This calls for trying to see every side of a matter. To learn how to do this, some have suggested approaching problems as though playing the game "Twenty Questions." In this game a group or panel is given twenty chances to ferret out a subject on the moderator's mind. The idea is to eliminate as many probabilities as possible with each question, progressively narrowing the field to a logical answer.
The game embodies a model of productive thinking, actually the principles of scientific research, namely, running through a list of questions to eliminate probabilities until one can single out an answer. An engineer reviews mentally whether a given problem can be solved by electric, hydraulic, chemical, mechanical or other means. A doctor making a diagnosis mentally runs through a list of diseases with similar symptoms, endeavoring by process of elimination to arrive at the right conclusion.
The game embodies a model of productive thinking, actually the principles of scientific research, namely, running through a list of questions to eliminate probabilities until one can single out an answer. An engineer reviews mentally whether a given problem can be solved by electric, hydraulic, chemical, mechanical or other means. A doctor making a diagnosis mentally runs through a list of diseases with similar symptoms, endeavoring by process of elimination to arrive at the right conclusion.
