Creativity: how to improve it with Forced Association

There are several techniques to enhance the creativeness, but we normally tend to
always put into practice the usual most common ones, avoiding the others out of ignorance
or just out of habit. One of the lesser known techniques is precisely that
dell 'Association Forced. This technique was developed by Charles S. Whiting
in 1958. Its effectiveness is based on a very simple principle:
mixing what we know with what we don't know we create a new one
situation. Very original ideas can arise from this process. Indeed,
this technique is extremely useful for promoting Brainstorming when this process comes to
a dead end. How to
apply this technique? Prima
variant 1. Problem arises 2. Remember the principles on which Brainstormig is based: - All criticisms are prohibited - All ideas are welcome - As many ideas as possible - Preferable is the development and association of
ideas 3. Selecting an object or image, which could
be anything from a hat to a pencil, and then ask the group
or to ourselves (in case we apply this technique at the level
individual): by observing this, what can we learn that helps us to
solve the problem? 4. Once some ideas have arisen, it must be done
strive to make connections 5. Next, you try to select ideas
choosing those that are feasible to solve the problem Second
variant The Forced Association technique can also be
applied starting from the decomposition. In this case, the object or the
problem is broken down into its parts 1. The problem is shown as broken down as possible, but
always trying to be synthetic without wandering 2. The elements are broken down
transcribing them with each of the fundamental words 3. You choose a word at random from the list and yes
proceeds to make associations, according to what the word inspires us, with the
characteristics of the problem itself. Something similar to the associative process
which takes place during psychoanalytic therapy. 4. Do you try to make sense of these words or do you
he continues by breaking them down further and associating them with new concepts. Finally, the resulting ideas are analyzed and chosen
the most practicable.