Human thinking and its capabilities. Thinking: what is it in human psychology, definitions of forms and types

An integral part of human life is thinking. The definition of this concept was given in ancient times. Scientists and thinkers have been interested in this question at all times. And to date, this phenomenon cannot be considered fully studied.

History of the study of thinking

At all times, scientists have been interested in such a phenomenon as thinking. The definition of this concept was given back in the ancient period. At the same time, special attention was paid to understanding the essence of invisible phenomena. was the first to raise this issue. It is to him that humanity owes the emergence of such concepts as truth and opinion.

Plato viewed this issue a little differently. He believed that thinking is a cosmic essence that the human soul possessed before entering the earthly body. He believed that this is not a creative activity, but a reproductive one, aimed at “remembering” the knowledge that was “forgotten.” Despite the rather fantastic reasoning, it is Plato who is credited with studying such a concept as intuition.

Aristotle gave a thorough explanation of what thinking is. The definition included categories such as judgment and inference. The philosopher developed a whole science - logic. Subsequently, on the basis of his research, Raymond Lull created the so-called “thinking machine”.

Descartes perceived thinking as a spiritual category, and considered systematic doubt to be the main method of knowledge. Spinoza, in turn, believed that this is a physical mode of action. Kant's main achievement was the division of thinking into synthetic and analytical.

Thinking: Definition

The processes occurring in the human brain have always aroused great interest. Therefore, there are many theories about what thinking is. The definition suggests itself as follows: this is a cognitive activity that is carried out by a person. This is a kind of way of perceiving and reflecting reality.

The main result of mental activity is thought (it can manifest itself in the form of awareness, concept, idea or in other forms). However, this process should not be confused with sensation. Thinking, according to scientists, is inherent only to humans, but animals and lower forms of life organization also have sensory perceptions.

It is worth noting a number of distinctive features that characterize thinking. The definition of this term gives the right to say that it allows one to obtain information about those phenomena that cannot be perceived through direct contact. Thus, there is a relationship between thinking and analytical abilities.

It is worth noting that a person’s ability to think manifests itself gradually as the individual develops. Thus, as a person learns the norms of language, the characteristics of the environment and other forms of life, it begins to acquire new forms and deeper meanings.

Signs of thinking

Thinking has a number of defining characteristics. The following are considered the main ones:

• this process allows the subject to navigate interdisciplinary connections, as well as understand the essence of each specific phenomenon;
• it arises on the basis of existing theoretical knowledge, as well as previously performed practical actions;
• the thought process is always based on fundamental knowledge;
• As it develops, thinking can go far beyond the limits of practical activity and existing ideas about certain phenomena.

Basic mental operations

At first glance, the definition of the word “thinking” does not reveal the entire essence of this process. To better understand its meaning, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the basic operations that reveal the essence of the term:

• analysis - dividing the subject being studied into components;
• synthesis - identifying relationships and combining disconnected parts;
• comparison - identifying similar and different qualities of objects;
• classification - identifying the main features with subsequent grouping according to them;
• specification - isolating a certain category from the general mass;
• generalization - combining objects and phenomena into groups;
• abstraction - the study of a specific subject independently of others.

Aspects of thinking

Thinking and approach to problem solving are influenced by significant aspects that are formed in the process of human life. It is worth noting the following significant points:

• the national aspect is the mentality and specific traditions that are historically inherent in a person living in a certain area;
• socio-political norms - are formed under the pressure of society;
• personal interests are a subjective factor that can influence the final solution to a problematic issue.

Types of thinking

As already mentioned, back in the ancient period this concept was given a definition. The types of thinking are as follows:

• abstract - implies the use of associative symbols;
• logical - established constructions and common concepts are used;
• abstract-logical - combines the operation of symbols and standard constructions;
• divergent - searching for several equal answers to the same question;
• convergent - allows only one correct way to solve a problem;
• practical - involves the development of goals, plans and algorithms;
• theoretical - implies cognitive activity;
• creative - aims to create a new “product”;
• critical - checking the available data;
• spatial - the study of an object in all the diversity of its states and properties;
• intuitive - a fleeting process with the absence of clearly defined forms.

Phases of thinking

Researchers pay attention to the active, dynamic nature of thinking. Considering that its main goal is to solve problems, the following main phases can be distinguished:

• awareness of the presence of a problem (results from the flow of information that has been processed over a certain period of time);
• searching for a possible solution and forming alternative hypotheses;
• comprehensive testing of hypotheses for their applicability in practice;
• solving a problem is manifested in obtaining an answer to a problematic question and fixing it in consciousness.

Levels of Thinking

The definition first interested Aaron Beck, who is rightfully considered the father of cognitive psychology. He believed that on an unconscious level, a person is guided by beliefs and established patterns. In this regard, the following levels of thinking are distinguished:

• voluntary thoughts that are on the surface of consciousness (they are easy to recognize and control);
• automatic thoughts are some stereotypes that are established both in society and in the human mind (in most cases they are laid down in the process of upbringing and training);
• Cognitive beliefs are complex constructs and patterns that arise at an unconscious level (they are difficult to change).

Thinking process

The definition of the thinking process says that this is a set of actions with the help of which a person solves certain logical problems. As a result, fundamentally new knowledge can also be obtained. This category has the following distinctive features:

• the process is indirect;
• relies on previously acquired knowledge;
• largely depends on contemplation of the environment, but is not limited to it;
• connections between different categories are reflected in verbal form;
• has practical significance.

Qualities of the mind

Determining the level of thinking is inextricably linked with the definition. These include the following:

• independence - the ability to generate original ideas and thoughts without resorting to the help of others, without using standard schemes and without succumbing to outside influence;
• curiosity - the need to obtain new information;
• speed - the time that passes from the moment of awareness of the problem to the generation of the final solution;
• breadth - the ability to apply knowledge from different industries to solving the same problem;
• simultaneity - the ability to look at a problem from different angles and generate diverse ways to resolve it;
• depth is the degree of mastery of a particular topic, as well as understanding the essence of the situation (implies an understanding of the causes of certain events, as well as the ability to foresee the further scenario of events);
• flexibility - the ability to take into account the specific conditions in which a problem arises, moving away from generally accepted templates and algorithms;
• consistency - establishing an exact sequence of actions in solving problems;
• criticality - the tendency to deeply evaluate each of the ideas that arise.

What methods of determining the level of thinking are known?

The researchers noted that thought processes vary from person to person. In this regard, there is a need for such work as determining the level of logical thinking. It is worth noting that quite a lot of methods have been developed on this issue. The most commonly used are the following:

• "20 words" is a test that helps identify a person’s memory abilities.
• "Anagrams"- a technique that is aimed at determining the ability for combinatorial thinking. The test also allows you to identify your aptitude for communication.
• "Identification of significant features"- a technique for determining thinking, which is designed to reveal a person’s ability to distinguish between primary and secondary phenomena.
• "Learning words"- determines how developed the abilities associated with memorizing and reproducing information are. The test also allows you to assess the state of memory and concentration in people suffering from mental illness.
• "Quantitative Relationships"- test for the level of logical thinking in adolescents and adults. The conclusion is drawn based on the solution of 18 problems.
• "Link's Cube"- this is a technique that is aimed at identifying special abilities in a person (observation, a tendency to analyze, the ability to identify patterns, etc.). By solving constructive problems, one can assess the degree of a person’s intelligence.
• "Building a fence"- test for the level of development of thinking. It is determined how well the subject understands the final goal and how accurately he follows the instructions. Pace and coordination of actions are also considered determining factors.

How to develop thinking: step-by-step instructions

If the test to determine the level of thinking shows unsatisfactory results, do not immediately give up. You can develop this ability as follows:

• write down your ideas, as well as the progress of solving the problem (this allows you to use more parts of the brain);
• pay attention to logic games (the most striking example is chess);
• buy several collections of crosswords or puzzles and devote all your free time to solving them;
• to activate brain activity, it is necessary (this could be an unexpected change in the daily routine, a new way of performing habitual actions);
• physical activity (it is best to give preference to dancing, as it forces you to constantly think and remember the pattern of movements);
• take up the fine arts, which will help you find new forms of presenting your ideas;
• force your brain to absorb new information (you can start learning a foreign language, watch a documentary, read a section of an encyclopedia, etc.);
• approach solving problems systematically, and not chaotically (this process includes an established sequence of stages - from recognizing the problem to developing a final solution);
• do not forget about rest, because for the brain to work most productively, it needs to be given time to recover.

Thinking and psychology

It is worth noting that this concept is being studied very actively in psychology. The definition of thinking is simple: a set of processes of mental activity on which cognitive activity is based. This term is associated with categories such as attention, association, perception, judgment and others. It is believed that thinking is one of the highest functions of the human psyche. It is considered as an indirect reflection of reality in a generalized form. The essence of the process is to identify the essences of objects and phenomena and establish relationships between them.

- (English thinking) - the mental process of reflecting reality, the highest form of human creative activity. M. is a process of reflection of objects, insofar as it is a creative transformation of their subjective images in human consciousness... Large psychological dictionary

Thinking

The process of an individual’s cognitive activity, characterized by a generalized and mediated reflection of reality. The following types of M. are distinguished: verbal-logical, visual-figurative, visually effective. M. is also distinguished between theoretical and practical, theoretical and empirical, logical (analytical) and intuitive, realistic and autistic (associated with escape from reality into internal experiences), productive and reproductive, involuntary and voluntary. M. often unfolds as a process of solving a problem in which conditions and requirements are highlighted. The task must not only be understood by the subject, but also accepted by him, that is, correlated with the need-motivational sphere (see,) of the individual. Mental activity is stimulated by motives, which are not only the conditions for its development, but also factors influencing its productivity. Human consciousness is characterized by the unity of the conscious and unconscious. A large role in mental activity is played by providing control over the search for a solution to a problem. The product of thinking can be the goals of subsequent actions. Research goal setting constitute an important section of psychology and personality. In the context of the issue joint activities and communication M. is studied in the structure interpersonal relationships. M acts as an interpretation of the reactions and movements (see,) of another person, as an interpretation of the results of a person’s objective actions and activities in general, as speech products (oral and written) of another person. M. is an integral part and special object of a person’s self-awareness, the structure of which includes understanding oneself as a subject of M., differentiation of “one’s own” and “other people’s” thoughts, awareness of an unsolved problem as one’s own, awareness of one’s attitude to the problem. It is now considered proven that verbal-logical mathematics is the most recent product of historical development. The ontogenetic (see) development of a child’s child is carried out in the course of his objective activity and communication, and the development of social experience. A special role is played by the targeted influence of an adult in the form of training and education. Visual-effective, visual-figurative, and verbal-logical M. are successive stages of ontogenetic development of M.

Brief psychological dictionary. - Rostov-on-Don: “PHOENIX”. L.A. Karpenko, A.V. Petrovsky, M. G. Yaroshevsky. 1998 .

Thinking

One of the highest manifestations of the psyche, the process of cognitive activity of an individual, the process of modeling non-random relations of the external world, characterized by a generalized and indirect reflection of reality; this is an analysis, synthesis, generalization of the conditions and requirements of the problem being solved and methods for solving it. In this continuous process, discrete mental operations are formed, which thinking generates, but cannot be reduced to.

Thinking as a process is inextricably linked with thinking as an activity of the individual - with motivation, abilities, etc. At each stage of mental development, a person implements a thinking process, based on already established motives and abilities; further formation of motives and abilities occurs at subsequent stages of the thinking process.

Thinking is the subject of complex, interdisciplinary research. In particular, physiology studies the brain mechanisms through which acts of thinking are realized. Cybernetics considers thinking as an information process, recording the common and different in the operation of a computer and in human mental activity. Psychology studies thinking as a cognitive activity, distinguishing its types depending on the levels of generalization and the nature of the means used, their novelty for the subject, the degree of his activity, and the adequacy of thinking to reality.

There are different types of thinking: verbal-logical, visual-figurative, visual-effective. The following are also distinguished: practical (empirical); logical (analytical) and intuitive; realistic - and autistic, associated with escape from reality into internal experiences; productive and reproductive; involuntary and voluntary.

Thinking often unfolds as a process of solving a problem, where conditions and requirements are highlighted. The task must not only be understood, but also accepted by the subject - correlated with his need-motivational sphere.

Mental activity is stimulated by motives, which are not only the conditions for its development, but also influence its productivity. Thinking is characterized by the unity of the conscious and unconscious. Emotions play a major role in mental activity, providing control over the search for a solution to a problem. The product of thinking can be the goals of subsequent actions.

1 ) turning a requirement received from outside into a real goal;

2 ) selection of one of the available requirements;

3 ) the ratio of voluntary and involuntary goal formation;

4 ) time dynamics of target formation;

5 ) transformation of unconscious anticipations into conscious goals;

6 ) identification of intermediate goals.

In the context of the problems of joint activities and communication, thinking is studied in the structure of interpersonal relationships. It acts as an interpretation of the reactions and movements of other people, as an interpretation of the results of objective actions and activities in general, as an understanding of the speech production of other people. Interpersonal cognition includes the formation of ideas about the way of thinking of other people, the style of their thinking; about what another person thinks about the subject of thinking, and about what he thinks about what the subject thinks about himself ( cm.), etc.

Thinking is an integral part and special object of a person’s self-awareness, the structure of which includes:

1 ) understanding oneself as a subject of thinking;

2 ) differentiation of “one’s own” and “other people’s” thoughts;

3 ) awareness of an unsolved problem as one’s own;

4 ) awareness of your attitude to the problem.

It is considered proven that verbal-logical thinking is the latest product of the historical development of thinking and that the transition from visual to abstract thinking constitutes one of the lines of this development. Visual-effective, visual-figurative and verbal-logical thinking are successive stages of the development of thinking.

Dictionary of a practical psychologist. - M.: AST, Harvest. S. Yu. Golovin. 1998.

Psychological Dictionary. THEM. Kondakov. 2000.

THINKING

(English) thinking) - the mental process of reflecting reality, the highest form of human creative activity. M. insofar as the process of reflection of objects, insofar as it is a creative transformation of their subjective images into consciousness people, their values And meaning to resolve real contradictions in the circumstances of people's life, to form new goals, discover new means and plans for achieving them, revealing the essence of the objective forces of nature and society.

M. is the purposeful use, development and increment knowledge, possible only if it is aimed at resolving contradictions that are objectively inherent in a real subject thoughts. In the genesis of M. the most important role is played (each other’s people, the means and objects of their joint activities).

From the 17th century until the 20th century. M.'s problems were understood in the logic of empirical ideas about man and his inherent ways of relating to the outside world. According to this logic, capable of reproducing only the spatial interactions of “ready-made systems,” unchangeable cognitive abilities, as if eternally bestowed upon man by God or nature, are opposed to the equally unchangeable properties of objects. Generic cognitive abilities included: contemplation( sensory system carry out their figurative-sensual reflection in contact with objects), M. and reflection(the subject’s ability to evaluate his innate forms of mental activity and correlate with them the facts of contemplation and conclusions of thought). M. remained the role of a registrar and classifier of the sensory (in observation, in experiment, in experiment obtained) data. Here M. is primarily a process generalizations them, carried out allegedly by abstraction from their non-essential features with the help of such mental operations as And , comparison and classification. Understanding of knowledge as contemplation first of all (which is reflected in the main principle sensationalism: Nihil est in intellectu, quod non prius fuerit in sensu - there is nothing in mind, which would not have existed previously in sensations) initially doomed the mind and its ability to think to an insurmountable separation from the very essence of objects: only subjective sensations, images of perception and ideas turned out to be the final object of the thinking mind.

On this basis, the concepts of M. developed in empirical, in particular in associative,psychology(D. , J. Priestley, I. A. Tan, G.Ebbinghaus,IN.Wundt). Formal-logical, i.e., abstracted from the content, operational-machine actions of the subject with signs and other means of communication completely exhausted the psychological understanding of M., i.e., the meaningful side of M. - himself - remained at the sensory-figurative, perceptual level. Psychology, building itself on the empirical concept of knowledge, had no choice but to accept as the mental realities that form psychology what was understood in formal logic as "concept","judgment" And "inference". The result was a connection ( association) name with stored in sensory memory representations about the general qualities of a certain set of objects. was defined as an associative operation that connects by affirmation or denial of the meaning of names, and - as a conclusion, a formally inevitable consequence from a number of similar associations. In psychology, materialism was reduced to the process of associative connections between traces of the past and existing sensory experience, becoming locked in a circle of purely subjective experiences, finally breaking away from its actual subject and deprived of its main ability: the creative synthesis of knowledge. Associationists therefore had to “supplement” M.’s ability with the speculatively introduced abilities of the human psyche for “active operations”, for “creative synthesis”, etc.

As a reaction to the irremovable contradictions of the associative interpretation of M., however, on the same logical premises of naturalistic empiricism, its “atomistic” interpretation was born in behaviorism(E. Thorndike, J.Watson). According to this concept, in the activity of animals and humans, proceeding according to the “stimulus-response” principle, an internal interaction of speech skills arises, devoid of its external, signal-sound reactivity, which precisely forms the mental process called M.

With philosophy intuitionism(the flip side of naturalistic empiricism) the interpretation of M., given by representatives Gestalt psychology(M.Wertheimer,IN.Köhler, K. Koffka, TO.Levin and etc.). From their point of view, the inner world of a person is a hierarchy of integral mental forms that reproduce not just a set of external conditions and objects (as it seemed to the empiricists), but namely the integrity of situations formed by human life. Then M. is discretion (comprehension, ) in the reflected forms of real trends and possibilities of what is reflected, which are determined precisely by the integrity of the situation. Such discretion is possible due to the subject’s ability to recombine situational factors, preserving, however, the original integrity of the situation.

In the same way, later attempts at a naturalistic or intuitionistic interpretation of materialism (for example, the interpretation of materialism as a process of decoding information carried by neurophysiological processes) retained the original focus on the separation and complete opposition of materialism to the objective object of thought for the contemplative theory of cognition.

Dr. The approach to mathematics is based on the Marxist understanding of human life activity as a socio-historical process of objective activity that develops its basic social forms (forms of communication between people). The real process of people's lives, their work as actually purposeful activity, as their conscious being not m.b. initially opposed to their own subject content - the objective world of nature. The generation of man in this historical process as a purposefully acting subject is at the same time the generation of the object of his activity, which, according to K. Marx’s definition, is no longer taken “only in the form of an object, or in the form of contemplation...”, but subjectively, “as human sensory activity, practice." Thus, M. does not oppose the world as something initially separated from it; only subjective. M. develops as a person’s living, active ability to purposefully transform existence, its objective conditions and circumstances. On this new methodological basis for psychology since the 1920s. owls developed. psychology.

M. is a process of goal and plan formation, i.e. ideal transformation of methods of objective-sensory activity, methods of purposeful relationship to objective reality, a process that occurs both during and before the practical change of these methods. M. is nothing more than the subjective side of that purposeful activity that practically changes the objective conditions, means and objects of human life and thereby shapes the subject himself and all his mental abilities.

But due to historical traditions, only “speech M.” is usually considered as a mental process. (cm. M.discursive), in contrast to other types of thinking (see. M.visual,M.visually effective,M.practical And M.visual-figurative). But speech speech is only a special form of speech, standing out in the general structure of conscious, purposeful activity and becoming a special, relatively independent expression of its original and essential integrity due to the rapid development of communicative means proper and speech activity itself. The direct subject of speech activity is (i.e. conscious being) of another person: motives his actions, his , understanding, knowledge, , etc. However, for a civilized person, philo- And which went through all the steps, all the historical stages of identifying and separating various types of activities solely universal a means, that is, a means that identifies his consciousness with the consciousness of any other person and at the same time mutually changes it, turned out to be . Even such universal methods and means of identifying and mutually changing the psyche of individuals, such as the “language” of artistic plasticity, music and all other means of spiritual and practical activity, do not rise to the level of universality that is characteristic of the language of the people. And language, being truly a universal means communication, and therefore the most important factor in the formation of individual consciousness, carries within itself, in each of its “elements” (in the lexical meanings of words, particles, individual phonemes, etc.) what is common to all who speak a given language, what is universal to them about the actual objects of activity . Along with this meaning, people present to each other, and therefore to themselves, the objective content of the objective world, revealed by the practice of joint activity of previous generations who created this language. From here follows the most important conclusion for understanding not only speech, but also M. in general: in the jointly shared life activity of people (in their objective-activity communication), addressing another (and oneself) with the help universally significant there are means of communication and activities assistance with this other (or with the “other” in oneself), there is an attitude towards him as one who understands or is able to understand the motives that prompted this assistance. Moreover, this appeal is also co-action, And sympathy, And consciousness, i.e. actions, feelings and subjective images of reality, raised to a supra-individual (generic, universal) level due to the fact that the mediator ( mediator) assistance is nothing more and nothing less than cultural-historical the universality of the objective world, unfolded before each of the participants in its meanings and meanings. A continuous, holistic, socially structured process of people’s purposeful assistance is therefore measure each own action of each individual, the basis for his reflections on your own life activity. The initial reflexivity of cooperation with other people (and only therefore - with oneself) creates and consistently, from one culture to another, develops its indispensable and strict form - dialogical M.

