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The main form of human thought. Types of thinking in psychology: classification, examples, characteristics. The concept of thinking. Visual-effective thinking in adults

Types of thinking are common to all people, although each person has a number of specific cognitive abilities. In other words, each person can accept and develop different thought processes.

Content:

Thinking is not innate, but rather develops. Although all personality and cognitive characteristics of people motivate a preference for one or more types of thinking, some people can develop and practice any type of thinking.

Although thought is traditionally interpreted as a concrete and limited activity, this process is not unambiguous. That is, there is no single way to carry out the processes of thinking and reasoning.

In fact, many specific ways of thinking have been identified. For this reason, today the idea is that people can imagine different ways of thinking.

Types of human thinking

It should be noted that each type of human mind more efficient in performing specific tasks. Certain cognitive activities may benefit more than one type of thinking.

Therefore, it is important to know and learn to develop different types of thinking. This fact makes it possible to maximize the use of human cognitive abilities and develop different abilities to solve various problems.

Deductive thinking is the type of thinking that allows you to draw a conclusion, a conclusion from a number of premises. That is, it is a mental process that starts from the "general" in order to reach the "specific".

This type of thinking focuses on the cause and origin of things. It requires a detailed analysis of aspects of the problem in order to be able to draw conclusions and possible solutions.

This is a method of reasoning that is very often used in everyday life. People analyze elements and everyday situations to draw conclusions.

Beyond day-to-day work, deductive reasoning is vital to the development of scientific processes. It is based on deductive reasoning: it analyzes related factors to develop hypotheses and draw a conclusion.


Critical thinking is a mental process based on the analysis, understanding and evaluation of how knowledge is organized, which claims to represent things.

Critical thinking uses knowledge to arrive at an efficient conclusion that is more reasonable and justified.

Therefore, critical thinking evaluates ideas analytically in order to lead them to concrete conclusions. These conclusions are based on the morality, values ​​and personal principles of the individual.

Thus, thanks to this kind of thinking, cognitive ability is combined with. Therefore, it determines not only the way of thinking, but also the way of being.

The adoption of critical thinking directly affects a person's functionality as it makes them more intuitive and analytical, allowing them to make good and wise decisions based on concrete realities.


Inductive thinking defines a way of thinking that is the opposite of deductive. Thus, this way of thinking is characterized by the search for explanations about the general.

Obtaining conclusions on a large scale. It looks for distant situations to make them similar and thus generalizes situations without resorting to analysis.

Therefore, the goal of inductive thinking is to study tests that measure the probability of arguments, as well as the rules for constructing strong inductive arguments.


Analytical thinking is about breaking down, separating and analyzing information. It is characterized by order, that is, it is a sequence of the rational: it goes from the general to the particular.

It always specializes in seeking an answer, therefore in seeking arguments.


Investigative thinking is focused on investigating things. Does it in a thorough, interested and persistent manner.

It consists of a mixture of creativity and analysis. That is, part of the evaluation and study of the elements. But its goal does not end with the examination itself, but requires the formulation of new questions and hypotheses in accordance with the aspects studied.

As its name suggests, this type of thinking is fundamental to research and development and the evolution of species.


Systems or systematic thinking is the type of reasoning that occurs in a system formed by various subsystems or interrelated factors.

It consists of a highly structured type of thinking, the purpose of which is to understand a fuller and less simple view of things.

Try to understand the functioning of things and solve the problems that their properties give rise to. This implies the development of complex thinking, which has so far been applied to three main areas: physics, anthropology and sociopolitics.


Creative thinking includes the cognitive processes that create the ability to create. This fact motivates the development of elements new or different from the rest through thought.

Thus, creative thinking can be defined as the acquisition of knowledge characterized by originality, flexibility, plasticity and fluidity.

Today it is one of the most valuable cognitive strategies because it allows you to formulate, build and solve problems in a new way.

Developing this type of thinking is not easy, so there are certain methods that allow you to achieve this.


Synthetic thinking is characterized by the analysis of the various elements that make up things. Its main purpose is to reduce ideas on a particular topic.

It consists of a type of vital argument for teaching and personal study. The thought of synthesis allows the elements to be more recalled as they undergo a cumulative process.

It is a personal process in which each person forms a significant whole out of the parts that the subject represents. Thus, a person can remember several features of the concept, covering them in a more general and representative concept.


Interrogative thinking is based on questions and asking about important aspects.

Thus, interrogative thinking defines the way of thinking that arises from the use of questions. There is always a reason in this reasoning, because it is this element that allows you to develop your own thinking and receive information.

Through the issues raised, data were obtained that allowed a final conclusion to be drawn. This type of thinking is mainly used to deal with issues in which the most important element is information received through third parties.

Diverse (Divergent) Thinking

Varied thinking, also known as lateral thinking, is a type of reasoning that discusses, doubts, and consistently looks for alternatives.

It is a process of thinking that generates creative ideas through the exploration of multiple solutions. It represents the antithesis of logical thinking and tends to manifest itself spontaneously and smoothly.

As the name suggests, its main purpose is based on divergence from previously established solutions or elements. Thus, it sets up a type of thinking that is closely related to creativity.

It consists of a type of thinking that does not seem natural in people. People tend to associate and associate similar elements with each other. On the other hand, diversified thinking tries to find different solutions for those that are done in the usual way.

convergent thinking

Convergent thinking, on the other hand, is a type of reasoning that is the opposite of different thinking.

In fact, divergent thinking is controlled by neural processes in the right hemisphere of the brain, convergent thinking will be determined by processes in the left hemisphere.

It is characterized by functioning through associations and relationships between elements. It has no ability to imagine, seek or explore alternative thoughts and usually results in a single idea.

intellectual thinking

This type of reasoning, of recent origin and coined by Michael Gelb, makes reference to the combination between divergent and convergent thought.

