THINKING STYLES

CREATIVE THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING (CTPS)

UTK2012
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
2

Understand the Be aware of the

various styles of importance of styles
thinking and their of thinking in solving
purpose problems

Be able to use
different thinking
styles to solve
problems
INTRODUCTION
3

Islam encourages creativity and

creative thinking by various
means and ways.

Malik bin Nabi; the Quran is

definitely able to create a new
intellectual atmosphere that is
conducive to the progress of
different disciplines of sciences.

Generating ideas in a society is a

prerequisite for civilization, and
the Quran is the source of ideas.
 INTRODUCTION
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The Quran frees the human mind

from the domination of
materialistic desires so that ‘aql
may be adjusted to its original
status.

The Quran uses a variety of

thinking styles to communicate its
message to people with different
cognitive preferences.

Since human mind and its

capability is Allah’s creation, every
style is carefully and effectively
used to fulfill certain objectives.
 INTRODUCTION
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Thinking A way of thinking which we use/ prefer to

styles use when applying our intelligence and
knowledge to solve problems or
undertaken a given course of actions.

Purposes To solve problem and make decisions more

of effectively.
thinking To look at various options and perspectives before
styles: making decision.
To view a given problems more systematically.
SIMILARITIES OF THINKING STYLES
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 1. INTUITIVE THINKING STYLE
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 It is related to insight and inspiration given to Muslims

 Use their reason and intellect in the right manner, by
the means of Allah’s revelation.
 It is characterized by the way we make a decision
without having ample facts or information.
 Four conditions
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To make the decision We have a lot of

even though we have information but the
no information at all information is not
on which to base a relevant to the
decision to be taken. decision to be made.

We can take more than

one decision and We are in a hurry and
every decision is do not have time to
either equally good or search for information.
equally bad.
 2. SCIENTIFIC THINKING STYLE
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The Quran enhances the thinking ability of a man in matters of

natural sciences, encourage us to study nature.

To enable him to realize the greatness of Allah and to think for the
betterment of ummah.

Praising and enabling the pen and admiring acquisition of

knowledge were among the first verses of the Quran.

The Quran mentions certain scientific facts about heaven and earth,
oceans, mountains, fetal stages and other matters that preceded
scientific discoveries.
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 Four components
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Hypothesis Data collection

Objective Verification

Western
perspective
Example
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 3. RATIONAL THINKING STYLE
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Having the faculty of reasoning, endowed with the reason, exercising

one’s reason in a proper manner and having sound judgement.
 Rationality in Islam
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 Conceptual rationality (minimizing fuzziness and imprecision).

 Logical rationality (striving for consistency and avoiding
contradiction).
 Methodological rationality (questioning, doubting and criticizing,
justifying and demanding proof or evidence).
 Epistemological rationality (caring for empirical support and
avoiding conjecture).
 Ontological rationality (adapting a constant world view compatible
with the bulk of the S & T of the day).
 Valuation rationality (striving for goals).
 Practical rationality (adapting means that are likely to help attain
the goals in view).
 Purposes
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Proving and affirming the existence of Allah and His

Oneness.
• (al-Anbiya’: 22; al-Mukminun: 91)

Proving and affirming the day of judgement.

• (al-Rum: 27; al-Qiyamah: 3-5)

Attacking the faulty reasoning on the existence of Allah,

the hereafter and refuting misconceptions.
• (al-Tur: 35-36)
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 4. PERCEPTUAL THINKING STYLE
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The Qur’an comes to establish new perception about

some matters and to change man’s existing perception
of some other matters.
 Sharpen and expand the perception
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 Identifying various possibilities to explain things.

 Considering all the factors involved in anything.
 Seeing things from different points of view.
 Considering what is good, bad and interesting in
something.
 Identifying major and minor priorities in a matter or
situation.
 Identifying goals and objectives of an action and idea.
 Sharpen and expand the perception
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 Predicting various causes and sequences of an action.

 Distinguishing between opinion and fact.
 Making predictions and expectations.
 Making hypotheses.
 Considering views and opinions of other parties
regarding the subject matter.
Perception
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 5. EMOTIONAL THINKING STYLE
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 Emphatic thinking which highlights the care and mercy

of Allah towards His servants.
 It is used to touch the heart of readers or listeners
 Al-Nisa’: 27

 Taha: 81
 Western Perspective
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 Emotive thinking style is characterized by the use of

different emotions or feelings, whether positive or
negative, as the basis for making an opinion or
decision.
 It is used to answer questions such as
 what she likes and why
 what she hates and why
 what is considered valuable and why
 what is suspected and why
 what is appreciated and why
 what is scolded and why.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNY0AAUtH3g

