EFFECT OF AN INTERVENTION IN SYNECTICS ON THE CREATIVE-THINKING OF NURSES

This descriptive, quasi-experimental study identified reflective reaso ning aptitudes of nurses (N = 97) and investigated the effect of synec tics on their creative thinking. Aptitude for reflective reasoning was pretested by the Torrance Verbal Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT), th e Gordon Creative Problem Solving Test(GCPST), and the Watson-Glaser A ppraisal of Critical Thinking (WGACT). Subjects were posttested only i n creative thinking, using the TTCT and the GCPST The experimental int ervention was adapted from synectics under the tutelage of its invento r, W.J.J. Gordon. The participants were randomly selected for either t he experimental group (trained in synectics) or the control group (not trained in synectics) and their pretest mean scores on the TTCT and W GACT were compared with normative data from graduate students. The dif ferences in critical thinking, fluency, and flexibility were insignifi cant. Significant differences were found in originality. Posttest TTCT and GCPST mean scores revealed significant gains for the experimental group over the control group on all pretested creative abilities. Fin dings reveal several potential strengths and one weakness in the refle ctive reasoning of nurses. In addition, the educational intervention, synectics, enhanced the creative abilities of nurses. It is recommende d that further studies be conducted to expand the knowledge base on th e reflective reasoning of nurses and that prospective research address the interactive effect of personal attributes, environmental influenc es, and cognitive skill training.