Thus, intellectual thinking, which includes aspects of the details and evaluators of convergent thinking and links them to alternative and new processes associated with divergent thinking.

The development of this reasoning makes it possible to connect creativity with analysis, postulating as a thought with a high ability to achieve effective solutions in several areas.

Conceptual thinking

Conceptual thinking involves the development of reflection and self-assessment of problems. It is closely related to creative thinking, and its main goal is to find concrete solutions.

However, unlike diverging thinking, this type of reasoning focuses on reviewing pre-existing associations.
Conceptual thinking involves abstraction and reflection, and it is very important in various scientific, academic, everyday and professional fields.

It is also characterized by the development of four basic intellectual operations:

Subordination: consists of associating specific concepts with the broader concepts in which they are included.

Coordination: it consists in linking specific concepts included in broader and more generalized concepts.

Infracoordination: deals with a specific relationship between two concepts and aims to identify specific features of concepts, relationships with others.

Exception: It consists of finding elements that are characterized by being different or not equal to other elements.

Metaphorical thinking

Metaphorical thinking is based on establishing new connections. This is a very creative type of reasoning, but it does not focus on creating or obtaining new elements, but on new relationships between existing elements.

With this type of thinking, one can create stories, develop the imagination, and generate through these elements new connections between well-differentiated aspects that share some aspects.

Traditional thinking

Traditional thinking is characterized by the use of logical processes. It focuses on the solution and focuses on looking for similar real life situations to find elements that might be useful for resolution.

It is usually developed using rigid and pre-designed schemes. This is one of the foundations of vertical thinking, in which logic takes on a one-way role and develops a linear and sequential path.

This is one of the most commonly used types of thinking in everyday life. It is not suitable for creative or original elements, but it is very useful for dealing with everyday situations and is relatively simple.

Thinking- the mental process of modeling the laws of the world around on the basis of axiomatic provisions. However, in psychology there are many other definitions.

For example: the highest stage of human information processing, the process of establishing links between objects or phenomena of the surrounding world; or - the process of reflecting the essential properties of objects, as well as the connections between them, which leads to the emergence of ideas about objective reality. The debate over the definition continues to this day.

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    Positive psychology, Positive thoughts and the Law of extension, How to attract all the best in your life. Hello everyone, my name is Elena and welcome to my channel "Psychology of Happiness", where happiness is the meaning of life. Probably many of you have heard about the "law of attraction", that if you think positively and imagine positively, then you will be able to attract love, happiness, health, money into your life. But how do you become a positive person? How to start thinking positively when we all live in a world where problems happen, difficulties happen, there are people who offend you, who annoy you, who do not understand you, and how can you think positively in this world? What affects it? 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History of study

Ancient philosophers and scientists began to explore thinking, but they did this from the standpoint of not psychology, but other sciences, primarily philosophy and logic. The first of these was Parmenides. In the essay "The Path of Truth" (ancient Greek. Αλήθεια ) he presented the first in the history of European philosophy an abridged presentation of the main provisions of deductive metaphysics. At the same time, he considers the process of thinking from the point of view of logic. From a philosophical point of view, he argues that being is analogous to thought:

Later, 2 other ancient Greek scientists lived and worked: Protagoras and Epicurus, representatives of sensationalism, a philosophical movement that played a significant role in the scientific approach to thinking much later.

The greatest theoretician of the doctrine of thinking at that time was Aristotle. He studied its forms, substantiated and deduced the laws of thinking. However, thinking for him was the activity of the "reasonable soul". In addition, he mainly dealt with questions of formal logic.

Medicine has played an important role in the study of thinking. The first forerunners of the brain theory of thinking were the ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras and his student, Alcmaeon Crotonian - philosopher and physician. The great physician Hippocrates, who accepted their theory, stated:

Active psychological studies of thinking have been carried out since the 17th century, but even then they were essentially dependent on logic. According to the early teaching on thinking, belonging to the 17th century, the ability to think is innate, and thinking itself was considered separately from the psyche. Intellectual abilities were considered contemplation, logical reasoning and reflection. With the advent of associative psychology, thinking was reduced to associations and was seen as an innate ability. In the Renaissance, scientists again returned to the postulate of antiquity that the psyche is a consequence of the work of the brain. However, their reasoning was not backed up by experiment, so they were more abstract. They opposed sensation and perception to thinking, and the discussion was only about which of these two phenomena is more important. Sensualists based on the teachings of the French philosopher E. B. de Condillaca argued: “‘thinking’ means feeling”, and the mind - “complicated sensations”, that is, they gave decisive importance to sensation and perception. Their opponents were rationalists. Their prominent representative was R. Descartes, the forerunner of reflexology. They believed that the sense organs provide approximate information, and we can only know it with the help of the mind. at the same time, they considered thinking an autonomous, rational act, free from direct feeling. According to D. Diderot, sensations:

At the same time, the flowering of the psychological trend - reflexology. Among its prominent figures, one can name I.M. Sechenov, I.P. Pavlov and V. M. Bekhtereva .

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Würzburg school of psychology (O. Külpe and others) put thinking at the center of its interests, the works of whose representatives were based on the phenomenology of E. Husserl and the rejection of associationism. In the experiments of this school, thinking was studied by methods of systematic introspection with the aim of decomposing the process into basic stages.

Contributed to the study of thinking and psychoanalysis, studying unconscious forms of thinking, the dependence of thinking on motives and needs.

One of the newest is the information-cybernetic theory of thinking. Human thinking is modeled from the point of view of cybernetics and artificial intelligence.

