Thinking. Its forms and types. Theories of thinking. Mental operations (thinking operations)

Thinking- a form of reflection that establishes connections and relationships between cognizable objects. To think means to perform operations using formal logic.

Views on the problem. Definition of thinking

From a psychological point of view

In psychology, thinking is a set of mental processes that underlie cognition; Thinking specifically includes the active side of cognition: attention, perception, the process of associations, the formation of concepts and judgments. In a narrower logical sense, thinking involves only the formation of judgments and conclusions through analysis and synthesis of concepts.

Thinking is an indirect and generalized reflection of reality, a type of mental activity consisting in knowledge of the essence of things and phenomena, natural connections and relationships between them.

Thinking as one of the mental functions is the mental process of reflection and cognition of essential connections and relationships of objects and phenomena of the objective world.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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:

1. Preparation;
2. finding a solution;
3. inspiration to achieve it;
4. 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.

Thinking techniques:

1. analysis- this is a mental “decomposition into shelves”. Analysis represents the decomposition of a problem into its components and the isolation of its fundamentals;
2. 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;
3. comparison- this is the process of identifying the similarities between objects and phenomena and their differences;
4. classification presents a breakdown point by point, forming certain classes and subclasses;
5. 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;
6. specification allows you to determine the essence of a phenomenon or object;
7. 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.

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.
• Mental retardation(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:

• Rupture 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 the ability to generalize objects and phenomena, to identify the essence based on the knowledge gained. 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 is learning, 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. allows you to choose the most correct solution path and assess 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 to 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.

Thinking outside the box

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 incorporating 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.

thinking subject originality comprehensiveness

Thinking is divided into types depending on the degree of novelty and originality, the nature of the problems being solved, the form, and the degree of development. Also, thinking is divided into types in terms of adaptive functions.

The degree of novelty and originality, in turn, is divided into reproductive (bottom-up) and productive (creative) thinking.

Reproductive thinking is a type of thinking that provides a solution to a problem, based on the reflection of methods already known to man. The new task is compared with the already known solution scheme. But despite this, reproductive thinking almost always requires the disclosure of a certain level of independence.

Productive thinking fully reveals a person’s creative potential and intellectual abilities. Creative possibilities are expressed in the rapid pace of assimilation of knowledge, the breadth of their transfer to new conditions and independent operation of them.

Domestic and foreign psychologists (G.S. Kostyuk, J. Guilford) concluded that creative thinking is a set of those mental characteristics that ensure a productive transformation in human activity.

Four characteristics lead in creative thinking:

• - originality of solution to the problem,
• - semantic flexibility, which allows you to see an object from a different angle,
• - figurative adaptive flexibility, making it possible to modify an object with the development of the need for its cognition,
• - semantically spontaneous flexibility in producing a variety of ideas regarding unclear situations.

Thinking is also distinguished by form. These are such types of thinking as visual-effective, visual-figurative, abstract-logical.

Visual-effective thinking is one of the types of thinking that is distinguished not by the type of problem, but by the method of solving it; the solution to an unusual problem (cognitive, theoretical or practical) is sought through the observation of actual objects, their interaction and the implementation of material transformations, in which the subject of thinking himself is directly involved. The development of intelligence begins with visual and effective thinking, both in phylogenesis and ontogenesis. It lays the beginning and initial basis for a generalized reflection of reality in the structures of personal experience.

Visual-effective thinking is often characterized as simple, elementary, lower, signs of which can be found in the behavior of not only children, but even animals (for example, studies of the intelligence of great apes). But research has shown that this type of thinking is inherent in many types of professions; it is used to solve quite complex problems that arise in the activities of codebreakers, inventors, managers, scientists, surgeons and generals. Significant levels of generalized reflection of reality depend on the results of “vision, perception” of reality, which can be achieved through the actions of visual-effective thinking.

Visual-figurative thinking is thinking that is based on modeling and resolving a situation that is problematic in terms of ideas. It is associated with the presentation of a situation and changes in it. With its help, the entire variety of different actual characteristics of an object is completely recreated, since the image can simultaneously consolidate a vision of the object from different points of view.

Being the next stage in the development of intelligence, after visual-effective thinking, this type of thinking is organized using established perceptual standards, on the basis of which it is possible to identify perceptually non-obvious connections between objects.

In the representations with which visual-figurative thinking operates, not only emerging connections are expressed, but also deeper, hidden important properties that are not shown in a visual situation.

A significant feature of visual-figurative thinking is the establishment of unusual, “incredible” combinations of objects and their properties. In this capacity it is almost indistinguishable from imagination. Visual-figurative thinking is one of the stages of ontogenetic development of thinking.

Abstract-logical (conceptual or abstract) thinking functions in the form of abstract symbols, concepts and numbers. In this case, a person deals with concepts without using the experience that he gained through the senses. For example, the economic terms “balance” or “profit”, the mathematical terms “degree” and “derivative”, the ethical terms “justice” and “conscience” are abstract concepts and they are not perceived by humans through the senses.

From the point of view of the adaptive functions of thinking, it is important that it is divided into realistic and autistic types of thinking.

Realistic thinking is a mental activity that is aimed at transforming and understanding reality. The essential principles of realistic thinking are:

• 1. The principle of objectivity is when a person is guided only by objective values ​​and in his views minimizes the role of some subjective factors.
• 2. The principle of causality is the recognition that every phenomenon has natural causes of its origin.
• 3. The principle of certainty, which states that no position can be accepted until it is proven by some results of practical actions. Also, realistic thinking is characterized by criticality in assessing its progress and results and, importantly, established ethics, which states that knowledge cannot be used to harm nature and man and their common future.

