Effects of the Six Thinking Hats Method in Creative Problem Solving among Undergraduate Honors Students
Doctoral Candidate Name: Benna Haas
Program: Special Education
Defense Date and Time: June 26, 2024 – 11:00 AM
Defense Location: Mebane Hall Room 110
Committee chair’s Name: Dr. Cindy Gilson
Committee Members: Dr. Ya-yu Lo, Dr. Michael Matthews, Dr. Erin FitzPatrick, Dr. Bettie Ray Butler
Abstract:
Cultivating problem-solving in highly motivated university students remains a persistent priority in higher education. These highly motivated students often enroll in honors programs to engage in small group discussions with their like-minded peers to enhance creative problem-solving skills; however, limited empirical research exists on the effectiveness of creative thinking interventions in creative problem-solving among introverted university honors students. This study focused on how the Six Thinking Hats method, a creative thinking tool designed to encourage individuals to think in parallel with those of others through six metaphoric Hats, increases creative problem-solving in introverted honors students.
A quantitative single-case multiple baseline design across four introverted university honors students was used to examine a functional relation between the Six Thinking Hats and creative problem-solving. The dependent variables were: (a) total number of Hats, (b) total number of topic-related participation units, (c) total number of creative ideas, and (d) total number of words per Hat. Results indicated a functional relation between the STH method and Hats (i.e., perspectives), but no functional relation existed for topic-related participation units, creative ideas, and words per Hat. The social validity data, confirmed through thematic analysis, revealed three themes regarding the STH method: (a) awareness of metacognition, (b) meaningfulness of the intervention, and (c) application to problem-solving situations. This study offers a first step in contributing to the small body of experimental research on the effectiveness of the Six Thinking Hats method in promoting multiple perspectives among undergraduate honors students.