What is Convergent Thinking?

There are many different ways to solve a problem we might face. Different problems require different solutions, so it’s not really that much of a surprise. One of the ways in which we can solve said problems, is through the use of convergent thinking. Now, you might be sat there, listening and wandering what convergent thinking is, but the fact is you’ve done it before. Everyone in the world has. All that’s required for convergent thinking is logic. So why is it so important to understand what it is? Well, convergent thinking provides us with a better knowledge and application of critical thinking skills, something that we all need if we’re to truly get the most out of ourselves and head in the right direction.

What is Convergent Thinking?
Whilst the term, convergent thinking, was first used by American psychologist, Joy Paul Guilford, the actual concept has been around for much longer. People have thought logically and with reason throughout history. In its simplest form, all convergent thinking does is find the supposed ‘correct’ answer through following a series of defined, logical and calculated steps. What this often leads to, is a single answer that’s either right or wrong. There’s no scenario where the answer could be something else, because it went against the idea of logic and reason.

Otherwise known as critical, vertical, linear or analytical thinking, convergent thinking is incredibly useful in narrowing down options. As its main process involves using logic, anything that argues against this, can be dismissed, although I’ll talk about that later. Convergent thinking is all about finding the right answer, from a potential hundred, and if you apply this to almost any scenario in life, you can see just how often you use it, and if you’re still unsure, just think about math’s.

In math’s, there’s only ever one answer to a question. 2+2 is always 4. There’s no scenario that it’s ever 5. You can apply this to any mathematical question, and you’ll still be left with an answer that’s either right or wrong. The reason being that it applies logic, therefore removing all potential answers that deny this. If you take convergent thinking in math’s, you can see that it doesn’t always apply to all subjects and aspects of life. In English, you’d tend to use a form of thinking known as ‘divergent thinking’. Whilst convergent focuses on logic, divergent tends to try to find answers through a more creative lens. But whether you use convergent or divergent, it’s important to remember that both are very important to the way in which we think, and the ways in which we can succeed.