Divergent Thinking: New Methods, Recent Research, and Extended Theory

This article reviews research on divergent thinking (DT) and the new methods that have recently been developed. Special attention is given to the theory of Literal DT, where creative cognition does in fact branch out and diverge rather than follow linear pathways. Even more attention is given to the growing research showing the value of computerized testing and scoring of DT tasks. We revisit some of the major issues around DT tasks and explore possible solutions that have emerged from new and classic works. A few pitfalls while testing DT are noted in this review and connections made to how the research supports the validity of DT tests.