A class presentation for ADV 6383 - Creativity as Problem Solving by graduate students Kellyn Dunn and Samantha Roppolo at SMU's Temerlin Advertising Institute.

1. Thomas B. Ward, Steven M. Smith and Ronald A. Finke Presented by Kellyn Dunn and Samantha Roppolo Fifth of October, Two Thousand Ten Creative Cognition

2. what is creative cognition? an extension of cognitive psychology cognitive psychology: a branch of psychology concerned with mental processes (as perception, thinking, learning, and memory) especially with respect to the internal events occurring between sensory stimulation and the overt expression of behavior (m-w.com) two goals of creative cognition extend scientific understanding of cognition by observing the cognitive processes when people are engaged in generative tasks advance the scientific understanding of creativity schooler and melcher’s research on insight provides a strong example of the importance of creative cognition

3. generative tasks & normative cognition examples of generative tasks: artistic advancement flexible use of language combination of concepts to generate more complex ones generative tasks comprise a major portion of human functioning generative cognitive processes are common and normative important goal of creative cognition is to identify factors that determine how much and which portions of existing knowledge will be applied to new situations and how this can affect creative functioning

4. overcoming objections Do individual difference in creativity exist? Ward, Smith and Finke are not arguing against individual differences in creativity – instead, they are rejecting the idea that extraordinary forms of creativity only come from minds that are uniquely different from the population as a whole. Can other factors that contribute to product generation exist? Ward, Smith and Finke acknowledge that other factors lead to product generation – however, Ward, Smith and Finke emphasize that variations in the mental processes are central to the difference in the quality of ideas that are different people produce

5. Dr. Ronald A. Finke Professor, Texas State University Received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from MIT established a heuristic model for the creative cognitive approach geneplore model of creative functioning suggests creative activities can be examined in terms of generation of potential solutions that are followed by exploration of those ideas

7. implications the geneplore model generative processes (preinventive structures) exploratory processes creative thinking is characterized in terms of how these various processes are employed and combined a particular process or structure does not have to be present but when their involvement increases, creative innovation is more likely

11. the subject’s knowledge about typical features of familiar categories structured there imaginative creations – drawn aliens displayed many features common with those of typical Earth animals

13. recently activated knowledge long-term knowledge v. priming or activation knowledge by recent experiences smith et. al toy experiment findings suggest there is special care need when relying on examples to solve problems involuntary/unavoidable nature of certain mental blocks that can impede/constrain creative thinking smith and tindell’s research encourages future study in creative cognition to investigate methods for recognize and overcome involuntary blocks to problem solving and creative thinking

14. conceptual combinations Hampton’s Attribute Inheritance Model Wilkenfeld’s Similar/Dissimilar Pairs Wisniewski’s Strategies Used to Interpret Combinations Hampton’s Attribute Inheritance Model subjects asked about fruit furniture suggested that it would have to have regenerative properties “demonstrates . . . the compound concept does not include all of the attributes characterizing its constituent concepts”* *Pavol Štekauer, Meaning Predictability in Word Formation

15. conceptual combinations Hampton’s Attribute Inheritance Model Wilkenfeld’s Similar/Dissimilar Pairs Wisniewski’s StrategiesUse to Interpret Combinations Wilkenfeld’s Similar/Dissimilar Pairs more discrepant concepts will result in more creative outcomes that more compatible concepts similar pairs: easily merged; act more like dissimilar pairs once initial alignment for similar pairs is exhausted dissimilar pairs: less readily aligned dissimilar pairs resulted in more emergence, but only on the first definition

16. conceptual combinations Hampton’s Attribute Inheritance Model Wilkenfeld’s Similar/Dissimilar Pairs Wisniewski’s Strategies Used to Interpret Combinations Wisniewski’s Strategies Used to Interpret Combinations finding some relation to link them constructing a property of one in the other forming a hybrid or blend of the two highlights how conceptual combinations influence information processing

17. creative imagery imagery plays a central role in creative functioning delay in the search for creative interpretations until after the preinventive structures are initially completed may enhance creative discovery interpretive possibilities (that were not considered when the preinventive structures were initially generated) encourage exploration when they were used in unexpected categories

18. making connections: product development

19. making connections: nihf stem schools

20. making connections: concept car

21. making connections: artificial intelligence

22. discussion questions are there specific characteristics of a mental block that would make it easier to identify? if so, would naming the problem help start the healing process? does graham wallas’ four stage model (preparation, incubation, illumination and verification) apply to the geneplore model? what are some examples of how structure can enhance the creative process? of the three, which is more important to creative thinking: the generative process, the exploratory process or preinventive structures?

23. discussion questions as a model for the creative thought process, is the geneplore model’s structuring limiting or does its simplicity work? can you think of examples of conceptual combinations that have made a significant impact to our society in the last five years? does the geneplore model relate to other processes in the fields of science or business? if so, how are they are they similar? how are they different?

24. discussion questions in most cases, constraints are often cast in a negative light. can you think of circumstances where the role of constraints in the geneplore model could be beneficial? what are some ways you can attempt to move past a mental block? can you think of an advertisement that combined two different concepts that was considered highly creative?