Nature and main species

Main characteristics

Physiology

Thinking is a function of the brain. There are several theories of the physiology of thought. Following the works of I. P. Pavlov, thought is a consequence of the reflex connection between man and reality. For its implementation, the work of several brain systems is required.

The first of these is the subcortical region. It is activated by unconditional stimuli of the external or internal world. The second system is the cerebral hemispheres without the frontal lobes (German) Russian and departments of speech. The principle of its operation: stimuli are “connected” to the unconditioned reaction by a temporary (conditional) connection. This - first signal system.

Principle 3 of the system: distraction from the specific qualities of perceived objects and generalization of signals from the first two instances. This - second signal system. At its level, words are perceived and the signals coming here are replaced by speech. Therefore, it includes the frontal lobes and 3 analyzers: speech-motor, speech-auditory and speech-visual. In addition, the second signaling system regulates the first. Its conditional connections can be formed without stimulus and reflect not only the past and present, but also the future.

The physiological basis of thinking is the work of the cortex large hemispheres. It is characterized by processes common to the nervous system, mainly a combination of dominant excitation with surrounding inhibition.

Neurophysiology

Some information was obtained using EEG. So, during mental activity in the frontal leads there is an increase in spatial synchronization. This was first established by M. N. Livanov in his experiments. Infraslow potentials increase and become more frequent during certain types of mental activity, namely, with mental stress, they become shorter than zeta waves. According to temporal characteristics, they show readiness for mental activity. However, the EEG method remains extremely limited in terms of the study of thinking.

Scientists are trying to understand whether the activity of a collection of neurons can characterize a particular thought process. This is probably possible, given that the brain is the material substratum of thought processes. Here we are talking about the so-called "constellations" according to A. A. Ukhtomsky or "patterns". The difficulty lies in recoding neurophysiological information into psychological information. Started studying it in N. P. Bekhtereva .

The process of thinking is often associated with decision making. Choice search studies were conducted using EEG registration of EPs. There was a cross-correlation of EEG potentials between the anterior and posterior parts of the brain, namely: the frontal, parietal and occipital lobes, that is, the coverage of the brain is very wide. The information content of the stimulus influenced the EP parameters. Motivation is important in decision-making - the interaction of perception and associations according to P. S. Simonov. However, due to the fact that in reality the brain does not have sufficient information about all the alternatives, qualitative verbal concepts are used - linguistic variables.

Of the newer methods for the study of thinking, neuroimaging methods are used. So, to recognize thoughts, you can use functional MRI. In the experiment, with an accuracy of 72% -90%, fMRI was able to determine which set of pictures the subject was looking at. Soon, according to the authors of the studies, thanks to this technology it will be possible to establish what exactly the subject sees in front of him. This technology could be used to visualize dreams, early warning of brain diseases, create interfaces for paralyzed people to communicate with the outside world, marketing advertising programs and the fight against terrorism and crime. Also used in experiments PAT.

Classification

  • Visual-effective thinking (A form of thinking that manipulates the subject area. Available in children from birth to one and a half years)
  • Specific-objective thinking (Problems are solved with the help of an existing, real object. Formation at the age of 1.5 to 7 years)
  • Visual-figurative thinking (It is carried out with direct perception of the surrounding reality, images are presented in short-term and operative memory. Dominates from 3 years to primary school age).
  • Abstract-logical thinking (Thinking in abstractions - categories that do not exist in nature. Formed from the age of 7. It is believed that animals do not have abstract thinking.)

Basic forms (criteria) of thinking

Theoretical and experimental approaches to research

Thinking and intelligence

It can be concluded that human behavior and activities are associated with thinking, therefore, under the concept of "mind", we define the process of thinking and its features.

Objective methods with the help of experiment can highlight the components associated with the solution of mental problems, on the basis of which it is considered a separate mental process. Other components involved in the regulation of behavior cannot be singled out independently. And the concept of "intelligence" is associated with an attempt by psychological tests to evaluate mental and creative abilities.

Theories about the origin and presence of thinking in humans are divided into 2 groups. Representatives of the first believe that intellectual abilities are innate and unchanging. One of the most famous theories of the first group is the Gestalt psychology theory of thinking. According to the second group, mental abilities develop in the course of a person's life. Thinking depends either on the external influences of the environment, or on the internal development of the subject, or on the basis of both.

Experimental studies

Now tests examine the thinking of people from 2 to 65 years old. They can be classified into 3 groups.

The first group is achievement tests that show the amount of knowledge required in a certain scientific and practical area (control tests at school). The second is intellectual tests that assess the correspondence of intelligence to biological age. One of them is the Stanford-Binet test. (English) Russian and the Wexler test. The third is criterion-oriented tests that evaluate the ability to solve intellectual problems (the MIOM test and the modification of the intellectual battery of tests by R. Amthauer B.M. Kulagin and M. M. Reshetnikova(test "KR-3-85")).

Tests can be viewed as an experimental model that underlies the conceptual-experimental models of intelligence. One of the most famous of them was proposed by J. P. Gilford. According to his concept, intelligence can be assessed in 3 areas: content, product and character. Guilford's model of intelligence includes 120 different intellectual processes, reduced to 15 factors: five operations, four types of content, six types of products of mental activity.

Basic stages of thinking

Through the use of self-observation data from well-known scientists (such as G. L. F. Helmholtz and A. Poincare), four stages of creative thinking were distinguished: preparation, maturation, insight and verification of truth. Currently, there are many different classifications of the sequence of the act of thinking.

