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Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults

Here is our list of the best problem solving games, activities and exercises for adults.

Problem solving games are activities that require players to use critical thinking skills to solve puzzles. Example activities include escape rooms, Sudoku, and murder mysteries. The purpose of these exercises is to sharpen reasoning and decision-making skills in group settings and to do team building with employees.

These activities are a subset of remote team games , found in problem solving books , and are similar to team puzzles , team building brain teasers and team riddles .

This article contains:

• team building problem solving activities for employees
• free problem solving games for adults
• virtual problem solving activities for students
• group problem solving activities
• problem solving team builders

Here we go!

List of problem solving games & activities

From word and number puzzles to role-playing games, here is a list of inexpensive and free problem solving team builders that help groups practice the art of critical thinking and compromise.

1. Espionage! (Team Favorite)

For an exciting game of social deduction, check out Espionage! This thrilling experience will put your team’s wits and instincts to the test.

Espionage! offers the following:

• a 90-minute session led by an experienced host
• undercover teams of agents and spies
• challenging puzzles, tasks, and maneuvers
• team conversations to help uncover secret identities

The best part is we will bring all the necessary game materials to your preferred location. If you are interested in boosting communication and critical-thinking skills within your team, then consider Espionage!

Learn more about Espionage!

2. Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh (Hosted)

You can turn your team into skilled detectives with Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh! In this captivating mystery, participants will locate the stolen artwork, The Bedroom .

Key features of this experience include:

• a 90-minute adventure led by a world-class host
• detailed puzzles, clues, and mysteries to unravel
• trails of evidence and hidden secrets
• group discussions to find the art

Additionally, you can include a cocktail kit to spice up your event. Through Art Heist, you will enhance your team’s ingenuity and problem-solving skills!

Learn more about Art Heist: The Vanishing of Van Gogh .

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• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. War of the Wizards (Popular)

With War of the Wizards, teams roleplay as minions of powerful wizards to vanquish forces of evil. Participants will play thrilling games and go on a quest to restore harmony to the realm!

War of the Wizards offers the following:

• a 90-minute journey guided by a distinguished host
• immersive storytelling that transports players into a magical realm
• engaging activities like world-building, role-playing games, and storytelling
• opportunities for forming alliances, facing challenges, and going on quests

Through the power of imagination and teamwork, your team can overcome tasks and participate in an epic fantasy battle. To improve communication and bonds, include War of the Wizards in your agenda!

Learn more about War of the Wizards .

Sudoku is one of the most popular free problem solving games for adults. The objective of this game is to fill each box of a 9×9 grid so that every row, column, and letter contains each number from one to nine. The puzzle makes a great team challenge. To play Sudoku on Zoom, screen share the game board. Then, turn on the annotation features. Using the add text functions, participants can fill in the numbers on the grid.

We made a starter puzzle you can use in your next meeting or virtual team bonding session:

Here are more online Sudoku puzzles .

5. Crossword puzzles

Crossword puzzles are word games that ask players to fill in words based on clues. Words interconnect, and players must think critically about the surrounding words to select the right phrase for the space.

You can use an online crossword puzzle maker to create a custom puzzle. Here are a few themes you may want to consider:

• teammates’ tastes and interests
• company knowledge and history
• industry terms and trends

Or, create a miscellaneous puzzle just for fun.

We made a sample puzzle you can use for your game:

To complete puzzles during online meetings, you can use the share screen function and add text through annotations.

Or, subscribers can play the New York Times’ daily crossword puzzle virtually . Dictionary.com also offers a free daily online crossword puzzle .

Check out more vocabulary games .

6. Online Escape Rooms

Escape rooms are timed games that get groups working together to solve puzzles. Traditionally, players enter a locked room and must complete all puzzles in an hour or two to unlock the door. However, groups can also play escape rooms online.

Digital escape rooms typically come in one of two forms: in a Zoom room and led by a host, or in a choose-your-own adventure format via Google Forms or websites. To play escape rooms virtually, enter a video meeting and follow the prompts, or screen share the Google Form and work out the puzzles together.

Check out our full list of online escape rooms .

7. Murder Mysteries

Murder Mysteries are story-based games that ask players to take on the roles of suspects or detectives while trying to identify a killer. These games often involve reading lines from a script, searching for clues, and occasionally solving puzzles to get hints.

These games make participants pay attention to conversations, analyze other characters’ behavior, and search for hidden meaning in the script. Players must use their powers of observation and logic to unravel the mystery.

Check out our list of Zoom murder mystery games .

8. Treasure Hunts

Treasure hunts are scavenger hunts with intention. While virtual scavenger hunts often ask players to collect random items, treasure hunts require participants to locate clues that lead to other prompts and hints. The game typically ends with players finding a treasure or solving a mystery, sometimes both.

The treasure hunt can have a specific theme such as secret agent missions or a hunt for pirate treasure, or you can run a more general hunt. Teammates can either compete simultaneously via Zoom call, or can play the hunt on an app individually and compete to beat each other’s scores.

Check out our list of treasure hunt apps .

9. Poem or story challenge

Most team building problem solving activities for employees revolve around science, math, and logic. Poem/story challenges rely on writing skills and are sure to appeal to the language lovers on your team.

Each player receives a limited word bank to use to create a story or poem. Then, players have a few minutes to craft their pieces. Afterward, everyone reads out or screen shares their creations.

Here are a few word challenge activities you can do remotely:

• Found poems or stories : Participants make poems or stories out of words they find by visiting websites, searching emails, glancing out the window, or taking a walk or drive around the neighborhood.
• Random word generators : Teammates use a random word generator to populate a word bank, and must use each word in the poem or story.
• Poetry magnets : Group members make poems using poetry magnets. You can send poetry magnet sets to employees and assemble the verses on a cookie pan during a Zoom call. Or, teammates can play with poetry magnets online .
• Page poems: Participants receive one page of a book or magazine, and must make a poem or story by blocking out other words so only the chosen text remains visible. This activity is part storytelling, part art, since story crafters can illustrate the pages as part of the design.
• Ransom note stories or poems : Players cut out letters from magazines and must form new words to make poems and stories. Or, players can receive a mix of random letters, form words, and run the text through a ransom note generator .

These activities are suitable for teams and individual players.

10. Moral challenge

Some problems are ethical rather than factual. Moral judgment plays just as important a role in the decision-making process as technical prowess. Players can flex their moral problem-solving skills by tackling ethical dilemmas or social puzzles.

Here are some social problem solving games online:

• Moral machine
• Scruples – the game of moral dilemmas
• Morality play

To play these games, either download the apps, or pull up the website and then screen share the prompts. These games are best played when discussed as a group, because the more belief systems and opinions, the harder an issue is to resolve. These exercises provide practice for real-life conflict resolution.

You can find similar challenges on our list of online personality tests .

11. Frostbite

Frostbite is a group game that hones team leaders’ communication skills while sharpening teammates’ listening and cooperation skills. The premise behind the game is that a group of explorers gets caught in a snowstorm and must build a shelter. Frostbite has paralyzed the leaders’ hands and snow-blinded the rest of the team. The leader must give the team instructions to build a tent that can resist arctic winds.

To play Frostbite, each teammate wears a blindfold. Then, the leader gives directions. Once the structures are complete, players turn on a fan to test whether tents can withstand the wind.

Frostbite is usually an in-person game, however you can also play virtually. In the remote version of the game, teammates construct tents out of cards and tape, while the leader surveys the scene on screen.

This exercise demonstrates the challenges of leading remotely, as teams need to operate with minimal oversight or supervisor observation. Therefore, instructions need to be clear and direct to be effective.

Check out more team building games .

12. Virtual Hackathons

Hackathons are events where participants have a set amount of time to design and pitch a new product or solution. This type of event originated in the programming world and is often used to create new apps, however you can apply the game to any industry or school subject.

Virtual hackathons are online versions of the event. Teams enter the competition, then work with each other via virtual meeting software or remote work communication platforms to design the solution. At the end of the competition, teams pitch ideas to a panel of judges and a winner is decided.

To run a virtual hackathon, first announce the theme of the event and collect sign-ups. So that no teams work ahead, hint at the general idea of the issue, and only explain the precise problem when the event begins. Then, give teams anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete the project.

Discover more virtual hackathon ideas .

13. Improv games

Improv games are excellent problem solving activities. These exercises force participants to think and respond quickly to keep scenes moving in a logical and entertaining way.

Here are some good problem solving improv games:

Banned words : Performers cannot say certain words. Scene partners will conceive of situations that encourage the actors to use those words, and the actors must find alternatives, such as using synonyms or taking the scene in a new direction.

Scenes from a chat : Audience gives a suggestion for a scene, and players act the scene out. Though it’s a fictional and often ridiculous scenario, actors must react to the situation and solve the problem in order for the scene to end.

Miracle cure : Miracle cure is a quick-moving exercise that follows a simple format. One player declares, “I have a problem.” Another player responds, “I have a….[random object.]” The first player then replies, “great! I can use the [random object] to….” and describes how they will solve the problem.

Check out more problem-solving improv games .

14. Spaghetti Tower

The spaghetti tower is a classic team building game. Participants gather uncooked spaghetti and marshmallows, and must construct the tallest freestanding tower.

During the in-person version, players must construct one tall freestanding tower. However, for the virtual version of the game, players construct individual towers. You can send groups to breakout rooms for the build, then reconvene in the main room for judging. Teams are judged on three main factors: number of towers, height, and uniformity.

This version of the game not only tests the structural integrity of the tower, but also consistency and quality control. This exercise teaches teams to align and collaborate remotely, and produce a consistent product even when far apart.

15. What Would You Do?

What Would You Do? is a simple situational game that challenges participants to react to different circumstances. To play this game, read prompts one by one, and then ask participants to respond with gameplans. You can use the polling or raise hand feature to vote for the best option.

Here are some problem solving scenarios for adults or kids to use in the game:

• Zombies attack and you have to find a place to hide.
• You are at the zoo and the animals escape. Which one do you try to corral back into the pen first?
• After waiting in line for hours, someone cuts in front of you last minute. The person appears to be visually and hearing impaired, and doesn’t notice your protests. An official announces that due to diminishing supply, this individual will be the last in line to be served.
• You are eating a meal with important clients and/or your partner’s parents, and you want to impress. The individuals make you a dish that does not fit within your dietary restrictions, but you do not speak the same language and cannot explain why you do not want to eat.
• An imposter has infiltrated the organization, who looks, speaks, and behaves exactly like you. How do you convince your peers that you are the original?

For similar dilemmas, check out this list of Would You Rather? questions.

16. Desert Island Survival

Desert Island Survival is a game that challenges players to prioritize. The premise is that players have been stranded on an island, and must decide what order to perform survival steps.

Here are the possible actions:

• Set up shelter
• Explore the island
• Try to signal for help
• Make weapons for self-defense
• Build a raft to escape the island
• Start a fire
• Choose a group leader
• Search for other survivors

All group members must agree on the order of the steps. Players should explain the reasoning for the order of each step while ranking the actions.

Another version of the game involves players receiving a list of 15 to 20 items, and selecting five or so to bring to the island. You can also vary the location of the game, substituting remote islands for destinations like outer space or the distant past.

17. Choose Your Own Adventure

Choose Your Own Adventure stories enable readers to determine the outcome of the story by making decisions. Each action has a consequence that takes the tale in a different direction. Participants can try to guess how the story may unfold by talking through the different choices. When completing the activity in a group setting, the majority of the team must agree on an action before moving forward in the story.

There are a few ways to facilitate these activities online:

• Play an online role playing video game
• Watch an interactive movie like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
• Read from a Choose Your Own Adventure book on Zoom
• Click through a Choose Your Own Adventure platform
• Create your own story using a Google Form

Whichever way you choose to do the exercise, you can use the screen share feature in your virtual meeting software so that listeners can more easily follow along.

18. MacGyver

MacGyver is a show where the hero escapes sticky situations by improvising tools out of unlikely materials. For example, in one episode the hero makes a telescope out of a newspaper, magnifying lens, and a watch crystal.

To play MacGyver, you can either list three to five objects participants can use, or challenge players to use items that are within arms reach.

Simply state a desired end result, such as “a way to open a locked door,” or “a getaway vehicle,” and then ask teams to explain what they will build and how they will build it. To make the activity more collaborative, you can give teams five or ten minutes in breakout rooms to strategize and design a prototype.

19. Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a roleplaying game where players pretend to be magical figures and creatures. One player serves as the dungeon master, who guides the game, while the other players pick characters and make decisions to move the story forward. Upon choosing a course of action, players roll a twenty-sided die to determine whether or not the plan succeeds. The game is story-based, the possibilities are nearly limitless, and truly creative problem solving options arise. Also, since gameplay is mostly verbal, Dungeons & Dragons is an easy activity to do over Zoom.

Here are the basic rules for Dungeons & Dragons .

20. Pandemic

Pandemic is a game that pits players against the forces of nature in a race to contain and control disease outbreaks. At the beginning of the game, each player receives a role such as containment specialist or operations expert. Participants must carry out the duties of their roles by choosing appropriate actions. Pandemic is a great game for groups because each team member has a clear part to play, and players must collaborate and work together instead of competing against each other.

To play the game online, you can use a Pandemic game app , or talk through the exercise while one attendee moves and displays pieces on the board.

Note: The subject of this game might hit too close to home for some players, considering recent history. You can find games with similar mechanics that deal with different subject matter, such as Forbidden Island.

Check out more team building board games .

21. Model UN

Model UN is one of the best virtual problem solving activities for students. This exercise casts participants in the role of international diplomats who must negotiate to solve realistic problems. Each player assumes the role of a country ambassador and must form alliances and propose solutions to solve crises.

Here are some sample Model UN scenarios:

• Human rights violation by powerful country
• Food shortage
• Disease epidemic
• Technology privacy violations
• Civil war branching into surrounding countries
• Natural disasters

Depending on the size of the group, participants either take on the part of an entire government of a country, or play a certain role within the government. To carry out the activity on Zoom, players can take turns giving speeches, message other countries privately via the chat, meet in breakout rooms to form alliances or have more intimate discussions, and use the polling feature to vote on propositions.

If politics does not resonate with your group, then you can alter the exercise by applying the same activity structure to a different theme, such as the Justice League, movie characters, business board members, or reality TV stars.

The main purpose of the exercise is to research, talk through problems, and compromise. As long as these elements are present, then the specifics of the setup do not matter.

There are many types of problem solving activities for adults. You can do online problem solving games, which require a different skill set than in-person problem solving. For instance, communication must be much clearer and more abundant when group members are far apart and unable to demonstrate or pick up physical cues.

Though many problem solving games include props and in-person elements, there are many games you can play together online. These exercises work well as educational tools as well as team bonding accelerators. Upon completion, participants are likely to feel a sense of accomplishment and increased confidence. These games are also great practice for real life conflict resolution, creative thinking and team building.

Next check out this list of connection games , this collection of crime-solving games , and this post with conflict resolution games .

We also have a list of the best decision making books and a list of team building problems for work .

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FAQ: Problem solving activities

Here are common answers to questions about group problem solving activities.

What are problem solving games?

Problem solving games are challenges that ask players to think critically and use logic to overcome issues or answer riddles. Examples include sudoku, murder mysteries, and spaghetti towers. These games are also known as “problem solving exercises”, “problem and solution games” and “group problem solving activities.”

What are the best problem solving games for groups?

The best problem solving games for groups include online escape rooms, moral challenges, and improv games.

What are some good problem solving team building activities for students?

Some good problem solving activities for students include crossword puzzles, choose your own adventure stories, and model UN.

How do you play problem solving games online?

The best way to play problem solving games online is to join a video call meeting to talk through the issue. Using the screen sharing and digital whiteboard features helps participants visualize the problem more clearly. Breakout rooms give teams the chance to discuss the issue more intimately.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Strategies to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Got problems? We all do.

They’re something we encounter daily, both at work and at home. Tackling problems and finding solutions are useful skills that are in high demand.

At a basic level, there are three steps to solving any problem:

• Define the problem
• Generate ideas for solutions
• Implement solutions

You might be tempted to think that the first step is unnecessary. After all, that’s why you’re here in the first place, to solve a problem. However, defining the problem is arguably the most important step in problem-solving.

Albert Einstein is famously quoted as saying, “If I had an hour to solve a problem I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”

When you can spend more time defining the real problem, and not just a symptom, it will be easier to find a lasting solution.

How to better define the problem:

• Ask “why” questions
• Talk it through with others
• Write down the problem in words
• Use graphs or flow charts

Now that we’ve talked about the steps of solving a problem and how to better define it, let’s dig into some strategies to help your brain perform at its best for solving problems.

“Thanks to a process called neuroplasticity, your brain is continually reorganizing itself by forming new neural connections throughout your life, which gives you the power to make your brain better.” – Daniel G. Amen, MD

Neuroplasticity enables your brain to continue to learn and grow throughout your life. Like your muscles, your brain needs exercise to become stronger. Becoming a life-long learner will not only strengthen your brain, but also sharpen your memory, boost confidence, and bring new knowledge and skills into your life.

3 Ways to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

1.    Regularly Engage in Brain Boosting Activities

There are a number of easy and fun ways to strengthen your brain. Adding one or more of these activities into your daily routines can help boost your brain and result in better problem-solving abilities.

• Work on a jigsaw puzzle – Puzzles can be done on your own, or as a social activity. Putting together a puzzle requires concentration and spatial awareness, activating multiple parts of the brain and improving short-term memory.
• Play a musical instrument – Research has shown that learning to play an instrument can improve neuroplasticity and help improve your memory. Playing music engages multiple regions of the brain, providing numerous benefits. Maybe it’s been a while since you last played, or maybe you’ve never learned an instrument. Either way, it’s never too late to tap into your musical side and begin making music.
• Try a new hobby – Remember the “use it or lose it” concept when it comes to the brain. It’s recommended to never stop learning new things. Challenge yourself, no matter your age! Trying new hobbies is a great mental exercise to sharpen your brain. You also may find a new activity that brings more joy to your life.
• Meditate – The practice of meditation has been around for thousands of years as a tool for reducing stress, clearing your mind, promoting relaxation, and improving focus. Meditation is a powerful tool that can boost your brain anytime, anywhere.
• Play brain games – Chess, crossword puzzles, and sudoku all fall under this category. Brain games are an easy and fun way to improve concentration and strengthen memory. The best part is that they only take a few minutes to play and offer a nice break during the day.
• Read a book with a book club – Reading a book offers many benefits, including stimulating different areas of your brain to process and analyze information. When you participate in a reading group , your brain will need to remember information for later recall. This information recall is highly beneficial to protecting short-term memory. Book clubs also can provide a fun and supportive social network.

2.    Spend time NOT looking for the solution

This is counterintuitive, but it’s an important strategy to use when working on a problem. Allow yourself some downtime after defining the problem.

Let your subconscious do some work. Setting a task aside for a time can actually improve your efforts later. When you return to the problem at hand, you’ll likely have a fresh perspective.

What should you do while giving your brain a break from active problem-solving? Enjoy a hobby, get some rest, or move your body with a walk or other form of exercise.

3.    Practice healthy habits

You guessed it, those healthy habits that affect so many areas of your life are also tied to a healthy brain. Exercise, a healthy diet, and quality sleep can all help your brain function better and improve your problem-solving skills overall.

• Exercise – Moving your body increases blood flow to the brain, which can improve your ability to think critically, clearly, and creatively. Additionally, physical activity is a known way to reduce stress and anxiousness. Research has shown creativity and problem-solving to be negatively affected by stress. Using exercise to combat stress can improve your ability to find solutions with a clear mind. By exercising regularly, your overall physical, emotional, and brain health may be positively impacted.
• Healthy Diet – Dr. Daniel Amen teaches that one of the secrets to a healthy brain is to focus on detoxification in your diet. This includes avoiding alcohol, drinking plenty of water, and consuming detoxifying vegetables . Some good vegetables to incorporate into your diet would be lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, and asparagus. You also may try increasing your protein intake for a healthy brain, or try adding in turmeric , which can increase neuroplasticity.
• Quality Sleep – Finally, don’t forget about the impact quality sleep, or the lack of it, can have on your brain function and problem-solving abilities. Getting a good night’s rest gives your brain time to recharge and that necessary downtime of not actively thinking about the problems needing solving. While you sleep, your subconscious has a chance to do some work for you!

When you engage in brain-boosting activities, take some downtime, and practice healthy habits you’ll be better prepared for the problems in your days. And, next time you’re faced with the inevitable problems that come with life and work, you can address them with more clarity and confidence.

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14 Best Team Building Problem Solving Group Activities For 2024

The best teams see solutions where others see problems. A great company culture is built around a collaborative spirit and the type of unity it takes to find answers to the big business questions.

So how can you get team members working together?

How can you develop a mentality that will help them overcome obstacles they have yet to encounter?

One of the best ways to improve your teams’ problem solving skills is through team building problem solving activities .

“86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.” — Bit.AI

These activities can simulate true-to-life scenarios they’ll find themselves in, or the scenarios can call on your employees or coworkers to dig deep and get creative in a more general sense.

The truth is, on a day-to-day basis, you have to prepare for the unexpected. It just happens that team building activities help with that, but are so fun that they don’t have to feel like work ( consider how you don’t even feel like you’re working out when you’re playing your favorite sport or doing an exercise you actually enjoy! )

What are the benefits of group problem-solving activities?

The benefits of group problem-solving activities for team building include:

• Better communication
• Improved collaboration and teamwork
• More flexible thinking
• Faster problem-solving
• Better proactivity and decision making

Without further ado, check out this list of the 14 best team-building problem-solving group activities for 2024!

Page Contents (Click To Jump)

Popular Problem Solving Activities

1. virtual team challenge.

Virtual Team Challenges are popular problem-solving activities that involve a group of people working together to solve an issue. The challenge generally involves members of the team brainstorming, discussing, and creating solutions for a given problem.

Participants work both individually and collaboratively to come up with ideas and strategies that will help them reach their goals.

Why this is a fun problem-solving activity: Participants can interact and communicate with each other in a virtual environment while simultaneously engaging with the problem-solving activities. This makes it an enjoyable experience that allows people to use their creative thinking skills, build team spirit, and gain valuable insights into the issue at hand.

Problem-solving activities such as Virtual Team Challenges offer a great way for teams to come together, collaborate, and develop creative solutions to complex problems.

2. Problem-Solving Templates

Problem-Solving Templates are popular problem-solving activities that involve a group of people working together to solve an issue. The challenge generally involves members of the team utilizing pre-made templates and creating solutions for a given problem with the help of visual aids.

This activity is great for teams that need assistance in getting started on their problem-solving journey.

Why this is a fun problem-solving activity: Problem-Solving Templates offer teams an easy and stress-free way to get the creative juices flowing. The visual aids that come with the templates help team members better understand the issue at hand and easily come up with solutions together.

This activity is great for teams that need assistance in getting started on their problem-solving journey, as it provides an easy and stress-free way to get the creative juices flowing.

Problem Solving Group Activities & Games For Team Building

3. coworker feud, “it’s all fun and games”.

Coworker Feud is a twist on the classic Family Feud game show! This multiple rapid round game keeps the action flowing and the questions going. You can choose from a variety of customizations, including picking the teams yourself, randomized teams, custom themes, and custom rounds.

Best for: Hybrid teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Coworker Feud comes with digital game materials, a digital buzzer, an expert host, and a zoom link to get the participants ready for action! Teams compete with each other to correctly answer the survey questions. At the end of the game, the team with the most competitive answers is declared the winner of the Feud.

How to get started:

• Sign up for Coworker Feud
• Break into teams of 4 to 10 people
• Get the competitive juices flowing and let the games begin!

Learn more here: Coworker Feud

4. Crack The Case

“who’s a bad mamma jamma”.

Crack The Case is a classic WhoDoneIt game that forces employees to depend on their collective wit to stop a deadly murderer dead in his tracks! Remote employees and office commuters can join forces to end this crime spree.

Best for: Remote teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: The Virtual Clue Murder Mystery is an online problem solving activity that uses a proprietary videoconferencing platform to offer the chance for employees and coworkers to study case files, analyze clues, and race to find the motive, the method, and the individual behind the murder of Neil Davidson.

• Get a custom quote here
• Download the app
• Let the mystery-solving collaboration begin!

Learn more here: Crack The Case

5. Catch Meme If You Can

“can’t touch this”.

Purposefully created to enhance leadership skills and team bonding , Catch Meme If You Can is a hybrid between a scavenger hunt and an escape room . Teammates join together to search for clues, solve riddles, and get out — just in time!

Best for: Small teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Catch Meme If You Can is an adventure with a backstory. Each team has to submit their answer to the puzzle in order to continue to the next part of the sequence. May the best team escape!

• The teams will be given instructions and the full storyline
• Teams will be split into a handful of people each
• The moderator will kick off the action!

Learn more here: Catch Meme If You Can

6. Puzzle Games

“just something to puzzle over”.

Puzzle Games is the fresh trivia game to test your employees and blow their minds with puzzles, jokes , and fun facts!

Best for: In-person teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Eight mini brain teaser and trivia style games include word puzzles, name that nonsense, name that tune, and much more. Plus, the points each team earns will go towards planting trees in the precious ecosystems and forests of Uganda

• Get a free consultation for your team
• Get a custom designed invitation for your members
• Use the game link
• Dedicated support will help your team enjoy Puzzle Games to the fullest!

Learn more here: Puzzle Games

7. Virtual Code Break

“for virtual teams”.

Virtual Code Break is a virtual team building activity designed for remote participants around the globe. Using a smart video conferencing solution, virtual teams compete against each other to complete challenges, answer trivia questions, and solve brain-busters!

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Virtual Code Break can be played by groups as small as 4 people all the way up to more than 1,000 people at once. However, every team will improve their communication and problem-solving skills as they race against the clock and depend on each other’s strengths to win!

• Reach out for a free consultation to align the needs of your team
• An event facilitator will be assigned to handle all of the set-up and logistics
• They will also provide you with logins and a play-by-play of what to expect
• Sign into the Outback video conferencing platform and join your pre-assigned team
• Lastly, let the games begin!

Learn more here: Virtual Code Break

8. Stranded

“survivor: office edition”.

Stranded is the perfect scenario-based problem solving group activity. The doors of the office are locked and obviously your team can’t just knock them down or break the windows.

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Your team has less than half an hour to choose 10 items around the office that will help them survive. They then rank the items in order of importance. It’s a bit like the classic game of being lost at sea without a lifeboat.

• Get everyone together in the office
• Lock the doors
• Let them start working together to plan their survival

Learn more here: Stranded

9. Letting Go Game

“for conscious healing”.

The Letting Go Game is a game of meditation and mindfulness training for helping teammates thrive under pressure and reduce stress in the process. The tasks of the Letting Go Game boost resiliency, attentiveness, and collaboration.

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Expert-guided activities and awareness exercises encourage team members to think altruistically and demonstrate acts of kindness. Between yoga, face painting, and fun photography, your employees or coworkers will have more than enough to keep them laughing and growing together with this mindfulness activity!

• Reach out for a free consultation
• A guide will then help lead the exercises
• Let the funny videos, pictures, and playing begin!

