Making a list of all the ways one could use a butter knife requires

• A. divergent thinking.
• B. convergent thinking.
• C. a mental set.
• D. a representative heuristic.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of divergent thinking: Divergent thinking involves generating multiple solutions or ideas for a given problem. It is often associated with creativity and the ability to think outside the box.
2. Recognize the context of the problem: The task is to make a list of all the ways one could use a butter knife, which requires generating a variety of ideas and possibilities.
3. Identify the thinking process involved: Since the task involves coming up with multiple uses, it aligns with divergent thinking, which is about exploring many possible solutions.
4. Differentiate from convergent thinking: Convergent thinking involves narrowing down multiple possibilities to find a single, correct answer. This is not applicable in this scenario as the task is about expanding possibilities.
5. Consider other options: A mental set refers to a fixed way of thinking based on past experiences, and a representative heuristic is a mental shortcut for making judgments. Neither of these is about generating multiple ideas, so they are not suitable for this task.