Basic operations of thinking

The main types of mental operations:

  1. specification;

Comparison

Comparison is one of the key operations carried out by a person when cognizing the world around him, himself and other people, as well as in situations of solving various, in particular, cognitive and communicative tasks, depending on the conditions (context) in which it is performed, which cannot be understood outside the unity of the process during which it is carried out, the result to which it leads and the subject who carries it out. It consists in establishing similarities and differences. Operation in progress directly(perceiving objects at the same time) or indirectly(by inference, using indirect signs). In this case, the properties to be compared are important. It is also important to choose common indicators for comparison. It is impossible, for example, when measuring distance, to compare in one case kilometers, and in the other - the time spent on the journey. It is necessary to select an essential feature for comparison. To avoid errors, you need to make a versatile comparison.

The second example of comparison errors is a superficial comparison by analogy, in which, with similarity in one or even a group of features, we believe that all other features also converge. So, seeing the similarity of the structure of impact and volcanic craters V. G. Bukher (English) Russian believed that the cause of their occurrence is the same. However, an analogous comparison may be correct. So, chordates have a distinctive feature - a chord, and scientists can judge from it that, therefore, the principle of the structure of their body is also similar in general terms. It can be concluded that the truth of the conclusion by analogy depends on the interdependence of features. So, the notochord arose from the common ancestors of the chordates and reflects the process of evolution, while the structure of the craters is similar only externally.

Analysis and synthesis

Analysis is a logical method of defining a concept, when it is decomposed according to features into its component parts, in order to make cognition clear in its entirety. Thus, from the parts of the whole, one can mentally create its structure. Together with the parts of the object, we highlight its properties. Analysis is possible not only by perception, but also by memory, that is, by presentation.

Synthesis is a way to assemble a whole from parts or phenomena, as well as their properties, as the antipode of analysis.

In childhood, analysis and synthesis first arise during practical manipulations of objects. And with age, in order to understand the structure of the device, a person assembles and disassembles it. Since this is not always possible, in some cases, objects are first studied separately, and then mental operations are performed on their totality. So, in the study of microbiology, the structure of individual microorganisms is first studied, and only then, in practical activities, the doctor analyzes their totality in the study of water.

Analysis and synthesis is not only practical, but also theoretical. If at the same time they are separated from other mental operations, they become mechanistic. So, the disassembly of a toy by a child, cut off from other processes, is completely useless, at the same time, when assembling it, the parts are not somehow assembled to their simple sum.

Analysis and synthesis are always closely interconnected.

Abstraction and Concretization

Abstraction is a distraction in the process of cognition from non-essential aspects, properties, connections of an object or phenomenon in order to highlight their essential, regular features. The highlighted part or property is treated separately from others. In this case, separate parts or properties are separated from the information. Thus, using the term "table", we represent an abstract table without separate properties that are present in all tables known to us. This is a specific concept.

From specific concepts, you can make the transition to abstract, that is, the signs and properties of objects and phenomena: " sobriety", "wisdom", "brightness". On the one hand, they are completely separate from other properties. On the other hand, they need a sensual support, without it they become formal (see Abstract concept).

When performing the abstraction process, two kinds of errors can be made:

  1. Assimilation of certain concepts, it is difficult to move from specific examples to a different setting.
  2. Abstraction from essential features, as a result of which the representation is distorted.

Concretization is the selection of the particular from the general. At the same time, we present concrete objects in all their diversity. Specification of the concept of "table": "desk", "dining table", "cutting table", "desktop".

Types of abstraction

Induction and deduction

Induction is a process of logical inference based on the transition from a particular position to a general one.

To avoid an error in inductive reasoning, it is necessary to know what the fact or phenomenon we observe depends on and to establish whether this property or quality changes in the isolated cases that we observed.

Deduction is a method of thinking in which a particular position is logically derived from a general one, a conclusion according to the rules of logic; a chain of inferences (reasoning), the links of which (statements) are connected by a relation of logical consequence.

The deduction method is very important in real life. However, in order to avoid errors when using the deductive method, it is important to realize that the observed individual case falls under the general position. Here it is appropriate to recall the experiment of the famous Soviet child psychologist L. I. Bozhovich. She asked the students which harrow loosens the soil deeper - a 60-tooth or a 20-tooth. More often, students did not give the correct answer, although they knew the laws of pressure.

Solving complex problems. Creative thinking

Development

In the process of development of thinking, several stages are distinguished, which differ for different authors. These concepts, despite their differences, have common positions.

Most modern concepts identify the initial stage of thinking with generalization. At the same time, thinking is connected with practice. At the same time, it is based on experience, both personal and based on observation of adults.

In the thinking of children, the following features can be distinguished. First, it is the connection between generalization and action. Secondly, visibility, concreteness and reliance on single facts.

It is necessary to distinguish between responsiveness and distractibility (in children). They have different genes:

  • responsiveness - a consequence of a decrease in the level of activity of the cortex; contributes to the destruction of purposeful activity.
  • distractibility is a consequence of an enhanced orienting reflex, high activity of the cortex. The formation of a large number of temporary connections is the basis for further purposeful activity.
5. Slip

Correctly solving any task and adequately reasoning about any subject, patients suddenly go astray from the correct train of thought due to a false, inadequate association, and then again they are able to continue reasoning consistently, without repeating the mistake, but without correcting it either. It is typical for fairly well-preserved patients with schizophrenia.

Slips are sudden, episodic. In an associative experiment, random associations and associations by consonance often appear (grief-sea).

The process of generalization and abstraction is not disturbed. They can correctly synthesize the material, correctly highlight the essential features. At the same time, for a certain period of time, the correct course of thinking is disturbed in them due to the fact that patients in their judgments begin to be guided by random signs that are insignificant in a given situation.

Operational side

1. Reducing the level of generalization

The judgments of patients are dominated by direct ideas about objects and phenomena; operating with general features is replaced by the establishment of specific relationships between objects. They cannot select the signs that most fully reveal the concept.

