Abstract GD Topics: What Are These & How To Ace Them In 5 Easy Steps

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Group Discussion, i.e., GD is one of the most common parts of the interview process - be it getting admission into a college or a company.

While there are several common GD topics that people can prepare for in advance, there is also a category of abstract GD topics that many people find challenging to tackle. Before we dive into the ways to ace abstract GD topics, let’s first understand what we mean by them.

What are abstract GD topics?

It's all in the name. Abstract means an idea or a thought that does not have a concrete existence. Regarding group discussions, these are topics that don’t have a single definite meaning and are open to interpretation. For example, a GD on the topic Red.

Every candidate can use their thought processes, understanding, and creativity to interpret the topic and present it in the GD round. This means that abstract GD topics can be extremely fun to tackle. But don’t forget that they can also be equally tricky if you haven’t prepared for them beforehand. 

Are you now wondering how to prepare for group discussions and abstract topics? Don’t worry, listed ahead in this article is a five-point strategy that will help you handle this challenge with ease. Let’s begin.

1. It’s a twin challenge- tread lightly

As we have mentioned before, abstract GD topics are open to interpretations by all participants and are hence driven by perception. While this is tricky and challenging in itself, there is another challenge that you’ll have to face.

Since there will be multiple interpretations of the topic being discussed in the GD, it might be difficult to figure out key points of discussion with the time constraint, leading to confusion. Listening to multiple diverse ideas from other participants can lead to unnecessary cross-discussions, and lead to time wastage. It is quite likely that this might throw you off your goal of coming out with unique ideas and standing out. 

The smart way to proceed here is to find the optimal number of topics/ interpretations and follow the discussion points provided to you (if any). Remember to be vigilant, state your opinions clearly, stick to limited interpretations, and don’t contradict yourself. 

2. Upside-down funnel approach

This approach calls for you to begin by jotting down all the ideas you can think of in reference to the abstract GD topic at hand. Think out of the box and create a pool of all possible and diverse ideas. Once you have a list, the next step is to prioritize the ideas in descending order. That is, give top priority to the idea you think is the best. This will provide you with a sequence to follow during the group discussion.

Remember, don’t be extremely critical or judgmental about ideas, either your own or of others. This will hamper your ability to accept others’ points of view which is critical to fully absorb and participate in the GD and make a meaningful contribution to the discussions. This approach is effective given the time constraint (mostly 10-20 minutes). Since it's not possible to discuss all ideas in such a short span the funnel approach will help you pay heed to the quality of the discussion. 

Tip- Summarize discussion points after a while and converge meaningfully to do justice to the topic in the given time. It is recommended that you discuss two or three ideas based on the priority list.

3. The SPELTER approach

We all know that an abstract GD topic can be viewed in multiple ways by different participants. But won’t it be much easier for you to gather multiple POVs if you had a well-defined strategy in place? Yes, so here is one well-defined approach that will help you cover seven important aspects of every abstract topic. The idea is that each letter of the word ‘SPELTER’ signifies a segment of our world as follows:

• S- Social
• P- Political
• E- Economic
• L- Legal
• T- Technological
• E- Environmental
• R- Religious

All you have to do is find a connection between your abstract GD topic and the segments mentioned above. This will give you a pool of ideas to work with. For example, consider the ‘RED’ as the abstract topic. Now this word has the following connections/ representation in the SPELTER segments:

• S: Social (Red is socially a color of love and energy and it brings vibrance to society)
• P: Political (Red represents communism and in some ways is used to depict “deep pockets” in polity)
• E: Economic (Red hat capitalism is a widespread phenomenon in the economic interpretation of “red”)
• L: Legal (Redline is an illegal practice of discriminating credit based on caste/creed/color/gender) 
• T: Technological (The red color stands at the end of the spectrum and so its wavelength plays an important factor in laser technologies)
• E: Environmental (Red is a color of danger as well)
• R: Religious (In Hindu mythology, red is a color of marriage)

4. The Keyword approach

Though widely used for factual GD topics, the keyword approach can also be used for abstract topics. The idea behind this approach is to identify keywords or maybe stakeholders associated with the topic. Use words to form patterns and connections which can be further used to dwell on the topic and thereafter build content.

5. Time Management

In a group discussion, time is of the essence. It is important to ensure forward progression rather than repeating certain points time and again. Adding value in a given time frame must be the objective of the discussion.

Follow a plan to utilize your time optimally. Spend the initial few minutes of the GD round gathering the pool of ideas and prioritizing them. Then move on to the discussion, and start participating with your opinions. But don’t spend all the time on discussion, be sure to dedicate a few minutes at the end of the discussion to summarize your views and opinions. An example of effective time distribution is the ratio of 3:5:2 for gathering ideas, actual discussion, and then converging/ recapitulating. 

Summing Up

Following these five steps to prepare for group discussions will surely help you with all possible abstract GD topics. It is a good idea to practice a few topics with a group of friends to cement your skills in handling abstract GD topics in a real discussion. It will also help remove anxiety and give you a boost of confidence when you do well in practice. So go ahead and start prepping for the GD rounds.

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