Multidimensional Thinking

With this type of thinking, we take a topic or piece of information, and view it from various perspectives or dimensions to gain an understanding from the following:

1. Person – How does Topic X affect the individual?

2. Place – How does Topic X affect a geographical part of the world?

3. Time – How does/would Topic X affect different periods in time? Past,present, and future?

4. Culture – How can Topic X be interpreted by various cultures? How does Topic X affect these same cultures? As humans, we are raised with differing social customs, traditions, and experiences. How might these customs and traditions alter our perspective of Topic X?

Example: Public transportation
1. Having access to public transportation makes a geographical area more accessible to a person. They can work farther from home.

2. Public transportation can make a specific place more inviting to live and/or work in.

3. A lack of public transportation in the past meant people were forced to work more locally, potentially keeping them from better employment.

4. Public transportation in urban centers is more complex and available than in rural communities, increasing accessibility for those residing in urban centers.

Questions to Ask:

• How would __________ affect the various parts of me? (emotional, physical, intellectual, etc.)
• What impact would __________ have on the physical world around me? On the social world around me?
• How might people from the past interpret __________?
• How might an individual from Spain react to __________ compared to an individual from Portugal?

Cuseo, Joseph B, Aaron Thompson, Michele Campagna, Viki Sox Fecas. Thriving in College and Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and personal Development. Dubuque: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, 2016.

Ellis, Dave. Becoming a Master Student. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.