2. Distortion of the generalization process

They reflect only the random side of phenomena, the essential relationships between objects are little taken into account; the subject content of things and phenomena is not taken into account.

Violation of the process of generalization is caused by the fact that patients are not guided by culturally accepted relationships between objects. So, in the problem, the fourth patient can unite a table, a bed and a closet, calling them volumes limited by wooden planes.

Motivational component

Diversity of thinking

Diversity of thinking- judgments of patients about any phenomena occur in different planes. Patients do not complete tasks, although they learn the instructions, they retain mental operations

Thanks to the ability to think, people can analyze information, draw conclusions, draw analogies and engage in cognitive activities. Thus, the scope of the surrounding world expands and is not limited only to its material aspects. In this article, I will tell you what types of thinking exist in psychology, give them characteristics using tables, and give examples.

Peculiarities

  • Reflection through generalization. The participants in the thought process are always the general ideas of a person about phenomena, objects and events. People build a causal relationship by summarizing a huge number of facts that they have encountered in the past.
  • Mediation of knowledge. In their thoughts, each individual relies on their own feelings, emotions and experiences.
  • Solving various situations. The search for a way to resolve a particular problem always has approximately one scenario: first, an analysis of what is happening takes place, then the selection of the most suitable options for action. Quests can go through trial and error, in a rational or irrational way.
  • Direct connection with speech. Thinking is directly related to the speech functions of the individual. Any idea, idea, idea is formulated verbally and expressed verbally.

The main characteristics of objects and phenomena, as well as their interrelationships and relationships determine concepts. They are applicable and the more important features served as a foundation for them, the more effective human activity will be.

Judgment is a reflection of the connection between objects in the form of affirmative or negative statements. It is based not only on knowledge about something, but also on subjective assessments based on the relationship to its truth.

An inference is a combination of several considerations, which in the end can be transformed into a logical conclusion. Mental activity is based on deduction, induction and the use of analogies.

What is thinking: the main types and their characteristics

Neural connections play a major role in the origin of thoughts. Neurons exchange various electrochemical impulses, processing information in a certain way.

The knowledge we acquire in the process of life is necessary only as a basis for the flow of mental activity. A person becomes truly smart when he comprehends new information, analyzes and synthesizes it.

The brain works with the received data in two directions:

  • The right hemisphere pays attention to sensory and emotional images. That is, for him, the outside world is a set of sounds, images, sensations, smells, tastes. These are bright and sensual fragments.
  • The left handles abstract characters: numbers, words, texts, formulas.

Visual and effective

By processing information in this way, a person connects not only concepts about objects, but also performs a series of actions with them based on his existing knowledge and experience. For example, children often break toys to find out what's inside them.

Visual-figurative

Mental activity is carried out through specific images. It is based on concepts, actions, sensations and emotions. Example: stylists come up with a new image, and fashion designers design clothes by looking at a certain person.

This type of thinking begins to develop in preschool age. Then the objects and phenomena of the world acquire special properties, often quite non-standard, which is achieved through imagination. It is this type of mental activity that prevails among creative personalities: writers, musicians, artists, designers.

Abstract (verbal-logical)

It is based on existing, logically proven theories. In other words, this can be called the manipulation of existing concepts through their classification, ordering. This way of thinking is characteristic of philosophers and scientists. So, for example, the electron is studied without carrying out practical experiments.

The listed varieties develop in humans sequentially. In the early stages (in infancy), the child begins to explore objects, forming a visual-effective way of thinking. Later, at preschool age, when he already knows how to look at pictures, perceive texts of songs and fairy tales, watch cartoons, there is a foundation for the formation of a visual-figurative way of carrying out mental activity. By the time they arrive at school or have begun serious learning to read, calculate, and write, children work effectively with abstractions.

Other psychological classifications of types of thinking

Below I will describe other options for distinguishing varieties of mental activity.

By the nature of the tasks

Depending on the purpose, a person’s thought can be directed to building theories or obtaining a visual, practical result.

theoretical

It involves the study of laws and regulations, which is carried out on the basis of existing knowledge. A person analyzes an object, revealing the basis on which all manifestations of this object are formed. After that, the characteristics of the studied element are compared and their classification is carried out. As a result of such an analysis of information, generalized ideas about the essence of things and phenomena are formed. Physics, mathematics, psychology and philosophy are based on this.

Practical

In this format of thinking, it is important to apply theory in practice. Based on theoretical thoughts, concrete ways of transforming reality arise. They may take the form of a project or a diagram. A characteristic feature is the lack of sufficient time to test the assumptions, as well as the risk in case of error.

There is no goal here - to create a series of rules and laws. The main task is to move from thought to action as quickly as possible.

According to the degree of reflection

The analytic type is based on logic. It proceeds in stages and stretches over time. Each subsequent step flows from the previous one. Intuitive thought process, on the contrary, passes quickly, sometimes even unconsciously. This is a simple impulse without logically arranged stages.

By subject

The realistic is formed on the basis of an adequate, rational assessment of the surrounding world. An individual resorting to this type seeks to proceed from the existing state of affairs, limiting the influence of his expectations and desires on the way of thinking. The main thing for him is the truth, whatever it may be. As a rule, people of such a mindset are characterized by increased criticality. They require proof for each statement.

Autistic thinking is formed on the basis of a person's internal needs, which may not have anything to do with reality. The main task is to find an illusion that will suit him at the moment. There is no place for logical criticality here: everything that does not correspond to the desired is simply swept aside.

The egocentric type is inherent in unformed personalities, for example, children. For them, their ego is at the center of everything. The surrounding world is perceived exclusively through the prism of the "I-image", and the experiences of other people are not taken into account.

