chosen at random. Choose one of the five words and find principles by which it can be connected with the other four.

- Choose any two words. Create a murder scene with these two words. Add three more words chosen at random. Each of them must become evidence. With the help of this evidence, come up with the circumstances of the murder and the suspect.

Pick four words at random. Using exactly these words (not derivatives and not associations), come up with a newspaper headline. Write an abstract for this article.

Formulate a task

What is the essence of your creative task? Can you describe her in one sentence of six words? “Do what no one else could”, “Clients who are happy to use my product”, “Pass all exams this session”, “Stay happy as a bachelor for as long as possible”, etc.

Describing difficult problem with one phrase of six words, you stimulate your imagination. The more precise the wording, the easier it is to find a solution. Imagine that a creative task is a drawing on a box, without which it is difficult to assemble a puzzle.

100 ideas

One of the obstacles to creativity: when it comes to your mind good idea, it can prevent you from coming up with a better one. Therefore, you need to produce ideas without thinking about whether they are good or bad, whether they can be implemented, whether they will solve the problem.

Give yourself the opportunity to think uncensored. To do this, set a goal in terms of time and number of ideas. By doing so, you channel your creative energy into right direction. Innovative companies most often set a quota of 100 ideas per hour. Let's try it too.

Come up with and write down 100 uses for bricks. You will see that the first 10-20 will be standard, familiar, well-known: lay down a wall, climb higher, build a grill, maintain bookshelves etc. The next 30-50 ideas will be more original. As you get closer to 100, your brain will start making extra effort and produce more creative and unconventional alternatives.

For this process to be most effective, you need to curb your inner critic and start writing down all ideas, including the most obvious and bad ones. The first third will most likely include old, identical ideas, the second third will contain more interesting ones, and the last third will most likely reveal noteworthy, unexpected and difficult inventions. If we had not set ourselves the goal of producing so many ideas, these last thirty would not have seen the light of day.

Get rid of the routine

Routine often becomes the enemy of creativity. Make changes to your daily routine. Make a list of what you do out of habit, always the same. Usually, activities from such a list are performed almost thoughtlessly.

Try changing the way you do them a little over the course of a week, day, or month. For example, take a different route to work or school, change your sleep and work hours, start reading a different newspaper, meet new people, drink juice instead of tea, go to a different restaurant, take a bubble bath instead of a shower, watch a different TV program, etc. d.

Technique: questions

Most have been taught not to question authority, especially at work, school, or family. Because of this, we rarely ask the right questions. To achieve fresh look and develop curiosity, you must constantly doubt everything. Make it part of your daily life.

Why?This question helps to understand the current state of affairs, to question the generally accepted opinion.

What if?..It helps to explore new possibilities, to imagine what will happen to the world if you change something or implement a new idea.

Why not?This question will help you understand the limitations and factors that stand in the way of positive change.

If you need to get to the bottom of a problem, use the five whys method:

1. Why do people prefer competitors' fries over ours? Because it tastes better.

2. Why is it tastier? Because their seasonings are better than ours.

3. Why are their seasonings better than ours? Because their chef is the best.

4. Why is our chef worse? Because we considered the change of chef to be unimportant, and for twenty years now we have been working with an incompetent employee.

5. Why haven't we hired a new chef yet? Because no one dared to offer it to the owner.

mental maps

Mind maps are one of the simplest and most powerful release tools. creativity. They were designed by British scientist Tony Buzan, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks.

Today, mind maps are an integral part of training courses and problem solving methods in many companies and institutions. You can use them for personal purposes such as holiday planning.

This technique allows you to generate many ideas in short term and present a large amount of information in confined space. All key concepts related to a particular topic will be organized in such a way as to encourage the search for associations.

It is the search for connections between ideas that makes us more creative.

1. Take a white sheet, the more the better, and five or six markers or colored pencils. Lay the sheet in front of you horizontally. In the center of the sheet, draw or symbolize the theme of your card as brightly as possible. Don't worry about the quality of the drawing. Use different colors.

2. Having completed the central image, begin to write down the most significant ideas along the lines emanating from the center. Then add keywords and concepts to them, like branches of a tree. Feel free to form associations and try to complete the sheet as quickly as possible. Generating ideas in the form of keywords is easy.

3. As soon as you feel that you have collected enough material with free associations, look at the result. All your ideas are on a piece of paper. You will notice connections that help organize and summarize these ideas. If there is a repeated word, it may be something important. Connect different parts of the map with arrows, codes and colors. Delete unnecessary parts of the map.

Don't forget to use images as they serve as anchors for remembering keywords. Try to write one word per line. It trains attention and disciplines. mental map may be endless. It is completed only when there is enough information to solve the creative problem.

Reading, silence, play

It is well known that in the process of creation most active shows the right hemisphere. All of these techniques help to train neural networks in this area. And here are a few more ways:

1. Reading stories, short stories and novels. Fiction develops the intellectual abilities needed to think differently, more creatively.

