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MENTAL MODEL · M6521

Simonton's Blind Variation and Selective Retention

Simonton's Blind Variation and Selective Retention
BehaviormediumPsychology
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Updated 2026-08-09

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

The blind variation and selective retention model, proposed by Dean Keith Simonton, explains creativity through the logic of evolution. Creation begins with blind variation, in which ideas are generated without knowing in advance which will work; selection then evaluates the variants against the problem and the field; retention preserves and communicates the successful ones so they survive. The word blind means the process is not directed toward a known answer rather than wholly random. The model reframes creativity as volume plus filtering rather than a single flash of insight.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Generate widely: produce a large number of variants before you evaluate any of them. - Suspend judgement: keep the generation phase entirely free of premature selection. - Filter deliberately: evaluate every variant against explicit criteria, then retain and spread the winners.

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Anchor fast decisions

Because the value of an idea cannot be known before it is tried, the search must proceed without a target, generating variants whose usefulness is uncertain. Selection then applies criteria drawn from the problem and from what the field will accept, discarding most of the output. Retention is what makes the process cumulative: a variant that survives is preserved and communicated, so others can build on it. Increasing either the number of variants or the sharpness of the filter raises the expected quality of the final result.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_T._CampbellZH · Explicit
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