Learn more here: Letting Go Game

10. Wild Goose Chase

“city time”.

Wild Goose Chase is the creative problem solving activity that will take teams all around your city and bring them together as a group! This scavenger hunt works for teams as small as 10 up to groups of over 5000 people.

Best for: Large teams

Why this is an effective group problem solving activity: As employees and group members are coming back to the office, there are going to be times that they’re itching to get outside. Wild Goose Chase is the perfect excuse to satisfy the desire to go out-of-office every now and then. Plus, having things to look at and see around the city will get employees talking in ways they never have before.

• Download the Outback app to access the Wild Goose Chase
• Take photos and videos from around the city
• The most successful team at completing challenges on time is the champ!

Learn more here: Wild Goose Chase

11. Human Knot

“for a knotty good time”.

The Human Knot is one of the best icebreaker team building activities! In fact, there’s a decent chance you played it in grade school. It’s fun, silly, and best of all — free!

Why this is an effective group problem solving activity: Participants start in a circle and connect hands with two other people in the group to form a human knot. The team then has to work together and focus on clear communication to unravel the human knot by maneuvering their way out of this hands-on conundrum. But there’s a catch — they can’t let go of each other’s hands in this team building exercise.

• Form a circle
• Tell each person to grab a random hand until all hands are holding another
• They can’t hold anyone’s hand who is directly next to them
• Now they have to get to untangling
• If the chain breaks before everyone is untangled, they have to start over again

Learn more here: Human Knot

12. What Would You Do?

“because it’s fun to imagine”.

What Would You Do? Is the hypothetical question game that gets your team talking and brainstorming about what they’d do in a variety of fun, intriguing, and sometimes, whacky scenarios.

Best for: Distributed teams

Why this is an effective group problem solving activity: After employees or coworkers start talking about their What Would You Do? responses, they won’t be able to stop. That’s what makes this such an incredible team building activity . For example, you could ask questions like “If you could live forever, what would you do with your time?” or “If you never had to sleep, what would you do?”

• In addition to hypothetical questions, you could also give teammates some optional answers to get them started
• After that, let them do the talking — then they’ll be laughing and thinking and dreaming, too!

13. Crossing The River

“quite the conundrum”.

Crossing The River is a river-crossing challenge with one correct answer. Your team gets five essential elements — a chicken, a fox, a rowboat, a woman, and a bag of corn. You see, the woman has a bit of a problem, you tell them. She has to get the fox, the bag of corn, and the chicken to the other side of the river as efficiently as possible.

Why this is an effective group problem solving activity: She has a rowboat, but it can only carry her and one other item at a time. She cannot leave the chicken and the fox alone — for obvious reasons. And she can’t leave the chicken with the corn because it will gobble it right up. So the question for your team is how does the woman get all five elements to the other side of the river safely in this fun activity?

• Form teams of 2 to 5 people
• Each team has to solve the imaginary riddle
• Just make sure that each group understands that the rowboat can only carry one animal and one item at a time; the fox and chicken can’t be alone; and the bag of corn and the chicken cannot be left alone
• Give the verbal instructions for getting everything over to the other side

14. End-Hunger Games

“philanthropic fun”.

Does anything bond people quite like acts of kindness and compassion? The End-Hunger Games will get your team to rally around solving the serious problem of hunger.

Best for: Medium-sized teams

Why this is an effective problem solving group activity: Teams join forces to complete challenges based around non-perishable food items in the End-Hunger Games. Groups can range in size from 25 to more than 2000 people, who will all work together to collect food for the local food bank.

• Split into teams and compete to earn boxes and cans of non-perishable food
• Each team attempts to build the most impressive food item construction
• Donate all of the non-perishable foods to a local food bank

Learn more here: End-Hunger Games

People Also Ask These Questions About Team Building Problem Solving Group Activities

Q: what are some problem solving group activities.

• A: Some problem solving group activities can include riddles, egg drop, reverse pyramid, tallest tower, trivia, and other moderator-led activities.

Q: What kind of skills do group problem solving activities & games improve?

• A: Group problem solving activities and games improve collaboration, leadership, and communication skills.

Q: What are problem solving based team building activities & games?

• A: Problem solving based team building activities and games are activities that challenge teams to work together in order to complete them.

Q: What are some fun free problem solving games for groups?

• A: Some fun free problem solving games for groups are kinesthetic puzzles like the human knot game, which you can read more about in this article. You can also use all sorts of random items like whiteboards, straws, building blocks, sticky notes, blindfolds, rubber bands, and legos to invent a game that will get the whole team involved.

Q: How do I choose the most effective problem solving exercise for my team?

• A: The most effective problem solving exercise for your team is one that will challenge them to be their best selves and expand their creative thinking.

Q: How do I know if my group problem solving activity was successful?

• A: In the short-term, you’ll know if your group problem solving activity was successful because your team will bond over it; however, that should also translate to more productivity in the mid to long-term.

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Are you looking to enhance your or your team’s problem-solving abilities? Engaging in activities specifically designed to stimulate your and your team’s critical thinking skills can be an excellent way to sharpen your problem-solving prowess. Whether you enjoy puzzles, brain teasers, or interactive challenges, these activities provide an opportunity to overcome obstacles and think creatively.

By immersing yourself in problem-solving activities, you can develop valuable strategies, improve your decision-making abilities, and boost your overall problem-solving IQ. Get ready to unlock your full potential and tackle any challenge that comes your way with these exciting activities for problem-solving.

In this article, we will explore activities for problem-solving that can help enhance your team’s problem-solving skills, allowing you to approach challenges with confidence and creativity.

What Are Problem Solving Activities?

Problem-solving activities or problem-solving exercises are interactive games requiring critical thinking to solve puzzles. They enhance teamwork & critical thinking. Examples include building towers, navigating simulated challenges, and fostering creativity and communication.

For instance, imagine a team working together to construct the tallest tower using limited materials. They strategize, communicate ideas, and problem-solve to create the best structure, promoting collaboration and inventive thinking among team members.

Some widely practiced problem-solving activities include:

• A Shrinking Vessel: Teams must fit into a shrinking space, testing their cooperation and adaptability.
• Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower: Participants build a tower using marshmallows and spaghetti, promoting creative engineering.
• Egg Drop: Protecting an egg from a fall challenges problem-solving skills.
• Desert Island Survival: Teams simulate survival scenarios, encouraging creative solutions.
• Rolling Dice: A simple yet effective game involving chance and decision-making.
• Build a Tower: Constructing a stable tower with limited resources fosters teamwork and innovation, etc.

13 Easy Activities For Problem-Solving Ideas to Enhance Team Collaboration

Team building activities offer a great opportunity to test problem-solving abilities and promote effective collaboration within a group to problem solving group activities. By engaging in these activities, teams can break the monotony of the workplace and create a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

Here are nine easy-to-implement activities that can bring substantial change to your team culture and overall workplace dynamics.

#1. Crossword Puzzles

Objective: To enhance problem-solving skills, vocabulary, and cognitive abilities through engaging crossword puzzles. 

Estimated Time: 15-20 Minutes 

Materials Needed:

• Crossword puzzle sheets
• Pens or pencils
• Distribute crossword puzzle sheets and pens/pencils to each participant.
• Explain the rules of crossword puzzles and the goal of completing as many clues as possible within the given time.
• Participants individually or in pairs work on solving the crossword puzzle by filling in the correct words.
• Encourage critical thinking, word association, and collaborative discussions for solving challenging clues.
• At the end of the time limit, review the answers and discuss any interesting or challenging clues as a group.
• Enhanced Problem-Solving: Participants engage in critical thinking while deciphering clues, promoting effective problem-solving skills.
• Vocabulary Expansion: Exposure to new words and phrases within the crossword improves vocabulary and comprehension.
• Cognitive Stimulation: The mental exercise of solving the puzzle stimulates the brain, enhancing cognitive abilities.
• Team Collaboration: If done in pairs, participants practice collaboration and communication to solve clues together.
• Achievement and Motivation: Successfully completing the crossword brings a sense of accomplishment and motivates individuals to explore more puzzles.

Tips for Facilitators:

• Provide varying levels of crossword puzzles to accommodate different skill levels.
• Encourage participants to share strategies for solving challenging clues.
• Emphasize the fun and educational aspects of the activity to keep participants engaged.

#2. A Shrinking Vessel

Estimated Time: 10-15 Minutes

• Materials Needed: A rope and a ball of yarn
• Prepare the Setting: Lay a rope on the floor in a shape that allows all team members to stand comfortably inside it. For larger teams, multiple ropes can be used, dividing them into smaller groups.
• Enter the Circle: Have all team members stand inside the rope, ensuring that nobody steps outside its boundaries.
• Shrinking the Circle: Begin gradually shrinking the rope’s size, reducing the available space inside the circle.
• Adapt and Maintain Balance: As the circle shrinks, team members must make subtle adjustments to maintain their positions and balance within the shrinking area.
• The Challenge: The objective for the team is to collectively brainstorm and find innovative ways to keep every team member inside the circle without anyone stepping outside.
• Collaboration and Communication: The activity promotes teamwork and open communication as participants strategize to stay within the shrinking circle.
• Adaptability: Team members learn to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances, fostering agility and flexibility.
• Creative Problem-Solving: The challenge encourages inventive thinking and brainstorming to find unique solutions.
• Trust Building: By relying on each other’s actions, participants build trust and cohesion among team members.
• Time-Efficient: The short duration makes it an ideal icebreaker or energizer during meetings or workshops.
• Observe and Facilitate: Monitor the team’s dynamics and offer guidance to encourage equal participation and effective problem-solving.
• Encourage Verbalization: Prompt participants to voice their ideas and collaborate vocally, aiding in real-time adjustments.
• Debrief Thoughtfully: Engage the team in a discussion afterward, reflecting on strategies employed and lessons learned.
• Emphasize Adaptability: Highlight the transferable skill of adaptability and its significance in both professional and personal contexts.

#3. Human Knots

• Objective: Improving Collaboration & enhancing Communication Skills

Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes

• Materials: None required

Procedure: 

• Organize your team into a compact circle. For more sizable teams, subdivide them into smaller clusters, with each cluster forming its own circle. 
• Direct each individual to grasp the hands of two other people in the circle, with the exception of those positioned directly adjacent to them. This action will result in the formation of a complex “human knot” within the circle. 
• Present the challenge to the group: to unravel themselves from this entanglement while maintaining their hold on each other’s hands. If preferred, you can establish a specific time limit. 
• Observe the team members collaborating to unravel the knot, witnessing their collective effort to devise solutions and free themselves from the intricate puzzle.
• Team Cohesion: The activity encourages team members to interact closely, promoting bonding and understanding among participants.
• Effective Communication: Participants practice clear and concise communication as they coordinate movements to untangle the knot.
• Problem-Solving: The challenge stimulates creative thinking and problem-solving skills as individuals work collectively to find the optimal path for untangling.
• Adaptability: Participants learn to adapt their actions based on the evolving dynamics of the human knot, fostering adaptability.
• Trust Building: As individuals rely on each other to navigate the intricate knot, trust and cooperation naturally develop.
• Set a Positive Tone: Create an inclusive and supportive atmosphere, emphasizing that the focus is on collaboration rather than competition.
• Encourage Verbalization: Urge participants to articulate their intentions and listen to others’ suggestions, promoting effective teamwork.
• Observe Group Dynamics: Monitor interactions and step in if needed to ensure everyone is actively engaged and included.
• Reflect and Share: Conclude the activity with a debriefing session, allowing participants to share their experiences, strategies, and key takeaways.
• Vary Grouping: Change group compositions for subsequent rounds to enhance interactions among different team members.

#4. Egg Drop

Helps With: Decision Making, Collaboration

• A carton of eggs
• Construction materials (balloons, rubber bands, straws, tape, plastic wrap, etc.)
• A suitable location for the activity
• Assign each team a single egg and random construction materials.
• Teams must create a carrier to protect the egg from breaking.
• Drop the carriers one by one and increase the height if necessary to determine the most durable carrier.
• The winning team is the one with the carrier that survives the highest drop.
• Decision Making: Participants engage in critical decision-making processes as they select construction materials and determine carrier designs.
• Collaboration: The activity necessitates collaboration and coordination among team members to construct an effective carrier.
• Problem-Solving: Teams apply creative problem-solving skills to devise innovative methods for safeguarding the egg.
• Risk Management: Participants learn to assess potential risks and consequences while making design choices to prevent egg breakage.
• Celebrating Success: The victorious team experiences a sense of accomplishment, boosting morale and promoting a positive team spirit.
• Provide Diverse Materials: Offer a wide range of construction materials to stimulate creativity and allow teams to explore various design options.
• Set Safety Guidelines: Prioritize safety by specifying a safe drop height and ensuring participants follow safety protocols during construction.
• Encourage Brainstorming: Prompt teams to brainstorm multiple carrier ideas before finalizing their designs, fostering diverse perspectives.
• Facilitate Reflection: After the activity, lead a discussion where teams share their design strategies, challenges faced, and lessons learned.
• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize the significance of teamwork in achieving success, acknowledging effective communication and cooperation.

#5. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower

Helps With: Collaboration

Estimated Time: 20-30 Minutes

Materials Needed (per team):

• Raw spaghetti: 20 sticks
• Marshmallow: 1
• String: 1 yard
• Masking tape: 1 roll
• Tower Construction: Instruct teams to collaborate and utilize the provided materials to construct the tallest tower possible within a designated time frame.
• Marshmallow Support: Emphasize that the tower must be capable of standing independently and supporting a marshmallow at its highest point.
• Prototype and Iterate: Encourage teams to engage in prototyping and iteration, testing different design approaches and refining their tower structures.
• T eamwork and Communication: Promote effective teamwork and communication as team members coordinate their efforts to build a stable and tall tower.
• Evaluation Criteria: Evaluate each tower based on its height, stability, and the successful placement of the marshmallow at the top.
• Collaboration: Participants collaborate closely, sharing ideas and working together to design and construct the tower.
• Innovative Thinking: The activity encourages innovative thinking as teams experiment with different strategies to build a stable tower.
• Time Management: Teams practice time management skills as they work within a specified time limit to complete the task.
• Problem-Solving: Participants engage in creative problem-solving to address challenges such as balancing the marshmallow and constructing a sturdy tower.
• Adaptability: Teams adapt their approaches based on trial and error, learning from each iteration to improve their tower designs.
• Set Clear Guidelines: Clearly explain the materials, objectives, and evaluation criteria to ensure teams understand the task.
• Foster Creativity: Encourage teams to think outside the box and explore unconventional methods for constructing their towers.
• Emphasize Collaboration: Highlight the importance of effective communication and teamwork to accomplish the task successfully.
• Time Management: Remind teams of the time limit and encourage them to allocate their time wisely between planning and construction.
• Reflect and Share: Facilitate a discussion after the activity, allowing teams to share their design choices, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Objective: To engage participants in the strategic and analytical world of Sudoku, enhancing logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. 

Estimated Time: 20-25 Minutes 

• Sudoku puzzle sheets
• Pencils with erasers
• Distribute Sudoku puzzle sheets and pencils to each participant.
• Familiarize participants with the rules and mechanics of Sudoku puzzles.
• Explain the goal: to fill in the empty cells with numbers from 1 to 9 while adhering to the rules of no repetition in rows, columns, or subgrids.
• Encourage participants to analyze the puzzle’s layout, identify potential numbers, and strategically fill in cells.
• Emphasize the importance of logical deduction and step-by-step approach in solving the puzzle.
• Provide hints or guidance if needed, ensuring participants remain engaged and challenged.
• Logical Thinking: Sudoku challenges participants’ logical and deductive reasoning, fostering analytical skills.
• Problem-Solving: The intricate interplay of numbers and constraints hones problem-solving abilities.
• Focus and Patience: Participants practice patience and attention to detail while gradually unveiling the solution.
• Pattern Recognition: Identifying number patterns and possibilities contributes to enhanced pattern recognition skills.
• Personal Achievement: Successfully completing a Sudoku puzzle provides a sense of accomplishment and boosts confidence.
• Offer varying levels of Sudoku puzzles to cater to different skill levels.
• Encourage participants to share strategies and techniques for solving specific challenges.
• Highlight the mental workout Sudoku provides and its transferable skills to real-life problem-solving.

Helps With: Communication, Problem-solving, & Management

• A lockable room
• 5-10 puzzles or clues
• Hide the key and a set of clues around the room.
• Lock the room and provide team members with a specific time limit to find the key and escape.
• Instruct the team to work together, solving the puzzles and deciphering the clues to locate the key.
• Encourage efficient communication and effective problem-solving under time pressure.
• Communication Skills: Participants enhance their communication abilities by sharing observations, ideas, and findings to collectively solve puzzles.
• Problem-solving Proficiency: The activity challenges teams to think critically, apply logical reasoning, and collaboratively tackle intricate challenges.
• Team Management: The experience promotes effective team management as members assign tasks, prioritize efforts, and coordinate actions.
• Time Management: The imposed time limit sharpens time management skills as teams strategize and allocate time wisely.
• Adaptability: Teams learn to adapt and adjust strategies based on progress, evolving clues, and time constraints.
• Clear Introduction: Provide a concise overview of the activity, emphasizing the importance of communication, problem-solving, and time management.
• Diverse Challenges: Offer a mix of puzzles and clues to engage various problem-solving skills, catering to different team strengths.
• Supportive Role: Act as a facilitator, offering subtle guidance if needed while allowing teams to independently explore and solve challenges.
• Debriefing Session: Organize a debriefing session afterward to discuss the experience, highlight successful strategies, and identify areas for improvement.
• Encourage Reflection: Encourage participants to reflect on their teamwork, communication effectiveness, and problem-solving approach.

#8. Frostbite for Group Problem Solving Activities

Helps With: Decision Making, Trust, Leadership

• An electric fan
• Construction materials (toothpicks, cardstock, rubber bands, sticky notes, etc.)
• Divide the team into groups of 4-5 people, each with a designated leader.
• Blindfold team members and prohibit leaders from using their hands.
• Provide teams with construction materials and challenge them to build a tent within 30 minutes.
• Test the tents using the fan to see which can withstand high winds.
• Decision-Making Proficiency: Participants are exposed to critical decision-making situations under constraints, allowing them to practice effective and efficient decision-making.
• Trust Development: Blindfolding team members and relying on the designated leaders fosters trust and collaboration among team members.
• Leadership Skills: Designated leaders navigate the challenge without hands-on involvement, enhancing their leadership and communication skills.
• Creative Problem Solving: Teams employ creative thinking and resourcefulness to construct stable tents with limited sensory input.
• Team Cohesion: The shared task and unique constraints promote team cohesion and mutual understanding.
• Role of the Facilitator: Act as an observer, allowing teams to navigate the challenge with minimal intervention. Offer assistance only when necessary.
• Clarity in Instructions: Provide clear instructions regarding blindfolding, leader restrictions, and time limits to ensure a consistent experience.
• Debriefing Session: After the activity, conduct a debriefing session to discuss team dynamics, leadership approaches, and decision-making strategies.
• Encourage Communication: Emphasize the importance of effective communication within teams to ensure smooth coordination and successful tent construction.
• Acknowledge Creativity: Celebrate creative solutions and innovative approaches exhibited by teams during the tent-building process.

#9. Dumbest Idea First

Helps With: Critical Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Activity

Estimated Time: 15-20 Minutes

Materials Needed: A piece of paper, pen, and pencil

• Problem Presentation: Introduce a specific problem to the team, either a real-world challenge or a hypothetical scenario that requires a solution.
• Brainstorming Dumb Ideas: Instruct team members to quickly generate and jot down the most unconventional and seemingly “dumb” ideas they can think of to address the problem.
• Idea Sharing: Encourage each participant to share their generated ideas with the group, fostering a relaxed and open atmosphere for creative expression.
• Viability Assessment: As a team, review and evaluate each idea, considering potential benefits and drawbacks. Emphasize the goal of identifying unconventional approaches.
• Selecting Promising Solutions: Identify which seemingly “dumb” ideas could hold hidden potential or innovative insights. Discuss how these ideas could be adapted into workable solutions.
• Divergent Thinking: Participants engage in divergent thinking, pushing beyond conventional boundaries to explore unconventional solutions.
• Creative Exploration: The activity sparks creative exploration by encouraging participants to let go of inhibitions and embrace imaginative thinking.
• Critical Analysis: Through evaluating each idea, participants practice critical analysis and learn to identify unique angles and aspects of potential solutions.
• Open Communication: The lighthearted approach of sharing “dumb” ideas fosters open communication, reducing fear of judgment and promoting active participation.
• Solution Adaptation: Identifying elements of seemingly “dumb” ideas that have merit encourages participants to adapt and refine their approaches creatively.
• Safe Environment: Foster a safe and non-judgmental environment where participants feel comfortable sharing unconventional ideas.
• Time Management: Set clear time limits for idea generation and sharing to maintain the activity’s energetic pace.
• Encourage Wild Ideas: Emphasize that the goal is to explore the unconventional, urging participants to push the boundaries of creativity.
• Facilitator Participation: Participate in idea generation to demonstrate an open-minded approach and encourage involvement.
• Debriefing Discussion: After the activity, facilitate a discussion on how seemingly “dumb” ideas can inspire innovative solutions and stimulate fresh thinking.

This activity encourages out-of-the-box thinking and creative problem-solving. It allows teams to explore unconventional ideas that may lead to unexpected, yet effective, solutions.

#10: Legoman

Helps With: Foster teamwork, communication, and creativity through a collaborative Lego-building activity.

Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes

• Lego bricks
• Lego instruction manuals

Procedure :

• Divide participants into small teams of 3-5 members.
• Provide each team with an equal set of Lego bricks and a Lego instruction manual.
• Explain that the goal is for teams to work together to construct the Lego model shown in the manual.
• Set a time limit for the building activity based on model complexity.
• Allow teams to self-organize, build, and collaborate to complete the model within the time limit.
• Evaluate each team’s final model compared to the manual’s original design.
• Enhanced Communication: Participants must communicate clearly and listen actively to collaborate effectively.
• Strengthened Teamwork: Combining efforts toward a shared goal promotes camaraderie and team cohesion.
• Creative Problem-Solving: Teams must creatively problem-solve if pieces are missing or instructions unclear.
• Planning and Resource Allocation: Following instructions fosters planning skills and efficient use of resources.
• Sense of Achievement: Completing a challenging build provides a sense of collective accomplishment.
• Encourage Participation: Urge quieter members to contribute ideas and take an active role.
• Highlight Teamwork: Emphasize how cooperation and task coordination are key to success.
• Ensure Equal Engagement: Monitor group dynamics to ensure all members are engaged.
• Allow Creativity: Permit modifications if teams lack exact pieces or wish to get creative.
• Focus on Enjoyment: Create a lively atmosphere so the activity remains energizing and fun.

#11: Minefield

Helps With: Trust, Communication, Patience

Materials Needed: Open space, blindfolds

• Mark a “minefield” on the ground using ropes, cones, or tape. Add toy mines or paper cups.
• Pair up participants and blindfold one partner.
• Position blindfolded partners at the start of the minefield. Direct seeing partners to verbally guide them through to the other side without hitting “mines.”
• Partners switch roles once finished and repeat.
• Time partnerships and provide prizes for the fastest safe crossing.
• Trust Building: Blindfolded partners must trust their partner’s instructions.
• Effective Communication: Giving clear, specific directions is essential for navigating the minefield.
• Active Listening: Partners must listen closely and follow directions precisely.
• Patience & Support: The exercise requires patience and encouraging guidance between partners.
• Team Coordination: Partners must work in sync, coordinating movements and communication.
• Test Boundaries: Ensure the minefield’s size accommodates safe movement and communication.
• Monitor Interactions: Watch for dominant guidance and ensure both partners participate fully.
• Time Strategically: Adjust time limits based on the minefield size and difficulty.
• Add Obstacles: Introduce additional non-mine objects to increase challenge and communication needs.
• Foster Discussion: Debrief afterward to discuss communication approaches and trust-building takeaways.

#12: Reverse Pyramid

Helps With: Teamwork, Communication, Creativity

Materials Needed: 36 cups per group, tables

• Form small groups of 5-7 participants.
• Provide each group with a stack of 36 cups and a designated building area.
• Explain the objective: Build the tallest pyramid starting with just one cup on top.
• Place the first cup on the table, and anyone in the group can add two cups beneath it to form the second row.
• From this point, only the bottom row can be lifted to add the next row underneath.
• Cups in the pyramid can only be touched or supported by index fingers.
• If the structure falls, start over from one cup.
• Offer more cups if a group uses all provided.
• Allow 15 minutes for building.

Teamwork: Collaborate to construct the pyramid.

Communication: Discuss and execute the building strategy.

Creativity: Find innovative ways to build a tall, stable pyramid.

Clarify Expectations: Emphasize the definition of a pyramid with each row having one less cup.

Encourage Perseverance: Motivate groups to continue despite challenges.

Promote Consensus: Encourage groups to work together and help each other.

Reflect on Failure: Use collapses as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles and improving.

Consider Competitions: Modify the activity for competitive teams and scoring.

#13: Stranded

Helps With: Decision-making, Prioritization, Teamwork

Materials Needed: List of salvaged items, paper, pens

• Present a scenario where teams are stranded and must prioritize items salvaged from a plane crash.
• Provide teams with the same list of ~15 salvaged items.
• Instruct teams to agree on an item ranking with #1 being the most important for survival.
• Teams share and compare their prioritized lists. Identify differences in approach.
• Discuss what factors influenced decisions and how teams worked together to agree on priorities.
• Critical Thinking: Weighing item importance requires analytical thinking and discussion.
• Team Decision-Making: Coming to a consensus fosters team decision-making capabilities.
• Prioritization Skills: Ranking items strengthen prioritization and justification abilities.
• Perspective-Taking: Understanding different prioritizations builds perspective-taking skills.
• Team Cohesion: Collaborating toward a shared goal brings teams closer together.
• Encourage Discussion: Urge teams to discuss all ideas rather than allow single members to dominate.
• Be Engaged: Circulate to listen in on team discussions and pose thought-provoking questions.
• Add Complexity: Introduce scenarios with additional constraints to expand critical thinking.
• Highlight Disagreements: When priorities differ, facilitate constructive discussions on influencing factors.
• Recognize Collaboration: Acknowledge teams that demonstrate exceptional teamwork and communication.

Now let’s look at some common types of problem-solving activities.

Types of Problem-Solving Activities

The most common types of problem-solving activities/exercises are:

• Creative problem-solving activities
• Group problem-solving activities
• Individual problem-solving activities
• Fun problem-solving activities, etc.

In the next segments, we’ll be discussing these types of problem-solving activities in detail. So, keep reading!

Creative Problem-Solving Activities

Creative problem solving (CPS) means using creativity to find new solutions. It involves thinking creatively at first and then evaluating ideas later. For example, think of it like brainstorming fun game ideas, discussing them, and then picking the best one to play.

Some of the most common creative problem-solving activities include:

• Legoman: Building creative structures with LEGO.
• Escape: Solving puzzles to escape a room.
• Frostbite: Finding solutions in challenging situations.
• Minefield: Navigating a field of obstacles.