By degree of novelty

Creativity involves the participation of the imagination, which uses everything that was once perceived by the mind, and gives out a completely new, unique image and idea. An individual can look at a situation from different angles.

Reproductive - cognition is entirely based on existing patterns, previously obtained from various sources. However, the task must be correlated with the existing decision rules, which also requires some independence. Aimed at the reproduction of past knowledge and their practical application.

According to the degree of arbitrariness

Arbitrary is born due to the will and consciousness of the individual. It is completely controlled by the mind. Involuntary is carried out without the application of additional efforts. It manifests itself in situations where actions are performed unconsciously or under the influence of external factors.

Operations of thinking

  • Comparison is a comparison of objects or phenomena, the search for similarities and differences in them.
  • Analysis is the identification of specific characteristics and properties in an object.
  • Synthesis is the combination of a number of elements into a whole.
  • Abstraction is a distraction from the general and the selection of one side.
  • Generalization - the ability to group similar features.

Types of mental disorders

The quality of thought is affected by errors in the perception and processing of information. These, for example, include violations of attention, memory, hearing or vision - that is, from the outside world a person receives data that does not correspond to reality. Based on them, he draws incorrect conclusions and conclusions.

Another cause of distorted thinking is psychosis. The brain stops working in basic mode, leading to erratic considerations.

Unconscious comprehension

The subconscious mind stores almost everything that an individual had in the past: experience, attitudes, doubts, feelings, fears, emotions. It does not seek to find a solution, but rather simply does not notice it. This part of the psyche cannot be controlled independently. However, with its help, the most correct decisions are made, and not at all due to logical analysis. It is the unconscious component of the inner "I" that notices certain phenomena, objects, fixes them and analyzes them. This information is hidden in the depths of the mind for a long time, until the task that is relevant to it arises.

What refers to the main types of thinking, depending on personal characteristics

Certain personality characteristics can also influence the way of thinking.

male

As a rule, it is based on logical analysis and aims at creating a plan of concrete actions. It is characterized by purposefulness, rationality and alienation of the mind from sensations. Men tend to move from thinking to acting and achieving a certain result, and emotions only interfere with the process of understanding.

Women's

Most often it has an intuitive basis, which is almost always accompanied by sensory experience. An important role is played by concretization and detailing of information. The course of a woman's thinking can change under the influence of her mood, although many girls are characterized by logic, rationalism, and the ability to plan and analyze. However, the trend shows that their emotionality still has a strong influence on the perception of the world around them: sometimes it helps, and sometimes it interferes with thinking.

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positive

People with this mindset are more likely to see opportunities around them rather than obstacles. Whatever happens, they strive to remain optimistic, while being realistic and constructive in assessing the situation and finding in it what contributes to success.

negative

Accompanied by emotions associated with dissatisfaction with life and pessimism. People of this mindset tend to passively criticize what is happening, express their unpleasant feelings and thoughts, but do not always take responsibility for solving the problem that has arisen.

strategic

It is possessed by individuals who prefer to plan their activities far ahead and are able to set long-term goals. They stick to their plan and see the most effective ways to achieve their plans. As a rule, these are good managers and businessmen.

idealistic

Instead of knowing the world, idealists create a model of it in their heads, which they try to impose on reality. Most often, these pictures do not match, which causes negative emotions and experiences in a person. An individual with such a mindset may not notice the obvious because of this desire for illusions.

Irrational

The irrational does not always manage to see and realize the reasons for his actions. He does not analyze, does not criticize, but simply believes in what he is doing. For him, the most important thing is the effectiveness of actions, and not the logic or objectivity of the assessment.

Rational

Unlike the previous one, rational refers only to facts, knowledge and skills. Feelings, emotions, he pushes into the background, preferring to think soberly, constructively, quickly and logically solving the tasks.

Analytical

A person with this way of thinking relies solely on logic. He is sure that everything has a causal relationship, therefore, to solve the problem, you need to analyze for a long time, study the situation and get to the bottom of the root cause.

synthesizing

It is well developed among those who are able to recreate a complete and understandable picture of reality from separate pieces of information. Such people are not afraid of routine work and prefer stability rather than change. The world around them is perceived with caution. Often, outstanding scientists are obtained from personalities of such a warehouse. They successfully cope with office tasks, are able to competently collect and structure data, as well as correctly present them, resort to drawing up diagrams and tables for clarity.

Conclusion

The way we think depends on personal characteristics and is formed on the basis of innate qualities. All this affects the efficiency of mental operations, the perception of the world, and the solution of various problems. In most cases, the worldview can be corrected (for example, change negative to positive).

Here are some tips to help you learn to think deeply, efficiently, and effectively:

  • Read more books and do it consciously: analyze, systematize what you read.
  • Play educational games, periodically solve puzzles.
  • Learn math.
  • Learn foreign languages.

Try to determine what kind of thinking prevails in the psychology of your consciousness, based on its main types (in form and content), briefly and clearly listed in this article. If it seems to you that this way of assessing the surrounding space is not effective enough and requires some reboot, sign up for my . On it, you will learn how to successfully build communications with reality and receive personal benefit from it.

Fundamentals of thinking

Cognizing and transforming the world, a person reveals stable, regular connections between phenomena. These connections are reflected in our consciousness indirectly - in the external signs of phenomena, a person recognizes signs of internal, stable relationships. Whether we determine, looking out the window, on wet asphalt, whether it was raining, whether we establish the laws of motion of heavenly bodies - in all these cases we reflect the world generally And indirectly- comparing facts, making conclusions, identifying patterns in various groups of phenomena. Man, not seeing elementary particles, knew their properties and, without having visited Mars, learned a lot about him.