2. Silence. By engaging in activities that do not involve talking, we significantly suppress the activity of the left hemisphere. Thus, we reduce the activity of dominant thought patterns in neural networks, as if reducing the volume of our consciousness.

3. Any activity or game that trains the imagination. puzzle, board games, crosswords, theatrical, musical or dance improvisations and many other activities not only train our ability to produce different ideas, but also allow us to see the entertaining side of the creative process.

1.1. The concept of creative thinking, its essence

In practical and theoretical activity a person is faced with tasks or facts for which there are no suitable methods and concepts in his thinking. It happens that the problems that a person is faced with cannot be solved with the help of already known to mankind methods.

To adapt to modern society and to navigate in a huge stream of constantly changing information, it is necessary to think independently, creatively, and children need to be taught this.

Primary school age is the most critical stage school childhood. The full living of this age, its positive acquisitions are the necessary foundation on which the further development child as an active subject of knowledge and activity. The main task of adults in working with younger children school age- creation optimal conditions to discover and realize the possibilities of children, taking into account the individuality of each child.

Formation is the activity of either an experimenter-researcher or a teacher associated with the organization of the assimilation of a certain element. social experience(concepts, actions) by the student.

Termformationusually used when we are talking about what the student acquires: concept, skill, the new kind activities (Talyzina, 1998)

In the study of A.N. Luke indicates that creativity is the creation of a new one. The concept of creativity presupposes a personal beginning, and the corresponding word is used primarily in relation to human activity (Luk, 1988).

Thinking is supreme cognitive process. It is the creation of new knowledge active form creative reflection and human transformation of reality. Thinking generates such a result, which neither in reality itself, nor in the subject on this moment time does not exist. Thinking (animals also have it in elementary forms) can also be understood as the acquisition of new knowledge, the creative transformation of existing ideas (Vygotsky, 1991).

Creative thinking is thinking, the result of which is the discovery of a fundamentally new or improved solution to a particular problem. Creative thinking is aimed at creating new ideas (Ponomarev, 1960).

The main thing for creative thinking is the ability to embrace reality in all its respects, and not only in those that are enshrined in familiar concepts and presentations. In order to more fully discover the properties of a certain area of ​​reality, one must know all the facts relating to it. In order to discover the inadequacy of the concepts and methods of thinking that embrace them, one must master these concepts and methods. From here huge role knowledge and skills in creative thinking.

Creative thinking is characterized a high degree the novelty of the product obtained on its basis, its originality. This thinking appears when a person, having tried to solve a problem on the basis of its formal-logical analysis with direct use to him known ways, is convinced of the futility of such attempts and he has a need for new knowledge that allows him to solve the problem: this need ensures high activity problem solving subject. Awareness of the need itself speaks of the creation of a problem situation in a person (Luk, 1988).

Creativity is a set of personally significant and personally valuable aspirations, ideals, beliefs, attitudes, positions, relationships, beliefs, human activities, relationships with others (Gafitulin, 1990).

Currently, there are many approaches to the definition of creativity, as well as concepts related to this definition: creativity, innovative thinking, productive thinking, creative act, creative activity, creative abilities and others (V.M. Bekhterev, N.A. Vetlugina, V. N. Druzhinin, Ya. A. Ponomarev, A. Rebera, etc.) (Rubinshtein, 2000).

AT foreign psychology creative thinking is more often associated with the term "creativity". Creativity is the ability to generate unusual ideas, deviation from traditional patterns of thinking, quickly solve problem situations(Bukhvalov, 2004).

Hence creativity and creativity are synonymous.

To determine the level of creativity, J. Gilford singled out 16 hypothetical intellectual abilities characterizing creativity. Among them:

1) fluency of thought - the number of ideas that arise per unit of time;

2) flexibility of thought - the ability to switch from one idea to another;

3) originality - the ability to produce ideas that differ from generally accepted views;

4) curiosity - sensitivity to problems in the surrounding world;

5) the ability to develop a hypothesis;

6) unreality - the logical independence of the reaction from the stimulus;

7) fantastic - complete isolation of the answer from reality in the presence of a logical connection between the stimulus and the reaction;

8) the ability to solve problems, i.e. ability to analyze and synthesize;

9) the ability to improve the object by adding details; it. d.

E. P. Torrens identifies four main parameters that characterize creativity: ease - the speed of completing text tasks; flexibility - the number of switches from one class of objects to another in the course of responses; originality - the minimum frequency of a given response to a homogeneous group; accuracy of tasks.

AT domestic psychology the problems of human creative thinking are also widely developed. It is posed as a problem productive thinking as opposed to reproductive. Psychologists are unanimous in recognizing that productive and reproductive components are intertwined in any thought process. great attention is given to revealing the essence of creative thinking, identifying the mechanisms creative activity and the nature of creative thinking.