Dialogical communication is an external or internal dialogue that reveals different, and therefore contradictory, aspects of reality. It follows that moral, aesthetic, and intellectual definitions of the human psyche have their origin in the reflexive act of jointly shared objective activity; it is precisely this that is the system-forming factor or “substance” of M. However, its implementation in each individual thought process is the transformation of a universal significant forms, methods and means of communication culture into internal motives and goals of further action inherent only to a given individual here and now. At the same time, separate, discrete values each of all the necessary words, signs, images, etc. merge into a special objective situation. The meaningfulness of an action, its goals and motives is born, that is, as a consequence of the “translation” of the individual’s uniquely subjective state to the level of generic, universal, universal significance of the ways and means by which this state arose. However, only the continuity and integrity of the development of the culture of the people, revived and preserved, developed, continued by the uniqueness of the individual’s personal biography, transforms their supra-individual objective-discrete meanings into the conscious meaning of the motives and goals of action (behavior).

The meaning, the very process of understanding the contradictory circumstances of life, motivates actions, behavior, and all human life. Cooperation with others (and with oneself) at the level of meaning is the internal, subjective-personal, actually mental process of dialogue or dialogical M. See also Thinking productively, . (F. T. Mikhailov.)

Large psychological dictionary. - M.: Prime-EVROZNAK. Ed. B.G. Meshcheryakova, acad. V.P. Zinchenko. 2003 .

Coming from the outside world. Thinking is carried out in the course of the flow of thoughts, images, and various sensations. A person, receiving any information, is able to imagine both the external and internal aspects of a specific object, predict its change over time, and imagine this object in its absence. What is a thinking type? Are there any techniques for determining types of thinking? How to use them? In this article we will look at the main types of thinking, their classification and features.

General characteristics of thinking

Studying information about the types and types of thinking, we can come to the conclusion that there is no single characteristic to define them. The opinions of scientists and psychologists are similar in some ways and different in others. The classification of the main types of thinking is a rather arbitrary thing, since the most characteristic types and types of human thinking are supplemented by their derivative, individual forms. But before moving on to considering the various types, I would like to find out how the process of mental activity itself proceeds. Thinking can be divided into certain mental operations that result in the formation of a concept.

• First of all, through analysis, a person mentally breaks the whole into its component parts. This occurs due to the desire for a deeper knowledge of the whole by studying each of its parts.
• As a result of synthesis, a person mentally connects individual parts into a single whole, or groups individual signs, properties of an object or phenomenon.
• In the process of comparison, many types and types of thinking are able to identify the common and different in objects or phenomena.
• The next operation of the thinking process is abstraction. This is a simultaneous mental distraction from non-existent properties while highlighting the essential features of an object.
• The generalization operation is responsible for systematizing the properties of an object or phenomenon, bringing together general concepts.
• Concretization is a transition from general concepts to a single, specific case.

All these operations can be combined in various variations, resulting in a concept - the basic unit of thinking.

Practical (visual-effective) thinking

Psychologists divide human thinking types into three groups. Let's consider the first type - visual-effective thinking, as a result of which a person is able to cope with a task as a result of a mental transformation of the situation based on previously gained experience. From the name itself it comes that initially there is a process of observation, a trial and error method, then, based on this, theoretical activity is formed. This type of thinking is well explained by the following example. A person first learned in practice to measure his plot of land using improvised means. And only then, based on the knowledge gained, geometry was gradually formed as a separate discipline. Here practice and theory are inextricably linked.

Figurative (visual-figurative) thinking

Along with conceptual thinking, figurative or visual-figurative thinking appears. It can be called thinking by representation. The imaginative type of thinking is most clearly observed in preschoolers. To solve a certain problem, a person no longer uses concepts or conclusions, but images that are stored in memory or recreated by imagination. This type of thinking can also be observed in people who, by the nature of their activities, are called upon to make decisions, taking as a basis only observation of an object or visual images of objects (plan, drawing, diagram). The visual-figurative type of thinking provides the possibility of mental representation, selection of various combinations of objects and their properties.

Abstract logical thinking

This type of thinking does not operate on individual details, but concentrates on thinking as a whole. By developing this type of thinking from an early age, you will not have to worry about problems solving important problems in the future. Abstract-logical thinking has three forms, let's consider them:

• A concept is a combination of one or more homogeneous objects using essential features. This form of thinking begins to be developed in young children, introducing them to the meaning of objects and giving them definitions.
• Judgment can be simple or complex. This is a statement or denial of any phenomenon or relationship of objects. A simple judgment takes the form of a short phrase, while a complex one can take the form of a declarative sentence. “The dog barks”, “Mom loves Masha”, “The water is wet” - this is how we teach kids to reason while introducing them to the outside world.
• An inference is a logical conclusion that follows from several judgments. Initial judgments are defined as premises, and final judgments are defined as conclusions.

Everyone is capable of independently developing a logical type of thinking; for this there are a lot of puzzles, rebuses, crosswords, and logical tasks. Properly developed abstract-logical thinking in the future makes it possible to solve many problems that do not allow for close contact with the subject being studied.

