Divergent Thinking, Deviation Amplification, and Externalized Cognition

This brief article examines an argument presented by Brandt (2024) that Beethoven used divergent thinking when composing. The earlier analysis was compelling, in part because it quantified one aspect of classical composition (e.g., harmonic progression). The current article raises the possibility that Beethoven may have relied more on deviation amplification than divergent thinking. It presents lyrical examples from another musical genre (i.e., Rock ‘n Roll) and quotes (e.g., Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffet, Rolling Stones) in order illustrate the wide use of deviation amplification and divergent thinking. These two processes differ in part in their intentionality and perhaps in the cognitive pathways. Divergent thinking may be characterized as a kind of spreading activation and exploration across varied directions while deviation amplification may instead find one variation and then explore that direction via amplification. Brandt is certainly correct that his case study (and perhaps the cases quoted herein) offer intriguing illustrations of externalized cognition. Future research to clarify how deviation amplification fits with divergent thinking is recommended.