ABSTRACT

Establishing and defining the problem is probably the most important stage of the creative problem solving process, for unless the problem is correctly defined it is unlikely that a truly satisfactory solution to it can be found. The problem finding stage encourages one to consider a variety of problem perspectives. Restating the problem might unlock a new viewpoint that can lead to many creative solutions. Perspectives can come in varying degrees of complexity. One can think of them as occupying different heights on a ladder. It is often useful to consider where a person are on a ladder and whether it would be worthwhile going up to higher levels of generality or down to levels of specifics. Goal orientation is a redefinitional technique which assists people in obtaining a correctly defined problem. It has five stages, the first of which is to work out a general outline of the problem.