I. Ya. Lerner characterizes creative thinking by its product: in the process of creativity, students create subjectively new things, while showing their individuality (Lerner, 1974).

According to V. N. Druzhinin, creative thinking is thinking associated with the transformation of knowledge (here he includes imagination, fantasy, generation of hypotheses, etc.) (Druzhinin, 1999).

The essence of creative thinking is reduced, according to Ya.A. Ponomarev, to intellectual activity and sensuality to by-products of one's activity (Ponomarev Ya.V, 1960).

Ya.A. Ponomarev, V.N. Druzhinin, V.N. Pushkin and others domestic psychologists consider the main sign of thinking to be the mismatch of the goal (concept, program) and the result. Creative thinking arises in the process of implementation and is associated with the generation of " by-product”, which is the creative result.

Highlighting signs creative act, all researchers emphasize his unconsciousness, uncontrollability by will and mind, as well as an altered state of consciousness.

Thus, main feature creative thinking is associated with the specifics of the process in the holistic psyche as a system that generates the activity of the individual.

The formation and development of children's creativity is one of the actual problems modern pedagogy.

Psychologists have found that 37% of six-year-olds have high potential creative activity, in seven-year-olds - this figure drops to 17%. Only 2% of creatively active individuals have been identified among adults (Sysun, 2006).

Two personal qualities are associated with creative thinking: the intensity of search motivation and sensitivity to side formations that arise during the thought process.

I.L. Lerner believes that the basis of creative thinking are the following features:

Independent transfer of knowledge and skills to a new situation;

Seeing new problems in familiar, standard conditions;

Seeing a new function of a familiar object;

Vision of the structure of the object to be studied, that is, a quick, sometimes instant coverage of the parts, elements of the object in their relationship to each other;

The ability to see an alternative solution, an alternative approach to its search;

The ability to combine previously found ways to solve a problem in a new way and the ability to create original way decisions when others are known (Lerner, 1974).

Having mastered these traits, you can develop them to a level due to natural inclinations and diligence. However listed traits one ability is characteristic - “they are not assimilated as a result of receiving information or showing an action, they cannot be transferred except by inclusion in a feasible activity that requires the manifestation of certain creative features and thereby forms these features” (Lerner, 1974).

V.A. Krutetsky presents the structure of creative thinking in mathematics as follows:

The ability to perceive mathematical material, grasping the formal structure of tasks;

Ability to logical thinking in the field of quantitative and qualitative relations, numerical and sign symbolism, the ability to think mathematical symbols;

The ability to improve the process of mathematical reasoning and the system of corresponding actions, the ability to think in folded structures;

Flexibility of thought processes in mathematical activity;

Striving for clarity, simplicity, economy and rationality of the solution;

The ability to quickly and freely restructure the direction of the thought process, switching from direct to reverse stroke thoughts;

math memory(generalized memory for mathematical relations, typical characteristics, schemes of reasoning and evidence, methods for solving problems and principles of transition to them);

Mathematical Orientation of the Mind (Krutetsky, 1968)

Also to the creative thinking of V.A. Krutetsky attributes the following "non-essential" components: the speed of thought processes as a temporal characteristic; computing ability; memory for numbers, numbers, formulas; ability to spatial relationships; the ability to visualize abstract mathematical relationships and dependencies (Krutetsky, 1968).

The structure of creative thinking is presented in the formula: “mathematical talent is characterized by a generalized, folded and flexible thinking in the field of mathematical relations, numerical and sign symbolism and mathematical warehouse mind."

D.B. Bogoyavlenskaya singled out a unit of measurement of creativity, called "intellectual initiative". It is seen as a synthesis mental ability and motivational structure of the personality, manifested in the continuation mental activity beyond the required, beyond the solution of the problem that is put before the person. main role in the determination of creative behavior, motivations, values, personality traits. The main features include: cognitive giftedness, sensitivity to problems, independence in uncertain and difficult situations.

Aleinikov A.G. argues that creativity can and should be taught from childhood. It should be noted a fairly common opinion that the ability to be creative is “ God's gift and therefore it is impossible to teach creativity. However, the study of the history of technology and inventions, creative life outstanding scientists, inventors shows that they all possessed, along with high level fundamental knowledge also a special warehouse or algorithm of thinking, as well as special knowledge representing heuristic methods and tricks. Moreover, the latter often developed themselves(Aleinikov, 1989).

The indicators that characterize creative thinking and on which we will base our research are the following: fluency, flexibility and originality of thought.

Fluency includes two components: ease of thinking, i.e. the speed of switching - text tasks and the accuracy of the task.

The flexibility of the thought process is the switch from one idea to another. Ability to find multiple different ways solving the same problem.

Originality is the minimum frequency of a given response to a homogeneous group.

So, in domestic psychology, research on creative thinking is theoretically substantiated, individual differences are analyzed not only from a quantitative, but also from a qualitative point of view. However, there is still little research in this area.

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