Creativity - A Cognitive Trick For Solving Problems

Creativity - A Cognitive Trick for Solving Problems Creatively

Read the attached article titled as “Creativity - A Cognitive Trick for Solving Problems Creatively” by Theodore Scaltsas, published in Harvard Business Review, and answer the following questions:

a. Summarize the article and explain the main issues discussed in the article. (In words)

b. What do you think about the article in relation to what you have learned in the course about becoming a critical thinker for developing problem solving skills? Use additional references to support your argument. (In words)

Paper For Above instruction

In the article “Creativity - A Cognitive Trick for Solving Problems Creatively” by Theodore Scaltsas, published in the Harvard Business Review, the author challenges traditional notions of creativity that emphasize challenging biases and assumptions as the primary approach to innovative thinking. Scaltsas argues that instead of relying solely on questioning past experiences and biases—which, according to critics like Kahneman and Tversky, can hinder creative problem solving—we should understand how the mind naturally functions in generating solutions based on past experience and predictive processes. The core idea is that the brain applies its inherent predictive mechanisms, rooted in evolution, to produce solutions that are familiar, reliable, and effective for survival, even if they do not always lead to innovative outcomes.

The article emphasizes that cognitive biases such as anchoring—where decisions tend to be influenced by prior similar problems—are not necessarily flaws but survival tools that help us respond quickly to changing environments. Kahneman’s research supports the idea that intuitive thinking is susceptible to biases, but these biases have been evolutionarily advantageous. Additionally, the article explores Jakob Hohwy’s theory of the predictive mind, which suggests that the brain constructs models based on past experiences and uses them to predict future solutions. This process explains why creative ideas often appear suddenly, as flashes of insight, rather than through deliberate rational deliberation. Creativity, therefore, is facilitated by redefining problems—transforming an intractable challenge into a different version that may trigger familiar, yet innovative, solutions.

Using examples like escaping a dangerous room or the Trojan Horse strategy in the Trojan War, Scaltsas demonstrates that creativity often involves “reinventing the problem” rather than searching for entirely new solutions. For instance, rather than directly attempting to escape a high-floor room, imagining the problem differently—such as making a parachute out of curtains—can lead to practical and innovative solutions. Similarly, Odysseus’s use of deception in the Trojan Horse exemplifies transforming a seemingly insurmountable problem into a manageable one by shifting the problem’s perspective. This approach leverages existing knowledge and solutions, applied creatively through problem redefining.

Consequently, the author concludes that creative thinking is a natural byproduct of how the mind operates—by mining old solutions and applying them to new problems through systematic redefinition. The key is what the thinker brings to the problem, particularly their past experiences that bias their approach. Enhancing creativity, therefore, involves broadening one’s experiences to access a wider array of old solutions, which can be reconfigured to solve new, complex problems. The article challenges traditional perspectives on creativity, presenting it as an evolutionarily grounded process rooted in the brain’s predictive and experiential mechanisms.

From my perspective, this article aligns with the course's emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving by highlighting the importance of adaptive thinking and perspective shifting. Traditional models often suggest that innovation requires breaking free from biases and assumptions, yet Scaltsas’s insights suggest that harnessing the brain's natural predilection for using familiar solutions can actually foster creativity. Supporting this idea, authors like Amabile (1996) argue that creativity involves a combination of expertise, creative thinking skills, and intrinsic motivation, which aligns with the notion that drawing from past experiences and redefining problems enhances the creative process. Moreover, the concept of "brain mining" complements techniques such as lateral thinking and design thinking—methods that encourage reframing problems to develop novel solutions (Brown, 2009). In practice, developing critical thinking entails expanding one’s knowledge base and learning to approach problems from multiple perspectives—most effectively achieved by systematically redefining the problem space, as Scaltsas advocates.

References

• Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in Context: Update to the Social Psychology of Creativity. Westview Press.
• Brown, T. (2009). Change by Design: How Design Thinking Creates New Alternatives for Business and Society. Harper Business.
• Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk. Econometrica, 47(2), 263-291.
• Hohwy, J. (2013). The Predictive Mind. Oxford University Press.
• Theodore Scaltsas. (2016). Creativity - A Cognitive Trick for Solving Problems Creatively. Harvard Business Review.
• Sternberg, R. J. (2003). Wisdom, intelligence, and creativity synthesized. Cambridge University Press.
• Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The Standard Definition of Creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92-96.
• Gareis, R., & Huemann, M. (2000). Project-based Learning and Creative Problem Solving. International Journal of Project Management, 18(7), 477-481.
• Edwards, J. (2012). Critical Thinking: Developing Effective Analysis and Reasoning Skills. Routledge.
• Martinsen, D. (2012). Creativity and Problem Solving in Business. Journal of Business Innovation, 8(2), 45-61.