Usefulness of the ideation principle of extended effort in real world professional and managerial creative problem solving

Abstract

<p>Two hypotheses relating to using the ideation principle of extended effort in idea generation to solve real world technical and managerial problems are tested in field research. In two studies involving training and application of a "complete process of creative problem solving" emphasizing the ideation-evaluation process, the "most preferred ideas" were well dispersed and furthermore were more likely to be found among the latter two thirds of the ideas listed serially than in the first third. This provides support for the usefulness of the extended effort principle. One study (n=lOl) involved individual creative problem solving, while the other (n=264) involved small groups. The data give rise to speculation that perhaps the more effort devoted to fact finding and problem definition prior to idea generation, the earlier in the list of ideas will the most preferred idea occur.</p>