Group Problem-Solving Activities

Group problem-solving activities are challenges that make teams work together to solve puzzles or overcome obstacles. They enhance teamwork and critical thinking.

For instance, think of a puzzle-solving game where a group must find hidden clues to escape a locked room.

Here are the most common group problem-solving activities you can try in groups:

• A Shrinking Vessel
• Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower
• Cardboard Boat Building Challenge
• Clue Murder Mystery
• Escape Room: Jewel Heist
• Escape Room: Virtual Team Building
• Scavenger Hunt
• Dumbest Idea First

Individual Problem-Solving Activities

As the name suggests, individual problem-solving activities are the tasks that you need to play alone to boost your critical thinking ability. They help you solve problems and stay calm while facing challenges in real life. Like puzzles, they make your brain sharper. Imagine it’s like training your brain muscles to handle tricky situations.

Here are some of the most common individual problem-solving activities:

• Puzzles (jigsaw, crossword, sudoku, etc.)
• Brain teasers
• Logic problems
• Optical illusions
• “Escape room” style games

Fun Problem-Solving Activities

Fun problem-solving activities are enjoyable games that sharpen your critical thinking skills while having a blast. Think of activities like the Legoman challenge, escape rooms, or rolling dice games – they make problem-solving exciting and engaging!

And to be frank, all of the mentioned problem-solving activities are fun if you know how to play and enjoy them as all of them are game-like activities.

Team Problems You Can Address Through Problem Solving Activities

Fun problem-solving activities serve as dynamic tools to address a range of challenges that teams often encounter. These engaging activities foster an environment of collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, enabling teams to tackle various problems head-on. Here are some common team problems that can be effectively addressed through these activities:

• Communication Breakdowns:  

Activities like “Escape,” “A Shrinking Vessel,” and “Human Knots” emphasize the importance of clear and effective communication. They require teams to work together, exchange ideas, and devise strategies to accomplish a shared goal. By engaging in these activities, team members learn to communicate more efficiently, enhancing overall team communication in real-world situations.

• Lack of Trust and Cohesion:  

Problem-solving activities promote trust and cohesiveness within teams. For instance, “Frostbite” and “Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower” require teams to collaborate closely, trust each other’s ideas, and rely on each member’s strengths. These activities build a sense of unity and trust, which can translate into improved teamwork and collaboration.

• Innovative Thinking:  

“Dumbest Idea First” and “Egg Drop” encourage teams to think outside the box and explore unconventional solutions. These activities challenge teams to be creative and innovative in their problem-solving approaches, fostering a culture of thinking beyond traditional boundaries when faced with complex issues.

• Decision-Making Challenges:  

Activities like “Onethread” facilitate group decision-making by providing a platform for open discussions and collaborative choices. Problem-solving activities require teams to make decisions collectively, teaching them to weigh options, consider different viewpoints, and arrive at informed conclusions—a skill that is transferable to real-world decision-making scenarios.

• Leadership and Role Clarification:  

Activities such as “Frostbite” and “Egg Drop” designate team leaders and roles within groups. This provides an opportunity for team members to practice leadership, delegation, and role-specific tasks. By experiencing leadership dynamics in a controlled setting, teams can improve their leadership skills and better understand their roles in actual projects.

• Problem-Solving Strategies:  

All of the problem-solving activities involve the application of different strategies. Teams learn to analyze problems, break them down into manageable components, and develop systematic approaches for resolution. These strategies can be adapted to real-world challenges, enabling teams to approach complex issues with confidence.

• Team Morale and Engagement:  

Participating in engaging and enjoyable activities boosts team morale and engagement. These activities provide a break from routine tasks, energize team members, and create a positive and fun atmosphere. Elevated team morale can lead to increased motivation and productivity.

By incorporating these fun problem-solving activities, teams can address a variety of challenges, foster skill development, and build a more cohesive and effective working environment. As teams learn to collaborate, communicate, innovate, and make decisions collectively, they are better equipped to overcome obstacles and achieve shared goals.

The Benefits of Problem Solving Activities for Your Team

#1 Better Thinking

Problem-solving activities bring out the best in team members by encouraging them to contribute their unique ideas. This stimulates better thinking as team managers evaluate different solutions and choose the most suitable ones.

For example, a remote team struggling with communication benefited from quick thinking and the sharing of ideas, leading to the adoption of various communication modes for improved collaboration.

#2 Better Risk Handling

Team building problem solving activities condition individuals to handle risks more effectively. By engaging in challenging situations and finding solutions, team members develop the ability to respond better to stressful circumstances.

#3 Better Communication

Regular communication among team members is crucial for efficient problem-solving. Engaging in problem-solving activities fosters cooperation and communication within the team, resulting in better understanding and collaboration. Using tools like OneThread can further enhance team communication and accountability.

#4 Improved Productivity Output

When teams work cohesively, overall productivity improves, leading to enhanced profit margins for the company or organization. Involving managers and team members in problem-solving activities can positively impact the company’s growth and profitability.

How Onethread Enhances the Effect of Problem Solving Activities

Problem-solving activities within teams thrive on collaborative efforts and shared perspectives. Onethread emerges as a potent facilitator, enabling teams to collectively tackle challenges and harness diverse viewpoints with precision. Here’s a comprehensive view of how Onethread amplifies team collaboration in problem-solving initiatives:

Open Channels for Discussion:

Onethread’s real-time messaging feature serves as a dedicated hub for open and seamless discussions. Teams can engage in brainstorming sessions, share insightful observations, and propose innovative solutions within a flexible environment. Asynchronous communication empowers members to contribute their insights at their convenience, fostering comprehensive problem analysis with ample deliberation.

Centralized Sharing of Resources:

Effective problem-solving often hinges on access to pertinent resources. Onethread’s document sharing functionality ensures that critical information, references, and research findings are centralized and readily accessible. This eradicates the need for cumbersome email attachments and enables team members to collaborate with precise and up-to-date data.

Efficient Task Allocation and Monitoring:

Problem-solving journeys comprise a series of tasks and actions. Onethread’s task management capability streamlines the delegation of specific responsibilities to team members. Assign tasks related to research, data analysis, or solution implementation and monitor progress in real time. This cultivates a sense of accountability and guarantees comprehensive coverage of every facet of the problem-solving process.

Facilitated Collaborative Decision-Making: Navigating intricate problems often demands collective decision-making. Onethread’s collaborative ecosystem empowers teams to deliberate over potential solutions, assess pros and cons, and make well-informed choices. Transparent discussions ensure that decisions are comprehensively comprehended and supported by the entire team.

Seamless Documentation and Insights Sharing:

As the problem-solving journey unfolds, the accumulation of insights and conclusions becomes pivotal. Onethread’s collaborative document editing feature empowers teams to document their discoveries, chronicle the steps undertaken, and showcase successful solutions. This shared repository of documentation serves as a valuable resource for future reference and continuous learning.

With Onethread orchestrating the backdrop, team collaboration during problem-solving activities transforms into a harmonious fusion of insights, ideas, and actionable steps.

What are the 5 problem-solving skills?

The top 5 problem-solving skills in 2023 are critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and data literacy. Most employers seek these skills in their workforce.

What are the steps of problem-solving?

Problem-solving steps are as follows: 1. Define the problem clearly. 2. Analyze the issue in detail. 3. Generate potential solutions. 4. Evaluate these options. 5. Choose the best solution. 6. Put the chosen solution into action. 7. Measure the outcomes to assess effectiveness and improvements made. These sequential steps assist in efficient and effective problem resolution.

How do you teach problem-solving skills?

Teaching problem-solving involves modelling effective methods within a context, helping students grasp the problem, dedicating ample time, asking guiding questions, and giving suggestions. Connect errors to misconceptions to enhance understanding, fostering a straightforward approach to building problem-solving skills.

So here is all about “activities for problem solving”.No matter which activity you choose, engaging in problem-solving activities not only provides entertainment but also helps enhance cognitive abilities such as critical thinking, decision making, and creativity. So why not make problem solving a regular part of your routine?

Take some time each day or week to engage in these activities and watch as your problem-solving skills grow stronger. Plus, it’s an enjoyable way to pass the time and challenge yourself mentally.

So go ahead, grab a puzzle or gather some friends for a game night – get ready to have fun while sharpening your problem-solving skills!

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10 Best Brain Games to Keep Your Mind Sharp

Playing mind games is a no-brainer

 Mark Stibich, PhD, FIDSA, is a behavior change expert with experience helping individuals make lasting lifestyle improvements.

Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk,  "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time.

Aaron Johnson is a fact checker and expert on qualitative research design and methodology. 

Delmaine Donson / Getty Images

Happy Neuron

Brain age concentration training, my brain trainer.

People of all ages use brain-training games to improve mental functioning and prevent brain aging . Backing them up is research showing that brain-training games may help improve attention levels, memory, response time, logic skills, and other measures of cognitive function if played over a long timespan.

The brain is just like a muscle - it thrives on exercise! As a neurologist, I'm thrilled by the incredible potential of brain games to help people flex their mental muscles, activating underused brain circuits to sharpen cognition and skills like focus, speed, and memory.

From pen-and-paper Sudoku and crosswords to specialized brain training apps, options for brain games are plentiful. To give your brain a workout while having fun, try these games and activities that may improve your mental focus and fitness.

Peter Dazeley / Getty Images

Sudoku is a number placement game that relies on short-term memory. To complete a Sudoku puzzle, you have to look ahead and follow trails of consequences—if you put a 6 in this box, that one must be an 8 and this one a 4, and so on. This type of planning helps improve short-term memory and concentration.

You can play Sudoku online, on an app, or on paper. Look for a regular Sudoku in your newspaper, buy a book with a collection of puzzles, or download a free app for your phone or tablet.

Sudoku puzzles are available in varying degrees of difficulty. When you're starting out, play the easy games until you learn the rules. If you're playing on paper, use a pencil!

Lumosity is one of the most established brain training and mental fitness programs. You can sign up for a free account to play three games per day, or choose the subscription service for more offerings. Either way, you can keep track of your results and improvement.

One recent study showed that participants who played Lumosity's exercises for 15 minutes a day at least seven days a week for three weeks experienced improved attention and motor speed. You can use Lumosity via their website or download the Lumosity app on iOS and Android. Lumosity also has a meditation and mindfulness app called Lumosity Mind.

Carol Yepes / Getty Images

Crosswords are a classic brain trainer, accessing not only verbal language but memory from many dimensions of knowledge. There are many ways to do crossword puzzles, both online and off. If you receive a daily newspaper, you'll almost always get a crossword there. Or pick up a book of crosswords specifically suited to your skill level and interests.

You will also find many options for crossword puzzles online or via free or inexpensive apps. The AARP website offers a daily crossword that's free to everyone, whether or not you're a member of the group.

Elevate's games center on reading, writing, speaking, and math, and you can customize your training to focus on whichever areas you prefer. As with most other brain games, you can track your progress to see how your skills are improving.

You'll need to download an app to play Elevate 's 35 (and counting) different brain-training games, which have a strongly educational feel. It's free (with in-app purchases) and both iOS and Android versions have tens of thousands of five-star reviews.

Peak is another app-only option (available for iOS and Android) that provides brain games to help you work on focus, memory, problem-solving, mental agility, and more cognitive functions. If you're a competitive person, you might be motivated by seeing how you perform against other users. The app is free to use, but an inexpensive subscription unlocks more features.

Happy Neuron divides its games and activities into five critical brain areas: memory, attention, language, executive functions, and visual/spatial. Like Lumosity, it personalizes the training to fit you, tracks your progress, and the games are based on scientific research.

You must pay a monthly subscription fee to use the site, and its simplified app version is available for Android users only. Happy Neuron does, however, offer a free trial offer so you can see if you like the approach.

Claiming to have the world's largest collection of brain teasers, Braingle's free website provides more than 15,000 puzzles, games, and other brain teasers as well as an online community of enthusiasts. You can even create your own puzzles to give your brain a super workout. Braingle has a wide variety of offerings, including optical illusions, codes and ciphers, and trivia quizzes.

Queendom has thousands of personality tests and surveys. It also has an extensive collection of "brain tools"—including logic, verbal, spatial, and math puzzles; trivia quizzes; and aptitude tests—for you to exercise and test your brain. If you'd like to save results and scores, you'll need a free account. Some tests give you only snapshot results for free, and charge a fee for full reports.

Brain Age: Concentration Training / Nintendo Life

Brain Age Concentration Training is a brain training and mental fitness system for the Nintendo 3DS system. It includes a huge number of games to hone your concentration, memory, calculation, and other brain skills. It's fun, portable, and challenging. Brain Age is also available for the Nintendo Wii U, but not for the Switch, Nintendo's most up-to-date gaming system.

My Brain Trainer calls itself an online "brain gym." It is similar in format to, although less stylish than, Lumosity and Happy Neuron. It's also less expensive; a three-month subscription costs the same as a month on the other services. The annual subscription is an even bigger savings. You can try a challenge for free as well.

This website is full of games, puzzles, and other challenges designed to improve your mental fitness. The website recommends 10 minutes of brain training twice a day for the best effects. It also has a basic training program that claims to improve your mental speed.

This web-based puzzle game from The New York Times exploded in popularity in early 2022 and now counts millions of users worldwide. The premise is simple: Users get six tries to guess a five-letter word. Wordle's combination of problem-solving challenges and easy-to-use interface makes for a satisfying mental workout.

Keep in Mind

Remember, brain training isn't limited to games and puzzles; staying socially engaged, maintaining creative hobbies, and even working out can help to flex your brain and improve cognitive functioning. Find what feels good and works for you.

Make brain training a daily habit and build the mental reserves to delay cognitive decline!

Al-Thaqib A, Al-Sultan F, Al-Zahrani A, et al. Brain training games enhance cognitive function in healthy subjects .  Med Sci Monit Basic Res . 2018;24:63-69. doi:10.12659%2FMSMBR.909022

Why BrainGymmer?

Turning science into fun.

Together with neuroscientists, our team transforms science based exercises into fun and challenging games for the brain!

Training your brain without any effort

Ten minutes a day is all it takes to keep your brain in shape, just like sports strengthens your body!

Notice the effect in everyday life

Improve your day-to-day cognitive skills like facial recognition, concentration, math, short-term memory and much more!

Brain training games for all cognitive skills

Your brain has an enormous range of abilities, which can be divided in five major cognitive skills. Our brain games challenge you to exercise these skills

All brain games are based on trusted psychological tasks and tests. So use our free brain games to improve your memory, attention, thinking speed, perception and logical reasoning!

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What others say about us

Nice probably the best free brain games that i've tried, i really noticed the difference since i started doing online brain training, i wanted to find games to improve concentration and found them in braingymmer, fair amount of brain games for adults that work on my phone as well, pretty good brain games for adults, 'i like the brain training exercises, it is becoming easier for me to remember names and places etc.', what people often ask us, what is brain training.

Brain training, is the usage of digital exercises, also called brain games. Those exercises are used to stimulate mental activities with the purpose of improving your cognitive abilities.

Do brain games really work?

Brain games are a very new science, and many researchers are still discovering the effects. While tens of millions of people world wide are using brain games, scientific results are still very much in the process of being discovered. Currently we support a variety of international universities in their studies.

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• Published: 02 December 2019

Brain activity links performance in science reasoning with conceptual approach

• Jessica E. Bartley   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7269-9701 1 ,
• Michael C. Riedel   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1860-4449 1 ,
• Taylor Salo   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9813-3167 2 ,
• Emily R. Boeving 2 ,
• Katherine L. Bottenhorn   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7796-8795 2 ,
• Elsa I. Bravo 2 ,
• Rosalie Odean   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7086-737X 2 ,
• Alina Nazareth 3 ,
• Robert W. Laird 1 ,
• Matthew T. Sutherland   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6091-4037 2 ,
• Shannon M. Pruden 2 ,
• Eric Brewe 4 , 5 , 6 &
• Angela R. Laird   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3379-8744 1  

npj Science of Learning volume  4 , Article number:  20 ( 2019 ) Cite this article

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• Problem solving

Understanding how students learn is crucial for helping them succeed. We examined brain function in 107 undergraduate students during a task known to be challenging for many students—physics problem solving—to characterize the underlying neural mechanisms and determine how these support comprehension and proficiency. Further, we applied module analysis to response distributions, defining groups of students who answered by using similar physics conceptions, and probed for brain differences linked with different conceptual approaches. We found that integrated executive, attentional, visual motion, and default mode brain systems cooperate to achieve sequential and sustained physics-related cognition. While accuracy alone did not predict brain function, dissociable brain patterns were observed when students solved problems by using different physics conceptions, and increased success was linked to conceptual coherence. Our analyses demonstrate that episodic associations and control processes operate in tandem to support physics reasoning, offering potential insight to support student learning.

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Introduction

New innovations in transforming science education to promote success and broaden participation require an understanding of how students learn. Evidence has shown that learning interventions, both long and short term, can be accompanied by lasting, content-related brain changes, suggesting that classroom instruction may influence the measurable neural processes by which students consolidate, access, or store information. 1 , 2 Physics in particular can be a challenging discipline for many students as it requires both a conceptual understanding and recall of physical principles, along with acquisition of procedural skills for solving problems. Neuroimaging studies on physics learning indicate that cognition about physical concepts (e.g., velocity, acceleration, and force) is encoded into specific neural representations, 3 and these representations may change during progressive stages of physics learning. 4 Moreover, problem solving is known to engage an extensive frontoparietal central executive network (CEN), both generally across domains of knowledge 5 and specifically regarding physics concepts. 6 Collectively, these findings highlight a putatively influential role science learning may have on functional brain architecture and underscore the complexity of neural processes linked with proficiency in physics problem solving.

Insight into the scientific learning process may be gained by considering the obstacles students encounter. A wealth of cognitive science and education research has identified consistent patterns in how students think about physics, with a preponderance of studies focusing on difficulties mastering Newtonian mechanics. 7 , 8 , 9 Physics students consistently struggle to learn key concepts and novice students are known to invoke intuitive but incorrect ideas of physical causality when solving problems. 10 , 11 These misleading conceptions frequently interfere with a student’s ability to successfully acquire new physics knowledge, 12 and a broad, but sometimes conflicting, body of literature has attempted to characterize these ideas to support conceptual change across instruction. 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 One model posits that these so-called “folk physics” notions 18 , 19 may be implicitly linked to associative memory, with naive reasoning arising from context-based extrapolations of remembered personal experiences. 20 Another describes students’ reasoning as being based on common sense, but weakly organized, physical intuitions. 21 Yet another view argues that ontological differences in the way students think about physical processes impact how persistent incorrect conceptions are across instruction. 14 A contrasting opinion holds that students use ontological categories dynamically, and that the range of physics reasoning processes may be better explained by varying levels of coherence (integration of concepts) and robustness (applicability across contexts) in how students build patterns of associations between their existing cognitive resources (e.g., memories, beliefs, and facts). 15 , 22 Despite these many models, little is known about the underlying neural processes of how students access, deploy, and attempt to resolve physics conceptions during reasoning. The limited work that has been done on this topic indicates that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may be engaged when students view physically causal scenes that conflict with their strongly held intuitions. 23 In addition, episodic, associative, and spatial recall are known to be supported by hippocampal and retrosplenial cortex (RSC) activity, 24 , 25 and reasoning processes are linked with the dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) activity. 5 However, no prior work has identified the specific neural processes that underlie physics reasoning nor any neurobiological differences associated with students different use of incorrect physics conceptions. Such an understanding would inform existing behavioral models and might help us more fully understand how students learn physics.

We acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 107 undergraduate students after the conclusion of a semester of university-level physics instruction. During fMRI, students were presented with questions adapted from the force concept inventory (FCI), 26 a widely adopted test of conceptual problem solving that presents scenarios of objects at rest or in motion and asks students to choose between a Newtonian solution and several reasonable non-Newtonian alternatives, each of which mirror common confusions. Physics and baseline perceptual questions (Supplementary Fig. 1 ) were presented as blocks composed of three sequential view screens (e.g., “phases”): problem initiation in which students viewed text and a figure describing a physical scenario (Phase I), question presentation in which the students viewed a physics question about the scenario (Phase II), and answer selection wherein four possible answer choices were displayed for selection (Phase III). Brain activity across full questions (all phases), as well as within each phase, was assessed. We then explored putative links between the neural substrates of physics problem solving and accuracy, difficulty, strategy, and student conceptualization of physics ideas. First, we probed for brain-behavior correlations revealed by parametric modulation of the BOLD signal in independent meta-analytically defined a priori reasoning and memory-linked regions of interest (ROIs; Supplementary Fig. 2 ) located in the left dlPFC, ACC, left PPC, left hippocampus, and RSC, and across the whole brain. Second, because student response patterns across FCI questions are heterogeneous, and even incorrect answer choices provide meaningful information about students’ conceptions, 27 we distinguished subtypes of “physics thinkers” based on their FCI answer choices. Specifically, we applied community detection to FCI answer distributions to identify subgroups of similarly responding students and contrasted brain activity between groups to examine differential ways of thinking about the behavior of physical phenomena.

Physics problem solving engages visual motion, central executive, and default mode processes

FCI responses (mean accuracy = 61%, mean response time (RT) = 20.2 s) were consistent with previous reports 27 , 28 and significantly differed ( p  < 0.001) from control responses (mean accuracy = 98%, mean RT = 15.8 s), suggesting overall task compliance. Maps of FCI > Control blocks revealed activation across a fronto-temporo-parietal network, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), left dorsal striatum, PPC, RSC, and dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, lateral occipitotemporal cortex (V5/MT+), and cerebellum (Fig. 1a ; Supplementary Table 1 ). To tease apart constituent neural processes, we analyzed sequential phases of the problem-solving process and observed multiple dissociable whole-brain networks linked with problem initiation (Phase I), question presentation (Phase II), and answer selection (Phase III). Phase I was associated with a similar activity pattern as the FCI > Control contrast, Phase II maps were characterized by right-emphasized dorsal posterior parietal and V5/MT+ engagement, and Phase III maps included medial, anterior, and posterior nodes of the default mode network (DMN; Fig. 1b–d ; Supplementary Table 2 ). These network transitions from fronto-temporo-parietal (Phase I) to dorsal attention (DAN; Phase II) followed by default mode cooperation (Phase III) point to the potentially important role V5–DMN–CEN interactions may have within physics reasoning processes. Meta-analytic functional decoding, which is a technique used to provide data-driven inferences about which mental functions are likely associated with specific brain activation patterns (see SI for more details), was performed on the resulting unthresholded z -statistic maps by using Neurosynth, 29 indicating that terms for switching, default, motion, and reasoning were associated with physics problem solving (Fig. 1 radar plots; Supplementary Table 3 ).

Physics problem solving-related brain activity. Activation of FCI > Control for a problem solving across all phases, b – d across each sequential problem phase, and e parametric modulation across all phases by problem difficulty. Activation maps were thresholded by using a cluster-defining threshold of P  < 0.001 and a cluster extent threshold of P  < 0.05, FWE corrected. Adjacent radar plots depict functional decoding results of the top ten weighted terms for each network. Note that term weightings depend on the values of each input map; thus, each radar plot depicts an arbitrary scale and comparison of values across plots is not recommended 29

Decoding sequential phases indicated that problem initiation may reflect visuospatial attention, perceptual/motor, and memory retrieval; question presentation was associated with switching, visual short-term memory, and numbers, and answer selection was linked to DMN-related terms (e.g., unconstrained (free), mentalizing, and ambiguous), consistent with mental exploration of a solution. Next, to assess information exchange across GLM-identified regions during problem solving, we performed task-based functional connectivity (FC) analyses for three seeds centered on peaks of the overall FCI > Control map located in the left V5/MT+, the left dlPFC, and the RSC. Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) results (Fig. 2 ; Supplementary Table 4 ) revealed greater physics problem solving-related coupling (relative to control conditions) of the left V5/MT+ with DAN brain areas, the left dlPFC with V5/MT+ and DMN areas, and the RSC with frontoparietal, DMN, and salience network (SN) regions. These outcomes suggest that complex visual information may be carried through a dorsal stream to frontoparietal regions that direct CEN–DMN network exchanges during physics reasoning.

Psychophysiological interaction (PPI) results. Whole-brain PPI task-based functional connectivity associated with FCI > Control for a left V5/MT+, b left dlPFC, and c RSC seeds. PPI maps were thresholded by using a cluster-defining threshold of P  < 0.001 and a cluster extent threshold of P  < 0.05, FWE corrected

Difficulty, but not accuracy and strategy, modulate brain activity during problem solving

To relate brain function to behavioral measures impacting student success, we tested our hypotheses that activity in meta-analytically derived ROIs (e.g., left dlPFC, left PPC, ACC, left hippocampus, and RSC) would be parametrically modulated by student-reported strategy and normative problem difficulty, 30 but not answer accuracy. While no significant BOLD signal modulations were observed in these a priori ROIs, an exploratory whole-brain parametric modulation analysis revealed that DAN and occipital activity were positively modulated by problem difficulty (Fig. 1e ; Supplementary Table 5 ). This indicates that the network associated with physics reasoning is consistently activated, regardless of whether or not a correct answer is achieved, and does not reflect students’ perception of their reasoning strategy. Importantly, the most salient relation appears to be between the degree of difficulty and engagement of brain regions linked with visuospatial perceptual, memory, and attentional processes, as assessed by functional decoding (Fig. 1e right).

Students demonstrate dissociable brain activity linked to knowledge fragmentation

We next performed module analysis 31 on students’ answer patterns to probe potential relationships between brain activity and students’ conceptual coherence (i.e., integration of physics knowledge) 22 and to assess if distinct reasoning profiles were rooted in the underlying functional brain differences. We analyzed answer distributions by using a community detection algorithm 32 to parse student subgroups who provided similar responses across FCI questions. Percent overlap was assessed between answers provided by each group and previously identified “conceptual modules” present in the FCI test 31 (Supplementary Table 6 ). Conceptual modules are communities of incorrect FCI answer choices that are usually selected together. They represent students’ dissociable non-Newtonian (incorrect) notions about physical phenomena, some of which demonstrate a high degree of conceptual coherence, while others are more suggestive of a fragmented collection of physics ideas. 21 , 31 , 33 The set of conceptual modules selected by a group (their reasoning profile) represents distinguishable arrangements of student’s (mis)interpretations and confusions about the physical world. Module analysis detected 13 student groups across 107 students who answered similarly to each other during FCI problem solving with a modularity of Q  = 0.53 (Fig. 3a ). Four groups had ten or more members (i.e., normative groups). ANOVA indicated a significant difference in mean framewise displacement (FD) head motion between groups or one or more of the groups ( F (3, 178) = 8.213, p   ≪  0.001). Post hoc multiple comparison Tukey HSD tests indicated that students in Group D showed to significantly greater head motion ( p  < 0.05). The three remaining in the normative groups had no significant differences of in-scanner head motion and were thus selected for further analysis. The remaining three groups’ answer distributions were characterized based on prevalence of conceptual modules (Fig. 3b ). These groups, composed of 24, 17, and 10 students, were carried into group-level neuroimaging analyses to assess brain activity and connectivity differences during problem solving.

