A Dual Process Account of Creative Thinking

This article explicates the potential role played by type 1 thinking (automatic, fast) and type 2 thinking (effortful, logical) in creative thinking. The relevance of Evans's (2007 Evans , J. St. B. T. ( 2007 ). On the resolution of conflict in dual process theories of reasoning . Thinking and Reasoning , 13 , 321 – 339 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) models of conflict of dual processes in thinking is discussed with regards to creative thinking. The role played by type 1 thinking and type 2 thinking during the different stages of creativity (problem finding and conceptualization, incubation, illumination, verification and dissemination) is discussed. It is proposed that although both types of thinking are active in creativity, the extent to which they are active and the nature of their contribution to creativity will vary between stages of the creative process. Directions for future research to test this proposal are outlined; differing methodologies and the investigation of different stages of creative thinking are discussed.