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 6. POSITIVE THINKING STYLE
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It is the ability
to see the
Being good, the
optimistic usefulness
highlights the and benefits of
Islam something.
encourages significance of
man to be being positive.
optimistic and
discourages
any way of
pessimism.
 Aspects
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To have hope The concept

The concept
and trust in of Al-qadar if
Not to lose in of reliance
Allah’s taken in its
Allah’s mercy (Tawakkal)
guidance and correct
upon Allah
help to us interpretation
 Thinking Styles in the Quran
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Inquisitive Thinking Intuitive Thinking*

Scientific Thinking*
Objective Thinking
Rational Thinking*
Analogical Thinking
Perceptual Thinking*
Conceptual Thinking
Emotional Thinking*
Metaphorical Thinking
Positive Thinking*

* as discussed earlier.
 Western Styles Of Thinking
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Lateral Thinking Positive Thinking*

Creative Thinking Negative Thinking

Critical Thinking Value-Based Thinking

Analytical Thinking Proactive Thinking

Constructive Thinking Reactive Thinking

Pragmatic Thinking Historic Thinking

Systematic Thinking Mathematic Thinking

* as discussed earlier.
i. INQUISITIVE THINKING STYLES
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 Asking questions is one of the most effective tools in

teaching and learning.
 It leads to new ideas and concepts.
 Provoking questions can be noted as a general
phenomenon in the Quran to invoke people to think.
 More than 1,200 questions can be found in the Quran
for different purposes.
 Three types of question
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Questions, where the answer is given to provide new

information.

Questions, where the answer is already clear to the

reader, but the objective is to remind or to affirm facts.

Questions, where the answer is not given to initiate

thinking and reflection.
Examples of questions and its purposes:
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Affirming belief Glorifying Allah

• (Fatir: 3) • (al-Baqarah: 255)

Creating certainty Scolding the transgressors

• (al-Baqarah: 258) • (al-Mulk: 8, an-Nisa’: 95)

Disapproving Cautioning the reader

• (ar-Ra’d: 16)
• (al-Baqarah: 28, Yunus: 59)
Raising doubts about false beliefs
Cautioning mankind to past human that lead astray
history
• (Yunus: 35)
• (Fatir: 44)
 ii. OBJECTIVE THINKING STYLE
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 Objectivity means expressing claims and judgements

based on proofs, evidence and certainty, not on doubt
to avoid bias or personal interests or whims.
 The division of this thinking style:
 Seeking evidence (al-Baqarah: 111).

 Warning us not to rely on conjecture (Yunus: 36)

 Warning us not to be misled by desires and

prejudices (an-Nisa’: 135).
 Condemning blind following (al-Maidah: 104).
  FOOTBALL
 CHEETAH
PLAYERS

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 iii. ANALOGICAL THINKING STYLE
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This style of thinking uses similes in order to indicate

similarity of characteristics common between the two
things.

Analogical thinking can upgrade our intellect and

broaden our perception once used in a proper manner.
 Analogical Thinking
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 Discouraging polytheism, hypocrisy and disbelief by revealing the

consequences of their deeds in the Hereafter.
 (al-Nur: 39; Ibrahim: 18)

 Making a comparison of good words (i.e. word of Tawhid) and bad

words (i.e. words of disbelief).
 (Ibrahim: 24-25)

 Making a comparison between faith and ignorance.

 (Saba’: 19-21)
Analogical Thinking
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 iv. CONCEPTUAL THINKING STYLE
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 Conceptual expansion
 It is to construct, stretch, extend, modify and refine
concepts to fit new situations and thus creating new
meanings.
Concept Previous time Islam
Worship Religious ritual acts & All the actions that
religious good deeds please Allah
Fasting To refrain from To refrain from eating,
something drinking, sexual
intercourse and its
related activities from
sunrise until sunset
during the month of
Ramadan
 …continued
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 Conceptual combination
 Combination of two concepts together to produce a
new idea or meaning where a non-existent concept is
brought into being.
 Examples:

 The rope of Allah/ Habl Allah (al-’Imran: 10)

 The garment of Allah-conciousness/ Taqwa (al-
Baqarah: 187 & 197; al-A‘raf: 26)
 v. METAPHORICAL THINKING STYLE
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 The analogy or comparison of two things that in fact

do not have anything in common.
 It seeks parallels, commonalities or paradoxical
connections between two things.
 Purposes
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Proving something
Stressing and which is beyond the
affirming the Oneness reach of human
of Allah perception such as
(al-Zumar: 29) resurrection
(Fussilat: 39)

Warning us not to be
Encouraging and misled by our life’s
promoting good deeds materialistic
(al-Hadid: 20) temptations
(al-Hadid: 20)
 Western Styles Of Thinking
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Lateral Thinking Positive Thinking*

Creative Thinking Negative Thinking

Critical Thinking Value-Based Thinking

Analytical Thinking Proactive Thinking

Constructive Thinking Reactive Thinking

Pragmatic Thinking Historic Thinking

Systematic Thinking Mathematic Thinking

* as discussed earlier.
 i. LATERAL THINKING STYLE
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It means a way
The concept
of thinking that
was introduced
involve multiple
by Edward de
parallel
Bono in 1967.
approach.
 …continued
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Linear Thinking vs. Lateral Thinking

 …continued
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With 'parallel thinking' both sides (or all parties) are thinking
in parallel in the same direction.

