Background
If you like to free-associate, you’ll like the Parts Purge technique. It originally was developed by VanGundy (1992) as Attribute Association Chains. You can use this activity to generate ideas by listing problem attributes, free-associating from each attribute, and then using the free associations as stimuli for ideas. It’s as simple as that: free-associate on
problem parts and generate, generate, generate.
Objectives
• To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible
• To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas
Participants
Small groups of four to seven people each
Materials,Supplies,and Equipment
• For each group: markers, two flip charts, and masking tape for posting flip-chart sheets
• For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots (1?2” diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it® Notes
Handout
• Parts Purge Handout
Time
45 minutes
Related Activities
• Noun Hounds [29]
Procedure
1. Distribute the Parts Purge Handout, review it with the participants, and answer any questions they may have.
2. Have each group obtain a sheet of flip-chart paper and tape it lengthwise to a wall or lay it down on a table.
3. Tell them to follow the example and list major problem attributes across the top, and then list subattributes next to each major attribute.
4. Instruct them to take turns and select one of the subattributes and write down the first word they can think of. That is, to free-associate by writing down a second word stimulated by the first, and so forth until that person has listed four or five words for each subattribute.
5. Tell them to repeat Step 4, but have another group member do the free-associating and continue doing this until all group members have been involved or no more words remain to use for free association.
6. Direct all group members to use the free associations to stimulate ideas.
7. Tell them to write down their ideas on Post-it® Notes (one idea per note) and place them on flip charts for evaluation.
Taken From : Pfeiffer 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity
