Thinking allows a person. Thinking (psychology)

Thinking largely determines a person’s success in the world, his attitude to life and his ability to solve everyday problems, achieving maximum productivity while expending energy.

Thinking what it is

Thinking is the highest level of human consciousness, allowing a person to navigate the world around him, accumulate experience, and form an idea of objects and phenomena. It is an internal system capable of modeling the patterns of the world around a person, predicting possible developments of events, analyzing what is happening and accumulating unique truths.

Main functions: setting a goal and planning to achieve it, finding a way out of various situations, monitoring what is happening and assessing the degree to which goals have been achieved based on personal motivation. In psychology, there are different types of thinking, both healthy and pathological.

Forms

In psychology, the main forms of thinking are distinguished, including concept, judgment and inference:

The concept forms a person’s idea of surrounding phenomena and objects; this form is inherent only in verbal speech and allows one to combine objects and phenomena according to some characteristics. Concepts are divided into concrete (true meanings of an object or phenomenon “house”, “child”) and relative (depending on the perception of different people, for example, what good and evil are). The content of existing concepts is revealed in speech through judgments.
Judgment - refers to a form that represents a denial or statement about the surrounding world or a certain object. The formation of judgments is possible in two ways: the perception of concepts that are closely interrelated or obtained in the form of an inference.
Inference represents the formation of a new judgment based on two or more existing ones initially. Any conclusion is formed as a chain of well-founded ideas. The ability to make inferences depends on the stage of development of thinking; the higher it is, the easier it is for a person to find a solution to a certain problem.

All inferences are divided into inductive and deductive. In the first case, the judgment moves from a single concept to a general one, and deductive, on the basis of existing general ones, a whole group of phenomena or judgments is generalized into one general one.

Methods of thinking involve different levels, where at each stage certain goals are achieved: collection of information, analysis of available data and inference as a guide to action or inaction.

Processes

The thinking process is a purposeful process of operating with concepts and judgments to obtain a result. The process is preceded by a certain situation (which by default will be the condition of the task), followed by the collection of information and its analysis.

At the end of the chain, a person comes to a conclusion, which involves solving a given problem and finding a way out of the current situation or predicting various options for the development of events.

There are only 4 stages of the process aimed at finding a solution:

Preparation;
finding a solution;
inspiration to achieve it;
checking the results.

The whole process consists of a chain of points flowing from each other.

The process begins with motivation, characterized by the desire to find a solution. This is followed by the collection of information (initial data), their evaluation and conclusion.

Ways of thinking:

analysis- this is a mental “decomposition into shelves”. Analysis represents the decomposition of a problem into its components and the isolation of its fundamentals;
synthesis is the process of combining parts into a single whole according to certain characteristics. The relationship of each component to the whole is mentally established. Synthesis is the opposite of analysis and is represented by the generalization of existing details into a single whole;
comparison- this is the process of identifying the similarities between objects and phenomena and their differences;
classification presents a breakdown point by point, forming certain classes and subclasses;
generalization- this is the identification of commonality among various objects or phenomena and the identification of what is identified into one group. A generalization can be simple (based on one sign or property) or complex based on different components;
specification allows you to determine the essence of a phenomenon or object;
abstraction- this is the opposite of concretization, when an abstract image is created during the process. The development of abstract perception is influenced by exercises that require a creative approach.

Methods for developing thinking are known to psychologists, neurologists and teachers. Techniques include problem solving, games, learning to look from different angles, training imaginative and intuitive thinking through creativity. In development, it is important to take into account individual characteristics of thinking.

A person with a pronounced tendency towards fantasy should pay more attention to the development of a creative and extraordinary approach in the process of processing information. On the contrary, if you have accuracy and consistency, you should pay more attention in this direction.

Violations (disorders)

Thought disorders are disorders of mental activity. Violation is divided into quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative forms of the disorder are characterized by speech impairment, delayed neuropsychological development, or mental retardation.

Forms of quantitative disorder:

mental retardation (MDD) diagnosed in children 2-3 years old. Treatment is prescribed by a neurologist.
Oligophrenia(mental retardation is characterized by impaired development of a child from an early age). A child with oligophrenia is observed by a neurologist and psychotherapist. The goal of treatment will be socialization and learning self-care.
Dementia represented by a violation of mental processes that manifest themselves in adulthood or adolescence. Observation by a psychotherapist.

The speed of thinking depends on the predominance of processes in the cerebral cortex. This may be excessive excitement or, on the contrary, inhibition of mental activity:

fragmentation characterized by a rapid change of thought, in which speech becomes absurd, logic and consistency of judgments are completely absent. Speech consists of fragments of phrases quickly replacing each other. The grammar of speech is usually preserved. This disorder is inherent in schizophrenia.
manic syndrome characterized by accelerated speech and a simultaneous increase in psycho-emotional background. Speech is accelerated, the patient can speak “excitedly”, especially pronounced in certain topics.
Slowing down mental processes inherent in depressive syndrome. Distinctive features: absence of thoughts in the head, slow speech taking into account the slightest details that are not related to the essence of the issue, predominance of a depressed mood.
thoroughness is expressed in excessive “drowning” in details. The patient has difficulty switching from one question to another, and rigidity of thinking is observed. Circumstances are inherent in diseases of the nervous system (Epilepsy).
Reasoning is revealed during long-term communication and is expressed by a tendency to teach. When a person does not answer the question posed, but talks about things that have nothing to do with him and strives to teach life to everyone with whom he begins to communicate.
Autistic develops in withdrawn people. A distinctive feature of this disorder will be isolation from the world, poor orientation in society and immersion in internal experiences, which often do not correspond to the real state of affairs.
obsessive syndrome characterized by obsession with ideas or thoughts that the patient cannot get rid of, although he understands the absurdity. Obsessive thoughts depress a person, cause negative emotions, make them suffer, but the patient cannot cope with them. They arise against the background of persistent excitation of a part of the nervous system.
Phobias (unreasonable fear). Various phobias arise against the background of overexertion and performing a difficult task for an adult or child. In childhood, fear of punishment gives rise to various phobias.
Super valuable ideas occur in adolescence. The predominance of a brightly colored emotional background indicates the development of this syndrome. This disturbance of consciousness does not cause suffering to the patient.
delusional thinking(often accompanied by hallucinosis) is characterized by the emergence of persistent thoughts and ideas that cannot be convinced. Inference is based on a logical conclusion made on the basis of some data. This could be fear of persecution, unreasonable jealousy, self-flagellation. Delusional thinking can be dangerous for others and the patient with a pronounced syndrome. Treatment by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist is required.

Pathology of thinking often provokes disturbances in the emotional background (depression, euphoria, apathy). Any disturbance in the thought process should be observed by a specialist. If necessary, psychocorrection or drug therapy is carried out. Ignoring the pathology of thinking can lead to persistent mental pathology and cause serious problems for societies or the patient.

Diagnosis of thinking involves determining the type of excitation of brain activity and the characteristics of thought processes. The ability to solve current problems is also taken into account. The development of speech and thinking is closely related and begins at an early age.

When speech development is delayed, mental activity is also impaired. It is important to notice the deviation in time and begin training thinking, using available methods of developing thinking (game, action, training).

Development (exercises for training)

The development of thinking begins at an early age. At birth, the baby does not have the ability to think, but by the age of one year the beginning of thought processes is formed. To develop thinking, knowledge, experience, and memory are necessary. In the process of development, the child accumulates the necessary components through knowledge of the world around him and the simplest thinking begins to manifest itself.

The speed and quality of the formation of thought processes depends on how much attention parents pay to this issue. It is necessary to constantly work with the child to quickly develop and consolidate thinking skills.

The ability to form thoughts encourages self-learning and knowledge. The development of thinking occurs continuously from birth until complete extinction in the process of communication. Activities and learning new things in everyday life are shaped by a person’s subconscious. At each life stage it has its own characteristics:

For young children, thinking is visual and effective. All processes aimed at performing the simplest tasks (taking a toy, opening a box, bringing something or getting something). The child thinks, acts, develops. This continuous process is learned in everyday life both through play and through the need to achieve certain actions.
When mastering speech, the child learns to generalize and gradually his thought process goes beyond the visual and effective. Thinking and speech are in close connection; human speech contributes to the development of abstract thinking, the ability to generalize objects and phenomena, and to identify the essence based on acquired knowledge. Speech in adults is the main way of transferring experience and skills, which greatly facilitates learning.
The expansion of speech allows one to express oneself in words; the child moves more towards figurative and abstract thinking. At this stage, fantasy is formed. Creative abilities develop.
Schoolchildren learn to operate with knowledge acquired verbally (general education subjects). There is no practical confirmation by experience. This stage teaches you to draw conclusions based on logical connections and accumulated knowledge about objects and phenomena. Various school curriculum methods increase the efficiency and speed of operating with concepts and reaching conclusions in a short time in the presence of insufficient knowledge about a subject or phenomenon.
Higher grades promote the formation of abstract thinking. Studying and analyzing fiction provokes the development of thinking and imagination.

The older the child gets, the more thinking methods are involved in the daily process. The main means of developing children's thinking is education, including the formation of speech, the study of objects and phenomena through verbal transmission of data and the formation of abstract thinking and imagination based on fiction, creativity (drawing, knitting, embroidery, wood carving).

The stages of development of thinking directly depend on what was learned earlier and the level of intelligence. Usually appropriate for age categories.

In the accumulation of a conceptual base, several levels are distinguished: the higher the level of development, the easier it is for a person to generalize or analyze phenomena (or objects), the easier it is to find a solution to the question:

First level characterized by the ability to generalize simple concepts accumulated by personal experience or learned when presented in verbal form.
Second phase marked by an expansion of conceptual thinking.
Third level characterized by the ability to give clearer concepts of conditions, identify specific signs and support what is said with specific examples from life that are suitable for the meaning and conditions of the task.
Fourth level- this is the highest level of conceptual thinking, in which an individual has complete knowledge about an object or phenomenon and easily determines its position in the world around him, indicating the relationships and differences.

Important! The higher the level of knowledge of concepts, the clearer the judgment becomes and the easier the conclusion is reached.

Types of thinking

Thinking represents the highest form of human cognitive activity. Thanks to processes occurring at the subconscious and conscious levels, a person forms concepts about the world around him and phenomena. Finds solutions to problems posed by life.

All processes of mental activity are divided depending on goals and variations in worldview. Ways of thinking are different and allow you to find a way out of any situation with different approaches to solving the problem. The main types of human thinking:

Critical thinking

It is used to evaluate the solutions found in the thinking process regarding the possibility of their application in practice. Critical thinking allows you to choose the most correct solution path and evaluate the reality of its implementation.

Positive thinking

Represented by the acceptance of good fortune and goodness. A person with a positive type of thinking perceives everything in rosy tones, always maintains faith in the best outcome and the ability to find a way out of any situation.

Abstract thinking

Allows you to renounce the details and look at the situation or problem as a whole. It needs to be developed from an early age. Pronounced abstraction is characterized by quick thinking and a non-standard approach.

A special feature of the ability to abstract is the ability to quickly find the essence in an unfamiliar situation, collecting all the information in a short time. This allows you to find a solution in any situation.

Logical thinking

This is the processing of available information with an emphasis on cause and effect. In logical thinking, a person uses existing knowledge by processing it in a certain sequence.

The result of such thinking will be finding the most correct solution for a specific problem. It allows you to draw conclusions, decide on further tactics and find a solution in a situation that requires quick action.

When there is no time and opportunity to comprehensively study a subject and develop detailed tactics for solving a problem, logical thinking allows you to quickly outline a path to resolution and begin action immediately.

Clip thinking

This is a feature of perception based on the formation of judgments based on short, vivid images taken out of context. People with clip thinking are able to form judgments based on short news clips or news excerpts.

It is characteristic of the modern generation of young people and allows you to quickly find information of interest without delving into the features and details. It is characterized by surface and little information content. The disadvantage of this type will be a decrease in concentration and an inability to comprehensively study the task at hand.

Creative thinking

Allows you to find solutions that are not recognized by society. Deviation from templates and an extraordinary approach are its main features. Thanks to a decision that is different from the expected one, people with creative thinking are at the advantage under equal conditions with people with thinking patterns.

It allows people of the creative profession to create something new and unique, and businessmen to find solutions to seemingly insoluble problems. People with creative thinking often have behavioral deviations in comparison with the general principle.

Visual-figurative thinking

Allows you to quickly get results thanks to instant processing of information based on visual images. The figurative solution is formed mentally and is accessible to people who are able to create visual pictures quite fully.

This type of thinking is not based on practical facts. Trained from childhood by memorizing an object followed by the most complete reconstruction of its description. Visual-figurative thinking and imagination are closely connected and are easily trained in childhood through play and creative activities.

Systems thinking

Allows you to determine connections between disconnected objects and phenomena. All elements are in mutual connection with each other. The ability to recognize and recreate them allows you to project the result at the beginning.

Thanks to a systematic approach, it is possible to identify different directions of development of events and choose the most appropriate one or identify a mistake in actions and find a solution.

A person with systems thinking is able to simplify the solution of a problem, study reality from different points of view and change his beliefs in the process of life.

All this allows you to adapt to a constantly changing environment and get out of any situation with the least losses.

Spatial thinking

Orientation in space is possible thanks to the development of spatial thinking. This is the ability to navigate in place and perceive the environment as a whole, recreating in memory the location of objects relative to each other and the person himself, regardless of the point at which he is located. It begins to form at the age of 2-3 years and can develop throughout life.

Strategic Thinking

This is the ability of an individual to predict in advance the result of activity in a certain direction (action), not only personal, but also of the opponent. Developed strategic thinking allows you to calculate the enemy’s moves and act proactively, achieving. thereby. high results.

Analytical thinking

This is the ability to obtain the maximum information from the minimum available material by analyzing each component of the data provided. Through logical reasoning, a person predicts different options when considering an issue from several points of view, which allows one to find the most optimal solution.

People with analytical thinking say that they will first think everything through and then do it. The proverb “try on seven times, cut once” is a guide for people with an analytical mind.

Creative thinking

Characterized by the ability to create subjectively new things based on what already exists. In addition to obtaining a phenomenon or object that is different from the original one, creative thinking allows you to collect information in ways that go beyond templates, which allows you to obtain a solution to the problem quickly and efficiently. It belongs to the productive group and develops easily in childhood.

Lateral thinking

Allows you to solve a problem qualitatively by examining an object or phenomena from different sides and from different angles. Lateral thinking uses not only accumulated experience and knowledge, but also intuitive abilities, which sometimes run counter to scientific ideas.

Based on experience and one’s own feelings, a person can not only find a way out of a situation, but also enjoy solving even complex problems. As a rule, people who use lateral thinking choose a creative approach and an extraordinary type of problem solving, which allows them to achieve the best results.

Associative thinking

This is the ability of the brain to create a variety of vivid images associated with an object or phenomenon, which allows you to study the conditions of the problem not only on a conceptual level, but also connect the emotional and sensory background, form your own attitude to the problem and fill it with various colors.

With developed associative thinking, a person is able to connect various situations that have nothing in common with a specific subject. For example, people can associate certain events in their personal or social life with a particular tune or movie.

Thanks to this, a person is able to find non-standard solutions to a problem and create something qualitatively new based on what already exists.

Divergent and convergent thinking

Divergent is characterized by an individual’s ability to find many solutions given the same initial data. The opposite is convergent - focusing on one option for the development of an event with a complete rejection of the possibility of other options for solving the problem.

The development of divergent thinking allows you to select many options for solving a problem that go beyond the generally accepted ones, and choose the most optimal path of action that can quickly lead to the desired result with the least expenditure of energy and money.

Out of the box thinking

Allows you to find an unusual solution to a problem in any situation. The main value of this type of thinking lies in the ability to find a way out of a “no-win situation” when standard methods do not work.

Sanogenic and pathogenic thinking

Sanogenic (healthy) is aimed at improving health, while pathogenic, on the contrary, leads to disease due to its destructive influence. The pathogenic type is determined by a person’s tendency to replay a negative situation many times over time, which leads to the emergence of negative emotions (anger, resentment, rage, hopelessness). Persons with a pathogenic type tend to blame themselves for what happened and constantly suffer, replaying a bad situation.

Holders of a sanogenic worldview are able to abstract from negativity and create a comfortable emotional background; they do not depend on stressful situations.

Rational and irrational thinking

Represented by two opposites. The first type is based on strict adherence to logic and has a clear structure, which allows you to find a solution to most life situations.

The second type is characterized by fragmentary judgments in the absence of a clear thought process.

People with irrational thinking jump from one thing to another, allowing their thoughts to move chaotically. A rationally thinking person always thinks everything over carefully and chooses the most logically verified way to solve a problem. Irrationalists, on the other hand, rely on feelings and emotions.

Conceptual thinking

It is formed in school-age children and consists in the formation of certain truths that do not require proof. Conceptual thinking excludes the possibility of considering an object or phenomenon from different angles due to the formation of a certain cliché. It excludes dissent and creativity in solving the problem.

scientific thinking

Represents the desire to understand the essence of an object or the root cause of a phenomenon. It is characterized by consistency, requires the collection of evidence and is objective in nature. Its advantage is the ability to study the processes of the surrounding world and use the results obtained for the benefit of society or oneself.

stereotypical thinking

Represented by the tendency to evaluate events and phenomena according to generally accepted standards without involving logic or creativity. It allows one to socialize, but it kills a person’s individuality and makes him not only predictable, but also easily suggestible.

The development of thinking and imagination is the main method of combating stereotyping and developing the ability to independently solve problems and find a way out of situations. Reduces the efficiency of the process due to the inability to act in situations not described in the instructions.

Cognitive thinking

It is characterized by a high level of development of all types of mental processes, which allows you to collect and analyze information, evaluate everything from a different angle, apply a logical approach and at the same time act intuitively and based on emotions.

This type of thinking allows you to solve many problems using the most effective method while taking into account all factors of the situation (or phenomenon) in accordance with dependent and independent developments of events.

The ability to think is one of the main tools that allows us to understand the world and determine our outlook on life. With its help, a person receives information about reality and phenomena in it, in which he cannot directly participate, and also solves everyday problems, trying to achieve maximum efficiency. In this article I will tell you what thinking is, how it relates to psychology, I will give a definition and identify the types.

A little about the concept

This is the highest level of human consciousness, facilitating orientation in the environment, accumulation of experience, and the formation of a general understanding of objects and realities. With its help, a person can analyze situations and predict further developments of events, create a model of the patterns of reality.

Many sciences deal with this topic:

Logic focuses on correct, or as it is also called, true thinking.
Psychology, in contrast to the logical spheres, also takes into account disrupted forms, and is also interested in the concept as the basis for obtaining results in a certain activity.
Philosophy considers it as consciousness or psyche and tries to connect it with existence.
Cybernetics is set up to create artificial intelligence.
Neurophysiology is trying to understand the essence of the mechanism.

You can think differently. For example, a mathematician is determined to solve difficult equations, and a writer builds the plot of a future book in his mind. There are times when we don’t think at all. When we brush our teeth or open the door. Since these manipulations have been carried out millions of times, the memory produces the desired algorithm. Therefore, the process only works when new problems arise.

Functions

The phenomenon implies the ability to:

understand and analyze the conditions of situations;
build a chain of actions leading to problem resolution;
set a goal and build a relationship between known and missing information;
to analyze one’s own type of thinking and activity, which allows the individual to take control of his behavior.

Forms

The structure includes:

Concept. This is a person’s idea of the objects and realities that surround him. With its help, you can combine things based on common characteristics. The model is divided into specific and relative. The first means true objects - an apartment, a chair. And the latter do not have a constant value and depend on individual perception (happiness and love are explained differently by everyone). It is worth noting that the content of all definitions is revealed through verbal speech.
Judgment. These are negative or affirmative statements about reality and its parts. It is obtained in two ways: visual, auditory, olfactory perception or using a third form.
Conclusion. This is the creation of a new opinion based on existing ones. It is formed as a chain of ideas, and a person’s ability to build it depends on the development of thinking. They are divided into inductive (from particular to general) and deductive (a whole group of phenomena is combined into one generalized one).

Processes

This is the purposeful use of concepts and judgments in order to obtain a specific result. Before the procedure, a certain situation occurs (it becomes the condition of the task), and then data is collected and analyzed.

At the final stage of the chain, the person comes to a conclusion, which involves solving problems, searching for a way out of circumstances and forecasting the further development of what is happening.

The chain includes several points:

cooking;
finding a way to resolve the issue;
achievement;
review of results.

The phenomenon begins with the emergence of a desire to resolve this or that difficulty. Then you should collect the initial information, evaluate it and draw a conclusion.

Known Thinking Techniques:

analysis – the task is divided into components, its “foundation” is revealed;
synthesis - all parts are combined on the basis of generalized characteristics, and then a connection is established between each of them and the whole. This method is the opposite of the first;
comparison - similarities and differences between objects and realities are revealed;
generalization is the disclosure of what is common among different objects and the unification of what is identified into a separate class;
classification - division into groups and subgroups;
concretization - a reflection of the essence of the phenomenon;
abstraction - the creation of an abstract image.

There are quite a few ways to develop thinking. But it is also necessary to take into account personal characteristics. So, for example, if a person has a well-developed imagination, then he needs to pay attention to a creative approach to finding solutions. If you have a penchant for consistency and accuracy, this is the side you should improve.

Disorders

These are disorders of the thought process, divided into two types. Quantitative ones are associated with malfunctions of the speech apparatus, intellectual retardation and inhibition of neuropsychological improvement.

There is also a high-quality type that has several forms:

Mental retardation is observed at an early age of 2 or 3 years.
Dementia is associated with disorders of mental mechanisms in adults and adolescents.
Oligophrenia is also diagnosed in children and is a delay in mental progress.

All this is connected with the speed of thinking, which depends on the functioning of the brain. Disorders arise due to significant excitement or slowdown in mental activity:

Discontinuity – thoughts change rather quickly, which makes a person’s speech close to absurdity: there is no logical chain and sequence of reasoning. The conversation is fragments of sentences and phrases, but the grammar is preserved. Occurs in schizophrenia.
Thoroughness. Excessive immersion in details: the individual finds it difficult to switch from one topic to another. Inherent in epilepsy.
Autistic in most cases is observed in closed people. Signs of the disorder: poor adaptation and orientation in society, isolation from reality, complete immersion in one’s own inner world and experiences.
Delusional thinking. In this situation, thoughts appear that cannot be convinced. This could be suspiciousness, groundless suspicions of treason, fear of surveillance.
Obsessive syndrome. A characteristic feature is the emergence of obsessions. The patient is unable to get rid of them even though he mentally understands all their absurdity. Such thoughts are depressing, destructive and cause suffering and negativity.

Note that such pathologies seriously affect the emotional background. They provoke depression, apathy, or, conversely, euphoria. In the event of violations, be sure to contact a specialist. Depending on the circumstances, he will prescribe medication or psychotherapy courses.

Development of thinking

Improving thinking skills begins in early childhood. A newborn does not yet know how to think, but already a year after birth the rudiments of the process appear.

In order for a skill to progress, it is necessary to accumulate experience, knowledge, and also require memory. As the child grows up, he accumulates all these components through knowledge of the world around him, and the simplest thoughts begin to appear.

The degree depends on how well the parents took care of raising their children. After all, you need to regularly work with your baby to develop and consolidate these skills.

Each stage of a person’s life has its own characteristics in this regard:

For young children, the visual-effective variety predominates. All his actions are aimed at achieving the simplest goals: picking up a car or a doll, taking candy from the shelf. The cognitive process takes place in the form of a game.
When a child has already learned to speak, his thinking reaches a new level. Speech and thoughts are now closely interconnected. Through it, adults convey information, and learning becomes much easier.
The development of language skills means that children can now use words. During this period, imagination gains momentum and creative qualities emerge.
At school, teachers teach how to use the acquired knowledge. Through logic and experience, students understand how to make inferences, and various school subjects and programs allow them to make inferences at a higher speed.
High school students gain the ability to think abstractly. This is facilitated by the study of fiction, which develops imagination.

As a child grows up, he uses more ways of thinking. And the main means for their improvement is training.

Varieties

Human thinking is the highest degree of his cognitive activity. Processes occur not only at the conscious, but also at the subconscious levels. Thanks to them, we learn about the world around us, we can explain current events and phenomena and solve pressing problems more productively.

Developing these skills helps an individual become successful. But to do this, you need to determine your type and build on it. On mine, I am ready to help you on the path of self-development and make your own life much better. And as an overview, I will give brief definitions of the main types.

Critical

It helps a person choose the most correct solution to a problem and evaluate the possibility of its implementation.

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positive

In this case, components such as luck and kindness are taken into account. A person sees everything in a rosy light, does not renounce faith in the best and believes that there is always a way out of any situation.

Abstract

Allows you to see the picture as a whole, discarding all the details, and should be developed from an early age. A pronounced ability is indicated by a tremendous speed of thinking and a unique approach to achieving goals.

A special feature of such people is to quickly navigate under any circumstances, even if they are unfamiliar. In a short period of time, data is collected and analyzed, and based on it, inferences can be mediated.

Logical thinking in psychology - briefly about it

The emphasis is on cause and effect. Thanks to this variety, you can apply existing information by processing it in a certain sequence.

The result will be finding the most correct path. Logic helps to quickly draw conclusions, determine the next strategy, and solve the problem in an accelerated manner.

Clip

Perception occurs based on the most noticeable images taken out of context. The reasoning is formed from short news or excerpts. All this allows you to grab the necessary data without going into details. The downside is the lack of ability to study the issue from different angles.

Creative

The main quality is a non-standard approach, different from the expected solutions. Such people will always have an advantage over those who think in stereotyped ways. In creativity, this helps to realize unique ideas, and in business, it helps to solve problems that seem insoluble.

Visual-figurative

It is based on the use of visual images and provides the ability to process information almost instantly. Develops mainly in children. To do this, you need to show them the item to remember, and then ask for a detailed description.

Systemic

Allows for the determination of relationships between different objects and realities. The ability to see these connections allows you to predict the outcome at the very beginning of actions, anticipate different ways of developing the situation, identify mistakes made and correct them.

Spatial

Thanks to it, a person can navigate in space, perceive the area as a single whole, remember the location of all objects among themselves and relative to the point where he is.

Strategic

An individual is capable of predicting not only his own results, but also his opponent’s. He calculates all the enemy’s actions and acts proactively. Thus, you always remain a winner.

Analytical

Before taking action, a person thinks everything through quite well. The ability to “squeeze” maximum data out of a minimum of material allows you to consider the situation from all angles and find the most suitable solution.

Creative

This is the ability to create something new, from a subjective point of view, based on what is already known. In addition, this type makes it possible to find solutions beyond the usual.

Lateral

When achieving goals, such a person relies not only on accumulated knowledge, but also on intuition and feelings. He studies the object from different angles, uses a non-standard approach and ultimately gets good results.

Associative

This is the ability to form vivid images associated with a subject, which contributes to analysis on an emotional and sensory level, in addition to the conceptual one. With a well-developed psychological process, an individual is able to mentally connect events that have nothing in common with a specific phenomenon. For example, real-life situations with a movie or book.

Divergent and convergent

Thanks to the first concept, you can find a lot of outputs based only on the source material. The second is exactly the opposite - attention is focused on only one version, and the rest are completely rejected.

Non-standard

It helps to find an unusual and unique solution under any circumstances. The main advantage is to solve a problem that seems hopeless.

Sanogenic and pathogenic

People with the first type of thinking establish a certain barrier from negativity, create a comfortable emotional state for themselves and are not dependent on stressful situations. The second variety is presented as destructive. Such a person can replay negative events that have long passed in his head a hundred times, and at the same time create negative emotions: anger, rage.

Rational and irrational

More opposites. The basis of rationality is strict adherence to logic and a specific structure, which allows one to get out of most circumstances.

And irrationality is characterized by fragments of judgment and the inability to build a clear thought process. Such individuals often move from one topic to another, and their thoughts move in a chaotic order.

Conceptual

It is characteristic of schoolchildren and manifests itself in the creation of certain truths that do not require evidence. In this case, the possibility of viewing the object from different sides is excluded, since a certain template has already been formed.

Scientific

A person strives to find out the root cause of realities, to get to the bottom of things. Characteristic features: consistency, collection of evidence, objectivity. The advantage is the ability to analyze the environment and, based on the knowledge gained, benefit people or oneself.

stereotypical

Events are perceived and evaluated according to established standards, and logic or creativity is not applied. This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the individual has the opportunity to socialize, but on the other hand, he loses his individuality and becomes part of the mass. The main weapon against this trend is the development of fantasy.

Cognitive

Includes the highest degree of progress of all mental mechanisms, which ensures the ability to find the optimal solution through the collection and analysis of information, assessment from different angles, as well as intuitive, emotional and logical actions.

Conclusion

In this article, I tried to clearly and concisely explain what thinking is. It is possible and necessary to improve this process throughout life. And the main thing is not to stop, be curious and not take the unconscious as a priority.

1. Introduction.

1.1 Chapter 1: Thinking as a concept in psychology

1.2 Types of thinking

1.3 Basic mental operations

1.4 Forms of thought

2.1 Chapter 2: Solving mental problems. Intelligence

2.2 Personality and its interests

2.3 Solving mental problems

2.4 Individual qualities of thinking

2.5 Intelligence

3. Conclusion

1. Introduction

Thinking- a psychological and cognitive process of reflection in the human mind of complex connections and relationships between objects and phenomena of the surrounding world. The task of thinking is to reveal the relationships between objects, to identify connections and separate them from random coincidences. Thinking operates with concepts and assumes the functions of generalization and planning. The concept of thinking is the highest cognitive process, which significantly distinguishes it from other processes that help a person navigate in the environment; since in this concept the totality of all cognitive processes can be traced. Thinking is a process, moreover, a complex one, proceeding in the human mind and possibly without the manifestation of visible actions.

The difference between thinking and other mental processes of cognition lies in the fact that it is always associated with an active change in the conditions in which a person finds himself. Thinking is always directed towards solving a problem. In the process of thinking, a purposeful and expedient transformation of reality is carried out. The process of thinking is continuous and proceeds throughout life, transforming along the way, due to the influence of such factors as age, social status, and the stability of the environment. The peculiarity of thinking is its mediated character. What a person cannot know directly, directly, he knows indirectly, indirectly: some properties through others, the unknown - through the known. Thinking is distinguished by types, ongoing processes and operations. The concept of intelligence is inextricably linked with the concept of thinking. Intelligence is the general ability to learn and solve problems without trial and error i.e. "in the mind". Intelligence is considered as the level of mental development achieved by a certain age, which manifests itself in the stability of cognitive functions, as well as in the degree of assimilation of skills and knowledge (according to the words of Zinchenko, Meshcheryakov). Intelligence as an integral part of thinking, its integral part and in its own way a generalizing concept.

Chapter 1.

1.1 Thinking as a concept in psychology

In the process of sensation and perception, a person cognizes the world around him as a result of its direct, sensual reflection, it is this concept that is interpreted as thinking. Thinking- the process of reflection in the human mind of reality through the synthesis and analysis of all cognitive processes. In practice, thinking as a separate mental process does not exist, it is present in all cognitive processes: in perception, attention, imagination, memory, speech. Thinking is a single mental cognitive process, but it is realized with the help of a number of subprocesses, each of which is an independent and, at the same time, integrated process with other cognitive forms. The higher forms of these processes are necessarily associated with thinking, and the degree of its participation determines the level of their development. No regularity can be perceived directly by the senses. Any conscious human activity can serve as an example; looking out the window, we can determine by the wet roof or puddles that it was raining; standing at a traffic light, we expect a green light, as we realize that it is this signal that serves as an incentive to action. In both cases, we perform a thought process, i.e. we reflect the essential links between phenomena by comparing the facts. For cognition, it is not enough just to notice the connection between phenomena, it is necessary to establish that this connection is a common property of things. On this generalized basis, a person solves specific problems. Thinking provides an answer to questions that cannot be obtained by the simplest sensory reflection. Thanks to thinking, a person correctly orients himself in the world around him, using previously obtained generalizations in a new, specific environment. Human activity is reasonable due to the knowledge of the laws, the interconnections of objective reality. The main task with which the thought process begins is the formulation of the problem and the determination of ways to solve it. In order to solve the problem as a result of the thought process, it is necessary to come to a more adequate knowledge. To such an increasingly adequate cognition of its subject and the solution of the problem facing it, thinking proceeds through diverse operations that make up various interrelated and one-to-one passing aspects of the thought process.

The establishment of universal relationships, the generalization of the properties of a homogeneous group of phenomena, the understanding of the essence of a particular phenomenon as a variety of a certain class of phenomena - such is the essence of human thinking. The definition of thinking most often includes the following features:

1. A mental process that provides the orientation of the subject in intersubject connections and relations, by influencing objects on each other, by using tools and measuring instruments, by including signs and symbols in the organization of thinking.

2. A process that initially arises on the basis of practical actions and directly sensory knowledge.

3. A process that, as it develops, goes beyond practical actions.

4. The process, the result of which is a generalized reflection of reality based on intersubject connections and relationships.

5. A process that always proceeds based on existing knowledge.

6. It comes from living contemplation, but is not reduced to it.

7. The process is associated with the practical activity of a person.

All of the above points are directly related and are more clearly interpreted when considering such structural units as types of thinking.

1.2 Types of thinking

1. Theoretical - knowledge of laws and rules. Using this type of thinking, a person in the process of solving a problem refers to concepts, ready-made knowledge obtained by other people, as a rule, without having experience in solving this problem.

2. Practical - development of means to a solution, setting a goal, creating a plan, a sequence of actions. The material that a person uses in practical thinking is not concepts, judgments and conclusions, but images. They are retrieved from memory or creatively recreated by the imagination. In the course of solving mental problems, the corresponding images are mentally transformed so that a person, as a result of manipulating them, can directly see the solution of the problem of interest to him.

3. Visual-effective - the main task of this type is the perception of objects and their transformation in reality, the correct actions with these objects aimed at solving the problem. The result is the creation of some material product. When objects influence each other in the course of manipulative activity, a person relies on a number of universal operations: practical analysis of objects and phenomena (knowledge and use of the physical qualities of objects); practical synthesis (when transferring skills). Such thinking is limited by individual sensory-motor experience and the scope of the situations in which it is formed and flows.

4. Visual-figurative - during the course of this type of thinking, a person is attached to reality, uses specific images to solve the situation that has arisen, and the images themselves necessary for thinking are presented in his short-term and operative memory. It is characteristic for manifestation in momentary situations, directly in the reality that a person is in a given period of time.

5. Verbal-logical thinking is a type of thinking mediated by signs, from which concepts are directly formed. Verbal-logical thinking is carried out through a speculative logical connection of specific objects, objects, processes and phenomena with sounds, with linguistic sounds, with words and phrases, with concepts, expressed in the language in the form of words and signs, and denoting these objects and objects. Here it is appropriate to note that thinking is objectively connected not only with imagination, memory, perception, but also with speech, in which thinking is realized and with the help of which it is carried out. Aimed mainly at finding common patterns in nature and human society. With this kind of thinking, it is important to understand the difference, it lies in the fact that a person perceives not an image, but a literal reflection, or sound contact (speech) occurs; Based on these types of perception, a person compares the received information into an image, or coordinates his further actions to solve the problem.

In psychology, there is a different classification of types of thinking, so let's consider a few more types or how they are classified by the "fundamental types" of thinking.

· autistic thinking- This type of thinking is aimed at satisfying one's own interests. Needs in this case are more personally oriented. In many ways, autistic thinking is the opposite of realistic thinking. In the autistic type of thinking, actual, generally accepted associations are inhibited, as if relegated to the background, personal guidelines, in turn, dominate, in some cases affects predominate. Thus, personal interests are given scope for associations, even if they give rise to logical inconsistencies. Autistic thinking breeds illusions, not truths.

· realistic thinking- correctly reflects reality, makes human behavior reasonable in various situations. The purpose of the operations of realistic thinking is to create a correct picture of the world, to find the truth.

Fundamentals of Thinking

Cognizing and transforming the world, a person reveals stable, natural connections between phenomena. These connections are reflected in our consciousness indirectly - a person recognizes in the external signs of phenomena signs of internal, stable relationships. Whether we determine, looking out the window from the wet asphalt, whether it was raining, whether we establish the laws of movement 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, without seeing elementary particles, learned their properties and, without having visited Mars, learned a lot about it.

Noticing connections between phenomena and establishing the universal nature of these connections, a person actively masters the world and rationally organizes his interaction with it. A generalized and indirect (sign) orientation in a sensory-perceptible environment allows the archaeologist and investigator to reconstruct 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, identifies the objective meaning and subjective meaning of the phenomena around him, finds a way out of a variety of problematic situations, and 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 relationships of reality, 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, and ensures their understanding.

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

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

As a mental activity, thinking is a problem-solving process. 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 the Latin cognitio - knowledge) style, cognitive attitudes and categorical structure (semantic, semantic space).

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

An individual's thinking is mediated by his speech. A thought is formed through its verbal formulation.

“The “spirit” is cursed from the very beginning to be “burdened down” by matter, which appears... in the form of language.” However, thinking and language cannot be identified. Language is a tool of thought. The basis of a language is its grammatical structure. The basis of thinking is the laws of the world, its universal relationships, enshrined in concepts.

Classification of thinking phenomena

In the diverse phenomena of thinking, the following are distinguished:

mental activity- a system of mental actions, operations aimed at solving a specific problem;
: comparison, generalization, abstraction, classification, systematization and specification;
forms of thinking: concept, judgment, inference;
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 previously known rules, and heuristic— creative solution of non-standard problems.

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

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

When characterizing individual thinking, we take into account qualities of mind- systematicity, consistency, evidence, flexibility, speed, etc., as well as individual's type of thinking, his intellectual features.

Mental activity is carried out in the form of mental operations that transform 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, allowing for the classification of phenomena and their generalization. Comparison is an elementary primary form of cognition. 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). Generalizations are made based on comparison.

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 connection of similar objects based on external characteristics (generalization). But true cognitive value is a generalization of the second, higher level, when in a group of objects and phenomena essential common features are identified.

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

Elementary generalizations are made on the basis of comparisons, and the highest form of generalizations is made on the basis of isolating what is essentially common, revealing natural connections and relationships, i.e. based on abstraction.

Abstraction(Latin abstractio - abstraction) - the operation of reflecting individual properties of phenomena that are significant in some respect.

In the process of abstraction, a person, as it were, clears an 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. Based on generalization and abstraction, classification and specification are carried out.

Classification— grouping of objects according to essential characteristics. In contrast to classification, the basis of which should be characteristics that are significant in some respect, systematization sometimes allows the choice as a basis of features that are unimportant, but operationally convenient (for example, in alphabetical catalogs).

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

Specification(from Latin concretio - fusion) - cognition of an integral object in the totality of its essential relationships, theoretical reconstruction of an integral object. Concretization is the highest stage in the knowledge of the objective world. Cognition starts from the sensory diversity of the concrete, abstracts from its individual aspects and, finally, mentally recreates the concrete in its essential completeness. The transition from the abstract to the concrete is the theoretical mastery 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 was formed. A science about formalized structures of thoughts arose - formal logic.

Forms of thinking

Formalized thought structures— forms of thinking: concept, judgment, inference.

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 “structure of the atomic nucleus” has, to a certain extent, made it possible to practically use atomic energy.

Judgment- certain knowledge about an object, affirmation or denial of any of its properties, connections and relationships. The formation of a judgment occurs as the formation of a thought in a sentence. A judgment is a sentence that states the relationship between 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.

The judgment expresses not only knowledge about the subject, but also subjective attitude person to this knowledge, varying degrees 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 judgment are the motivation and purposefulness of an individual’s judgments.

Psychologically, the connection between an individual’s judgments is considered as his rational activity.

In inference, the operation is carried out with the general that is contained in the individual. 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 of induction and deduction, respectively.

Deduction is a reflection of the general connectedness of phenomena, categorical coverage of a specific phenomenon by its general connections, analysis of the specific in a system of generalized knowledge. Professor of Medicine at the University of Edinburgh J. Bell once amazed A. Conan Doyle (the future creator of the image of the famous detective) with his keen powers of observation. When another patient entered the clinic, Bell asked him:

Have you served in the army?
Yes sir! - the patient answered.
In a mountain rifle regiment?
That's right, Mister Doctor.
Recently retired?
Yes sir!
Have you been to Barbados?
Yes sir! — the retired sergeant was amazed.

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

Inductive Inference- probabilistic inference, when, based on individual signs of certain phenomena, a judgment is made about all objects of a given class. Hasty generalization without sufficient evidence is a common error in inductive reasoning.

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

Rice. 75. The relationship between 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 inference you used

Patterns and features of thinking

Let's consider the basic patterns of thinking.

1. Thinking arises in connection with solving a problem; the condition for its occurrence is problematic situation - circumstance. in which a person encounters 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 that must be overcome with the help of the subject’s intellectual activity - by finding the necessary cognitive strategies.

2. The main mechanism of thinking, its general pattern is analysis through synthesis: the identification of new properties in an object (analysis) through its correlation (synthesis) with other objects. In the process of thinking, the object of cognition is constantly “involved in ever new connections and, because of this, appears in ever new qualities, which are fixed in new concepts: from the object, thus, as if all new content is drawn out, it seems to turn each time with its other side , more and more new properties are revealed in it.”

The process of cognition begins with primary synthesis - perception of an undifferentiated whole (phenomenon, situation). Next, based on the primary analysis, secondary synthesis.

At primary analysis a problem situation requires orientation to key source data that allows one to reveal hidden information in the source information. The discovery of a key, essential feature in the initial situation allows us to understand the dependence of some phenomena on others. At the same time, it is important to identify signs of possibility - impossibility, as well as necessity.

In conditions of a shortage of initial information, a person does not act by trial and error, but applies a certain search strategy - optimal scheme for achieving the goal. The purpose of these strategies is 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; solving auxiliary problems; consideration of “edge cases”; reformulation of task requirements; temporary blocking of some components in the analyzed system; making “leaps” across information “gaps”.

So, analysis through synthesis is the cognitive “unfolding” of the object of knowledge, studying it from different angles, finding its place in new relationships, and mentally experimenting 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 and follow from one another. Each particular thought must be justified by a more general thought.

The laws of the material world are enshrined in the laws of formal logic, which should also be understood as the laws of thinking, or more precisely, as the laws of the interrelation of the products of thinking.

4. Another pattern of thinking - selectivity(from Latin selectio - choice, selection) - the ability of the intellect to quickly select the knowledge necessary for a given situation, mobilize it to solve the problem, bypassing the mechanical search of all possible options (which is typical for a computer). To do this, an individual’s knowledge must be systematized, brought into hierarchically organized structures.

5. Anticipation(Latin anticipatio - anticipation) means anticipation of events. A person is able to foresee the development of events, predict their outcome, and 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, and an operational scheme is determined - a system of possible actions on the object of knowledge.

6. Reflexivity(from Latin reflexio - reflection) - self-reflection of the subject. The thinking subject constantly reflects - reflects the course of his thinking, critically evaluates it, and develops self-assessment criteria.

7. Characteristic of thinking constant relationship his subconscious and conscious components- deliberately deployed. verbalized and intuitively collapsed, non-verbalized.

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