Inhomogeneity in students’ conceptual approach. a Module analysis of student responses across FCI answer distributions. Heat map colors represent student responses to multiple-choice FCI questions and black horizontal lines distinguish groups identified by community detection. b Scaled within-group overlap of incorrect FCI responses across nine previously measured physics conceptual models 31 (Supplementary Table 6 ) for top three normative groups. c Group differences in problem solving-related brain networks (FCI > Control, all phases) across the three normative groups. Increased activity is shown for Groups A and B relative to Group C (top) and Group C relative to Groups A and B (bottom). No significant differences were observed between Groups A and B. Group difference maps were thresholded by using a cluster-defining threshold of P  < 0.001 and a cluster extent threshold of P  < 0.05, FWE corrected

Group A ( n  = 24) achieved an accuracy rate of 77% across all FCI questions, indicative of being highly Newtonian thinkers. 27 Of the non-Newtonian responses provided by this group, incorrect answers almost exclusively aligned with a common naive physics idea known as the “ impetus force ” ( m1 , Fig. 3b top), which is the incorrect belief that moving objects experience a propelling force. Group B ( n  = 17) achieved an accuracy rate of 73% across all FCI questions, which is also indicative of high Newtonian thinking. The reasoning profile for Group B (Fig. 3b middle) indicated that students gave incorrect answers by either falling victim to the impetus force fallacy ( m1 ) or to another common, but less coherent set of physics conceptions that we term the “ confusion about gravitational action ” module ( m9 ). Group C ( n  = 10) achieved an accuracy rate of 53% across all FCI questions, indicative of non-Newtonian thinking. The reasoning profile for Group C (Fig. 3b bottom) indicated that students’ incorrect answers were primarily associated with five conceptual modules that each occurred at relatively similar rates: the “ impetus force ” module ( m1 ), “ more force yields more result ” module ( m2 ), “ confusion relating speed and path ” module ( m5 ), “ sudden forces induce instantaneous path change ” module ( m6 ), and “an object’s mass determines how it falls ” module ( m7 ).

We performed a whole-brain, one-way ANOVA to identify between-group differences in physics-related brain activity (FCI > Control, all phases). Omnibus results indicated that one or more subgroups showed significantly different brain activity during problem solving. Post hoc tests were performed across each combination of group pairs (Fig. 3c ; Supplementary Table 7 ). Group A (vs. C) students demonstrated greater activity during problem solving in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) as well as in the left inferior parietal lobule, bilateral V5/MT+, and right cerebellum. Group B (vs. C) students also exhibited greater activity in the left lOFC. Group C (vs. both A and B) students showed greater activity in the cuneus extending into the lingual gyri. In addition, Group C students also showed increased activity relative to Group A in the caudal medial frontal gyrus, ACC, bilateral precentral and postcentral gyri along the precentral sulcus, bilateral anterior insular cortex (aIC), and left superior temporal gyrus. Overall, the student who answered by using more coherent physics conceptions, even if incorrect, showed increased reliance on a lOFC-V5/MT+ network, whereas students who held less consistent ideas involving multiple conceptual approaches showed increased primary visual and SN activity. One possible interpretation of these differences may be that in the absence of stable and coordinated physics conceptions, students engage relatively more visual search processes for salient problem features.

Our fMRI results suggest that when students solve physics problems, they activate a network of bilateral dlPFC, left lOFC, PPC, RSC, and V5/MT+ areas, consistent with previous CEN-supported problem-solving findings across knowledge domains. 5 Yet, V5/MT+ and RSC involvement with the CEN appear to be a feature of physics problem solving in particular. Both areas support visuospatial information processing, 34 with the bilateral V5/MT+ system being linked to visual motion processing including imagining implied motion and maintaining motion information in working memory, 35 , 36 , 37 and RSC supporting spatial cognition and episodic memory retrieval, especially when imagined scenes are mentally transformed between specific viewpoints. 24 Thus, these regions may aid in the mental imagery of motion, as informed by remembered physical scenarios, and build internal representations of physical systems, which is considered an essential step in physics solution generation. 38 Shifts in physics-related brain activity across problem phases indicate reliance on memory-linked associations. We find that V5/MT+, CEN, DAN, and DMN transitions support sequential problem-solving phases. Notably, answer generation elicited concurrent DMN, lateral fronto-parietal, and V5/MT+ activity. Interestingly, while CEN-supported tasks often evoke DMN deactivations, this DMN–CEN coherence likely indicates reliance on episodic and semantic memory retrieval processes 39 , 40 during physics cognition, a notion consistent with the constructivist theory of learning. 41 In addition, the PCC is functionally heterogeneous, connecting DMN and fronto-parietal networks, and serving as a possible hub across brain systems to direct attentional focus. 42 Further, the FCI is differentiated from other fMRI tasks by its relatively long trials, requiring sustained cognition to generate answers. The DMN may thus be activated along with the CEN to allow for mental exploration necessary in solution derivation.

Problem solving-related brain activity was shown to differ based on how students think, not how correct they are. We found that students’ problem solving-related brain function cannot be categorized by simply considering their “ incorrect ” versus “ correct ” answers. Rather, module analysis indicates that variance in conceptual approach better characterizes brain differences, which in turn impacts success rate. An existing framework of learning conceptualizes physics cognition as relying on dual “knowledge structure” and “control structure” processes. 22 Under this model, students apply executive functions to select or inhibit associational patterns that ground how they describe the physical world. Here, associational patterns, known as knowledge structures, are conceptualized as flexible, contextually primed collections of linked knowledge elements called “resources” that students activate to scaffold reasoning. Ideally, students learn to activate stable associations between physical laws, enabling long deductive chains to be carried out during problem solving. However, when this does not occur, student’s non-Newtonian processes can vary: strongly associated yet inappropriate resources may stably activate across contexts, or more basic, axiomatic physical beliefs (e.g., intuitive notions such as closer is stronger or more effort gives more result ) 21 may form weak, unstable links that do not support ancillary deductive elaboration. These differences are described along an axis of “compilation” or memory chunking. Students without precompiled knowledge structures require additional cognitive resources to assemble associations during reasoning, whereas physics experts can access well-developed associational patterns that do not need to be actively assembled during problem solving.

We adopt this resource framework to interpret brain function with the goal of relating neuroimaging findings to educational knowledge and practice. Physics-related CEN and DAN activations were linked to varied cognitive terms consistent with the idea of a control structure, and DMN involvement during reasoning may reflect associational mappings within semantic or episodic memory circuits. 39 , 40 Thus, dlPFC–RSC FC may support the idea that control processes guide knowledge structure selection. Under this interpretation, reasoning subgroups may be thought of as differentiated by knowledge structure use. Groups A and B applied predominantly Newtonian (i.e., compiled) thinking, but Group C was less consistent in their approach. Of the non-Newtonian modules activated, Group A consistently used an arguably concrete impetus model, Group B applied an impetus model while also expressing confusion about gravitational action , and Group C utilized multiple modules characterized by simple, vague, or confused ideas that differed across problems. We argue that these groups can be described along a continuum of knowledge compilation, coherence, and robustness. Groups A, and to a lesser extent, B demonstrated stable, strongly associated knowledge structures, whereas Group C showed more labile associational patterns that were limited by problem context. In this manner, less coherent, more variable knowledge structures were associated with increased primary visual and SN activity, whereas precompiled, stable reasoning strategies more strongly activated lOFC and V5/MT+, areas implicated by physics thinking in the CEN. These findings suggest that chunked knowledge can reduce working memory demands, allowing for increased focus on other control structure aspects of problem solving. 22 However, when students continually reidentify associational patterns across problems, they may rely more heavily on visually guided SN activity to select which problem features deserve their attention. 43

A fundamental goal of educational neuroscience is to bridge understanding of brain function with the insights, findings, and models of education research. Under a resource framework, our results suggest that physics students struggle most when they do not understand how to choose appropriate and coherently chunked resources from long-term memory, thus relying on increased SN activity during problem solving. Learning obstacles also occur when students access compiled but nonphysical conceptions during reasoning, allowing for increased CEN brain function linked to control processes. While the latter still represents a type of incorrect physics thinking, it more closely resembles the kind of cognition instructors aim to teach. 22 As others have pointed out, 44 it is a long path between brain imaging and the potential development of lesson plans, yet these insights may begin to inform aspects of physics classroom practice: instruction that explicitly attends to how students select, link, and reorganize resources may be critical in developing appropriately compiled knowledge to map back onto control processes. 22 Learning physics is complex, yet a disproportionate focus is often placed on whether students answer questions correctly. Our results suggest that the conceptual foundations of wrong answers are accompanied by functional brain differences during reasoning and can reveal much more about student’s ability to succeed than simple measures of accuracy. A focus on accuracy alone oversimplifies the complex processes engaged during physics reasoning. Instructors that leverage (rather than ignore or attempt to simply overwrite) students’ incorrect conceptions to facilitate conceptual change and transition-existing resources about physical phenomena into stable and accessible knowledge structures may better serve students in connecting what they believe with what they predict.

In sum, we find that the neural mechanisms underlying conceptual physics problem solving are characterized by integrated visual motion, central executive, attentional, and default mode brain systems, with solution generation relying on critical DMN–CEN engagement during reasoning. Furthermore, we explored whether measures of student success show underlying neurobiological bases, finding that students’ physics conceptions manifest as brain differences along an axis of relative knowledge fragmentation and robustness. Critically, accuracy alone did not predict brain function, but students achieved increased success when they made use of stable, strongly associated knowledge structures. We acknowledge that our results may be specific to the FCI questions used here, that additional or varied brain dynamics may be more relevant for different kinds of physics problem solving, and that sample sizes across Groups A–C, are relatively small and uneven. Despite these concerns, we are confident that our findings serve to deepen understanding into how students learn. Together, our results demonstrate that associational and control processes operate in tandem to support physics problem solving and offer potential educational insight toward promoting student success.

Participants

One hundred and seven healthy right-handed undergraduate students (age 18–25 years; 48 women) enrolled in introductory calculus-based physics at Florida International University (FIU) took part in this study. MRI data were acquired no more than 2 weeks after the end of the academic semester. Written informed consent was obtained in accordance with FIU Institutional Review Board approval.

The Force Concept Inventory, a widely used 45 and reliable 46 test of conceptual understanding in Newtonian physics, 26 which includes a series of questions about physical scenarios, was adapted for the MRI environment. FCI questions do not require mathematical calculation; rather they force students to choose between a correct answer and multiple common sense alternatives. The task included three phases: participants viewed a figure and descriptive text presenting a physical scenario (Phase I), a physics question was presented (Phase II), and participants viewed four possible answers and were instructed to choose the correct answer and mentally justify why their solution made the most sense (Phase III). Participants provided a self-paced button press to advance between phases and provide their final answer; a fixation cross was shown after answer selection before presentation of the next scenario. Question blocks were of maximum duration 45 s and were followed by a fixation cross of minimum duration 10 s. Control questions presented everyday physical scenarios and queried students on general reading comprehension instead of physics content. Control questions also included three phases (Control I, Control II, and Control III) to match the presentation of FCI questions. Post-scan debriefing included a paper-based questionnaire in which students rated the degree to which they had used “knowledge and reasoning” or had relied on a “gut feeling” to solve each FCI question.

fMRI acquisition and preprocessing

Functional images were acquired with an interleaved gradient-echo, echo planar imaging sequence (TR/TE = 2000/30 ms, flip angle = 75°, FOV = 220 × 220 mm, matrix size = 64 × 64, and voxel dimensions = 3.4 × 3.4 × 3.4 mm, 42 axial oblique slices). A T1-weighted series was acquired by using a 3D fast spoiled gradient recall brain volume (FSPGR BRAVO) sequence with 186 contiguous sagittal slices (TI = 650 ms, bandwidth = 25.0 kHz, flip angle = 12°, FOV = 256 × 256 mm, and slice thickness = 1.0 mm). Preprocessing was performed by using FSL ( www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl ) and AFNI software libraries. Anatomical and functional images were skull stripped, the first five frames of each functional run were discarded, rigid-body motion correction was performed, functional images were high-pass filtered (110 s), and a 12-degree-of-freedom affine transformation was applied to co-register the series with each structural volume. Nonlinear resampling was applied to transform all images into MNI152 space, and functional volumes were spatially smoothed by using a 5-mm Gaussian kernel. All motion-corrected non-registered 4D data underwent visual inspection, and TRs associated with visually identified motion artifacts were flagged for exclusion and their corresponding FD values were recorded. The minimum of the distribution of these artifact-linked FDs was used as a common scrubbing threshold across subjects during analyses. TRs with excessive motion (including one frame before and two frames after) were censored out during the GLM analysis if they met or exceeded a threshold of 0.35-mm FD. 47 Runs containing excessive motion (≥33% of within-block motion) were discarded from the analysis, resulting in the omission of three runs from two individuals. Six motion parameters (translations and rotations) were included as nuisance regressors in all analyses.

General linear model analyses

Stimulus-timing files were created for each participant based on question phase onset/offset times. FCI and control questions were modeled as blocks from question onset to the onset of a concluding fixation cross triggered by answer selection. The contrast FCI > Control was modeled across full question duration; three additional GLM analyses were performed for the individual phases. Timing files were convolved with a hemodynamic response function, and the first temporal derivatives of each convolved regressor were included to account for any offset in peak BOLD response. General linear modeling for within- and between-subject analyses was performed in FSL by using FEAT. Group-level activation maps for all contrasts were thresholded with a cluster-defining threshold (CDT) of P  < 0.001 and a cluster extent threshold (CET) of P  < 0.05 (FWE corr).

Task-based functional connectivity analysis

We tested for PPI associated with the FCI task across three seeds centered on peaks from the overall FCI > Control map located in the left V5/MT + , left dlPFC, and RSC. ROIs were transformed into native space, and time series were extracted from unsmoothed data and included as regressors in separate within-subject PPI analyses performed on spatially smoothed 4D data sets. Design matrices for the within-subject PPI analyses contained regressors for the ROI time series, the condition difference vector modeling the differences between FCI and Control timing files, a vector representing the sum of the FCI and Control conditions, and the interaction between the task difference vector and ROI time series. The interaction term was calculated by zero-centering the task explanatory variable, and the mean of the ROI time series was set to zero. All task and interaction regressors, but not the ROI time series, were convolved with a Gamma-modeled hemodynamic response. PPI analyses were carried out separately for each ROI, and the resultant beta maps were averaged within-subject and carried into three separate group-level analyses. ROI-to-voxel task-based functional connectivity analyses were thresholded at a significance of P  < 0.001 CDT, P   <  0.05 CET (FWE corr).

Brain-behavior correlates

Separate within-subject parametric modulation analyses were performed for accuracy, difficulty, and self-reported problem-solving strategy. Design matrices were identical to GLM analyses but included a single parametric modulator with the same FCI question timing but with a regressor height modeled by differences in the behavioral measures. Accuracy was modeled with regressor heights of 1, 0, or −1 corresponding to correct, no response, or incorrect answer provided. Difficulty was measured as a normative miss rate per FCI question, as measured externally. 30 Problem-solving strategy was measured on a Likert scale by a post-scan questionnaire. If any parametric modulator had zero variance within a run (i.e., the student reported using an identical strategy for all questions) then the run was discarded to avoid rank deficiency in the design matrix. The resulting beta maps were then averaged across within-subject runs. Brain-behavior correlations were tested via two separate analyses: we extracted within-subject parametric modulator beta values within five hypothesis-driven ROIs and conducted one sample, two-sided t tests on the beta distributions for significant variations from baseline (Supplementary Fig. 3 ). Group-level analyses were also performed with whole-brain beta maps resulting from the parametric modulation GLMs to determine if significant network-level activity was present during problem solving associated with the behavioral measures.

Student response profiles

Given evidence indicating student responses to the FCI, which provide insight into how students think about physics problems, 31 we performed a module analysis of the observed FCI answer distributions to identify student response profiles. The data were treated as a bipartite matrix of Students × Responses. This bipartite matrix was computed and then projected into a weighted adjacency matrix of students, A   =  MM T , where M is the bipartite matrix. Each element in A represents the count of how many times one student agreed with any other student (values from 0 to 9, for 9 questions). Next, we performed nonparametric sparsification 48 on A to identify the backbone of the graph. Backboning identifies important links within a network and reduces the number of spurious links. A significance value was computed for each edge weight and the edge weights were thresholded at P  < 0.01. We performed community detection (InfoMapR 32 ) on the backbone network to identify subgroups of students who provided similar responses to the FCI prompts. We assessed the scaled within-group overlap of incorrect FCI responses across a set of nine previously measured physics modules consisting of jointly selected incorrect FCI response items 31 (Supplementary Table 6 ). Each group’s relative conceptual module representation was scaled by group size to allow for comparisons across groups of different sizes. Alignment with conceptual modules indicates that students draw on specific non-Newtonian physics conceptions. Finally, we tested for network differences across student groups. An omnibus test was conducted for the FCI > Control contrast as well as for the three whole-brain PPI maps. Significant F-test results were further interrogated with post hoc t tests across groups. Maps were thresholded at P  < 0.001 CDT, P  < 0.05 CET (FWE corr).

Reporting summary

Further information on research design is available in the Nature Research Reporting Summary linked to this article.

Data availability

Archives of behavioral data and statistical models used in this study, including the e-Prime stimulus files and module analysis files, can be accessed in the GitHub repository. Statistical brain volumes resulting from neuroimaging analyses are available at https://neurovault.org/collections/4758/ .

Code availability

A public GitHub repository was created at https://github.com/NBCLab/PhysicsLearning/tree/master/FCI to archive the analysis- processing scripts and custom code used in this study. FMRI data processing and analysis were carried out by using FEAT Version 5.0.7, part of FSL (FMRIB’s Software Library, www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk/fsl ). Analyses on behavioral (e.g., non-fMRI) data were performed in R version 3.4 and Python 2.7.

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Acknowledgements

Primary funding for this project was provided by NSF REAL DRL-1420627; additional support was provided by NSF 1631325, NIH R01 DA041353, NIH U01 DA041156, NSF CNS 1532061, NIH K01DA037819, NIH U54MD012393, and the FIU Graduate School Dissertation Year Fellowships. Thanks to Karina Falcone, Rosario Pintos Lobo, and Camila Uzcategui for their assistance with data collection and to the Department of Psychology of the University of Miami for providing access to their MRI scanner. Special thanks to the FIU undergraduate students who volunteered and participated in this project.

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Jessica E. Bartley, Michael C. Riedel, Robert W. Laird & Angela R. Laird

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Contributions

Designed research: A.R.L., E.B., S.M.P., M.T.S., R.W.L. and J.E.B. Performed research: J.E.B., E.R.B., K.L.B., E.I.B., R.O. and A.N. Contributed analysis tools: J.E.B., M.C.R., T.S., K.L.B. and E.B. Analyzed data: J.E.B., M.C.R., T.S. and E.B. All authors contributed to the interpretation of the results and writing the paper.

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Correspondence to Angela R. Laird .

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Bartley, J.E., Riedel, M.C., Salo, T. et al. Brain activity links performance in science reasoning with conceptual approach. npj Sci. Learn. 4 , 20 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0059-8

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0059-8

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September 9, 2021

How the brain solves problems

by Delia Du Toit, Wits University

In trying to think of an introduction for this article it occurred to me that had I been inside an MRI, the screen would have showed several brain regions lighting up like Times Square as my mind was attempting to solve the problem.

First, the prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia and thalamus would recognize that the blank page meant that there was a problem that needed to be solved. The thought that the editor might not favor this first-person account in a science article would send the limbic system , the primal part of the brain where emotions are processed, into overdrive. The amygdala, that little almond-shaped nugget at the base of the brain, would look like a Christmas tree as anxiety ticked up.

Finally, as words started filling the screen, the prefrontal cortex behind the forehead would flicker and flash. The hippocampus would access memories of previous similar articles, the information-gathering process and even school-level English classes decades ago, to help the process along. And all this activity would happen at once.

Holistic problem solving

Depending on the problem in front of you, the entire brain could be involved in trying to find a solution, says Professor Kate Cockcroft, Division Leader of cognitive neuroscience at the Neuroscience Research Laboratory (Wits NeuRL) in the School of Human and Community Development.

"You would use many different brain regions to solve a problem, especially a novel or difficult one. The idea of processes being localized in one or two parts of the brain has been replaced with newer evidence that it is the connections among brain areas and their interaction that is important in cognitive processes . Some areas may be more activated with certain problems—a visual problem would activate the visual cortices, for example.

"All this activity takes place as electrochemical signals. The signals form within neurons, pass along the branch-like axons and jump from one neuron to the next across gaps called synapses, with the help of neurotransmitter chemicals. The pattern, size, shape and number of these signals, what they communicate with, and the region of the brain in which they happen, determine what they achieve."

Although problem solving is a metacognitive—"thinking about thinking"—process, that does not make it solely the domain of the highly evolved human prefrontal cortex , adds Dr. Sahba Besharati, Division Leader of social-affective neuroscience at NeuRL.

"This is the most recently evolved part of the human brain, but problem solving does not happen in isolation—it's immersed in a social context that influences how we interpret information. Your background, gender, religion or emotions, among other factors, all influence how you interpret a problem. This means that it would involve other brain areas like the limbic system, one of the oldest brain systems housed deep within the cortex," says Besharati.

"Problem-solving abilities are not a human peculiarity. Some animals are even better than us at solving certain problems, but we all share basic problem-solving skills—if there's danger, leave; if you're hungry, find food."

None of this would be possible without memory either, says Cockcroft. "Without it, we would forget what it is that we are trying to solve and we wouldn't be able to use past experiences to help us solve it."

And memory is, again, linked to emotion. "We use this information to increase the likelihood of positive results when solving new problems," she says.

Improving your skills

It has been proven time and again that just about any brain process can be improved—including problem-solving abilities. "Brain plasticity is a real thing—the brain can reorganize itself with targeted intervention," says Besharati. "Rehabilitation from neurological injury is a dynamic process and an ever-improving science that has allowed us to understand how the brain can change and adapt in response to the environment. Studies have also shown that simple memorisation exercises can assist tremendously in retaining cognitive skills in old age."

Of course, all these processes depend on your brain recognizing that there's a problem to be dealt with in the first place—if you don't realize you're spending money foolishly, you can't improve your finances. "Recognition of a problem can happen at both a conscious and unconscious level. Stroke patients who are not aware of their motor paralysis, for example, deludedly don't believe that they are paralyzed and will sometimes not engage in rehabilitation. But their delusions often spontaneously recover, suggesting recognition at an unconscious level and that, over time, the brain can restore function."

If all else fails, there might be some value to the adage "sleep on it," says Cockcroft. "Sleep is believed to assist memory consolidation—changing memories from a fragile state in which they can easily be damaged to a permanent state. In doing so, they become stored in different brain regions and new neural connections are formed that may assist problem solving. On waking, you may have formed associations between information that you didn't think of previously. This seems to be most effective within three hours of learning new information—perhaps we should institute compulsory naps for students after lectures!"

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Physical Activity Boosts Brain Health

Regular physical activity is good for your heart, muscles, and bones. Did you know it’s good for your brain too?

Physical activity can help you think, learn, problem-solve, and enjoy an emotional balance. It can improve memory and reduce anxiety or depression.

Regular physical activity can also reduce your risk of cognitive decline, including dementia. One study  found that cognitive decline is almost twice as common among adults who are inactive compared to those who are active.

Regular physical activity can help you sleep and feel better, reduce the risk of some common cancers , and add years to your life.

You don’t have to be a fitness guru to reap the benefits. No matter your age or fitness level, any amount of physical activity can help.

What You Can Do

Some benefits of physical activity  on brain health start right after a session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

For the most benefit, adults need at least 150 minutes of  moderate-intensity  physical activity weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity. It doesn’t have to happen in one stretch. For example, moderate-intensity activity could be broken into 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, or smaller bouts that add up.

All adults also need muscle-strengthening activities two or more days a week. And adults 65 and older need balance activities about three days a week.

Here are four activities  to help you become healthier:

Adult Weekly Physical Activity Recommendations

• 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity
• Muscle-strengthening two or more days a week.

See a sample schedule

Adults 65 and older also need balance activities about three days a week.

See a sample schedule .

• Turn up the music at home and dance. Twisting and turning can be a fun way to be physically active.
• Take active breaks. Break up your sedentary time with physical activity. For example, squat or march in place between programs while you’re watching television. Or stand on one leg to improve your balance.
• Add physical activity to your daily routine. When shopping, park at the back of the parking lot and walk to the shop. Inside, walk around the perimeter of the store before getting what you need. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Get off transit one stop sooner and walk to your destination. If you already walk routinely, start carrying hand weights on your treks.
• Walk the dog. Dogs are great walking companions and can help you have an active lifestyle.  One study found that dog owners on average walk 22 minutes more every day compared to people who don’t own a dog. You can even try going a little further on walks with your dog.

Remember that some activity is better than none, and every little bit counts. Even some chores such as raking and bagging leaves, using a lawn mower, or vacuuming can help you get active.

Get started by keeping track of your daily activities for one  week with this diary [PDF-571KB] . Think about  times throughout the day you could be physically active and make those times a regular part of your daily or weekly schedule. Find more tips to fit physical activity into your day with Move Your Way .

Health care providers play an important role in helping patients become more physically active to improve their health. They can:

• Educate patients about the connection between physical activity and physical and mental health.
• Encourage patients to move more and sit less to meet the physical activity guidelines .
• Encourage adults who are not able to meet the physical activity guidelines to do whatever regular physical activity they can. For example, patients with cognitive decline may need to walk with their caregivers rather than walk alone.
• Prescribe programs such as SilverSneakers , EnhanceFitness , and Fit and Strong that may help reduce barriers for older adults.
• Connect patients to  physical activity resources .
• Measuring Physical Activity Intensity
• Physical Activity for Adults With Chronic Conditions and Disabilities
• Making Physical Activity Part of an Older Adult’s Life
• Podcast: The Importance of Physical Activity for Older Adults or  La importancia de la actividad física para los adultos mayores
• Benefits of Healthy Eating
• Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight

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Give Your Brain a Workout: Fun Brain Exercises to Stay Mentally Sharp

Challenge your brain daily with research-supported exercises that boost overall cognitive function and mental abilities like memory and attention.

By 1MD Nutrition Editorial Staff

0 minute read

Last Updated December 11, 2023

Your brain, much like your body, needs a good workout routine to stay strong and agile. Cognitive skills like memory, attention, and reasoning are the building blocks of mental sharpness, and just like physical fitness, they can be honed and improved through regular exercise.

This guide is packed with quick, engaging brain exercises you can easily fit into your daily life. We're diving straight into actionable, research-backed brain workouts that offer noticeable benefits, all while being surprisingly fun. Let's give your brain a workout it’ll remember! 

What Are Cognitive Exercises?

