Global Thinking Scale

Global Thinking Scale

After analyzing the intellectual-personal qualities which are important for creativity development found by Russian psychologist Koulutkin in the 70s, I derived three parameters (variable components) of Global Thinking. I named them Integrity, Dynamics, and Alternativity. All known descriptions of Global Thinking, including the so-called R. Hanvey’s “dimensions”, can be built upon these parameters. These are my definitions for them:

Integrity is a pattern of connections between parts of a system, between a system and other systems, and eventually of multilevel interconnectedness to the entire world.

Dynamics is a pattern of movements, changes, and continuous advances in a system's development via its inner potential of development, and its interaction with other systems, including the entire world.

Alternativity is a pattern of choices in a system's development at each bifurcation point considering inner and outer factors. A bifurcation point is the point of instability in a system's development when a system may change the direction of its development, often spontaneously and unpredictably, for instance, the point when intense clouds can turn into rain or can be taken apart by a strong wind.

I have proved in my research that each of these parameters is essential, and the System of parameters is complete. I calibrated GT parameters by levels of their development and built up a scale for the evaluation of GT. Each level of each parameter represents a certain type of Worldview. Transitioning from one level to the next means transforming the accumulation of information quantity into a new quality of understanding. It is like connecting pieces of a puzzle, you will see the whole picture at some point when you have connected many of them.

Considering how those parameters work, I found that the higher level of their development the more they become dependent upon each other. Eventually, they become inseparable, and work as a unified system of parameters: “Integrity-Dynamics-Alternativity”.This table illustrates 4 levels of each of the 3 parameters, and a common 5^th level for the whole system of parameters.

THE EVALUATION SCALE FOR GLOBAL THINKING:

5. The unification level of all three parameters:

INTEGRITY - DYNAMICS - ALTERNATIVITY.

Perception of the world as a holistic system: an alternative process with multilevel interdependencies of all subjects, facts and processes; a clear vision of the pattern of strong and lateral interconnectedness of possible causes and effects of problems; spectrums of its possible solutions and their interdependence are taken into account. From this understanding, develops a responsibility of making solutions.

Global Thinking is formed when it reaches at least the third level when a person is able to built a holistic worldview where everything has a certain place in his/her world model.

Key concepts for levels of the parameters of the Global Thinking Scale:

Copyright © 2004 Marina P. Bonser, Ph.D.