Thinking Skills and DispositionsUnderstanding of thinking skills within the Thinking Approach is based on the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) developed by Genrich Altshuller and one of its branches - the General Theory of Powerful Thinking proposed by Genrich Altshuller and further developed by Nikolai Khomenko. The first version of thinking skills was presented in an article written by Nikolai Khomenko and Alexander Sokol as a part of their joined paper for the Altshuller Institute Conference in the year 2000. Later on we extended this version by re-classifying skills according to the stages of the problem solving process and introducing dispositions that are necessary for an efficient problem-solver as it is conceptualised in OTSM.
Below you can see the version of thinking skills and dispositions we are currently working with. These may also be referred to as inventive thinking skills or OTSM-TRIZ skills.
Inventive Thinking Skills
Group 1. Main skills for working with models of elements and situations.
Build a necessary number of models for a description of a given element
- build a necessary number of different models on various levels of
abstractness
- build a necessary number of different models with a different
degree of precision
- build a necessary number of different models from various points of
view
- build a necessary number of different models with a various degree
of ‘reality’
- build a necessary number of different models changing any other
feature necessary in a given situation.
Define limitations in the use of a given model- check whether the model is applicable in a given situation.
- find context for an effective application of a given model.
- find an adequate model for a given situation
- measure the degree of objectivity of a model used.
Change between different models for a description of a situation- look at own models from the point of view of an impartial observer.
- see pluses and minuses of models of description that are different
from one’s own
- accommodate various models of description of a situation and draw
connections between them.
Group 2. Skills for description of elements of a problem situation.
Describe elements by defining parameters and their values- find elements on the basis of their descriptions as lists of
parameters and / or a list of their values.
- define the function of an element as a change of one value under a
specific parameter.
- describe a
system as a group of elements aimed for the provision of one system shape
feature.
- describe
immaterial elements by means of lists of parameters and their values.
- describe
parameters and their values as elements that have their own parameters and
their values.
Describe elements as systems that have their sub-systems and are themselves parts of different super-systems- describe an element as a collection of other elements.
- describe an
element as a part of larger set of elements.
- describe an element as a part of the hierarchy of different other
elements.
Describe elements as systems that permanently change in time- describe an element in the process of change according to the
objective laws of system evolution.
- describe an
element in the process of change according to the laws and effects
characteristic of a given field.
- describe an element in the context of various lines of its evolution from the
past to the present and to the future.
- define various degrees of predetermination of possible changes of
an element
Describe elements as systems that have their own anti-systems- describe anti-elements via opposite values of systemshape features
of an element
- extend my
consideration from specific values of features to various possible
anti-elements that have such a feature
- find possible anti-elements in the context of various hierarchies
of a given element and the lines of its evolution.
Group 3. Skills for description of a problem situation.
Describe situations going from concrete to abstract models and back- vary the number of elements and their features when describing a
situation.
- vary the
degree of precision of elements and their features.
- define the most important features that can play the role of system
shape features in a given situation.
Describe situations going beyond possible and known- define the difference between the real and the imaginary.
- use
fairy-tale, fantastic and other imaginary transformations for solving a
problem.
- turn fantastic assumption into real ones.
- easily change from a fantastic description of a situation to a real
one and back.
Describe situations recognizing and distinguishing the influence of objective and subjective factors- distinguish between objective and subjective factors when building
models of elements.
- define
those objective factors that determine the peculiarities of a given
situation.
- establish connections between the objective factors determining
peculiarities of a given situation and the subjective factors that call
for its change.
Describe situations as a result of a change of values of parameters of elements- describe events as a change of one and the same parameter of an
element.
- vary the
values of features of an element on a wide scale and trace the changes.
- trace qualitative changes of values of other parameters that appear
as a result of a change of a given parameter.
Describe events as a result of an interaction of several elements- describe events as a result of an interaction of several elements.
- describe
events as causes and effects of some other events.
- present effects and laws as causes of interaction of several
events.