Cognitive exercises are activities that stimulate and challenge the brain's cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, problem-solving, and reasoning. These exercises are designed to keep the brain active and engaged, promoting brain health and potentially improving cognitive abilities. Here are several ways in which cognitive exercises can help the brain:

♦ Neuroplasticity: The brain has the remarkable ability to change and adapt throughout life, known as neuroplasticity. Cognitive exercises can stimulate neuroplasticity by creating new neural connections and strengthening existing ones. This can enhance cognitive function and improve the brain's ability to process information. ♦ Memory support: Memory is a fundamental cognitive function that can be enhanced through cognitive exercises. Activities like mnemonic tricks, visualization techniques, puzzles, memory games, and learning new information can help promote memory recall and retention. These exercises challenge the brain to encode, store, and retrieve information, strengthening memory pathways. ♦ Attention and focus: Cognitive exercises that require sustained attention and focus can help improve these cognitive abilities. Activities like meditation, mindfulness exercises, and attention-training games can enhance the brain's ability to concentrate and stay focused on tasks. ♦ Problem-solving and reasoning: Cognitive exercises that involve problem-solving and reasoning can support these cognitive skills. Activities like puzzles, riddles, and strategic games challenge the brain to think critically, analyze information, and find solutions. Regular engagement in such exercises can improve problem-solving abilities and enhance cognitive flexibility. ♦ Mental agility: Cognitive exercises can promote mental agility, which refers to the brain's ability to process information quickly and efficiently. Activities that involve rapid decision-making, multitasking, and mental calculations can improve mental agility and cognitive processing speed. ♦ Mood and emotional well-being: Engaging in cognitive exercises can have positive effects on mood and emotional well-being. These exercises can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which are associated with feelings of happiness and well-being. Additionally, cognitive exercises can provide a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, boosting self-esteem and reducing everyday stress. ♦ Brain health and aging: Regular engagement in cognitive exercises has been linked to improved brain health and a reduced risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. These exercises can help maintain cognitive function and preserve brain health as we age.

Cognitive exercises should be challenging but enjoyable. They should be tailored to an individual's abilities and interests to ensure engagement and motivation. A well-rounded approach to brain health should include other lifestyle factors like a balanced diet, regular physical exercise, quality sleep, and social engagement.

Why Cognitive Exercises Are Important

Cognitive exercises are not just enjoyable activities; they offer numerous real-world benefits that can positively impact various aspects of our lives. Here are some key reasons why cognitive exercises are important:

♦ Prevent cognitive decline with age: As we age, cognitive decline becomes a concern for many individuals. Regular cognitive exercises can help maintain and promote healthy cognitive function, reducing the risk of common age-related cognitive decline. These exercises stimulate the brain, promote neuroplasticity, and strengthen neural connections, keeping the mind sharp and agile. ♦ Help regain function after illness/injury: Cognitive exercises play a crucial role in rehabilitation after an illness or injury that affects cognitive function. For example, individuals recovering from a stroke or traumatic brain injury can benefit from cognitive exercises that target specific cognitive domains affected by the condition. These exercises help retrain the brain, promote neural recovery, and improve cognitive abilities, facilitating a smoother transition back to daily activities and work. ♦ Improve focus for daily tasks and work: Maintaining focus and concentration can be challenging in today's fast-paced world. Cognitive exercises that enhance attention and focus can be immensely helpful in improving productivity and performance in daily tasks and work. By training the brain to sustain attention and resist distractions, individuals can become more efficient and effective in their endeavors. ♦ Enhance overall cognitive function: Cognitive exercises have a broad impact on overall cognitive function. They improve memory, attention, problem-solving, reasoning, and other cognitive abilities. By regularly engaging in cognitive exercises, individuals can experience enhanced cognitive performance in various areas of life, such as better decision-making, improved problem-solving skills, and increased mental agility.

Incorporating cognitive exercises into our daily routines is a proactive approach to maintaining and improving cognitive health. These exercises not only provide immediate benefits but also contribute to long-term brain health and resilience. 

Whether it's solving puzzles, playing brain-training games, learning a new skill, or engaging in mindfulness practices, finding enjoyable cognitive exercises that challenge the brain can have a profound impact on our mental well-being and overall quality of life.

Types of Cognitive Exercises

No need for expensive equipment or fancy apps. We've got you covered with a variety of brain-boosting activities that can be done anywhere, anytime. Here are some types of cognitive exercises that can help keep your brain sharp:

Brain Training Games and Apps

Brain training games and apps are specifically designed to challenge and stimulate various cognitive functions. These games often target memory, attention, problem-solving, and mental agility. They can be easily accessed on smartphones, tablets, or computers. Some popular examples include:

♦ Lumosity: Lumosity offers a wide range of brain training games that target different cognitive skills, such as memory, attention, and flexibility. ♦ Elevate: Elevate focuses on improving critical thinking, memory, and math skills through engaging and interactive games. ♦ Sudoku: Sudoku is a number puzzle game that requires logical thinking and problem-solving skills. ♦ Crossword puzzles: Crossword puzzles challenge your vocabulary, memory, and problem-solving abilities.

Simply download the desired app or visit the website, choose the specific game or exercise, and follow the instructions provided. Make it a habit to incorporate these games into your daily routine for maximum benefit.

Mnemonic Strategies and Techniques

Mnemonic strategies and techniques involve using memory aids to improve information retention and recall. These techniques can be particularly helpful when trying to remember lists, names, or complex information. Some examples of mnemonic strategies include:

♦ Acronyms: Creating a word or phrase using the first letter of each item you want to remember. ♦ Visualization: Creating vivid mental images to associate with the information you want to remember. ♦ Chunking: Breaking down large amounts of information into smaller, more manageable chunks.

To utilize mnemonic strategies, identify the information you want to remember and choose a mnemonic technique that suits your learning style. Practice using these techniques regularly to enhance your memory and recall abilities.

Memory Palaces, Linking/Chaining Methods, Visual Imagery

Memory palaces, linking, or chaining methods, and visual imagery are advanced mnemonic techniques that can significantly improve memory. These techniques involve creating mental associations and visualizations to enhance memory retention. Here's how they work:

♦ Memory palaces: This technique involves mentally visualizing a familiar location, such as your home, and associating specific information with different rooms or locations within that space. ♦ Linking/chaining methods: This technique involves creating a story or narrative that links different pieces of information together, making it easier to remember. ♦ Visual imagery: This technique involves creating vivid mental images that represent the information you want to remember.

Choose the method that resonates with you and practice creating mental associations and visualizations. With regular practice, you can improve your memory and recall abilities.

Spatial Workout Challenges

Spatial workout challenges involve activities that require spatial reasoning and visualization skills. These exercises can help improve mental rotation, spatial awareness, and problem-solving abilities. Some examples of spatial workout challenges include:

♦ Tangrams: Tangrams are puzzles that require rearranging geometric shapes to form specific patterns. ♦ Jigsaw puzzles: Jigsaw puzzles involve assembling various interlocking pieces to create a complete picture. ♦ Rubik's Cube: Solving a Rubik's Cube requires spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Choose a specific activity that interests you and start solving the puzzles or challenges. These exercises can be done individually or with others, making them a fun and engaging way to boost your spatial reasoning skills.

Mazes, 3D Rotation Puzzles

Mazes and 3D rotation puzzles are excellent exercises for improving problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and visual perception skills. These activities require you to navigate through complex paths or manipulate objects in three-dimensional space. Some examples include:

♦ Traditional mazes: Solve mazes by finding the correct path from the starting point to the endpoint. ♦ 3D rotation puzzles: These puzzles involve manipulating three-dimensional objects to match a specific pattern or solve a problem.

Find books or online resources that provide these types of puzzles. Start with simpler puzzles and gradually increase the difficulty level as you improve your skills.

Planning, Problem-Solving Activities

Planning and problem-solving activities challenge your ability to think critically, analyze information, and find solutions. These exercises can involve tasks such as:

♦ Planning a trip: Plan a detailed itinerary for a trip, considering factors like transportation, accommodation, and activities. ♦ Solving logic puzzles: Logic puzzles, such as Sudoku or crossword puzzles, require you to use deductive reasoning and problem-solving skills. ♦ Brainstorming: Engage in brainstorming sessions to generate creative solutions to a specific problem or challenge.

Choose a task or puzzle that interests you and start working on it. These exercises can be done individually or with others, fostering collaboration and critical thinking skills.

Chess, Completing Series Patterns

Chess and completing series patterns are cognitive exercises that challenge your strategic thinking, pattern recognition, and decision-making abilities.

♦ Chess is a classic game that requires strategic thinking, planning, and the ability to anticipate your opponent's moves. Regularly playing chess can improve your problem-solving skills, memory, concentration, and decision-making abilities. You can play chess online, against a computer, or with friends and family. ♦ Completing Series Patterns: A cognitive exercise that involves identifying and continuing a sequence of numbers, letters, shapes, or patterns. This exercise enhances your pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and analytical skills. You can find series pattern puzzles in books, online resources, or you can create your own.

Familiarize yourself with the rules and strategies of chess or the patterns you are working on. Practice regularly to improve your skills and challenge yourself with increasingly complex puzzles or opponents.

Remember, the key to benefiting from cognitive exercises is consistency and variety. Incorporate a mix of these exercises into your routine to target different cognitive functions and keep your brain engaged and challenged. Enjoy the process and have fun while giving your brain a workout!

Research on the Effectiveness of Cognitive Training

Studies are increasingly demonstrating the positive effects of brain training on cognitive function. Research shows improvements in memory, attention, processing speed, and even reasoning skills. However, it is important to note that not all cognitive training programs are created equal. 

The research on cognitive or brain training effectiveness is not without its nuances. Several large-scale studies, including the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) trial , have demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive function, particularly in the areas of memory and executive function. However, other studies have shown less conclusive results, highlighting the need for further research and tailored interventions.

When choosing a cognitive training program, it is crucial to look for programs that have research-backed methodologies and transparent data on their effectiveness. Here are some key factors to consider:

♦ Scientific basis: Look for programs that are based on well-established cognitive theories and principles. The program should have a clear rationale for how it targets specific cognitive abilities. ♦ Research evidence: Legitimate programs should have published research studies demonstrating their effectiveness. Look for studies conducted by independent researchers and published in reputable scientific journals. ♦ Methodology: The program should have a structured and systematic approach to training, with clear instructions and progression. It should also provide feedback and adapt to individual performance. ♦ Transfer effects: Consider whether the program has evidence of transfer effects, indicating that the improvements in trained cognitive abilities extend to untrained tasks or real-world situations. ♦ User reviews and testimonials: While not a substitute for scientific evidence, user reviews and testimonials can provide insights into the program's usability and effectiveness.

By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision when selecting a cognitive training program that is backed by scientific research and has a higher likelihood of delivering the desired cognitive benefits.

The Bottom Line

Incorporating brain exercises into your daily routine is a fun and effective way to keep your mind sharp and maintain cognitive function. Whether you choose brain training games and apps, mnemonic strategies, spatial workout challenges, or other cognitive exercises, the key is to engage in activities that challenge and stimulate your brain. 

Research has shown that cognitive training can lead to improvements in memory, attention, processing speed, and reasoning skills. However, it’s important to choose legitimate, science-backed training programs that have a solid scientific basis and transparent data on their effectiveness. Remember to also consider other aspects of a healthy lifestyle, such as physical exercise, a balanced diet, and social engagement, as they all contribute to overall brain health. So, give your brain a workout and enjoy the benefits of a sharp and agile mind throughout your life.

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Cognitive Remediation Therapy: 13 Exercises & Worksheets

This can result in concentration, organizational, and planning difficulties that impact their quality of life and independent living.

Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) helps by increasing awareness of intellectual difficulties and improving thinking skills. While originally designed for people with thinking problems associated with schizophrenia, it has also proven successful for those with other diagnoses (Bristol Mental Health, n.d.).

CRT works by encouraging a range of exercises and activities that challenge memory, flexible thinking, planning, and concentration problems.

This article explores CRT and its potential to help clients and includes techniques, activities, and worksheets to build effective therapy sessions.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free . These science-based exercises will provide you with detailed insight into Positive CBT and give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching.

This Article Contains:

What is cognitive remediation therapy (crt), how does cognitive remediation work, 8 techniques for your sessions, 7 exercises, activities, & games, 6 helpful worksheets and manuals, implementing online crt programs, 3 best software programs for helping your clients, a take-home message.

“Cognitive remediation is a behavioral treatment for people who are experiencing cognitive impairments that interfere with daily functioning” (Medalia, Revheim, & Herlands, 2009, p. 1).

Successful cognitive functions, including memory, attention, visual-spatial analysis, and abstract reasoning, are vital for engaging with tasks, the environment, and healthy relationships.

CRT improves cognitive processing and psychosocial functioning through behavioral training and increasing individual confidence in people with mental health disorders (Corbo & Abreu, 2018). Training interventions focus on the skills and supports required to “improve the success and satisfaction people experience in their chosen living, learning, working, and social environments” (Medalia et al., 2009, p. 2).

Exercises typically focus on specific cognitive functions, where tasks are repeated (often on a computer) at increasing degrees of difficulty. For example:

• Paying attention
• Remembering
• Being organized
• Planning skills
• Problem-solving
• Processing information

Based on the principles of errorless learning and targeted reinforcement exercises , interventions involve memory, motor dexterity, and visual reading tasks. Along with improving confidence in personal abilities, repetition encourages thinking about solving tasks in multiple ways (Corbo & Abreu, 2018).

While initially targeted for patients with schizophrenia, CRT is an effective treatment for other mental health conditions , including mood and eating disorders (Corbo & Abreu, 2018).

CRT is particularly effective when the cognitive skills and support interventions reflect the individual’s self-selected rehabilitation goals. As a result, cognitive remediation relies on collaboration, assessing client needs, and identifying appropriate opportunities for intervention (Medalia et al., 2009).

Cognitive remediation vs cognitive rehabilitation

CRT is one of several skill-training psychiatric rehabilitation interventions. And yet, cognitive remediation is not the same as cognitive rehabilitation (Tchanturia, 2015).

Cognitive rehabilitation typically targets neurocognitive processes damaged because of injury or illness and involves a series of interventions designed to retrain previously learned cognitive skills along with compensatory strategies (Tsaousides & Gordon, 2009).

While initially done in person, they can subsequently be performed remotely as required (Corbo & Abreu, 2018; Bristol Mental Health, n.d.).

Well-thought-out educational software provides multisensory feedback and positive reinforcement while supporting success, choice, and control of the learning process. Its design can target either specific cognitive functions or non-specific learning skills and mechanisms (Medalia et al., 2009).

CRT successfully uses the brain’s neuroplasticity and is often more effective in younger age groups who haven’t experienced the effects of long-term psychosis. It works by increasing activation and connectivity patterns within and across several brain regions involved in working memory and high-order executive functioning (Corbo & Abreu, 2018).

The Neuropsychological Educational Approach to Cognitive Remediation (NEAR) is one of several approaches that provide highly individualized learning opportunities. It allows each client to proceed at their own pace on tasks selected and designed to engage them and address their cognitive needs (Medalia et al., 2009).

NEAR and other CRT techniques are influenced by learning theory and make use of the following (Medalia et al., 2009):

• Errorless learning Encouraging the client to learn progressively, creating a positive experience without relying on trial and error.
• Shaping and positive feedback Reinforcing behaviors that approximate target behaviors (such as good timekeeping) and offering rewards (for example, monthly certificates for attendance).
• Prompting Using open-ended questions that guide the client toward the correct response.
• Modeling Demonstrating how to solve a problem.
• Generalizing Learning how to generalize learned skills to other situations.
• Bridging Understanding how to apply skills learned inside a session outside  in everyday life.

Encouraging intrinsic motivation (doing the tasks for the satisfaction of doing them rather than for external rewards) and task engagement are also essential aspects of successful CRT programs (Medalia et al., 2009).

Therapy is most effective when it successfully supports clients as they transfer learning skills into the real world.

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Cognitive remediation techniques must be selected according to the skills and needs of the client and typically fall into one of three major intervention categories (Medalia et al., 2009):

• Planning exercises, such as planning a trip to the beach to practice cognitive strategies
• Cueing and sequencing , such as adding signs or placing reminder notes at home to encourage completing everyday tasks (for example, brushing teeth)

Such techniques rely on several key principles, including “(1) teaching new, efficient, information processing strategies; (2) aiding the transfer of cognitive gains to the real world; and (3) modifying the local environment” (Medalia et al., 2009, p. 5).

• Restorative approaches Directly target cognitive deficits by repeating task practices and gradually increasing difficulty and complexity; along with regular feedback, they encourage accurate and high levels of performance.

Practice is often organized hierarchically, as follows:

• Elementary aspects of sensory processing (for example, improving auditory processing speed and accuracy)
• High-order memory and problem-solving skills (including executive functioning and verbal skills)

This technique assumes a degree of neuroplasticity that, with training, results in a greater degree of accuracy in sensory representations, improved cognitive strategies for grouping stimuli into more meaningful groups, and better recall.

• Repetition and reaching for increasing levels of task difficulty
• Modeling other people’s positive behavior
• Role-play  to re-enact experienced or imagined behavior from different perspectives
• Corrective feedback to improve and correct unwanted or unhelpful behavior

Complex social cognitive processes are typically broken down into elemental skills for repetitive practice, role-play, and corrective feedback.

Professor Dame Til Wykes: cognitive remediation therapy

It is vital that activities within CRT are interesting and engaging for clients. They must foster the motivation required to persevere to the end of the task or game.

The following three games and puzzles are particularly valuable for children and adolescents (modified from Tchanturia, 2015):

SET is a widely available card game that practices matching based on color, shape, shading, etc.

Clients must shift their thinking to identify multiple ways of categorizing and grouping cards, then physically sort them based on their understanding.

It may be helpful to begin with a limited set of cards to reduce the likelihood of the clients becoming overwhelmed by the game or finding it less enjoyable.

2. Rush Hour

Rush Hour is another fun game that balances problem-solving skills with speed.

Puzzles start simple and increase in complexity, with additional elements involved. Skills developed include problem-solving and abstract thinking, and the game requires a degree of perseverance.

Other activities require no specialist equipment and yet can be highly engaging and support clients in learning transferable skills (modified from Tchanturia, 2015).

• Bigger picture thinking This involves the client picturing a shape in their minds or looking at one out of sight of the therapist. They then describe the shape (without naming it), while the therapist attempts to draw it according to the instructions. This practice is helpful with clients who get overwhelmed by detail and cannot see the bigger picture.
• Word searches Word searches encourage the client to focus on relevant information and ignore everything else – an essential factor in central coherence. Such puzzles also challenge memory, concentration, and attention.
• Last word response Last word response is a challenging verbal game promoting cognitive flexibility. The first player makes up and says a sentence out loud. Each subsequent player makes up a new sentence, starting with the last word of the previous player’s sentence. For example, ‘ I like cheese’ may be followed by the next player saying, ‘ Cheese is my favorite sandwich ingredient ,’ etc.
• Dexterity Using your non-dominant hand once a week (for example, combing your hair or brushing your teeth) stimulates different parts of your brain, creating alternative patterns of neuron firing and strengthening cognitive functions.

The following therapy worksheets help structure Cognitive Remediation Therapy sessions and ensure that the needs of clients are met using appropriately targeted CRT interventions (modified from Medalia et al., 2009; Medalia & Bowie, 2016):

Client referral to CRT

The Cognitive Remediation Therapy Referral Form captures valuable information when a client is referred from another agency or therapist so that the new therapist can identify and introduce the most appropriate CRT interventions. The form includes information such as:

Primary reasons

Secondary reasons

• Self-confidence
• Working with others
• Time management
• Goal-directed activities

Cognitive Appraisal for CRT

The Cognitive Appraisal for CRT form is helpful for identifying and recording areas of cognitive processing that cause difficulty for the client and require focus during Cognitive Remediation Therapy sessions.

Clients are scored on their degree of difficulty with the following:

• Paying attention during conversation
• Maintaining concentration in meetings
• Completing tasks once started
• Starting tasks
• Planning and organizing tasks and projects
• Reasoning and solving problems

Software Appraisal for CRT

The Software Appraisal for CRT form helps assess which software would be most helpful in a specific Cognitive Remediation Therapy session. It provides valuable input for tailoring treatment to the needs of the client.

For example:

• Level of reading ability required
• Cognitive deficits addressed by the software
• What is the multimedia experience like?
• How much input is required by the therapist?

Appraisal records become increasingly important as more software is acquired for clients with various cognitive deficits from multiple backgrounds.

Software Usage for CRT

The Software Usage for CRT form helps keep track of the software clients have tried and how effectively it supports them as they learn, develop, and overcome cognitive deficits.

The client considers the software they use and whether they practiced the following areas of cognition:

• Concentration
• Processing speed
• Multitasking
• Logic and reasoning
• Organization
• Fast responses
• Working memory

Thought Tracking During Cognitive Remediation Therapy

Thought Tracking During Cognitive Remediation Therapy is valuable for identifying and recording the client’s goals for that day’s Cognitive Remediation Therapy session and understanding how it relates to their overall treatment goals.

Planning to Meet Goals in CRT

The Planning to Meet Goals in CRT worksheet is for clients requiring support and practice in planning, goal-setting, and goal achievement.

Working with the client, answer the following prompts:

• What goal or project are you working toward?
• What date should it be completed by?
• Are there any obstacles to overcome to complete the goal?
• Are there any additional resources required?
• Then consider the steps needed to achieve the goal.

Other free resources

Happy Neuron provides several other free resources that are available for download .

Consider the five Cs when selecting online CRT programs (modified from Medalia et al., 2009):

• Cognitive – What target deficits are being addressed?
• Client – What interests and level of functioning does the client have?
• Computer – What computing requirements and compatibility factors need to be considered?
• Context – Does the software use real-world or fantasy activities and environments? Are they age and cognitive ability appropriate?
• Choice – Is the learner given choice and options to adapt the activity to their preferences?

Once you’ve ordered the software, give it a thorough review to understand when it is most appropriate to use and with whom.

For online CRT programs to be effective as teaching tools and activities, they should include the following features (modified from Medalia et al., 2009, p. 53):

• Intrinsically motivating
• Active use of information
• Multisensory strategies
• Frequent feedback
• Control over the learning process
• Positive reinforcement
• Application of newly acquired skills in appropriate contexts
• Errorless learning – challenging yet not frustrating

Therapists must become familiar with each program’s content and processes so that targeted deficits are fully understood and clients are engaged without confusion or risk of failure.

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A great deal of software “targets different skills and offers a variety of opportunities for contextualization and personalization” (Medalia et al., 2009, p. 43).

We focus on three suppliers of extensive CRT software resources below (recommended by Medalia et al., 2009).

1. Happy Neuron

Happy Neuron provides a wide variety of online brain training exercises and activities to stimulate cognitive functioning in the following areas:

• Visual-spatial

When you’re performing well, the exercises become increasingly difficult.

The exercises are grouped into the following areas:

• Brain speed
• People skills
• Intelligence

3. Games for the Brain

Cognitive difficulties, such as challenges with paying attention, planning, remembering, and problem-solving, can further compound and exacerbate mental health issues

While initially created for schizophrenia, CRT is also valuable for other mental health problems, including eating and mood disorders. Treatments are effective in one-to-one and group sessions, and lessons can be transferred to the outside world, providing crucial gains for a client’s mental wellbeing and social interaction.

Through repeated and increasingly challenging skill-based interventions, CRT benefits cognitive functioning and provides confidence gains to its users. The treatment adheres to learning theory principles and targets specific brain processing areas such as motor dexterity, memory, and visual-spatial perception, along with higher-order functioning.

Involving clients in treatment choices increases the likelihood of ongoing perseverance, engagement, and motivation as activities repeat with increasing degrees of difficulty.

This article offers a valuable starting point for exploring CRT and its benefits, with several worksheets and forms to encourage effective treatment.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. For more information, don’t forget to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free .

• Bristol Mental Health. (n.d.). Cognitive remediation therapy: Improving thinking skills . Retrieved December 15, 2021, from http://www.awp.nhs.uk/media/424704/cognitive-remediation-therapy-022019.pdf
• Corbo, M., & Abreu, T. (2018). Cognitive remediation therapy: EFPT psychotherapy guidebook . Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://epg.pubpub.org/pub/05-cognitive-remediation-therapy/release/3
• Medalia, A., & Bowie, C. R. (2016). Cognitive remediation to improve functional outcomes . Oxford University Press.
• Medalia, A., Revheim, N., & Herlands, T. (2009). Cognitive remediation for psychological disorders: Therapist guide . Oxford University Press.
• Tchanturia, K. (2015). Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) for eating and weight disorders . Routledge.
• Tsaousides, T., & Gordon, W. A. (2009). Cognitive rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury: Assessment to treatment. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine: A Journal of Translational and Personalized Medicine , 76 (2), 173-181.

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To my surprise this is a treatment that has not been discussed in the area I live and work. I just stumbled upon this when I was researching cognitive impairments with schizophrenia. I currently work on a team with multiple mental health professionals that go out into the community, to work with people diagnosed with Schizophrenia. It seems like most of what we do is manage and monitor symptoms. Are you aware of anyone or any agency in Buffalo, NY that uses this method of treatment? I am trying to figure out how to get trained and use it in practice, if that is possible. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

This looks like the treatment my daughter needs. She has struggled for years with the cognitive problems associated with depression. How do we find a therapist near us who can use these techniques?

I’m sorry to read that your daughter is struggling. You can find a directory of licensed therapists here (and note that you can change the country setting in the top-right corner). You’ll also find that there are a range of filters to help you drill down to the type of support you need: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

I hope you find the help you need.

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• v.30(3); 2009 Mar

The creative brain: Investigation of brain activity during creative problem solving by means of EEG and FMRI

Andreas fink.

1 Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Roland H. Grabner

2 Institute for Behavioral Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland

Mathias Benedek

3 Department of Psychology, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany

Gernot Reishofer

4 Department of Radiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Verena Hauswirth

Maria fally, christa neuper, franz ebner.

5 Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Aljoscha C. Neubauer

Cortical activity in the EEG alpha band has proven to be particularly sensitive to creativity‐related demands, but its functional meaning in the context of creative cognition has not been clarified yet. Specifically, increases in alpha activity (i.e., alpha synchronisation) in response to creative thinking can be interpreted in different ways: As a functional correlate of cortical idling, as a sign of internal top‐down activity or, more specifically, as selective inhibition of brain regions. We measured brain activity during creative thinking in two studies employing different neurophysiological measurement methods (EEG and fMRI). In both studies, participants worked on four verbal tasks differentially drawing on creative idea generation. The EEG study revealed that the generation of original ideas was associated with alpha synchronisation in frontal brain regions and with a diffuse and widespread pattern of alpha synchronisation over parietal cortical regions. The fMRI study revealed that task performance was associated with strong activation in frontal regions of the left hemisphere. In addition, we found task‐specific effects in parietotemporal brain areas. The findings suggest that EEG alpha band synchronisation during creative thinking can be interpreted as a sign of active cognitive processes rather than cortical idling. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

INTRODUCTION

The ability to think creatively plays an important role in almost all areas of our life: It is essential in education, in the arts or in the scientific domain. Likewise, the generation of novel concepts or ideas is advantageous in engineering or in the economic sector. However, notwithstanding its crucial importance in many areas of our life, no conclusive scientific understanding of this mental ability construct has been achieved yet. Creativity is commonly defined as the ability to produce work that is novel (original, unique), useful, and generative [e.g., Sternberg and Lubart, 1996 ]. According to Guilford [ 1950 ], creative people can be characterized by the ability to produce a large quantity of ideas (i.e., ideational fluency), to produce novel output (unique/original ideas) or to think flexibly (i.e., the ability to produce different types of ideas). Stimulated by Guilford's definitions of creative people, psychometric measures of creative thinking such as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking [TTCT; Torrance, 1966 ] have been developed and empirically tested [see Plucker and Renzulli, 1999 ].

The availability of psychometric measures has stimulated research on creativity in different scientific disciplines. It has, for instance, been studied in the cognitive sciences [Ward, 2007 ], in pedagogy or in the educational domain [Sawyer, 2006 ] and most recently also in the field of neurosciences [e.g., Bowden and Jung‐Beeman, 2007 ; Bowden et al., 2005 ; Dietrich, 2004 ; Fink et al., 2007 ; Kounios et al., 2006 ]. In applying a variety of tasks and experimental procedures and in using different neurophysiological measurement methods (such as fMRI, PET, NIRS, EEG), neuroscientific studies have yielded evidence of possible brain correlates underlying creative thinking [for an overview see Fink et al., 2007 ]. For instance, brain activity has been investigated in response to divergent (as opposed to convergent) thinking [Mölle et al., 1999 ; Razumnikova, 2000 ], during insightful problem solving or the subjective experience of “AHA!” [Jung‐Beeman et al., 2004 ], likewise during the performance of classic creativity tasks such as the alternate or unusual uses test [Folley and Park, 2005 ; Martindale and Hines, 1975 ] or during match problem solving tasks [Goel and Vartanian, 2005 ]. In addition to this, neuroscientific research on creativity has also focused on musical creativity [Petsche, 1996 ], imagery or visual art [Bhattacharya and Petsche, 2005 ]. Moreover, the ability to think creatively has been investigated in relation to resting EEG brain activity [Jaušovec and Jaušovec, 2000a ].

Martindale's [ 1999 ] work provides valuable insights into possible brain correlates underlying creative thinking. In his so‐called low arousal theory of creativity he refers to early psychological concepts in this field of research: Kris' [ 1952 ] supposition of primary process cognition, Mendelsohn's [ 1976 ] hypothesis of defocused attention, and Mednick's [ 1962 ] assumption of individual differences in associative hierarchies. Accordingly, creative people are thought to be more capable of shifting between secondary (abstract, analytical) and primary (dreaming, reverie) modes of thinking, or to “regress” to primary process cognition which is necessary in the generation of novel, original ideas. Creative individuals can also be characterized by “flat” (more and broader associations to a given stimulus) instead of “steep” associational hierarchies (just a few, common associations to a given stimulus), and can attend to more things at the same time (i.e., defocused attention) instead of just narrowly attending to a single task or event. According to Martindale [ 1999 ], primary process cognition, defocused attention and flat associational hierarchies are more likely to occur if an individual is in a state of low cortical arousal. Empirically, in using EEG alpha activity as an index of cortical arousal, Martindale reports evidence that highly creative (as opposed to low creative) individuals exhibited a comparatively low cortical arousal during the performance of the Alternate Uses Test which is known as a good measure of creativity [Martindale and Hines, 1975 ]. Similarly, in Martindale and Hasenfus [ 1978 ] highly creative individuals showed lower levels of cortical arousal than less creative subjects while thinking of a story (i.e., inspirational phase) but not during an elaboration phase (i.e., writing down the story). Hence, Martindale's [ 1999 ] work suggests that the production of novel, original ideas more likely occurs when the individual is in a state of low cortical arousal or high alpha activity, respectively.

The high sensitivity of EEG activity in the alpha frequency range to creativity‐related demands has been corroborated in several studies on creative cognition [e.g., Jaušovec, 2000 ; Jaušovec and Jaušovec, 2000b ; Jung‐ Beeman et al., 2004 ; Martindale, 1999 ; Razumnikova, 2000 ]. We also investigated brain activity patterns during creative thinking [Fink et al., 2006 ; Fink and Neubauer, 2006 , 2008 ; Grabner et al., 2007 ] and focused on event‐ or task‐related changes of EEG alpha activity as this measure has proven to be a reliable and valid EEG correlate of cognition [Neubauer et al., 2006 ; Neuper and Klimesch, 2006 ]. In the studies of our laboratory, the EEG of the participants was recorded while they were engaged in the performance of different creative idea generation tasks. The employed tasks were adapted from well‐known creativity tests such as the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking [TTCT; Torrance, 1966 ], or from well‐established German creativity tests [i.e., verbal creativity test by Schoppe, 1975 ; imagination subscales of the Berlin Intelligence Test, Jäger et al., 1997 ]. Participants were requested to think of original causes or consequences to hypothetical or utopian situations. Furthermore, they were required to name original uses of conventional, everyday objects or to complete German suffixes in an original way [see Fink et al., 2007 ]. Our findings revealed that creative idea generation is generally accompanied by relatively strong increases in EEG alpha activity relative to a prestimulus resting condition [i.e., in the following referred to as synchronisation of alpha activity; cf. Pfurtscheller and Lopes da Silva, 2005 ]. Interestingly, alpha synchronisation during creative thinking was higher in response to more “free‐associative” tasks such as responding creatively to hypothetical, utopian situations or generating unusual uses of everyday objects as opposed to completing suffixes originally [Fink et al., 2007 ]. In addition to this, we also found evidence that more original ideas were associated with stronger increases in alpha activity than less original, conventional ideas during self‐rated [Grabner et al., 2007 ; cf. also Jung‐Beeman et al., 2004 ] as well as during external‐rated originality of ideas [Fink and Neubauer, 2006 , 2008 ]. Moreover, synchronisation of alpha activity has even shown to increase as a result of a creative thinking training [Fink et al., 2006 ]. But what do these findings tell us about possible brain correlates of creative thinking?

Task‐ or event‐related alpha synchronisation has traditionally been considered as a cortical idling phenomenon, presumably reflecting a reduced state of active information processing in the underlying neuronal networks [Pfurtscheller et al., 1996 ]. In applying this viewpoint to our EEG results a possible interpretation of our findings could be that the generation of novel, original ideas is accompanied by a lower arousal or activity level of the brain [cf. Martindale's low arousal theory; Martindale, 1999 ]. However, recent evidence in the neuroscientific study of cognition suggests that synchronisation of alpha activity does not merely reflect cortical deactivation or cortical idling [e.g., Klimesch et al., 2007 ; Knyazev, 2007 ; Ray and Cole, 1985 ]. Contrary to the usual finding that alpha power desynchronizes when individuals are engaged in the performance of cognitively demanding tasks, Klimesch et al. [ 1999 ], for instance, reported a study in which event‐related synchronisation of alpha activity has been observed during the retention interval of a memory task, i.e. when individuals were instructed to temporarily hold information in mind. Similar findings have been reported by Jensen et al. [ 2002 ] and Sauseng et al. [ 2005 ] who also investigated alpha power changes while participants were engaged in working memory processing or by Cooper et al. [ 2003 ] and Rihs et al. [ 2007 ], who analyzed alpha activity during the performance of attentional tasks. In all of these studies, alpha activity has been observed to synchronize (increase) in response to task performance which has been interpreted as a functional correlate of inhibition or top‐down control [Klimesch et al., 2007 ; Sauseng et al., 2005 ]. In this context, it is important to note that the term “inhibition” is not used in a physiological but rather in a functional, cognitive sense [for a physiological theory on the normal waking EEG, see Miller, 2007 ]. Specifically, alpha synchronisation may reflect an inhibition of cognitive processes that are not directly relevant for task performance [e.g., retrieval of interfering information during retention or the processing of interfering sensory input in working memory tasks; Klimesch et al., 2007 ]. In a similar vein, von Stein and Sarnthein [ 2000 ] argue that alpha activity reflects the absence of bottom up stimulation and thus “a pure form of top‐down activity” (p. 311). The generation of novel, original ideas certainly requires such a mental state that is not driven or influenced by external bottom up stimulation. This could also explain the particular role of EEG alpha activity in the context of creative thinking.

To learn more about possible brain correlates underlying creative thinking, the research presented in this article was designed to study the functional meaning of alpha synchronisation in the particular context of creative cognition more thoroughly. To this end, brain activity during creative idea generation was measured in two studies employing different neurophysiological measurement methods. In study 1, brain activity was—as we did in our former studies—quantified by means of task‐ or event‐related changes of EEG alpha activity. In study 2, brain activity during creative thinking was studied by means of functional MRI. Experimental design and tasks (timing, stimuli, response modality, etc.) were exactly the same in both studies: Participants worked on different idea generation tasks, viz. the classic unusual uses test (i.e., generation of original uses of conventional everyday objects) and the name invention task (i.e., generating names to given abbreviations). Along with these rather “free‐associative” tasks participants were also confronted with more verbal ability‐related demands by administering an object characteristics task (i.e., name typical attributes of conventional objects) and a task requiring the completion of German suffixes. Guided by recent work in this field of research, we might generally assume that different types of thinking (such as convergent vs. divergent, verbal ability‐related vs. free‐associative thinking) are associated with different activity patterns of the brain [Carlsson et al., 2000 ; Goel and Vartanian, 2005 ; Jaušovec, 2000 ; Martindale and Hines, 1975 ; Mölle et al., 1999 ; Razumnikova, 2000 ]. Particularly, when participants are engaged in the generation of unusual uses or in inventing original names they are expected to show a stronger synchronisation of EEG alpha activity than during the performance of tasks with more verbal ability‐related demands such as the completion of suffixes [cf. Fink et al., 2006 , 2007 ; Grabner et al., 2007 ]. Depending on whether the topographical synchronisation of EEG alpha activity in study 1 corresponds to an activation or deactivation of certain brain areas in fMRI (study 2), we may then be able to assess whether alpha synchronisation in the context of creative idea generation is rather to be understood as a functional correlate of cortical idling or of active cognitive processes, respectively.

Participants

Out of a larger pool of participants who were screened with respect to personality, intelligence and trait creativity (see later) 50 participants (25 females and 25 males) took part in the EEG study. Because of the extensive EEG artifacts the data of three persons had to be excluded from further analyses. The remaining sample ( n = 47) consisted of 22 females and 25 males. Their age ranged between 18 and 32 years (M = 24.09, SD = 2.95). All participants were healthy, right‐handed and gave written informed consent prior to the EEG recording session. They were paid for their participation in the EEG session.

Psychometric tests

Prior to the EEG sessions participants' intellectual abilities were tested by means of a well‐established German intelligence test, the “Berliner Intelligenz‐Struktur‐Test” [BIS; Jäger et al., 1997 ] which provides scores for specific intellectual abilities such as verbal, numerical and visuospatial abilities. We administered the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness to new experiences Five Factor Inventory (NEO‐FFI) by Costa and McCrae [translated into German by Borkenau and Ostendorf, 1993 ] to assess participants' personality traits. During the EEG test session, we also measured temporary mood of the participants by means of a self‐report questionnaire (e.g., activation, anger, calmness, weakness) and anxiety by means of a German version of Spielberger's state‐trait anxiety inventory [STAI; Laux et al., 1981 ].

Experimental tasks

In both the EEG (study 1) and the fMRI study (study 2) four experimental tasks were given to the participants. The construction or selection of tasks was guided by the main objective to contrast more free‐associative task demands such as those involved in the unusual uses test (which displayed a comparatively strong synchronisation of alpha in our former EEG studies) with more intelligence‐related tasks which require participants to operate with verbal stimulus material [such as completing word ends which exhibited the lowest level of alpha synchronisation; cf. Fink et al., 2006 , 2007 ]. Given that these tasks do not only differ with respect to creativity‐related demands but also with respect to stimulus length (which might in turn complicate interpretations of any neurophysiological task differences) we added two experimental tasks to allow for powerful neuroscientific contrasts. The following four tasks, each comprising eight test items, were presented in separate blocks. In the Alternative Uses (AU) task, participants had to think of unusual/original uses of conventional everyday objects such as a “tin” (example answers: “mirror”, “exhaust for a car”) or an “umbrella” (example answers: “boat for animals”, “epee”). Unlike this, in the Object Characteristics (OC) task participants had to think of typical characteristics of conventional everyday objects such as “shoes” (example answers: “leathery”, “matched”) or “coat hook” (example answers: “wooden”, “hanging”). In the Name Invention (NI) task pairs of letters representing fictional abbreviations (such as “K M”, “T S”) were given to the participants and they had to invent as original names as possible that might belong to the given abbreviation (e.g., K M: “Kissing Manual”, “Kaleidoscope Monster”, T S: “Tissue Spender”, “Time Saver”). And finally, in the Word Ends (WE) task, German suffixes (“‐ung”, “‐nis”) were presented that had to be completed by the participants. Items of all four tasks were presented alternately in a fixed sequence (AU1 ‐ OC1 ‐ NI1 ‐ WE1, AU2 ‐ OC2 ‐ …). The item was displayed in the centre of the screen, a short instruction of the respective task given in the top part of the screen.

Apparatus/EEG recording

The EEG was measured (BrainAmp amplifier) by means of gold electrodes (9 mm diameter) located in an electrode cap in 33 positions (according to the international 10–20 system with interspaced positions); a ground electrode was located on the forehead, the reference electrode was placed on the nose. To register eye movements, an electrooculogram (EOG) was recorded bipolarly between two gold electrodes diagonally placed above and below the inner respectively the outer canthus of the right eye. The EEG signals were filtered between 0.1 and 100 Hz; an additional 50‐Hz notch filter was applied to avoid power line contamination. Electrode impedances were kept below 5 kΩ for the EEG and below 10 kΩ for the EOG. All signals were sampled at a frequency of 500 Hz.

As depicted in Figure ​ Figure1, 1 , each trial started with the presentation of a fixation cross (for a time period of 20 s) which served for the assessment of reference brain activity. Subsequently the test item was presented (again for a time period of 20 s) and the participants started with thinking of possible responses (activation interval). During this time, no overt response was required and participants were instructed not to speak. Afterwards the font of the item changed its colour from white to green which indicated that the participant now had to name his or her ideas (response interval = 8 s). In each trial, an 18‐s time period during the activation interval and an 18‐s time period during the reference interval were used for EEG analyses (the first and the last second of each time period were excluded from EEG analyses). Reference and activation blocks were carefully checked for artifacts by means of visual inspection, and artifactual epochs (because of eye blinks, body movements etc.) were excluded from further analyses. 1 For both the reference and the activation intervals the EEG band power (μV 2 ) was calculated within a lower (8–10 Hz) and an upper (10–12 Hz) alpha frequency band. For quantifying task‐related changes (TRP) in EEG alpha power [cf. Pfurtscheller, 1999 ], the (log‐transformed) power during the reference intervals (averaged over all blocks) was subtracted from the (log‐transformed) power during the activation intervals for each electrode i and trial according to the formula: TRP i = log (Pow i activation) − log (Pow i reference). Decreases in alpha band power from the reference to the activation interval are reflected in negative TRP values (task‐related desynchronisation), whereas task‐related increases (synchronisation of EEG activity) are expressed in positive values [cf. Pfurtscheller, 1999 ].

Schematic time course of experimental tasks. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at www.interscience.wiley.com.]

For statistical analyses, electrode positions were aggregated as following: anteriofrontal (AF) left (FP 1 , AF 3 ), frontal (F) left (F 3 , F 7 ), frontocentral (FC) left (FC 1 , FC 5 ), centrotemporal (CT) left (C 3 , T 3 ), centroparietal (CP) left (CP 1 , CP 5 ), parietotemporal (PT) left (P 3 , T 5 ), parietooccipital (PO) left (PO 3 , PO 5 , O 1 ); analogously for the right hemisphere. The midline electrodes (F Z , C Z , P Z ) were not included in the analyses as we were also interested in hemispheric differences.

At the beginning of the EEG recording session, two 2‐min EEG sequences under resting conditions were recorded, the first with eyes closed, the second with eyes open. Then, after a thorough instruction (demonstration of tasks, type of responding etc.) the participants started to work on the experimental tasks described above. Another two 2‐min resting EEG sequences (with eyes closed and eyes open, respectively) were recorded at the end of the EEG session. In total the EEG recording session took about one hour.

Behavioral results

A one‐way ANOVA with TASK as within‐subjects variable reveals that the OC and the WE task (which presumably involve more verbal ability‐related demands) were associated with a larger number of responses than the more “free‐associative” AU and NI task (34.00, 29.94, 20.79, 18.04 for the OC, WE, AU and NI task, respectively; F [2.65, 121.83] = 157.04, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.77). Performance (i.e., number of ideas) in all tasks was significantly correlated with verbal ability (as assessed by means of the verbal intelligence test scale of the BIS). Interestingly the correlations were somewhat higher for the OC ( r = 0.43) and the WE ( r = 0.46) than for the AU ( r = 0.40) and the NI task ( r = 0.32). Moreover, the AU and the NI task were significantly ( P < 0.05) correlated with performance in the Unusual Uses scale of the BIS‐test ( r = 0.31 and r = 0.41 for the AU and NI task, respectively) while the OC and WE task were not ( r = 0.28 and r = 0.14 for the OC and WE task, respectively).

EEG results

EEG data were analyzed by means of two ANOVAs for repeated measures (separately for the lower alpha and the upper alpha band) considering the variables TASK (AU, OC, NI, WE), HEMISPHERE (left vs. right), and AREA (from anteriofrontal to parietooccipital) as within‐subjects variables. In case of violations of sphericity assumptions degrees of freedom were corrected by means of the most conservative Greenhouse Geisser procedure. The probability of a Type I error was maintained at 0.05.

Dealing first with the lower alpha band, we observed a significant main effect of AREA, F (1.50, 69.18) = 52.66, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.53, suggesting a stepwise decrease of lower alpha synchronisation from anteriofrontal to centrotemporal cortices while in centroparietal, parietotemporal and parietooccipital brain regions even a small desynchronisation of lower alpha activity was observed. Moreover, the right hemisphere exhibited a stronger synchronisation than the left hemisphere (main effect of HEMISPHERE, F [1, 46] = 6.01, P < 0.05, η 2 = 0.12), which was—as an interaction between TASK and HEMISPHERE suggests, F (2.19, 100.69) = 8.93, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.16—most prominent during performance of the AU task. Performance of the experimental tasks was associated with different patterns of lower alpha (de‐)synchronisation as was also evident by a significant main effect of TASK, F (1.94, 89.20) = 29.09, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.39, a TASK by AREA interaction, F (3.86, 177.78) = 21.73, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.32, and an interaction between TASK, HEMISPHERE and AREA, F (7.29, 335.33) = 3.02, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.06. We found comparably strong right‐hemispheric lower alpha synchronisation during performance of the AU and OC task (which was somewhat more pronounced in the AU than in the OC task) and desynchronisation of lower alpha activity during performance of the NI and WE task (which was more pronounced in the NI than the WE task), particularly apparent in posterior regions of the brain (centroparietal to parietooccipital; cf. Fig. ​ Fig.2 2 ).

Task‐related changes in EEG alpha activity (upper alpha band, 10–12 Hz) during performance of experimental tasks. Blue regions indicate increases in alpha activity relative to rest, red regions decreases. AU: Alternative uses; OC: Object characteristics; NI: Name invention; WE: Word ends; AF: anteriofrontal; F: frontal; FC: frontocentral; CT: centrotemporal; CP: centroparietal; PT: parietotemporal; PO: parietooccipital. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at www.interscience.wiley.com.]

Similar effects emerged in the upper alpha band. The repeated measurements ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of AREA ( F [1.68, 77.21] = 53.14, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.54) indicating upper alpha synchronisation in anteriofrontal and frontal brain regions and a desynchronisation of upper alpha activity in the remaining cortices (monotone increase in desynchronisation from frontocentral to parietooccipital cortices). An interaction between AREA and HEMISPHERE ( F [3.05, 140.16] = 2.78, P < 0.05, η 2 = 0.06) yielded evidence that this effect was more pronounced in the left than in the right hemisphere. The main effect TASK ( F [1.99, 91.64] = 45.50, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.50), as well as the interaction between TASK and AREA ( F [3.47, 159.79] = 21.43, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.32), reached statistical significance, suggesting upper alpha synchronisation during performance of the AU and OC task and desynchronisation of upper alpha activity during performance of the NI and WE task, particularly apparent in posterior regions of the brain. The left hemisphere displayed a stronger upper alpha desynchronisation than the right hemisphere, ( F [1, 46] = 6.11, P < 0.05, η 2 = 0.12), but, as it was evident by an interaction between TASK and HEMISPHERE ( F [2.51, 115.65] = 7.14, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.13) and an interaction between TASK, HEMISPHERE and AREA ( F [6.44, 296.23] = 3.08, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.06), performance of the AU and OC task was associated with a comparatively strong synchronisation in the posterior cortices of the right hemisphere while in the NI and WE task only alpha desynchronisation was observed, comparably in size for both hemispheres (cf. Fig. ​ Fig.2 2 ).

Brain activity during the generation of unusual uses in lower vs. higher original participants

Based on the originality of ideas given during the performance of the AU task participants were divided into a lower original ( n = 25, 14 females, 11 males) and a higher original group ( n = 22, 8 females, 14 males). Originality of ideas was determined by three female and two male raters who were instructed to evaluate the given responses on a five‐point rating scale ranging from “1” (highly original) to “5” (not original at all). A repeated measures ANOVA was performed on the task‐related power changes in the upper alpha band including the variables HEMISPHERE and AREA as within‐subjects variables and ORIGINALITY group as between‐subjects variable. The ANOVA yielded a significant main effect of AREA, F (1.92, 86.59) = 7.78, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.15, with the largest amount of upper alpha synchronisation in anteriofrontal and the lowest synchronisation in parietooccipital brain regions. The right hemisphere exhibited more synchronisation of alpha activity than the left hemisphere (main effect of HEMISPHERE, F [1, 45] = 7.90, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.15), most prominent in posterior (from centroparietal to parietooccipital) cortices (interaction between HEMISPHERE and AREA, F [3.62, 162.82] = 6.58, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.13). Also, the ANOVA yielded effects related to the originality of ideas: A significant interaction between HEMISPHERE and ORIGINALITY group, F (1, 45) = 4.77, P < 0.05, η 2 = 0.10, which was further moderated by topographical AREA, F (3.62, 162.82) = 4.72, P < 0.01, η 2 = 0.09. The pattern of this interaction (see Fig. ​ Fig.3) 3 ) suggests that those participants who produced more original ideas showed pronounced hemispheric differences in posterior regions of the brain (centroparietal to parietooccipital), with more upper alpha synchronisation in the right than in the left hemisphere, while in the lower originality group no hemispheric differences were observed.

Task‐related changes in EEG alpha activity (upper alpha band, 10–12 Hz) during the generation of unusual uses in the AU task. Blue regions indicate increases in alpha activity relative to rest, red regions decreases. AF: anteriofrontal; F: frontal; FC: frontocentral; CT: centrotemporal; CP: centroparietal; PT: parietotemporal; PO: parietooccipital. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at www.interscience.wiley.com.]

Interim discussion

Analyses of performance data reveal that the AU and the NI task were actually more creativity‐related than the OC and the WE task which were in turn somewhat more strongly correlated with verbal intelligence. Similar to our former EEG studies, the generation of unusual uses was associated with a comparatively strong synchronisation of alpha activity (both in the lower and in the upper alpha band), while in the WE task the lowest level of synchronisation or even desynchronisation was observed [cf. Fink et al., 2007 ). Analyses point to the particular role of frontal cortices during performance of the presented experimental tasks. In all tasks and particularly in the AU task synchronisation of alpha activity was highest in frontal regions of the brain (cf. Fig. ​ Fig.2). 2 ). A particular role of posterior parietal brain regions in creative thinking (i.e., generating unusual uses) emerged when individual differences in task performance were taken into account: Those participants who displayed high originality during the generation of unusual uses exhibited a comparatively strong hemispheric asymmetry of upper alpha synchronisation (with more synchronisation in the right than in the left hemisphere) while in those individuals who produced less original responses no hemispheric differences were found.

Taken together, the findings of study 1 resemble the findings of EEG alpha synchronisation in response to creative thinking that were observed in previous studies of our laboratory [cf. Fink et al., 2006 , 2007 ; Grabner et al., 2007 ]. In study 2 brain activity during performance of these tasks is investigated by means of fMRI.

For the fMRI study, another sample of 21 students (10 males) was selected from the pool of participants. This sample was matched with the EEG sample with respect to age (ranging from 20 to 32 years; M = 24.29, SD = 4.09) as well as verbal intelligence and creativity. All participants were healthy, right‐handed, gave written informed consent, and were paid for their participation in the fMRI test session.

The same experimental tasks which were used in the EEG study were administered in the fMRI test session, i.e., Alternative Uses (AU), Object Characteristics (OC), Name Invention (NI), and Word Ends (WE). Also task timing and instruction exactly corresponded to the EEG study (see Fig. ​ Fig.1). 1 ). However, although participants were similarly instructed to articulate their ideas in the response phase following idea generation, their responses could not be recorded and analyzed due to the background noise of the gradient coils.

Apparatus/MR acquisition

Imaging was performed on a 3.0 T Tim Trio system (Siemens Medical Systems, Erlangen, Germany) using an eight‐channel head coil. To minimize head movement, subjects' heads were stabilized with foam cushions. Functional images were obtained with a single shot gradient echo EPI sequence sensitive to blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) contrast (TR = 2,800 ms, TE = 30 ms, FA = 90°, matrix size = 64 × 64, pixel size = 3 × 3 mm). Thirty‐six 3.0‐mm‐thick transverse slices with a distance factor of 25% were acquired parallel to the AC‐PC line in descending acquisition order. In each session, 524 functional volumes were obtained. The first two volumes were discarded to account for T1 saturation effects. In addition to the functional volumes, structural images were obtained using a T1‐weighted 3D MPRAGE sequence (TR = 1,900 ms, TE = 2.2 ms) which provided 1 × 1 × 1 mm isotropic resolution. Stimulus presentation was accomplished with the Eloquence system (Invivo Corporation, Orlando, FL), containing an LCD display with full XGA solution, visible for the participant through a mirror mounted above the head coil. The paradigm was presented with the software package Presentation (Neurobehavioral Systems, Albany, CA).

Analysis of MRI data

Structural and functional imaging data analysis was performed using SPM5 software (Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, London, U.K.). The functional data of each participant were motion‐corrected, coregistered with the structural data, and then spatially normalized into the standard MNI space (Montreal Neurological Institute). Subsequently, the data were smoothed in the spatial domain using a Gaussian kernel of 8 mm FWHM. All statistical analyses were conducted by means of the general linear model. Model time courses for each experimental condition (i.e., idea generation without the response period) were generated on the basis of the hemodynamic response function implemented in SPM5. A high‐pass filter with a cut‐off frequency of 1/256 Hz was employed to remove low frequency drifts.