Noticing the connections between phenomena, establishing the universal nature of these connections, a person actively masters the world, rationally organizes his interaction with it. Generalized and indirect (sign) orientation in a sensually perceived environment allows the archaeologist and investigator to restore the real course of past events, and the astronomer to look not only into the past, but also into the distant future. Not only in science and professional activity, but also in all everyday life, a person constantly uses knowledge, concepts, general ideas, generalized schemes, reveals the objective meaning and subjective meaning of the phenomena around him, finds a way out of diverse problem situations, solves the problems that arise before him. In all these cases, he carries out mental activity.

- the mental process of a generalized and indirect reflection of stable, regular properties and relations of reality that are essential for resolving cognitive problems.

Thinking forms the structure of individual consciousness, the classification and evaluation standards of the individual, his generalized assessments, his characteristic interpretation of phenomena, ensures their understanding.

To understand something means to include something new in the system of existing meanings and meanings.

In the process of the historical development of mankind, mental acts began to obey a system of logical rules. Many of these rules have acquired an axiomatic character. Formed stable forms of objectification of the results of mental activity: concepts, judgments, conclusions.

As a mental activity, thinking is a process of problem solving. This process has a certain structure - stages and mechanisms for solving cognitive problems.

Each person has his own style and strategy of thinking - cognitive (from Latin cognitio - knowledge) style, cognitive attitudes and categorical structure (semantic, semantic space).

All the higher mental functions of a person were formed in the process of his social and labor practice, in inseparable unity with the emergence and development of language. The semantic categories expressed in the language form the content of human consciousness.

The thinking of the individual is mediated by his speech. Thought is formed through its verbal formulation.

“At the very beginning, the “spirit” is cursed to be “burdened” by matter, which appears ... in the form of language.” However, thinking and language cannot be identified. Language is an instrument of thought. The basis of a language is its grammatical structure. The basis of thinking is the laws of the world, its general interconnections, fixed in concepts.

Classification of the phenomena of thinking

In the diverse phenomena of thinking, there are:

  • mental activity- a system of mental actions, operations aimed at solving a specific problem;
  • : comparison, generalization, abstraction, classification, systematization and concretization;
  • forms of thought: concept, judgment, conclusion;
  • types of thinking: practical-effective, visual-figurative and theoretical-abstract.

mental activity

According to the operational structure, mental activity is divided into algorithmic carried out according to predetermined rules, and heuristic— creative solution of non-standard tasks.

According to the degree of abstraction, empirical And theoretical thinking.

All mental acts are performed on the basis of interaction analysis and synthesis, which act as two interrelated aspects of the thought process (correlating with the analytical-synthetic mechanism of higher nervous activity).

When characterizing individual thinking, qualities of the mind- systematic, consistent, evidence-based, flexible, fast, etc., as well as type of thinking of the individual, his intellectual features.

Mental activity is carried out in the form of mental operations passing into each other: comparison, generalization, abstraction, classification, concretization. mental operations — mental actions, covering reality with three interconnected universal forms of cognition: concept, judgment and inference.

Comparison- a mental operation that reveals the identity and difference of phenomena and their properties, which makes it possible to classify phenomena and generalize them. Comparison is an elementary primary form of knowledge. Initially, identity and difference are established as external relations. But then, when comparison is synthesized with generalization, ever deeper connections and relationships are revealed, essential features of phenomena of the same class.

Comparison underlies the stability of our consciousness, its differentiation (immiscibility of concepts). Based on the comparison, generalizations are made.

Generalization- a property of thinking and at the same time a central mental operation. Generalization can be carried out at two levels. The first, elementary level is the combination of similar objects according to external features (generalization). But true cognitive value is a generalization of the second, higher level, when in a group of objects and phenomena significant common features are identified.

Human thinking moves from fact to generalization, from phenomenon to essence. Thanks to generalizations, a person foresees the future, orients himself in the concrete. Generalization begins to arise already during the formation of representations, but in full form it is embodied in the concept. When mastering concepts, we abstract from the random properties of objects and single out only their essential properties.

Elementary generalizations are made on the basis of comparisons, while the highest form of generalizations is made on the basis of isolating the essential-general, revealing regular connections and relations, i.e., based on abstraction.

Abstraction(lat. abstractio - distraction) - the operation of reflecting individual properties of phenomena that are significant in any respect.

In the process of abstraction, a person, as it were, clears the object of side features that make it difficult to study it in a certain direction. Correct scientific abstractions reflect reality deeper and more fully than direct impressions. On the basis of generalization and abstraction, classification and concretization are carried out.

Classification- grouping objects according to essential features. Unlike classification, which should be based on features that are significant in some respect, systematization sometimes it allows the choice as the basis of signs of little importance, but operationally convenient (for example, in alphabetical catalogs).

At the highest stage of cognition, there is a transition from the abstract to the concrete.

Specification(from lat. concretio - fusion) - the knowledge of an integral object in the totality of its essential relationships, the theoretical reconstruction of an integral object. Concretization is the highest stage in the cognition of the objective world. Cognition starts from the sensual diversity of the concrete, abstracts from its individual aspects and, finally, mentally recreates the concrete in its essential fullness. The transition from the abstract to the concrete is the theoretical assimilation of reality. The sum of concepts gives the concrete in its entirety.

As a result of the application of the laws of formal thinking, people's ability to obtain inferential knowledge has been formed. The science of formalized structures of thoughts arose - formal logic.

Forms of thought

Formalized Thought Structures- forms of thinking: concept, judgment, conclusion.

concept- a form of thinking that reflects the essential properties of a homogeneous group of objects and phenomena. The more essential features of objects are reflected in the concept, the more effectively human activity is organized. Thus, the modern concept of "the structure of the atomic nucleus" to a certain extent made it possible to use atomic energy in practice.

