Similar Uses Test (SUT)
Similar Uses Test (SUT) is an applied improvisation exercise in which participants pick an everyday object, define its core function, and then list as many different objects designed to perform that same function. The exercise trains divergent thinking by shifting focus from the object itself to the underlying purpose it serves.
Structure
Setup
The facilitator explains the distinction between an object and its function. A hammer is an object; driving nails is its function. But many other objects can drive nails: a rock, a shoe, a heavy book, a wrench. The Similar Uses Test asks participants to identify the function first and then find all the objects that share it.
Individual Round
Each participant selects an everyday object: a pen, a cup, a blanket, a chair. They write down the object's primary function in a single phrase. Then they list as many other objects as they can that serve the same function, working within a time limit of two to three minutes.
Sharing and Building
Participants share their lists with a partner or small group. Partners add objects the original participant missed. This collaborative expansion demonstrates how different perspectives multiply creative output. An object one person overlooked is obvious to another.
Group Discussion
The facilitator highlights the most surprising or creative connections. A blanket's function of "keeping warm" connects it to a campfire, a hug, a hot drink, and insulation in a wall. These unexpected parallels demonstrate that functional thinking reveals hidden connections between seemingly unrelated things.
Variations
A reverse version gives the function first and asks participants to list all objects that serve it. A competitive version scores points for unique answers that no other participant listed. A chain version has each new object's function become the starting point for the next round of listing.
How to Teach It
Objectives
The Similar Uses Test develops functional thinking, the ability to see past an object's surface identity to the purpose it serves. This cognitive skill transfers directly to problem-solving, innovation, and creative ideation in any domain.
How to Explain It
"Pick an everyday object. What does it do? Now list every other object you can think of that does the same thing. You are not looking for similar objects. You are looking for objects that serve the same function."
Scaffolding
Begin with an object that has a clear, singular function. A hammer or a cup works well because the function is unambiguous. Avoid objects with many functions (a smartphone) until participants are comfortable with functional analysis of simpler items.
Common Pitfalls
Participants sometimes list objects that are similar in appearance rather than function. A cup and a bowl are visually similar, but the exercise asks for objects that serve the function of holding liquid, which might include a cupped hand, a bucket, or a hollow rock. The facilitator should redirect attention from appearance to purpose.
In Applied Settings
Innovation and Product Design
Functional thinking is a core tool in design thinking and innovation methodology. Teams that can separate an object from its function discover alternative solutions that competitors locked into conventional thinking overlook. The exercise prepares teams for analogical reasoning, a key driver of breakthrough innovation.
Education
Teachers use the Similar Uses Test to develop critical thinking and classification skills. Students learn to organize knowledge by function rather than appearance, a cognitive shift that supports deeper understanding across subjects.
Skills Developed
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Alternate Uses Test (AUT)
Take an everyday object and list as many different uses for it beyond its intended purpose as possible in two minutes. A daily creativity training exercise from divergent thinking research.
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How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Similar Uses Test (SUT). Retrieved March 19, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/similar-uses-test-sut
The Improv Archive. "Similar Uses Test (SUT)." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/similar-uses-test-sut.
The Improv Archive. "Similar Uses Test (SUT)." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/similar-uses-test-sut. Accessed March 19, 2026.
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