Group 4. Skills for transformation of models of a problem situation.
Transform the description of a problem situation considering the demands of ideality - describe a problem situation by means of formulating a specific
Ideal Final Result for a specific contradiction.
- build an ideal model of a problem solution.
- describe a problem situation on different levels of ideality.
Transform the description of a problem situation in view of emerging contradictions- combine the opposites.
- define undesirable consequences of positive necessary results and
positive consequences of negative undesirable results.
- describe the underlying cause of a problem as a contradiction.
- see a contradiction as an obstacle on the way from the resources of
initial situation to the ideal final solution.
- intensify contradiction in order to reduce the space of possible
solutions.
- describe a problem situation by means of various types of
contradictions.
- describe a problem situation by means of a system of
contradictions.
Transform the description of a problem situation considering the available resources- define internal resources of elements.
- define super-system resources of elements.
- take advantage of a change of resources in time.
- derive resources using laws and effects.
- establish connections between features of resources of elements
that are present in a problem situation and general laws of system
evolution.
Transform the description of a problem situation in view of peculiarities of a specific situation- define the aims of analysis of a problem situation.
- analyse any problem situation taking account of its peculiarities
and variants of their development.
- define which objective laws, trends and effects prevent the
problem-solver from reaching the aims of analysis.
- define the elements that cause a conflict between the aims of
analysis and objective laws, trends and effects.
- ‘break’ objective laws of evolution abiding by the same laws and
following them.
Transform the description of a problem situation in view of typical solutions- build various models of a typical problem.
- describe a
problem situation via various types of typical problems.
- transform the description of a typical problem into the description
of a typical solution.
Group 5. Skills for preparation and evaluation of solution.
Build a solution to a problem- define positive effects of any partial solution appearing in the
course of problem solving
- define the balance of positive and negative effects when shaping
the final solution.
- find partial solutions to the problem.
- transform
partial solution into a complex final solution that meets the demands of a
given specific situation.
Evaluate the solution of a problem- evaluate the proposed solutions in the context of general laws of
systems evolution.
- evaluate the proposed solutions in the context of subjective
requirements of a given specific situation.
- evaluate new implementations of the developed solution.
Evaluate the process of arriving at the solution of a problem- evaluate the process of problem solving and motivate the choice of
this or that instrument.
- evaluate if the problem solving tools are used correctly in the
process of building a solution.
- use the principle found for a given problem in the further practice
of problem-solving.
Inventive Thinking Dispositions
Meta Dispositions
- constantly ‘grow’ and improve one’s own skills
- have a system of new and worthy personal aims behind every activity
- work towards achievement of personal aims no matter what
- find, pose and resolve problems
Group 1. Main dispositions for working with models of elements and situations.
- build a necessary number of different models.
- find limitations of models.
- change between different models to produce a better description.
Group 2. Dispositions for description of elements of a problem situation.
- describe elements via parameters and their values.
- present elements as systems that have their own sub-systems and are
themselves parts of different super-systems.
- present elements as systems that permanently change in time.
- present elements as systems that have their own anti-systems.
Group 3. Dispositions for description of a problem situation.
- go from concrete models to abstract ones and vice versa
- make models which go beyond possible and known.
- recognise and distinguish between the influence of objective and
subjective factors.
- present situations as a result of a change of values of parameters
of elements.
- describe situations as an interaction of several elements.
Group 4. Dispositions for transformation of models of a problem situation.
- transform the description of a problem situation considering the
demands of ideality.
- transform the description of a problem situation in view of
emerging contradictions.
- transform the description of a problem situation considering the
available resources.
- transform the description of a problem situation in view of
peculiarities of a specific situation
- transform the description of a problem situation in view of typical
solutions.
Group 5. Dispositions for preparation and evaluation of solution.
- build (rather than find) a
solution to a problem.
- evaluate a given solution to a problem.
- evaluate the process of arriving at a solution to a problem.
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