Types of economic thinking

Economics is that branch of human life that everyone faces. Every day learning something from everyday practice, the individual forms his own guidelines that relate to economic activity. This is how economic thinking is gradually formed.

The ordinary type of thinking is subjective. Individual economic knowledge is not so in-depth and is not able to prevent mistakes and mistakes. Ordinary economic thinking is based on one-sided and fragmentary knowledge in this industry. As a result, it is possible to perceive part of an event as a single whole or a random phenomenon - as constant and unchanging.

Opposite the ordinary is scientific economic thinking. A person who owns it knows the methods of rational and scientifically based economic activity. The reasoning of such a person does not depend on anyone else’s opinion; she is able to determine the objective truth of the situation. Scientific economic thinking covers the entire surface of events, reflecting the economy in its comprehensive integrity.

Philosophical thinking

The subject of philosophy is the spiritual experience of man, both psychological and social, and aesthetic, moral and religious. Both the worldview itself and the types of philosophical thinking have their origin in productive doubt about the correctness of everyday opinions. Let's consider the main features of this type of thinking:

• Conceptual validity is the sequence of solving worldview issues in accordance with the established order.
• Consistency and systematicity imply the construction by a philosopher of a theoretical system that provides answers to many ideological questions.
• The universality of theories lies in the following: a philosopher rarely gives answers to questions that concern a particular person; his theories only indicate the right path to find these answers.
• Openness to criticism. Philosophical judgments are amenable to constructive criticism and are open to revision of basic provisions.

Rational type of thinking

What type of perception and processing of information operates with competence and knowledge, ability and skill and does not take into account such operations as feeling and premonition, impulse and desire, impression and experience? That's right, rational thinking. This is a cognitive process that is based on a reasonable and logical perception of an object or situation. A person does not always have to think about anything during his life; sometimes he makes do with feelings and habits that have become automatic. But when he “turns on his head,” he tries to think rationally. You can attract such a person only with facts based on reality, and only after realizing the importance of the final result will he begin to act.

Irrational thinking

Irrational thinking does not obey logic and control over its actions. Irrationalists are active individuals. They take on many things, but there is illogicality in their actions. Their thoughts and judgments are not based on real facts, but on the expected result. Irrational thinking can be based on distorted conclusions, on understatement or exaggeration of the significance of any events, personalization or overgeneralization of the result, when a person, having failed once, draws a corresponding conclusion for the rest of his life.

Synthesizing type of thinking

Using this type of thinking, a person creates a holistic picture based on various fragments and pieces of information. Human encyclopedists, librarians, office workers, scientists, enthusiastic programmers - all of them are representatives of synthesizing thinking. It is impossible to expect them to be interested in extreme sports and travel; their usual field of activity is a constant work routine.

Human analysts

Observers, people who are able to get to the root cause of an event, those who like to think about the path of life, having only a few facts in their arsenal, detectives and investigators are typical representatives of the analytical type of thinking.

This is a kind of scientific type of thinking, the strong point of which is logic. This type of information perception can be compared to the rational one, but it is more long-term. If a rationalist, solving one problem, quickly moves on to solving the next, then the analyst will spend a long time digging, assessing the development of events, and thinking about what could have been the root cause.

Idealistic type of thinking

The most common types of human thinking include idealistic thinking. It is typical for people with somewhat inflated demands on others. They subconsciously try to find previously created ideal images in others; they tend to harbor illusions, which entails disappointment.

Idealists can operate with social and subjective factors in their decisions as accurately as possible; they try to avoid conflict situations, considering them an unnecessary waste of time. In their opinion, all people can agree among themselves. To do this, it is important for them to correctly determine the final goal. Their standards may seem too high, but the quality of their work is truly high and their behavior is exemplary.

People "Why?" and people "Why?"

Another characteristic of thinking types was proposed by Stephen Covey. He came up with the idea that different types of thinking can be divided into only two types. Later, his theory was supported by Jack Canfield, who deals with human motivation. So what is this theory? Let's figure it out.

People of the first type live in thoughts about their own future. All people’s actions are aimed not at realizing their desires, but at thinking about tomorrow. At the same time, they don’t think about whether “tomorrow” will come at all. The result of this is a lot of missed opportunities, an inability to make fundamental changes, and dreams of a bright future often never come true.

Why people live in the past. Past experience, past victories and achievements. At the same time, they often do not notice what is happening at the moment, and may not think about the future at all. They look for the causes of many problems in the past, and not in themselves.

Methodology “Type of Thinking”

Today, psychologists have developed many techniques with which you can determine your own type of thinking. The respondent is asked to answer questions, after which his answers are processed, and the dominant type of perception and processing of information is determined.

Determining the type of thinking can help in choosing a profession, tell a lot about a person (his inclinations, lifestyle, success in mastering a new type of activity, interests and much more). After reading the test question, you should answer affirmatively if you agree with the judgment, and negatively if you do not.

The “Type of Thinking” technique showed that there are rarely people whose thinking type is defined in its pure form; most often they are combined.

It is worth noting that there are many different exercises that allow you to train and develop certain types of thinking. Thus, types of creative thinking can be developed with the help of drawing, logical thinking, as mentioned earlier, with the help of crosswords and puzzles.

Thinking is a mental cognitive process of a generalized and indirect reflection of reality in its most essential features and relationships. The highest form of thinking is conceptual.

