The Neural Basis and Evolution of Divergent and Convergent Thought

This chapter takes as its departure point a neural level theory of insight that arose from studies of the sparse, distributed, content-addressable architecture of associative memory. It is argued that convergent thought is most fruitfully characterized in terms of, not the generation of a single correct solution (as it is conventionally construed), but using concepts in their most compact form by activating neural cell assemblies that respond to their most typical properties. This allows them to be deployed in a conventional manner such that effort is reserved for exploring causal relationships. Conversely, it is argued that divergent thought is most fruitfully characterized in terms of, not the generation of multiple solutions (as it is conventionally construed), but using concepts in a form that is, albeit expanded, constrained by the situation, by activating neural cell assemblies that respond to context-specific atypical properties. This allows them to be deployed in a manner that is conducive to exploring unconventional yet potentially relevant associations, and unearthing potentially useful relationships of correlation. Thus, divergent thought can involve as few as one idea. This proposal is compatible with widespread beliefs that (1) most creative tasks require not many solutions but one, yet entail both divergent and convergent thinking, and (2) not all problems with multiple solutions require creative thinking, and conversely, some problems with single solution do require creative thought. The chapter discusses how the ability to shift between convergent and divergent modes of thought may have evolved, and it concludes with educational and vocational implications. 3 The Neural Basis and Evolution of Divergent and Convergent Thought It is standard to define convergent thinking problems as those with only one correct solution and divergent thinking problems as open-ended problems with multiple solutions (Guilford, 1950; Runco, 2010), and to essentially equate creativity with the capacity for convergent and divergent thinking (e.g., Onarheim & Friis-Olivarius, 2013), with divergent thinking the more important of the two for creativity. However, this conception of divergent and convergent thinking does not align with what people think of as creative. First, not all tasks with multiple solutions require creative thinking, such as task of responding to the question " what is something red? " Indeed, some problems with just one correct solution, such as the Remote Associates Test (RAT), require more creativity than coming up with things that are red. Second, it is often said that creative problem solving tasks " require both …