Judgment- a certain knowledge about the subject, the assertion or denial of any of its properties, connections and relations. The formation of a judgment occurs as the formation of a thought in a sentence. A judgment is a sentence that asserts the relationship of an object and its properties. The connection of things is reflected in thinking as a connection of judgments. Depending on the content of the objects reflected in the judgment and their properties, the following types of judgment are distinguished: private And general, conditional And categorical, affirmative And negative.

Judgment expresses not only knowledge about the subject, but also subjective attitude a person to this knowledge, a different degree of confidence in the truth of this knowledge (for example, in problematic judgments like “perhaps the accused Ivanov did not commit a crime”).

The truth of a system of judgments is the subject of formal logic. The psychological aspects of the judgment are the motivation and purposefulness of the judgments of the individual.

Psychologically, the connection of an individual's judgments is considered as his rational activity.

In the inference, the operation is carried out with the general that is contained in the singular. Thinking develops in the process of constant transitions from the individual to the general and from the general to the individual, that is, on the basis of the relationship, respectively, of induction and deduction.

Deduction is a reflection of the general connectedness of phenomena, a categorical coverage of a particular phenomenon by its general connections, an analysis of the concrete in a system of generalized knowledge. J. Bell, professor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh, once struck A. Conan Doyle (the future creator of the image of the famous detective) with subtle powers of observation. When another patient entered the clinic, Bell asked him:

  • Have you served in the army?
  • Yes sir! the patient replied.
  • In the mountain rifle regiment?
  • That's right, doctor.
  • Recently retired?
  • Yes sir!
  • Were you in Barbados?
  • Yes sir! said the retired sergeant.

Bell explained to the surprised students: this man, being courteous, did not take off his hat at the entrance to the office - the army habit affected, as for Barbados - this is evidenced by his disease, which is common only among the inhabitants of this area (Fig. 75).

inductive reasoning- a probabilistic conclusion, when, according to certain signs of some phenomena, a judgment is made about all objects of a given class. Hasty generalization without good reason is a common error in inductive reasoning.

So, in thinking, the objective essential properties and interconnections of phenomena are modeled, they are objectified and fixed in the form of concepts, judgments, conclusions.

Rice. 75. The relationship of the individual and the general in the system of inferences. Determine the starting and ending points of the route of the owner of this suitcase. Analyze the type of reasoning you used

Patterns and features of thinking

Consider the basic patterns of thinking.

1. Thinking arises in connection with the solution of a problem; the condition for its occurrence is problem situations - circumstance. in which a person meets with something new, incomprehensible from the point of view of existing knowledge. This situation is characterized lack of initial information. the emergence of a certain cognitive barrier, difficulties to be overcome with the help of the intellectual activity of the subject - by finding the necessary cognitive strategies.

2. The main mechanism of thinking, its general pattern is analysis through synthesis: the selection of new properties in an object (analysis) by means of its correlation (synthesis) with other objects. In the process of thinking, the object of cognition is constantly “included in ever new connections and, because of this, appears in ever new qualities that are fixed in new concepts: from the object, in this way, as it were, all new content is scooped out, it seems to turn every time with its other side. , all new properties are revealed in it.

The learning process begins with primary synthesis - perception of an undivided whole (phenomenon, situation). Further, based on the primary analysis, secondary synthesis.

At primary analysis problematic situation, it is necessary to focus on key initial data, which allow revealing hidden information in the initial information. The discovery in the initial situation of a key, essential feature makes it possible to understand the dependence of some phenomena on others. At the same time, it is essential to identify signs of possibility - impossibility, as well as necessity.

In conditions of deficiency of initial information, a person does not act by trial and error, but applies a certain search strategy - the best way to achieve the goal. The purpose of these strategies is to to cover a non-standard situation with the most optimal general approaches - heuristic search methods. These include: temporary simplification of the situation; use of analogies; solution of auxiliary tasks; consideration of "extreme cases"; reformulation of the requirements of the problem; temporary blocking of some components in the analyzed system; making "leaps" through information "gaps".

So, analysis through synthesis is a cognitive "deployment" of the object of knowledge, its study from various angles, finding its place in new relationships, mental experimentation with it.

3. Thinking must be reasonable. This requirement is due to the fundamental property of material reality: every fact, every phenomenon is prepared by previous facts and phenomena. Nothing happens without a good reason. The law of sufficient reason requires that in any reasoning, a person's thoughts be internally interconnected, follow one from the other. Each particular thought must be substantiated by a more general thought.

The laws of the material world were fixed in the laws of formal logic, which should also be understood as the laws of thinking, more precisely, as the laws of the interconnection of the products of thinking.

4. Another pattern of thinking - selectivity(from lat. selectio - choice, selection) - the ability of the intellect to quickly select the knowledge necessary for a given situation, mobilize them to solve a problem, bypassing the mechanical enumeration of all possible options (which is typical for computers). To do this, the knowledge of the individual must be systematized, summarized in a hierarchically organized structure.

5. Anticipation(lat. anticipatio - anticipation) means anticipation of developments. A person is able to foresee the development of events, predict their outcome, schematically represent the most likely solution to the problem. Forecasting events is one of the main functions of the human psyche. Human thinking is based on high-probability forecasting.

The key elements of the initial situation are identified, a system of subtasks is outlined, an operational scheme is determined - a system of possible actions on the object of knowledge.

6. reflexivity(from lat. reflexio - reflection) - self-reflection of the subject. The thinking subject constantly reflects - reflects the course of his thinking, evaluates it critically, develops criteria for self-esteem.

7. Thinking is characterized by constant relationship his subconscious and conscious components- deliberately deployed. verbalized and intuitively folded, non-verbalized.

8. The thought process, like any process, has structural organization. It has certain structural stages.