Thinking is an active process. Its internal source is the needs and motives that encourage a person to set and solve vital problems. The need for it arises in situations where, in order to satisfy vital needs, the subject must take into account the internal, inaccessible properties of objects and phenomena, make forecasts for the development of events and processes, and plan the optimal way of behavior. Such situations are critical for the actualization of thinking.

Thinking can be defined as a system of special mental actions and operations, on the basis of which the subjective reconstruction of cognizable objects and phenomena in their essential properties, connections and relationships is carried out.

Thinking is generated in the context of human social existence (in objective and practical activity). It is closely related to speech and language. Thinking is the process of internal reasoning that results in solving a problem.

Thinking is unique to humans. However, it is not given to him in finished form. It arises and develops in him under the influence of training and upbringing. A necessary condition for this is the presence of an intellectually rich environment and communication with other people.

In practice, thinking as a separate mental process does not exist. It functions in close connection with all other cognitive processes. Thinking is closely related to knowledge. On the one hand, it generates knowledge, on the other hand, it is part of thinking, acting as a tool and condition for mental actions.

The thinking process is a certain sequence of mental actions and operations that can be considered as methods of understanding. The level of development of thinking is determined by how wide the range of mental actions that a person masters perfectly. With all the diversity and content specificity in the structure of thinking, we can single out only a few of the most universal actions, which are called mental operations.

Analysis is the mental dissection of an object, phenomenon or situation to identify its constituent elements.

Synthesis is the reverse process of analysis, which restores the whole by finding significant connections and relationships.

Abstraction is the isolation of one aspect, property and abstraction from the rest.

Comparison is a mental comparison of objects and phenomena in order to find similarities and differences between them.

Generalization (or generalization) is the discarding of individual characteristics while maintaining common ones, with the disclosure of significant connections: through comparison, through the disclosure of relationships, connections and patterns.

Concretization is a mental transition from the generalized to the individual, separate. This operation is the opposite of generalization.

Classification is the mental distribution of objects and phenomena on some basis, depending on their similarities and differences with each other.

Thinking operations usually do not appear in pure form; a person uses a set of different operations.

Judgment is the basic form of the result of the thought process.

Reasoning is the work of thought on judgment. Reasoning is justification if, based on a judgment, it reveals the premises that determine its truth. Reasoning is a conclusion if, based on premises, it reveals a system of judgments that follows from them.

It is not operations that generate thinking, but the process of thinking that generates operations.

Qualities of thinking and structure of intelligence

The quality of thinking is assessed by many indicators. Let's list them.

Breadth of thinking is the ability to embrace the entire issue, without at the same time missing out on the details necessary for the matter.

Depth of thinking is expressed in the ability to penetrate into the essence of complex issues.

Superficiality of thinking is the opposite quality of deep thinking, when a person pays attention to the little things and does not see the main thing.

Independence of thinking is characterized by a person’s ability to put forward new problems and find ways to solve them without resorting to the help of other people.

Flexibility of thought is expressed in its freedom from the constraining influence of techniques and methods of solving problems fixed in the past, in the ability to quickly change actions when the situation changes.

Quickness of mind is a person’s ability to quickly understand a new situation, think about it and make the right decision.

Haste of the mind is manifested in the fact that a person, without thoroughly thinking through a question, picks out one side, rushes to give a solution, and expresses insufficiently thought-out answers and judgments.

Criticality of mind is a person’s ability to objectively evaluate his own and others’ thoughts, carefully and comprehensively check all put forward provisions and conclusions.

A thought experiment is one of the most obvious forms of manifestation of imagination in science.

It is believed that it was Galileo who first gave a sufficient methodological indication of the thought experiment as a special cognitive formation, qualifying it as an imaginary experiment.

A thought experiment is a type of cognitive activity that is built according to the type of a real experiment and adopts the structure of the latter, but develops entirely in an ideal plan.

A thought experiment differs from a real experiment, on the one hand, in its ideality, and on the other, in the presence in it of elements of imagination as a basis for evaluating ideal structures.

Intelligence assessment

The most popular is the “intelligence quotient” IQ, which allows one to correlate the level of an individual’s intellectual capabilities with the average indicators of his age and professional group (average score – 100, low → 0, high → 200).

Congenital dementia (oligophrenia) should be distinguished from acquired dementia (dementia).

The most severe form of dementia is idiocy, IQ = 20 (speech and thinking are practically not formed, emotional reactions predominate).

Depending on the form, three types of thinking are distinguished: visual-effective, figurative and verbal or verbal-logical.

The development of a child's thinking occurs gradually.

In its development, thinking goes through two stages: pre-conceptual and conceptual.

Pre-conceptual thinking is the initial stage of the development of thinking in a child; Children’s judgments are isolated, about this particular subject. When explaining something, they reduce everything to a private acquaintance. The main role is given to memory. The earliest form of proof is an example.

The central feature of pre-conceptual thinking is egocentrism. Egocentrism determines such features of children's logic as: 1) insensitivity to contradictions, 2) syncretism (everything is connected to everything), 3) transduction (from particular to particular, bypassing the whole), 4) lack of concept of the conservation of quantity.

Conceptual thinking does not arrive immediately, but gradually, through a series of intermediate stages.

Visual-figurative thinking occurs in preschoolers aged 4-6 years.