Every moment each thinker is thinking in parallel with all the

other thinkers but there does not have to be agreement.

Statements or thoughts which are indeed contradictory are not

argued out but laid down in parallel.

In the final stage the way forward is 'designed' from the parallel
thought that have been laid out.
 …continued
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Lateral thinking forces the mind to think through the

problem in many different ways, later thinking leads to a
wide variety of great ideas to choose from.

It deliberately analyzes and re-analyzes situations in

alternative ways.

Lateral thinking produces an idea that best suits the

project goals because the process has exhausted every
possibility.
Example of Lateral Thinking:
Mind mapping
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Example of Lateral Thinking:
Six Thinking Hat
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 ii. CREATIVE THINKING STYLE
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This thinking

• is a way of thinking that generates something new or

different.
• involves having a different idea that works as well or
better than previous ideas.
• is generative and divergent in nature.
• involves looking at something from various angles
and possibilities to create various new perceptions,
concepts, ideas, designs, strategies, tactics,
hypotheses, rules, theories, new ways of solving and
easing conflicts.
What Constitute A Creative Idea?
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New

Unique Strange

Interesting Beneficial
 Tips to Enhance Creative Thinking
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Find your own • a time period where your creativity is

“Creative Period” at its peak and “Creative Trigger”

Find a friend and

• who could be your “sounding board”
companions

Leave whatever
problem you are • Refresh yourselves
thinking for a while

Use the Web to help • Yahoo it, Google it, Altavista it,
you generate and Youtube it, Bing it, Flickr it, Wiki it,
diverged your ideas Vimeo it
 Tips to Enhance Creative Thinking
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Attend talks, seminars, courses, forums and discussions

regarding ways to enhance your thinking skills

Always consume good food for the brain and its growth

Make friends with those who are creative.

Read materials about creativity

Use Creative Thinking Tools

• Five (5) Classic Creativity Methods

• Reverse Brainstorming
• Lotus Blossom Technique
 iii. CRITICAL THINKING STYLE
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It is a way of thinking that asseses the worth and validity od

something in existent.

It involves precise, persistent and objective analysis.

It is focused and convergent in nature.

It is a type of thinking which processes information around a

common point – an attempt to bring thoughts from different
directions into a union or common conclusion
 …continued
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It is used:

• To identify, analyze and evaluate arguments and

truth claims.
• To discover and overcome personal prejudice and
biases.
• To formulate and present convincing reasons in
support of conclusions.
• To make reasonable, intelligent decisions about
what to believe and what to do.
 …continued
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Critical Thinking Creative Thinking

❑ Analytic ❑ Generative
❑ Convergent ❑ Divergent
❑ Vertical ❑ Lateral
❑ Probability ❑ Possibility
❑ Judgment ❑ Suspended judgment
❑ Focused ❑ Diffuse
❑ Objective ❑ Subjective
❑ Answer ❑ An answer
❑ Left brain ❑ Right brain
❑ Verbal ❑ Visual
❑Linear ❑ Associative
❑ Reasoning ❑ Richness or Novelty
 …continued
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Tips to Be an expert in the fields you need to be critical about

Enhance
Critical
Thinking Learn from individuals who are good in asking sound,
critical questions
In every issues, try to ‘hear’ more than merely
receiving from both sides of the story
Learn to ‘read’ and understand what is explicit and
what is implicit
Use the web to learn more about critical thinking style

Attend talks, seminars, courses, forums and

discussions regarding ways to improve and then
enhance your thinking skills
Use Critical Thinking Guideline
 iv. ANALYTICAL THINKING STYLE
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The abstract separation of a whole into its constituent

parts in order to study the parts and their relations.

Separating and distinguishing elements of a concept,

idea, problem and issue in order to understand its
essential nature and inner relationships.
 …continued
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It is based on logical thinking as it focuses on

information and facts.

It involves breaking a given issue/ problem into

smaller components so that we are able to examine
each of the components in detail.

It is suitable to be used in making analysis and

criticisms.

It is not suitable to be used to create new ideas.

