Why is brainstorming considered useful?

Brainstorming is considered useful primarily because it aids in overcoming functional fixedness. Functional fixedness is a cognitive bias that limits a person’s ability to use an object only in the way it is traditionally used, hindering creative thinking. During brainstorming sessions, participants are encouraged to generate a wide variety of ideas without immediate critique or evaluation. This open and free-flowing approach helps participants think outside of conventional boundaries and encourages them to see objects or concepts in new ways. By breaking free from established perspectives, individuals can come up with innovative solutions that they might not have thought of otherwise.

The other options do not capture the essence of why brainstorming is effective. While critical evaluation of ideas is essential in the creative problem-solving process, it typically occurs after the brainstorming phase, not during. Additionally, brainstorming does not restrict thinking to common solutions; rather, it encourages generating as many ideas as possible, regardless of their practicality. Similarly, ensuring that only the best ideas are considered contradicts the spirit of brainstorming, where quantity of ideas is prioritized over immediate quality or feasibility.