The thinking of children of primary school age is conceptually specific, that is, the emerging mental operations are still associated with specific material and are not sufficiently generalized; the resulting concepts are concrete in nature.

Schoolchildren in middle and older age become capable of more complex cognitive tasks. In the process of solving them, mental operations are generalized and formalized, thereby expanding the range of their transfer and application in various new situations (abstract-conceptual thinking).

Types of thinking.

Visual-effective thinking is a type of thinking based on direct perception of objects, real transformation in the process of action with objects.

Visual-figurative thinking is a type of thinking characterized by reliance on ideas and images; the functions of figurative thinking are associated with the presentation of situations and changes in them that a person wants to obtain as a result of his activities, transforming the situation.

Verbal-logical is a type of thinking carried out using logical operations with concepts. The result of verbal-logical thinking is not an image, but a certain thought, an idea, not even always formalized in speech. Verbal thinking has the form of concepts, judgments and inferences. They are called logical.

Depending on the nature of the cognizable reality, two types of thinking are distinguished: objective and psychological. Subject thinking is aimed at understanding physical and biological objects and phenomena. It provides a person’s orientation in the surrounding objective environment. This thinking can be well developed among engineers, biologists, mechanics, geographers, physicists, etc. Psychological thinking allows us to understand people. It is aimed at understanding the individual psychological characteristics of another person: character traits, abilities, interests, emotional states, feelings, etc.

Theoretical and practical thinking are distinguished by the type of problems being solved and the resulting structural and dynamic features.

Theoretical thinking is the knowledge of laws and rules. The main task is to prepare a physical transformation of reality: setting a goal, creating a plan, project, scheme.

A distinction is also made between intuitive and analytical (logical) thinking. Usually 3 signs are used:

temporary (time of the process)

structural (divided into stages)

level of flow (awareness/unconsciousness)

Analytical thinking of unfolded time has clearly defined stages and is largely represented in the consciousness of the thinking person himself.

Intuitive thinking is characterized by rapidity, the absence of clearly defined stages, and is minimally conscious.

Realistic thinking is aimed mainly at the external world and is regulated by logical laws, while autistic thinking is associated with the realization of human desires. The term "egocentric thinking" is sometimes used and is characterized primarily by the inability to accept another person's point of view.

It is important to distinguish between productive (creative) and reproductive (reproducing) thinking, based on “the degree of novelty of the product obtained in the process of mental activity in relation to the subject’s activities.”

There are also voluntary and involuntary thought processes. Involuntary – these are transformations of dream images and purposeful solution of mental problems

According to S.L. Rubinstein, every thought process is an act aimed at solving a specific problem, the formulation of which includes a goal and conditions. Thinking begins with a problem situation, a need to understand. In this case, solving a problem is the natural completion of the thought process, and stopping it when the goal is not achieved will be perceived by the subject as a breakdown or failure. The dynamics of the thought process are associated with the emotional well-being of the subject, tense at the beginning and satisfactory at the end.

The initial phase of the thinking process is awareness of the problem situation. The first sign of a thinking person is the ability to see a problem where it exists. From awareness of the problem, thought moves to its solution. Application of the rule involves two mental operations:

determine which rule to use for the solution;

application of a general rule to specific conditions of a problem.

Automated action patterns can be considered thinking skills.

The thought process can be represented as the following chain: hypothesis - verification - judgment.

A thought process is a process that is preceded by awareness of the initial situation (task conditions), which is conscious and purposeful, operates with concepts and images, and which ends with some result (rethinking the situation, finding a solution, forming a judgment, etc.).

There are four stages of problem solving:

Preparation;

decision maturation;

inspiration;

checking the solution found.

The structure of the thought process of solving a problem can be presented as follows:

motivation (desire to solve a problem),

problem analysis,

searching for a solution,

1. searching for a solution based on one well-known algorithm (reproductive thinking),

   searching for a solution based on choosing the optimal option from a variety of known algorithms,

   solution based on a combination of individual links from various algorithms,

   searching for a fundamentally new solution (creative thinking),

   1. based on in-depth logical reasoning (analysis, comparison, synthesis, classification, inference, etc.),

      based on the use of analogy,

      based on the use of heuristic techniques,

      based on the use of empirical trial and error,

In case of failure:

3.5 despair, switching to another activity - insight, inspiration, insight, instant awareness of a solution (intuitive thinking),

Factors contributing to insight:

high passion for the problem

belief in success, in the possibility of solving a problem,

high awareness of the problem, accumulated experience,

high associative brain activity.

logical justification of the found solution idea, logical proof of the correctness of the solution,

implementation of the solution,

checking the solution found,

correction (if necessary, return to stage 2).

Ways to activate thinking.

To activate thinking, you can use special forms of organizing the thought process, for example, “brainstorming” or brainstorming (A. Osborne method, USA), designed to produce ideas or solutions when working in a group. “Brainstorming,” which is conducted by a group that gradually accumulates experience in solving various problems, forms the basis of the so-called synectics (W. Gordon, USA).

Method of focal objects. It consists in the fact that the characteristics of several randomly selected objects are transferred to the object under consideration (focal, in the focus of attention), resulting in unusual combinations that allow one to overcome psychological inertia and rigidity.

The method of morphological analysis consists in first identifying the main characteristics of an object, and then recording all possible options for each of them.

The control question method involves using a list of leading questions for this purpose.