The analysis for the entire group was performed by computing linear t ‐contrasts (experimental conditions vs. fixation period and between experimental conditions) for each subject individually which were then entered into random effects one‐sample t ‐tests. Specifically, each experimental condition (AU, OC, NI, WE) was contrasted with the fixation period to assess activation patterns elicited by the task demands. In addition, t ‐contrasts between the experimental tasks sharing the same stimulus material (words in AU and OC; letters in NI and WE) were calculated for revealing demand‐related activation differences. All task‐related effects are reported at P < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons by means of the conservative FWE (family wise error) procedure implemented in SPM5. Only activation clusters exceeding a spatial extent threshold of 80 voxels (2 × 2 × 2 mm) are reported.

MR imaging started with the acquisition of the structural scans, followed by the experimental paradigm (functional scans). Before MR imaging was performed, the tasks were demonstrated and practiced outside the scanner. The total time of the fMRI test session was about 45 min.

Contrasts against fixation

The results of the contrasts between experimental tasks and fixation are presented in Table ​ TableI I and Figure ​ Figure4a. 4 a. As depicted in Figure ​ Figure4a, 4 a, all four experimental tasks elicited similar brain activity comprising frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital cortices as well as the cerebellum. Except for the largely bilateral occipital and cerebellar activation, most of the remaining brain areas displayed a predominantly left‐hemispheric activation pattern. The strongest and most widespread activation cluster in all tasks was found in the left frontal lobe where the activation extends from the inferior frontal gyrus dorsally to the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the precentral gyrus, as well as medially to the anterior cingulate. In addition to this, all tasks elicited significant activation clusters in the left inferior and superior parietal gyrus as well as in the inferior temporal gyrus. Additional activation clusters were found in the hippocampus (bilaterally in the AU und OC task), the left thalamus (in the AU and WE task), and the right middle frontal gyrus (in the NI task).

Overview of significant activation clusters (voxelwise P < 0.05 corrected) for the contrasts of the experimental tasks against fixation and between the experimental tasks

Note . Coordinates are reported in MNI space as given by SPM5 and correspond only approximately to Talairach and Tournoux space [Talairach and Tournoux, 1988 ]. Anatomical labels are based on the AAL (automated anatomical labeling) atlas [Tzourio‐Mazoyer et al., 2002 ]. The first label represents the location of the peak activation, additional labels denote submaxima if located in a different brain region. Abbreviations: L = left hemisphere, R = right hemisphere, G = Gyrus, inf = inferior, sup = superior, mid = middle.

Overview of significant activation clusters in the fMRI t ‐contrasts (a) of the experimental tasks against fixation and (b) between the experimental tasks. Activation clusters are depicted on the standard single‐subject volume‐rendered brain implemented in SPM5 (sagittal views; all effects at voxelwise P < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons). [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is available at www.interscience.wiley.com.]

Comparisons between experimental tasks

In contrasting the AU and OC task it was observed that the left angular gyrus was more strongly activated in the AU task whereas the right angular gyrus displayed higher activity in the OC task (see Table ​ TableI I and Fig. ​ Fig.4b). 4 b). The latter activation cluster is also larger and additionally covers parts of the supramarginal gyrus.

The contrasts between the NI and WE task only revealed a significantly higher activation in the right inferior occipital gyrus extending into the inferior temporal lobe in the NI task (see Fig. ​ Fig.4 4 b).

The fMRI analysis revealed that a widespread and very similar neural network is involved in all four experimental tasks. This network is predominantly left‐hemispheric and comprises activation clusters in all four lobes. The largest (and also strongest) activation was observed in the left inferior frontal gyrus extending to the SMA and anterior cingulate. The left inferior frontal gyrus is a key region of language processing and has been reported to be engaged in a wide range of cognitive tasks demanding verbal information processing [for a review, cf. Gernsbacher and Kaschak, 2003 ]. Beyond its involvement in general phonological and semantic processes, the inferior frontal gyrus has recently been emphasized to play an important role in semantic selection during creativity‐related demands [Jung‐Beeman, 2005 ]. In particular, it is assumed that it supports processes such as sorting out and inhibiting competing activated concepts for action or for consciousness. Semantic selection does not only appear to loom large in creative idea generation per se, but may have been particularly involved in the administered experimental tasks. Due to the short response period of 8 s, participants had to memorize and select the most original ideas for response that came into their mind during the idea generation period. Directly related to this is the finding of anterior cingulate and SMA activation in the left hemisphere. Both regions are involved in verbal working memory (in particular in rehearsal processes) as well as selective attention processes such as inhibiting the processing of interfering information in working memory [cf. Baddeley, 2003 ; Smith and Jonides, 1999 ].

Further left‐hemispheric activation in all experimental tasks was observed in areas of the inferior and superior parietal lobe. The inferior part has also been associated with verbal working memory processes, in particular with the phonological store [Baddeley, 2003 ]. While inferior frontal regions are supposed to subserve the maintenance of verbal information in working memory through vocal or subvocal rehearsal, the inferior parietal gyrus is regarded as the store where the verbal material is (temporarily) phonologically represented [Baddeley and Hitch, 1974 ]. The superior part of the parietal lobe, in contrast, is typically associated with attention processes [Posner and Dehaene, 1994 ].

Another cortical area that has been found to be significantly activated in all tasks and that is linked with verbal information processing is the left posterior inferior temporal region. In contrast to the mostly bilateral occipital brain areas engaged in all tasks which may reflect the more intense visual information processing of the task material as compared with the fixation cross, this brain region may have been particularly engaged during linguistic stimuli processing, both at letter and word level [cf. Gernsbacher and Kaschak, 2003 ].

Although the general activation patterns elicited by the four experimental tasks are highly similar and share several language‐related brain regions, significant task‐related differences emerged. In contrasting the AU and OC task, in which single words (labelling objects) were presented with a different instruction, it was found that the left angular gyrus is more active in the AU task while the right angular gyrus is more strongly engaged in the OC task. In addition, the activation cluster in the contrast OC > AU was considerably larger and also comprised parts of the right supramarginal gyrus. Since the AU task represents a traditional creativity task requiring divergent, free‐associative thinking, in contrast to the OC task which was designed as a rather convergent control task, the present results suggest that creative thinking is accompanied by stronger activation in the left but weaker activation in the right angular gyrus. On the one hand, this finding is in line with previous studies demonstrating that left temporoparietal regions are specifically involved in verbal creativity tasks [Pavlova and Romanenko, 1988; Ref. given in Bechtereva et al., 2004 ]. Bechtereva et al. [ 2004 ], for instance, required participants to create stories from lists of different words while their rCBF was measured by means of PET. They found stronger activation in left temporoparietal brain regions including the angular gyrus and supramarginal gyrus for word lists requiring more (as compared with less) creative thinking and concluded that these brain regions play “a crucial role in solving verbal creative tasks” [p. 19; for similar findings, see Petsche, 1996 and Petsche et al., 1997 ]. On the other hand, the finding of lower right angular and supramarginal activity in the AU task stands in contrast to studies emphasizing the role of right‐hemispheric cortices in creative information processing [e.g., Jung‐Beeman et al., 2004 ; Razoumnikova, 2000]. Besides the general assumption that the right hemisphere works in a more parallel, holistic, free‐associative processing mode than the rather logic‐analytical left hemisphere [e.g., Martindale et al., 1984 ], Jung‐Beeman [ 2005 ] has recently proposed a hemispheric‐related specialisation of temporoparietal brain areas with regard to semantic information processing (Bilateral‐Activation‐Integration‐Selection theory). He argues that angular and supramarginal gyri are specifically involved in semantic activation during verbal tasks. This activated semantic field is assumed to be strongly focused (on the dominant or relevant meaning of a word) in the left but relatively diffuse (including distant and contextually irrelevant meanings) in the right hemisphere. Such a diffuse or coarse semantic coding could be particularly useful in the context of creative idea generation tasks where distant and unusual associations between different semantic concepts are required, similar to the concept of flat associative hierarchies put forward by Mednick [ 1962 ]. However, to our knowledge there is no direct evidence that it is especially the right‐hemispheric temporo‐parietal regions that need to be strongly activated during creative idea generation. As outlined above, rather the contrary seems to hold true. Also, in the recent fMRI study by Howard‐Jones et al. [ 2005 ] no evidence of increased right‐hemispheric temporo‐parietal activity during creative thinking was observed. They instructed participants to generate either creative or uncreative stories and found that creative (as compared to uncreative) story generation was associated with stronger bilateral frontal and right middle occipital activation but lower activity in the right inferior parietal lobe near the angular gyrus.

The comparison between the NI and WE task revealed a significant activation difference in the right‐hemisphere: Specifically, the NI task elicited a stronger activation in the right inferior occipital gyrus extending to the inferior temporal gyrus than the WE task. These brain regions are part of the ventral stream of the visual cortex and are discussed to subserve object processing [Ungerleider and Haxby, 1994 ], mental imagery [Mellet et al., 1998 ], and visual working memory [Ungerleider et al., 1998 ]. In the context of creative thinking, occipital activation (as measured by means of PET or fMRI) has only been reported by Howard‐Jones et al. [ 2005 ] who discussed this result in terms of mental imagery processes. The present finding might tentatively be interpreted in a similar vein. It appears well plausible that inventing original names to fictional abbreviations might demand mental imagery processes to a greater extent than to complete German suffixes (since the WE task requires merely the retrieval of well‐known verbal material, not involving any kind of creative recombination of objects or concepts). Alternatively, the NI task might have also placed stronger demands to visual working memory than the WE task.

Taken together, the fMRI study has revealed a widespread and highly similar network of brain areas that is engaged in all four employed experimental tasks. Significant differences between more creativity‐related and more intelligence‐related verbal tasks were observed in parietotemporal areas for the AU vs. OC comparison and in occipitotemporal areas in the NI vs. WE comparison. Previous investigations and the present fMRI study suggest that parietotemporal cortices including angular and supramarginal gyri are critically involved in creative thinking. Occipitotemporal brain areas might additionally support creative idea generation by mental imagery or visual working memory. How these fMRI results can be related to the findings from Study I and to previous EEG studies is addressed in the following.

GENERAL DISCUSSION

The research presented in this article was designed to investigate possible brain correlates underlying the generation of novel, original ideas. We measured brain activity by means of EEG and fMRI during the generation of unusual uses which is commonly known as a good measure of creativity. Along with this classic creativity task brain activity was also measured in response to a name invention task and during two control tasks (name object characteristics and completing suffixes, respectively) which were constructed to allow for powerful neurophysiological contrasts between experimental tasks.

Similar to our previous EEG studies on creative cognition [cf. Fink et al., 2007 ], study 1 reveals that thinking about unusual uses of common, everyday objects is accompanied by a comparatively strong synchronisation of EEG alpha activity (both in the lower and in the upper alpha band), particularly in frontal regions of the brain. Unlike this, alpha synchronisation was lower when typical attributes of everyday objects had to be named. In the name invention and in the word ends task, where the participants were required to operate with letters, they showed a somewhat weaker alpha synchronisation in frontal cortices, and even a desynchronisation in posterior parietal regions of the brain. With respect to fMRI all tasks exhibited similar widespread activation (relative to rest) with the largest clusters in frontal regions of the brain (cf. Fig. ​ Fig.4 4 ).

As outlined in the introduction, frontal alpha synchronisation during creative cognition can be interpreted in at least two different ways. In viewing EEG alpha synchronisation as a functional correlate of a reduced state of active information processing or cortical idling in the underlying cortical networks [Pfurtscheller et al., 1996 ], the observed alpha synchronisation in frontal brain regions would conform to the interpretation that the executive frontal brain temporarily needs to disengage when novel or original information processing is required. In a metaphorical sense, the comparatively strong level of frontal alpha synchronisation in the unusual uses tests could then suggest that the participants temporarily “switch‐off” or reduce control functions of the frontal lobe (e.g., some kind of reduced “censorship”) to allow unique or original ideas to enter into conscious awareness. However, this interpretation is complicated by the fact that performance of the remaining tasks exhibited, though to a lesser extent, frontal alpha synchronisation as well. Thus, interpreting the observed frontal alpha synchronisation during the generation of unusual uses simply in terms of frontal lobe deactivation seems difficult to maintain. Also, this interpretation would be difficult to reconcile with the fMRI findings observed in study 2. As evident in Figure ​ Figure4, 4 , we observed relatively clear‐cut evidence that task performance was associated with activation particularly in frontal regions of the brain. This finding is in agreement with recent PET, NIRS and fMRI studies which report converging evidence that creative cognition is associated with frontal brain activation, as opposed to the performance of tasks with lower creativity demands [e.g., Carlsson et al., 2000 ; Folley and Park, 2005 ; Goel and Vartanian, 2005 ]. Hence, frontal alpha synchronisation during creative thinking more likely reflects an active cognitive process rather than mere deactivation of the frontal cortex.

Von Stein and Sarnthein [ 2000 ] proposed that alpha activity reflects the absence of stimulus‐driven, external bottom up stimulation and, thus, a form of top‐down activity which “is maximal in situations where cortical processes … are driven by free floating associations, mental imagery, planning etc.” (p. 311). More specifically, on the basis of an integrated overview of relevant research literature, Klimesch et al. [ 2007 ] proposed that synchronisation of alpha activity can be interpreted as a functional correlate of inhibition or top‐down control which is especially relevant during internal processing demands. Accordingly, alpha synchronisation is expected to occur over cortical sites that are under or exert top‐down control. For instance, Sauseng et al. [ 2005 ] observed alpha power increases in prefrontal brain regions during performance of a working memory task which requires active maintenance and manipulation of information. They interpreted this finding as reflecting selective top‐down inhibition in such a way that frontal alpha synchronisation could protect information processing in frontal brain regions against interfering cognitive processes. In that sense frontal brain regions remain “immune” against concurrent cognitive processes as long as on‐going information processing (i.e., working memory processing) takes places. Consistent with this idea of selective top‐down inhibition, the observed frontal alpha synchronisation could suggest that during the generation of novel, original ideas [which presumably also requires top‐down processing; cf. Dietrich, 2004 ] frontal brain regions must not be distracted by interfering cognitive processes during on‐going idea generation [cf. Klimesch et al., 2007 ; Sauseng et al., 2005 ].

The idea of active inhibition of brain areas (rather than cortical idling) would be also in agreement with the fMRI findings observed in study 2. In all tasks, brain activation (relative to rest) was strongest in the left inferior frontal gyrus. This brain region is believed to be involved in the selection of semantic representations and in inhibiting competing activated concepts for action or for consciousness [Jung‐Beeman, 2005 ]. The generation of novel, original ideas certainly necessitates some kind of semantic selection [cf. Jung‐Beeman, 2005 ] which is presumably mediated by the inferior frontal gyrus. Quite similarly, Heilman et al. [ 2003 ] argue that the frontal lobe could support creativity by selectively activating remote conceptual or semantic networks of the brain and by inhibiting brain circuits that store similar semantic information. Of course, frontal alpha synchronisation was observed in all experimental tasks and, therefore, the same interpretation would apply to the other tasks as well. However, in this particular regard it is noteworthy that when the significance threshold in the fMRI contrasts between the experimental tasks was lowered ( P < 0.00001 uncorrected), a stronger left‐hemispheric frontal activation in the AU as compared with the OC task emerged (peak coordinates: x = −14, y = 66, z = 2; left superior medial frontal gyrus). There was no additional frontal activation cluster in the reverse contrast.

Along with synchronisation of alpha in frontal brain areas, the generation of unusual uses was also associated with a diffuse and widespread synchronisation over posterior regions of the brain. Specifically, the strongest amount of posterior parietal alpha synchronisation was observed in the AU task, followed by the OC task, and finally by the WE and NI task in which even alpha desynchronisation was found. Particularly the NI task exhibited comparatively strong alpha desynchronisation in parietotemporal and parietooccipital brain regions which could reflect the heightened demands on visual attention or visual working memory [Ungerleider et al., 1998 ] during performance of the fictional abbreviations given in this task [cf. also Howard‐Jones et al., 2005 ]. In line with this, in study 2 the NI task elicited stronger hemodynamic responses in the right inferior occipital gyrus than the WE task (cf. Fig. ​ Fig.4 4 ).

Synchronisation of posterior parietal alpha activity was also reported to emerge in more original as opposed to less original, conventional ideas [Fink and Neubauer, 2006 ; Grabner et al., 2007 ]. Similarly, in the present EEG study higher original individuals exhibited a hemispheric asymmetry in alpha synchronisation with more (upper) alpha activity in the right than in the left hemisphere. In contrast, those individuals who produced less original ideas showed no hemispheric differences with respect to alpha band power. Enhanced alpha activity was also found during insightful problem solving, as recently reported by Jung‐Beeman et al. [ 2004 ]. Specifically, the authors had their participants work on remote associate problems (finding a compound to three given stimulus words) and compared brain activity during solutions that were accompanied by subjective experience of “AHA!” (as determined by self‐report) with solutions that were solved without insight. Interestingly, those solutions that were solved with insight were associated with more alpha band power in the right posterior parietal cortex than those that were solved without insight. The authors presume that enhanced EEG alpha activity during subjective experience of insight could “attenuate bottom‐up activation or other neural activity not related to solution” (p. 507), thereby allowing “…processing about more distant associations between the problem words” (ibid.).

The fMRI study revealed that the AU task was associated with stronger brain activation than the OC task in the angular gyrus of the left hemisphere but a lower activation of the respective region in the right hemisphere extending to parts of the supramarginal gyrus. [cf. Bechtereva et al., 2004 ; Howard‐Jones et al., 2005 ; Petsche et al., 1997 ]. This corresponds to a diffuse and widespread pattern of alpha synchronisation in bilateral (but particularly right‐hemispheric) parietal brain regions in the EEG data. In general, the pronounced synchronisation of the posterior parietal cortex during the generation of novel ideas could possibly indicate that the underlying cortical networks are in a state of “internal attention” [cf. Knyazev et al., 2006 ; see also Knyazev, 2007 ] or in a state of internal top‐down activity [von Stein and Sarnthein, 2000 ] that is less likely disturbed by interfering cognitive processes [cf. Sauseng et al., 2005 ]. The finding of a diffuse and widespread alpha synchronisation during the generation of original ideas is also in accordance with von Stein and Sarnthein's [ 2000 ] work which suggests that long range frontoparietal interactions during mental imagery are particularly reflected in the alpha frequency range. Along with a comparatively weak fMRI activation of regions of the right‐hemispheric posterior cortex the diffuse und widespread alpha synchronisation may facilitate the (re‐)combination of semantic information that is normally distantly related [cf. Jung‐Beeman, 2005 ].

However, the hemispheric fMRI activation differences between the AU and OC task are difficult to reconcile with the EEG data with respect to their interpretation as cortical activation or deactivation. Specifically, a diffuse and widespread pattern of right‐hemispheric alpha synchronisation during performance of the AU task—which was particularly apparent in higher original individuals—goes along with comparatively low fMRI brain activation (relative to the OC task) in the right‐hemispheric angular and supramarginal gyri. This finding would suggest that alpha synchronisation in posterior brain regions would reflect cortical deactivation or idling which, in turn, would be in conflict with our interpretation of alpha band synchronisation as a sign of active cognitive processes. Moreover, this finding appears to stand in contrast with findings of simultaneous EEG‐fMRI studies which suggest a negative relationship between alpha band power and brain activation as measured by the hemodynamic BOLD response [e.g., Feige et al., 2005 ; Goldman et al., 2002 ; Laufs et al., 2003 ; Moosmann et al., 2003 ]. However, the majority of these studies investigated spontaneous alpha activity during rest with eyes closed and found negative correlations primarily over occipital brain areas. Therefore, it is questionable whether these findings can be generalized to task‐related alpha power changes during higher‐order cognitive demands [see also Klimesch et al., 2007 ].

Though highly speculative, differences in neural microcircuitry between the right and the left hemisphere could also account for the finding that in parietal brain regions EEG alpha synchronisation goes along with lower fMRI activation. Jung‐Beeman [ 2005 ] refers to data suggesting a higher interconnectivity in the right than in the left hemisphere. Specifically, he argues that the right hemisphere has a greater proportion of white matter (or connections between neurons, respectively) than the left hemisphere, a higher correlation of activity across different cortical regions, or more diffuse electrophysiological responses [Jung‐Beeman, 2005 , p. 513]. This could—at least partly—also explain our finding of a diffuse and widespread (rather than localized) pattern of EEG alpha synchronisation in the right hemisphere, while fMRI (possibly unaffected by right‐hemispheric interconnectivity due to its high spatial accuracy) revealed highly localized hemodynamic responses. Future studies which perform EEG and fMRI measurements simultaneously are needed to clarify this issue.

The research presented in this article has shown that creative thinking or creative idea generation appears to comprise a variety of “ordinary” cognitive processes. Creative thinking involves, among others, cognitive flexibility or the ability to develop alternative concepts or strategies [Heilman et al., 2003 ]. Moreover, the generation of novel, original ideas by combining already stored information [cf. Dietrich, 2004 ] presumably also involves working memory or inhibitory top‐down control [Klimesch et al., 2007 ; Sauseng et al., 2005 ]. In this particular context it could be objected that the employed AU task was rather a memory than a creativity task, inducing alpha band synchronisation simply because the task required participants to temporarily maintain information in mind (for later recall), as it is typically the case in classic working memory tasks. However, this would hardly explain why frontal alpha synchronisation was higher in the AU than in the OC task, particularly in view of the fact that in the latter more responses were given [which should result in a larger memory load and, consequently, in a stronger synchronisation of alpha; cf. Jensen et al., 2002 ]. Also, we observed alpha synchronisation in the posterior parietal cortex in employing another experimental procedure as well. For instance, in Fink and Neubauer [ 2006 ] brain activity was measured prior to the production of a single idea. Regardless whether the idea was conventional or original, in both cases a single idea had to be temporarily maintained in mind. However, synchronisation over posterior brain regions was significantly stronger in more original than conventional ideas.

Though the reported findings may uncover some brain correlates underlying creative thinking, some important issues are still unresolved. First, more scrutiny is needed with respect to the interpretation of neurophysiological findings in creative cognition. In the present research we administered exactly the same tasks and experimental design in both EEG and fMRI to explore the functional significance of the well‐established finding of increased alpha synchronisation during creative idea generation. Even though the results from study 1 and study 2 provide a plausible picture of potential brain correlates of creative thinking, some findings do not entirely correspond. This holds true, for instance, for the differential frontal alpha synchronisation of the experimental tasks in the EEG while there was no significant task‐related difference in fMRI. Moreover, right‐hemispheric alpha synchronisation in posterior brain regions goes along with lower fMRI brain activation in the right hemisphere. Such discrepancies may also be due to the fact that different (though matched) samples were investigated separately in EEG and fMRI. As aforementioned, the simultaneous measurement of EEG and fMRI in future studies on creative thinking might resolve some of these open issues.

Second, the employed creative idea generation tasks of our laboratory are comparatively simple or basic types of tasks that had to be modified (or simplified, respectively) to be reasonably applicable in EEG and fMRI measurements. Thus, the employed tasks can only be indicative of basic aspects of creative thinking and performance in these tasks cannot be generalized to “real‐life” creative achievements. The difficulty of operationalizing creative thinking in neuroscientific studies of creative cognition is additionally complicated by the fact that participants (unlike to their natural environment) are required to be creative while they are mounted with an electrode cap sitting in a shielded EEG cabin or lying supine in the fMRI scanner. Thus, future neuroscientific research on creativity is also challenged by the investigation of brain activity in response to more complex, “real‐life” creativity tasks.

Acknowledgements

The valuable contributions of Anna Kanape, Christine Kragl, Nadja Kozel and Klaus Feichtinger to this research project are gratefully acknowledged.

1 Discarded samples (in %; averaged over trials and participants) in the activation period: AU task: 19.17%; OC task: 19.08%; NE task: 19.28%; WE task: 20.79%. Discarded samples (in %) in the reference period: 17.62%. A discarding rate of for instance 20% means that on overage 20% of the samples of a trial (or 3.60 seconds out of 18 s, respectively) had to be excluded from further analyses.

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Math problem solving and brain activity

By Murray Bourne , 02 Jul 2008

I believe that solving math problems is a very important issue. Mathematics is more than just "doing algebra". If we know how to solve a real-world problems, then we'll have a powerful and important ability, and best of all we'll see why we are doing all this math.

Let's say you have a math problem that is in sentence form. Most people struggle with word problems and one reason is that math word problem solving uses many parts of the brain.

Here are some tips on how to attack math problem solving — and I have included an indication of what goes on in the brain during each step. Here is a diagram of the brain so you can follow along. The front of the brain is on the right of the diagram.

a. Read over the whole problem: Understand the whole question first and take special note of the what?, when?, which?, how many? parts of the question, usually at the end.

The areas of the brain that you use for this portion of the math problem are the very back of the brain (your occipital lobe) where you process what you see. You also use the language areas of your brain (a large portion of the left hemisphere, surrounding your left ear).

b. Write down or draw what the question tells you: By listing the information in the question, it helps you to sift through what you already know and it reminds you of the math that might be involved. Once again your left brain is involved in the writing part, in particular Broca's Area and Wernecke's Area, which are above your left ear.

If there is any geometry involved (or graphs, or moving objects, or any other visual element) in the question, draw the situation . For drawing, you use the areas towards the rear top of your brain (the parietal lobes), the area at the top of your head (the sensorimotor region) and the back of your brain (vision).

c. What do they want? Is the quesion asking for a speed, or a time, or a length, or a position, or a cost? Many students answer a word problem by giving an answer that is not what the question actually asked. In the real world, will your boss be impressed if you give a time answer when they actually asked for a cost?

At this point, it is good to estimate the answer and to write down that estimate for checking later. Estimation involves non-language areas of the brain (while exact arithmetic involves language areas).

So far in our math problem solving, we have a good idea what the question has told us and we know what we need to find. We also have an approximation for our answer.

d. Identify the math required: Now you need to make a decision about the math. Will it involve algebra? Or maybe trigonometry? Or logarithms? Maybe it will involve differentiation or perhaps integration? This is where you see the need to actually learn the formulas in each section of math that you study, and not rely 100% on formula sheets. The best way to recognize the math that you need to use, is to know that math in the first place.

This step uses the higher-order thinking areas at the front of the brain (the frontal lobes) and the memory areas of the brain (which tend to be all over).

e. Do the math: Now we need to churn through the algebra (or whatever) to get our answer. Assign variables to the known and unknown quantities in the question. In the brain, this step involves the frontal lobes and the area behind and above the ears.

Your answer must include units (if there are units in the question).

f. Check, check and check: Firstly, check if your answer is close to your estimate. If not, it's back to the drawing board.

Next, read over the question again and check that you have actually found what the question was asking for.

Finally, check all the algebra and arithmetic steps.

Phew! We are done.

Now don't be scared about all the brain activity involved in math problem solving. It's like most human abilities — the more you do it, the easier it becomes and the brain can begin to relax.

George Polya contributed greatly to our understanding of how to solve math word problems. You can see a summary of his approach from his 1957 book "How to Solve It" at G. Polya: How to Solve It .

See the 20 Comments below.

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Brain's Problem-solving Function At Work When We Daydream

A new University of British Columbia study finds that our brains are much more active when we daydream than previously thought.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , finds that activity in numerous brain regions increases when our minds wander. It also finds that brain areas associated with complex problem-solving – previously thought to go dormant when we daydream – are in fact highly active during these episodes.

"Mind wandering is typically associated with negative things like laziness or inattentiveness," says lead author, Prof. Kalina Christoff, UBC Dept. of Psychology. "But this study shows our brains are very active when we daydream – much more active than when we focus on routine tasks."

For the study, subjects were placed inside an fMRI scanner, where they performed the simple routine task of pushing a button when numbers appear on a screen. The researchers tracked subjects' attentiveness moment-to-moment through brain scans, subjective reports from subjects and by tracking their performance on the task.

The findings suggest that daydreaming – which can occupy as much as one third of our waking lives – is an important cognitive state where we may unconsciously turn our attention from immediate tasks to sort through important problems in our lives.

Until now, the brain's "default network" – which is linked to easy, routine mental activity and includes the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), the posterior cingulate cortex and the temporoparietal junction – was the only part of the brain thought to be active when our minds wander.

However, the study finds that the brain's "executive network" – associated with high-level, complex problem-solving and including the lateral PFC and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex – also becomes activated when we daydream.

"This is a surprising finding, that these two brain networks are activated in parallel," says Christoff. "Until now, scientists have thought they operated on an either-or basis – when one was activated, the other was thought to be dormant." The less subjects were aware that their mind was wandering, the more both networks were activated.

The quantity and quality of brain activity suggests that people struggling to solve complicated problems might be better off switching to a simpler task and letting their mind wander.

"When you daydream, you may not be achieving your immediate goal – say reading a book or paying attention in class – but your mind may be taking that time to address more important questions in your life, such as advancing your career or personal relationships," says Christoff.

The research team included members who are now at Stanford University and University of California, Santa Barbara.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by University of British Columbia . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Kalina Christoff, Alan M. Gordon, Jonathan Smallwood, Rachelle Smith, and Jonathan W. Schooler. Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 2009; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0900234106

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Brainstorming Examples + Techniques For Problem Solving

By Krystle Wong , Sep 08, 2023

So — you’re faced with a complex problem that seems as daunting as a mountain. You’ve tried all the usual approaches, but the solution remains elusive. What do you do? That’s where a good brainstorming mind map maker comes into play. 

This article is your backstage pass to the world of brainstorming. I’m not just going to give you the playbook; I’m going to show you how it’s done with brainstorming examples that will have you saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” 

So, no more beating around the brainstorming bush. Let’s roll up our sleeves and dive into the many effective techniques and examples that will turbocharge your problem-solving game. It’s time to unleash your inner brainstorming genius!

Click to jump ahead:

What are the 4 rules of brainstorming

12+ brainstorming mind map examples for problem solving, 10 effective brainstorming techniques that work, 5 common mistakes to avoid during brainstorming, brainstorming examples faq.

• 5 steps to create a brainstorming mind map with Venngage

The concept of brainstorming was introduced by Alex Osborn, an advertising executive and he outlined four key rules to facilitate effective brainstorming sessions. 

These rules are often referred to as the “Four Rules of Brainstorming” and are designed to encourage creativity and a free flow of ideas within a group. Here are the four rules:

No judgment: All ideas are welcomed and accepted without criticism or evaluation during a brainstorming session. This rule encourages participants to feel free to express even unconventional or seemingly impractical ideas.

Quantity over quality: Forget about perfection for now. In brainstorming, it’s like a numbers game – the more ideas, the merrier. Don’t get bogged down in refining each idea to perfection; just get them out there.

Build on the ideas of others: Teamwork makes the dream work. When someone throws out an idea, don’t just nod and move on. Add your spin, build on it or take it in a different direction. It’s all about collaboration and bouncing off each other’s creativity.

Encourage wild and creative ideas: Embrace the weird, the wild and the wacky. Sometimes the most outlandish ideas can be the seeds of genius solutions. So, don’t be shy – let your imagination run wild. 

So, the next time you’re in a brainstorming session, remember these rules. They’re not just guidelines; they’re the keys to unlocking your team’s creative potential. With these principles in play, you’ll find yourself reaching new heights of innovation and problem-solving.

Mind maps are a powerful tool for brainstorming, helping individuals and teams visualize ideas, make connections and unleash their creative potential. 

Whether you’re conducting a team retrospective or embarking on a corporate brainstorm, you can significantly enhance idea generation, boost efficient learning and note taking with mind maps . Get started with one of the brainstorming mind map examples below. 

1. Team retrospective board

When creating a mind map for a team retrospective, it’s essential to strike a balance between structure and flexibility. 

To achieve this, consider color-coding categories such as “What went well,” “What needs improvement,” and “Action items.” This visual differentiation helps participants quickly identify and prioritize discussion areas. 

Additionally, incorporating a timeline element within the mind map can provide a visual representation of the project’s progression, enabling the team to recall specific events and experiences. 

You can further enhance the visual appeal and emotional context by using icons or symbols to represent sentiments, such as happy faces for positive experiences and sad faces for challenges.

2. Business model brainstorm

Designing a mind map for brainstorming a business model necessitates a structured approach to represent various model elements coherently. 

Incorporate color to cover essential components like value proposition, customer segments, revenue streams and distribution channels. Color coding can help visually organize your ideas and make the map more visually appealing.

To make each component stand out and aid comprehension, incorporate icons or relevant images. For instance, use a dollar sign icon to represent revenue streams. Consistency in color schemes helps differentiate sections and highlights essential elements.

3. Collaborative brainstorm

Collaborative brainstorming often involves multiple participants contributing ideas simultaneously. 

To ensure efficient organization and clarity, assign specific branches within the mind map to individual participants. This approach helps maintain ownership of ideas and prevents overlap. 

Encourage participants to contribute further context by adding comments or annotations to each branch. Utilize mind mapping software that supports real-time collaboration if the brainstorming session involves remote teams, enabling seamless teamwork and idea exchange.

These collaborative brainstorming examples can be helpful in generating ideas during your next brainstorming process:

4. Product improvement brainstorm

Brainstorming product improvements requires an effective categorization and prioritization of ideas. Organize your mind map by creating branches for different areas of improvement, such as usability enhancements, additional features or performance optimization. 

Begin by sharing user feedback, reviews or customer pain points related to the product. This provides context and helps participants understand the existing challenges.

Then, organize your mind map into categories based on different aspects of the product, such as features, user experience, performance or customer support.

Product improvement is an ongoing process so make sure to not limit your brainstorming to a one-time event. Schedule regular sessions to continually enhance the product.

5. Corporate brainstorm

In a corporate brainstorming session, where diverse topics and ideas are on the agenda, systematic organization is crucial. 

Divide your mind map into sections and subsections to address various corporate aspects, such as HR, marketing, finance and operations. For example, this mind map on corporate initiative ideas divides the sections into different CSR programs and initiatives that the company can do to enhance public image:

To highlight potential synergies between related ideas from different sections, connect them with clear cross-references. Additionally, for practicality, include action items or tasks linked to specific ideas to facilitate a smooth implementation process within the corporate framework.

6. Creative brainstorm

Creative brainstorms thrive on spontaneity and inspiration — which is why your mind map design should encourage free-flowing ideas and unconventional thinking. 

Opt for a non-linear, organic structure within the mind map, avoiding rigid hierarchies that can stifle creativity. Embrace the use of visuals, such as images, sketches or mood boards, to stimulate creativity and inspiration. 

Here’s a brainstorming mind map example that teachers can use to generate exciting classroom activities and keep students engaged:

Allow branches to extend in unexpected directions, reflecting the dynamic and imaginative nature of creative brainstorming. This approach encourages participants to explore unconventional ideas and perspectives, fostering a truly creative atmosphere during the session.

Brainstorming aside, mind maps are versatile tools useful for organizing complex information, creating study aids, structuring project plans and facilitating communication and knowledge sharing in collaborative settings.

Browse our selection of mind map templates or learn about the best mind mapping software to help enhance creativity, solve problems and organize ideas.

Unleashing your team’s creativity through effective brainstorming techniques is a game-changer when it comes to generating new ideas and innovative solutions. Let’s delve into ten creative brainstorming techniques that can breathe life into your brainstorming sessions:

1. Mind mapping

Like concept maps , mind mapping is great for emphasizing the connections and relationships between ideas. You start with a central idea and then let your thoughts branch out like tree branches. Mind mapping is a great way to spot connections you might have missed.

2. Brainwriting

Forget talking — this one’s all about writing your ideas down. Brainwriting lets you pass your ideas around and let your team add their two cents. It’s a great brainstorming strategy for getting everyone involved especially if you’re brainstorming with a large group.

3. SCAMPER Method

SCAMPER stands for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate and Reverse. This technique encourages participants to explore these strategies for idea generation.

4. Storyboarding

Create a visual narrative or storyboard to explore ideas sequentially. This can help enhance understanding the flow and practicality of concepts, especially in product development or process improvement. Check out our gallery of storyboard templates you could use to generate new ideas.

5. Role storming

Ever tried brainstorming as someone else? In this technique, you put on different thinking caps, like playing pretend. It’s awesome for seeing things from fresh angles.

6. Worst possible idea

This one’s my favorite! Deliberately come up with the crummiest, silliest ideas you can think of. Oddly enough, they can spark some brilliant ones!

7. Round-robin brainstorming

One of my favorite group brainstorming techniques, everyone gets a turn to share their ideas with round-robin brainstorming — no interrupting or dominating the conversation. This technique ensures that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute.

8. SWOT Analysis

Analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats related to the problem or idea. This structured approach helps identify potential areas for improvement or innovation. Browse our SWOT analysis templates for more inspiration.

9. Random word or image association

Start with something random, like “banana” or “dolphin,” and brainstorm from there. It’s like mental gymnastics and it can lead to some seriously cool ideas.

10. Nominal group technique

For this brainstorming technique, Participants individually generate ideas, which are then anonymously shared and discussed as a group, ensuring balanced participation and minimizing the influence of dominant voices.

To further fuel your brainstorming sessions, you could always consider using a brainstorming tool to facilitate collaboration, structure ideas and provide visual frameworks. From virtual whiteboards to mind maps, here’s a list of brainstorming tools that can cater to various needs and preferences in brainstorming sessions.

Brainstorming sessions can be exhilarating bursts of creativity, but they can also veer off course if not handled with care. Here, we’ll explore five common missteps to steer clear of and conduct a successful brainstorming session.

1. Criticizing ideas too early

When participants criticize or judge ideas too soon in the brainstorming process, it can discourage creativity and stifle the generation of innovative solutions. To avoid this, it’s essential to foster an environment where all ideas are welcomed without immediate criticism.

Solution: Embrace the “No Judgment” rule we mentioned earlier. Encourage a judgment-free zone where all ideas are welcome to generate as many ideas, no matter how unusual or impractical they might seem initially. 

2. Groupthink

Ah, groupthink – the silent brainstorming killer. It’s when the desire for harmony within the group overrides critical thinking. Everyone nods along to ideas, not because they believe in them, but to avoid conflict.

Solution: Foster an atmosphere where dissenting opinions are not only tolerated but encouraged. Encourage team members to play devil’s advocate and don’t let conformity hold your brainstorming sessions hostage.

3. Ignoring introverted participants

In the whirlwind of brainstorming, extroverted voices can dominate the conversation, leaving introverts feeling like they’re stranded on the sidelines. Their valuable ideas may get lost in the noise.

Solution: Implement techniques like brainwriting or round-robin brainstorming, which give everyone an equal chance to contribute without the pressure of immediate verbal expression. 

4. Prioritizing quantity over quality

Yes, quantity matters in brainstorming, but swinging the pendulum too far toward generating sheer volume can leave you drowning in a sea of mediocre ideas.

Solution: Balance is key. Encourage the generation of many ideas, but once you’ve amassed a list, focus on quality. Sort through them, identify the most promising ones and build upon them collectively.

5. Neglecting follow-up and implementation

Brainstorming is exhilarating, but it’s just the first lap in the race. Failing to follow up on the ideas generated and implementing the best ones is like baking a cake and never eating it.

Solution: Assign responsibility for each idea’s follow-up and implementation. Establish clear timelines and action plans. Make sure the fruits of your brainstorming labor don’t gather dust on the shelf.

By sidestepping these brainstorming bloopers, you’ll be on your way to brilliant solutions and groundbreaking ideas, all while avoiding the pitfalls of the brainstorming jungle. 

Ready to kickstart your brainstorming session? These brainstorm presentation templates might come in handy to help spark creativity, ideation and foster collaborative problem-solving within a team. 

How does brainstorming help with the writing process

Brainstorming helps the writing process by generating a pool of diverse ideas, facilitating idea organization and overcoming writer’s block. It allows writers to explore different angles and perspectives for their content.

Are there any online tools or software for collaborative brainstorming?

Yes, there are several online tools and software for collaborative brainstorming, such as Miro, Stormboard and Google Jamboard. These platforms enable teams to brainstorm ideas in real-time, regardless of physical location.

What are some brainstorming activities for team building and creativity?

Brainstorming activities for team building and creativity include “Two Truths and a Lie,” “Role Reversal” and “The Six Thinking Hats.” These creative exercises promote trust, collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking among team members to generate creative ideas.

How do I encourage creative thinking during a brainstorming session?

To encourage creative thinking during a brainstorming session, create a non-judgmental environment, encourage wild ideas, use creative prompts and mix up the group dynamics. To facilitate productive brainstorming sessions, reward creativity and emphasize the importance of novelty and innovation.

What role does creativity play in effective brainstorming?

Creativity plays a central role in effective brainstorming as it drives the generation of innovative ideas and solutions. Without creativity, brainstorming sessions can become routine and fail to produce breakthrough concepts.

What are the benefits of using brainstorming examples in a business or creative context?

Using brainstorming examples in a business or creative context can provide tangible illustrations of successful brainstorming outcomes. They can inspire participants, provide a framework for idea generation and demonstrate the practical application of brainstorming techniques. Additionally, they can serve as a reference point for future brainstorming sessions.

5 steps to create a brainstorming mind map with Venngage 

In conclusion, mastering the art of brainstorming is like unlocking a treasure chest of solutions to your most challenging problems. By exploring a variety of brainstorming techniques and with the help of the above examples of brainstorming, you’ve gained valuable tools to tackle issues with confidence and creativity.

Now, to bring it all together, consider harnessing the power of visual thinking through a brainstorming mind map. Venngage offers a seamless solution that can transform your brainstorming ideas into organized, inspiring journeys using mind maps . To create a brainstorming mind map with Venngage:

• Sign in or create a free Venngage account.
• Pick a brainstorm mind map template to get started. 
• Add your central idea in the central node.
• Create branches and subtopics by clicking, dragging and labeling.
• Customize your mind map with colors, fonts, icons and connectors to make it visually appealing.

Remember, the beauty of brainstorming lies in its boundless potential, always ready to surprise you with fresh perspectives and creative solutions.

So, whether you’re tackling complex business dilemmas or personal puzzles, put your thinking hat on for a productive brainstorming session and let all the ideas roam free. 

17 Fun Problem Solving Activities for Kids

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As a child, I would spend hours putting together puzzles… whether it was 3-D puzzles or figuring out a crossword. I also loved it when teachers would give the class an open-ended question and we had to work in groups to figure out the answer in our own way.

Even something as simple as playing checkers with my brothers gave me the chance to use strategy as a way to win the game. I honestly believe that it’s so important for kids to solve problems at a young age, as it helps them think critically and outside the box.

Table of Contents

So, Why Is It Important To Teach Kids Problem Solving?

I think these kinds of activities are so important for kids to do because it helps them learn how to think analytically and solve problems on their own. It's a great way to get kids to use their imaginations and be creative.

Rote memorization simply does not have the same effect. This type of learning is great for learning facts like historical dates, but it’s not going to help kids figure out how events in history happened and the results.

We take these problem-solving skills into college, the workforce, and travel . My ability to problem solve since childhood has certainly got me through many sticky situations while in a new city or country.

Additionally, problem-solving helps children learn how to find creative solutions to challenges they may face both in and out of the classroom . These activities can also be fun and used in cohesion with school or playtime.

17 Fun Problem-Solving Activities for Kids

1. marble mazes.

This activity was selected because it requires them to think spatially. Spatial learning will benefit kids when they start driving, riding a bike, playing sports,etc.

To do this activity in its simplest form, you will need a piece of paper, a pencil, and some marbles. First, draw a maze on a piece of paper using a pencil.

Make sure to create a start and finish point. Then, place the marbles at the start of the maze. The goal is to get the marbles from the start to the finish by tilting the paper and using gravity to guide the marbles through the maze.

Another example of a marble maze can involve using toilet paper rolls taped together to create a three-dimensional maze. The larger the maze, the harder you can make it.

Check Price on Amazon!

If you are not into the DIY method, you can always buy a toy maze on Amazon. A good 48 piece puzzle is the Melissa & Doug Underwater Ocean Floor puzzle.

2. The Tower Challenge

Building a tower gives kids the chance to think about gravity, structure, and balance.

To do this activity, you will need some building materials like legos, blocks, or even toilet paper rolls. The challenge is to see how high they can stack the materials without the tower toppling over.

This can be done individually or in teams. An activity like this is good for younger kids and is the building block to learning about harder topics like engineering.

3. The Egg Drop Challenge

The egg drop challenge helps kids learn how to engineer a solution that prevents something from breaking. It requires them to think critically about which materials will best protect something fragile like an egg when dropped from a height.

To do this activity, you will need some eggs and various materials such as straws, cotton balls, bubble wrap, etc. The goal is to construct a device that will protect an egg from breaking upon impact.

This can be done individually or in teams . Teams can even have a competition for the best egg drop device.

As children begin handling, shopping for, and cooking their own food, activities like this will help them understand how to handle breakable items like bottles, eggs, delicate fruit,.etc. Ideally, this is best for age groups 8 and up.

4. The Penny Drop Challenge

This activity was selected because it requires kids to think about physics and how different materials affect sound.

To do this activity, you will need a penny ( or another coin), a cup, and various materials such as paper towels, cotton balls, etc.

The goal is to drop the penny into the cup without making any noise. Begin by placing different materials into the cup and then drop the penny into it. The children should also drop the penny from different heights into the same material to see if/how the impact from a higher drop affects sound.

Group kids into teams or let them try it on their own.

Kids should make note of what type of sounds are made when the penny hits different materials. This is a great activity for kids who are interested in science and physics.

5. The Balloon Race Challenge

This activity was selected because it helps kids learn about aerodynamics and Bernoulli’s principle . It also requires them to think creatively about how to design a balloon-powered vehicle.

To do this activity, you will need balloons, straws, masking tape, and markers. The goal is to design a balloon-powered vehicle that can travel a distance of at least 10 feet. Kids can begin this activity by sketching out their designs on paper.

After they have a basic design, they can begin building their vehicle from various materials. Then kids can explain why they think the balloon traveled or did not travel as far as it did.

6. The Marshmallow Challenge

Marshmallows are not only delicious, but they are also soft and malleable. So kids can have fun using it for some construction projects.

This activity was selected because it requires kids to think creatively about how to build a structure using limited materials. It also helps them learn about engineering and work as a team.

To do this activity, you will need marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. The goal is to build the tallest free-standing structure possible using only marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. If you don't have spaghetti noodles, use something similar like pretzel sticks.

You may even want to establish certain rules like each team can only use a certain number of marshmallows or noodles. A time limit can also make it more fun and challenging.

For more fun activities, check out our post on problem solving exercises for team building .

7. The Balloon Pop Challenge

If you remember your childhood, you probably remember popping balloons for fun at times. But this activity is different because it requires kids to use strategy and critical thinking.

This activity was selected because it helps kids learn about patterns and problem-solving. It is also a lot of fun for kids who like popping balloons. The goal is to create a device that will allow them to pop a balloon without using their hands.

To do this activity, you will need balloons and various materials such as straws, string, paper clips, etc.

8. Picture Pieces Puzzle Game

As mentioned earlier, puzzles are a great pastime – especially in childhood. Kids must think critically about how to put the pieces together to create a certain picture. It also helps them learn about shapes, colors, and other concepts.

You can take a medium to large picture and cut it into pieces. If you have younger kids, you may want to make the pieces larger. However, if you have kids closer to the 8-11 age range, you should be able to provide a challenge and make the pieces smaller.

9. Copy the Block Model

For this challenge, you can build a model out of blocks for the kids to copy. Put kids into groups and make sure each group has the same number of blocks you used for your model.

Make your model block as simple or complex as needed for your child's age group.

Set a time limit and make sure each group starts at the same time.

10. Team Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is great for kids because they have to search for items and use investigative skills. It is also a lot of fun and can be done both indoors and outdoors .

To do this activity, you will need to create a list of items for the kids to find. The items can be anything from common household items to things you would find outside.

These types of activities can also revolve around a theme like a holiday, movie, or book. For example, if the kids are fans of “Harry Potter” you can make a list of items to find that are related to the movie.

11. Obstacle Course

This activity requires kids to think creatively about how to get from one point to another while maneuvering around obstacles. If you have outdoor space, this can be done with common objects such as hula hoops, cones, etc.

If you don't have access to an outdoor space, you can use common household items to create an indoor obstacle course. For example, you can use chairs, blankets, pillows, etc.

Begin by setting up the course and then timing each child as they complete it. You can also have them race against each other to make it more fun.

Obstacle courses are also great because kids get to be physically active while they are thinking critically.

12. Reading Storybooks

There are many great benefits for kids that read storybooks.  One of the excellent benefits is the ability to problem-solve.  When they read the stories in the books, they see scenarios that cause them to be attached to the various characters they read about. 

So, when they encounter a real-life problem, it is often productive to ask a child how their favorite character would solve that problem.  Your kids can also be encouraged to come up with various options and possible outcomes for some of the situations they may encounter. 

This not only helps kids solve various problems but become more independent as well. 

13. Ask Them Open-Ended Questions

A good way to improve a child's ability to think critically and creatively and improve their ability to solve problems is by asking open-ended questions.  It also helps them to develop healthy personalities .

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.  In addition, the solution requires more than a simple “yes” or “no” answer.  Furthermore, it allows kids to put some extra thought into their responses. 

Here are some examples of open-ended questions you may want to ask. 

• What did this experience teach you?
• Was this easy?  What was easy about it?
• What this difficult?  What is complicated about it?
• What may happen next in this situation?
• How did you come to this solution?
• What, if anything, would you do differently next time?
• What can we do to make things more fun next time?

14. Build Various Structures with Toys

Whether wooden blocks, LEGO blocks, or engineering blocks… giving your kid blocks to build whatever their minds can dream up is fun.  In addition, it requires them to think about how they will make a structure, put the pieces together, and creatively ensure the building's function and design. 

You may also want to challenge them to build something more complicated and watch them use their brain power to make it happen. 

15. Acting Out Skits

Impromptu activities like acting out skits help kids identify problems, develop solutions, and execute them.  This process works with multiple kids being divided into teams. 

First, you will want to write down different situations, such as resolving a disagreement between siblings or dealing with bullying on the playground on a piece of paper.  Second, you will fold the paper and place it in a hat or bowl.  

Third, each team will pick a scenario out of the hat.  Finally, you can give the kids a few minutes to discuss their solution and act out. 

16. Solving Moral Dilemmas   

In this simple game, you will help your kids solve simple dilemmas they may find themselves in.  You could write down a situation your child may find themselves in and help them learn the moral way to solve the problem.   

For instance, “The cashier gave them an additional $5 change back on my purchase.  What should they do?”  Another scenario could be, “I saw my friend cheating on a test.  Should I tell on them or let it go?”  A third one could be, “I caught my friends stealing some gum from the store.  What should I do?” 

After writing down the dilemmas and placing them in a bowl, get each child to select one and read it aloud.  Finally, you will help them devise morally correct solutions to the moral dilemma. 

17. Animal Pairing Game  

This is a fun and creative game to help your kids with focus, critical thinking, and team building skills .  In addition, this activity requires an even number of players to participate (4, 6, 8, etc.) 

Before starting the game, you will want to write the names of different animals twice, each on a separate slip of paper.  Then pass out the slips of paper to each individual or team member, instructing them not to share with anyone the name of the animal they received. 

Then the children will perform activities the animals might do without talking or making sounds.  Some of these activities might include:

• The way the animal cleans or grooms itself
• The way the animal sleeps
• The way the animal fights
• The way the animal eats or drinks
• The way the animal walks or runs

The goal is for each child to successfully pair up with the other child who has selected the same animal.

How Problem Solving in Childhood Helps in Adulthood

Children are not born with problem-solving skills. It is something that needs to be learned and developed over time .

From babies who learn how to communicate their needs to toddlers who figure out how to get what they want, to children who are starting to understand the consequences of their actions – problem-solving is a process that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood.

Some of the benefits of teaching problem-solving skills to children include:

• Improved critical thinking skills
• Better decision-making skills
• Enhanced creativity
• Improved communication and collaboration skills
• Increased confidence

There are many ways to teach problem-solving skills to children. The activities mentioned above are just a few examples. It is important to find activities that are appropriate for the age and abilities of the child.

With practice, children will develop these skills and be better prepared to face challenges in both childhood and adulthood.

Final Thoughts About Fun Problem Solving Activities For Kids

These are just a few ideas to get you started on teaching your child crucial problem solving skills. Perhaps they’ve inspired to come with some of your own, or seek out others? The important thing is to make sure the activity is age-appropriate and challenging enough to engage the kids.

Problem-solving skills are important for kids to learn because they can be applied to various situations in life. These skills also promote critical thinking, which is an important life skill.

There are many other problem-solving activities for kids out there. In time, you’ll find the ones that work best for your child.  And be sure not to forget about your own needs and self-improvement, both of which will make you a better parent and mentor. Here are some useful activities for adults to get your started.

Finally, if you want to level up your parenting skills, then check out this resource that will show you how to get your kids to listen WITHOUT yelling, nagging, or losing control .

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How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall

Elon musk’s factory in china saved his company and made him ultrarich. now, it may backfire..

Hosted by Katrin Bennhold

Featuring Mara Hvistendahl

Produced by Rikki Novetsky and Mooj Zadie

With Rachelle Bonja

Edited by Lisa Chow and Alexandra Leigh Young

Original music by Marion Lozano ,  Diane Wong ,  Elisheba Ittoop and Sophia Lanman

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When Elon Musk set up Tesla’s factory in China, he made a bet that brought him cheap parts and capable workers — a bet that made him ultrarich and saved his company.

Mara Hvistendahl, an investigative reporter for The Times, explains why, now, that lifeline may have given China the tools to beat Tesla at its own game.

On today’s episode

Mara Hvistendahl , an investigative reporter for The New York Times.

Background reading

A pivot to China saved Elon Musk. It also bound him to Beijing .

Mr. Musk helped create the Chinese electric vehicle industry. But he is now facing challenges there as well as scrutiny in the West over his reliance on China.

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The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

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Katrin Bennhold is the Berlin bureau chief. A former Nieman fellow at Harvard University, she previously reported from London and Paris, covering a range of topics from the rise of populism to gender. More about Katrin Bennhold

Mara Hvistendahl is an investigative reporter for The Times focused on Asia. More about Mara Hvistendahl

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