 …continued
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Tips to Enhance Analytical Thinking

• Breakdown big issues into their component parts.
• Ask those involve in the issue what are their main concerns
regarding the issue and what are the supporting ideas
• Categorize components of the issue into appropriate and suitable
sub-heading or grouping
• Learn to separate facts from opinions, fictions, unproved
hypotheses, and hearsay
• Learn to separate facts into three categories – important,
unimportant, totally irrelevant
• Attend talks, seminars, courses, forums and discussions
regarding ways to enhance your thinking skills
• Use Analytical Tools
• Journalistic Six or 5W+1H
• Fishbone or Ishikawa or Cause and Effect Diagram
…continued
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 …continued
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No Journalistic Examples
. Six 5W+1H
1 What? (An What is the real issue? What is the problem? What is your goal?
Act) What is it that you want to achieve? What really happened? What
went wrong? What is the current situation?
2 Where? (A Where did it happen? Where are we now? Where do we want to
Scene or go? Where do we find what we need?
The Source)
3 When? (Time When will it happen? When did it happen? When is the most
or Timing) suitable time? When will it finish?
4 Why? Why did it happen? Why should we act? Why are they so
(Purpose or successful? Why did we fail?
Objectives)
5 Who? (Actor Who is involved? Who is the stakeholders? Who did it? Who is
or Agent) the victim? Who benefit from this? Who is the expert on this
matter?
6 How? (The How did it happen? How can we prevent it? How could we achieve
Methods) our goals? How could we improve on this?
 Journalistic Six 5W+1H
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By using 5W+1H Tool, analyze this

statement and give your best
recommendation on how should the
Government of Malaysia handle this
matter?

• “Today, there is too many legal and illegal

immigrants (not to mention refugees) in
Malaysia, to the point where by, all the natural
resources available is not sufficient enough to
cater for the well-being of the people in this
country”
Fishbone / Ishikawa / Cause and Effect Diagram
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Fishbone / Ishikawa / Cause and Effect Diagram
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 Fishbone / Ishikawa / Cause and Effect Diagram
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An analytical tool to identify the possible causes of a particular

issue an breaking it down to several distinctive groupings that would
be easier to manage and solve

The possible groupings are:

• The 7 M’s [Man, Machine, Material, Method, Management,

Maintenance, Environment]
• The 8 P's [Price, Promotion, People, Processes, Place / Plant,
Policies, Procedures & Product (or Service)] (recommended for
administration and service industry)
• The 4 S's [Surroundings, Suppliers, Systems, Skills]
(recommended for service industry)
 v. CONSTRUCTIVE THINKING STYLE
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It aims at:

• Improving, strengthening, or correcting an idea or

an action.
• Preventing risks or losses.
• Ensuring that an idea can be implemented.
• Avoiding from the causes that may lead to failures.

It is used after thinking critically and negatively

Constructive Thinking is in fact the key to

emotional intelligence
 …continued
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Constructive thinking style is used after thinking critically

and negatively. Prior to understand constructive thinking, it
is essential to understand emotions.
One thing that most people don't realize is that their
emotions are affected by the manner in which they see the
circumstances, not the circumstances themselves.
Constructive thinking should be thought of as a way in
which you think constructively about the world around you.

Instead of allowing yourself to react to the events that occur

in your life, you will first learn to interpret these events.
The key to constructive thinking is understanding that
interpretations often will have an influence on your
emotions.
 …continued
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Constructive thinking is in fact the key to

emotional intelligence.

Seeks to:

Prevent risks or losses.

Improve, strengthen, enhance or correct an idea or action.
Ensure that an idea can be implemented.
Avoiding from the causes that may lead to failures.
 vi. PRAGMATIC THINKING STYLE
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It focuses on the practical aspects of things.

It gives priority to ideas that can be implemented as

opposed to ideas that look good may not be difficult
to implement.

It can be used to evaluate a given idea.

 …continued
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The main elements of pragmatic thinking are:

• Practical.
• Realistic.
• Sensible.
• Suitable.
 …continued
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The characteristics of pragmatic thinking style are:

• Prioritize ideas that can be implemented.

• Place ideas appropriate to the circumstances and
situations.
• Think of what to do if the unexpected happens.
• Look at various aspects of the problem and solve it
one by one.
• Look at an idea from the point of short-term profit.
 CONCLUSION
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There are various thinking styles either mentioned in the

Qur'an or introduced by Western thinkers.

Thinking styles in Islam and the West incorporate many

qualities.

Each and every thinking style has its own strength and
can be used in any appropriate circumstances, issues
and problems.
 CONCLUSION
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In fact, this thinking style can be used simultaneously

whenever it suits the circumstances.

In addition, the use of various thinking styles that are

coupled with several thinking tools can help man to
think in an optimum way and this will lead to problem
solving.
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