Several studies were conducted where subjects were not instructed to imitate models. Subjects viewing models exhibiting complex, flexible, divergent, or creative behavior tended to increase this behavior, while subjects watching rigid or convergent thinking models were less consistent. (Author/BJG)

States that there was convergence in counselors' and clients' reports of important session events. Found that convergence of important session therapeutic events increased linearly over time, and that increasing convergence was related to counseling outcomes, as measured by a decrease in interpersonal problems. Concludes that a match in important…

Behaviors that characterize play with convergent and divergent materials and the effects of play on convergent and divergent problem solving were examined in this study. Seventy-two 3- and 4-year-old children were assigned to one of three conditions: (1) play with convergent materials; (2) play with divergent materials; and (3) non-play control.…

Identified some experiences that lead to preschool children's transition from less to more systematic problem-solving strategies. Receiving encouragement to adopt more analytic attitudes and encountering problems with perceptually salient differences on a relevant dimension were the two types of experiences examined. (Author/DB)

The purpose of this research was to determine what effects, if any, widening or narrowing the response repertoire has on measures of IQ and problem solving of preschool children. It was predicted that response widening, or creative/divergent thinking, would have a positive effect on IQ and problem solving. Forty-one preschool children 3 to 6 years…

It was hypothesized that certain programmed productive thinking materials would increase both the divergent and convergent thinking abilities being measured and that there would be a direct relationship between any change in one of these abilities and any change in the other. Six classes of 6th-grade suburban students with I.Q.'s ranging from 79…

The Delphi technique for problem-solving and forecasting is a useful tool when a group of experts with diverse backgrounds is asked to make decisions. (For availability see EA 507 171) (Author)

Results yielded three hierarchical factors, two that were moderately related to IQ and MA and one that was independent of IQ and MA. Explanation of the findings was based on a consideration of the differences between divergent and convergent production abilities. (Author)

Undergraduate history students can gain insight into the historical process from a short exercise using copies of documents that give conflicting interpretations of the same event. Explains how to lead class discussions based on two letters about lawlessness in Arizona in the 1880s. (Author/AV)

Computerized think tanks can reach decisions more efficiently than the standard committee meeting method. (Editor)

Eighty preschoolers participated in a study of the usefulness of the lure-retrieval paradigm. Four treatment conditions were compared: In addition to play and training conditions, a questions condition and an alternative-materials control group were employed. Results prompted discussion of theoretical and methodological issues surrounding the…

Two experiments were conducted to examine behaviors that characterize play with convergent and divergent materials and the effects of play on convergent and divergent problem solving among 64 3- and 4-year-olds. (Author/RH)

Individual differences in performance on figural analogy tests are usually attributed to quantitative differences in processing parameters rather than to qualitative differences in the formation and use of representations. Yet aptitude-related differences in categorizing standardized figural analogy problems between high and low scorers have been…

Although it is commonly assumed that increases in mathematical knowledge and problem-solving skill alter one's understanding of mathematical problems, little research exists to support this assumption. The present study investigated the relationship between mathematical background and problem perception in two experiments. Experiment 1 employed…