Autistic thinking. This term means illogical thinking associated with autism, that is, the inability of people to take into account actual properties, connections and relationships, preferring the latter images to catathic fantasies. The thoughts and statements of such people are completely determined by their fears and desires, complexes and emotions: they accept as reality only what corresponds to their inner experiences. In this sense, we can say that the essence of autistic thinking is waking dreams, since the analogy with dreams is quite appropriate and even obvious. Normally, writes E. Bleuler (02 April 1857 - 15 July 1939 - Swiss psychiatrist), autistic thinking is usually characteristic of children aged 3-4 years, when the ability to fantasize for the first time arises, that is, to produce images of representation and combine them according to their desires or fears. As a rule, children at this age tend to mix the fruits of their imagination with reality, which is pathologically characteristic of playful transformations.

Psychology also distinguishes types of thinking according to the nature of the problems being solved. They, in turn, are divided into theoretical and practical.

Theoretical thinking is one of the types of thinking that is aimed at discovering laws and properties of objects. .

Practical thinking is thinking that occurs in conditions of practical activity: danger, lack of time, high responsibility for the decision made. This, among other things, is thinking that is aimed at solving a complex problem - with changeable, uncertain conditions, characterized by a large number of elements and properties that must be taken into account. But the most important thing is that practical thinking seeks a solution that can be immediately implemented.

Consequently, practical thinking is not visual and effective thinking, but thinking that regulates and determines action. It is used as a control component. Its results are realized in activity, tested in it.

The next type of thinking is thinking according to the degree of development. It is also divided into several parts - discursive and intuitive thinking.

Discursive thinking is a form of thought process in which different options for solving problems are alternately enumerated, most often based on logical reasoning, where each next step is determined by the result of the previous ones. The result of this thought process is an inference. The essential forms of discursive thinking are deduction and induction.

Intuitive thinking is one type of thinking. It is usually characterized by a rapid progression, lack of clearly defined steps, and minimal awareness.

Usually, they talk about intuitive thinking, implying an explicit or implicit comparison of two types of thinking: verbal-logical and intuitive. The reason for distinguishing these types of thinking is a certain difference in the level of meaningfulness and compliance with the logical requirements of constructing inferences and drawing conclusions. With this thinking, we are talking about cases where there may not be a coherent logical transition from the given to the new, but there is a certain gap, a sharp leap to new knowledge and a departure from the previously established logic. The difference between the process of intuitive and logical thinking is that we are not aware of the process of intuitive thinking; it seems to be merged with the product. At the intuitive level, methods of action are not highlighted; they are given to the subject as one with the object and the action itself. The process of logical thinking, on the contrary, is conscious, isolated from its product, and methods of action are isolated and converted into operations that are applicable to many similar objects.

Each type of thinking corresponds to objects of various types. Objects of intuitive thinking act as objects - originals with which a person interacts. And the objects of logical thinking are sign systems in which the signifier and the signified - the object and the sign - are separated.

Developed thinking is a complex unity of logical and intuitive components, closely interconnected.

Thinking is a way of reflecting reality in the form of human cognitive activity. The end result of thinking is a thought, idea or concept.

A person perceives information from the world around him, processes it in the brain and creates his own opinion about things, phenomena, patterns and connections between them. If simply sensation and perception are characteristic of all living beings, then only humans have thinking.

Peculiarities

Reflection through generalization: the mental process necessarily uses a person’s general knowledge about the objects and phenomena of the world around him. Accordingly, he determines the causes and consequences of various phenomena by summarizing a large number of facts that have taken place in his life up to that point.

Cognition indirectly: in the process of thinking, a person always relies on his own sensations, as well as on past experiences regarding certain objects and phenomena.

Solving situations: the process of solving problems proceeds according to the following scenario - first there is an analysis of the situation and the search for suitable scenarios for solving it. The search can be carried out by trial and error, in a rational or illogical way.

Relationship with speech: thinking is closely related to human speech functions. Any thought can be formulated verbally, expressed using words.

Concept reflects the main properties of objects, phenomena, their connections and relationships. Any concept is used in practice, and the more important signs served as the basis for it, the more effective human activity will be.

Judgment is a reflection of the connection between objects and phenomena in the form of statements or denials. It is based not only on knowledge about the object, but also on subjective attitudes to knowledge in the context of trusting its truth.

Inference - there are several judgments that become the basis for a logical conclusion. The thinking process is based on deduction and induction, interconnected, as well as using analogies.

Methods

Induction. Logical inference about the entire class of objects based on several features and phenomena inherent in them. Often these conclusions can be made hastily, based on unimportant signs.

Deduction. A form of logical inference, when the thought process goes from the general to the particular, that is, the object is analyzed based on existing general knowledge and observations.

Mental operations

• In analysis, a complex object is divided into simpler components to facilitate the thinking process.
• Synthesis is a transition from component parts to the whole - as opposed to analysis.
• In the process of comparison, several objects are taken, for which differences and similarities are established.
• Abstraction is a distraction from unimportant features of an object and focusing on its most significant characteristics.
• Generalization - this operation combines objects according to their common characteristics.

Types of thinking

Visually effective: here a person uses not only concepts about objects, but also performs certain actions with them, based on his theoretical knowledge and practical experience. This is how a child breaks a toy, trying to understand what is inside it.

Visual-figurative: This is thinking in concrete images. The basis is concepts, actions, as well as emotions and feelings. This is how fashion designers come up with new collections of clothes, and stylists create a new image, looking at a person.

About people who are characterized by this type of thinking, they usually say: “Thinks in images.” This species is formed in preschool age. Objects and phenomena of the surrounding world are endowed with various properties, and quite often new, “unusual”. This has a close connection with imagination.

Imaginative thinking prevails among artists, writers, designers, musicians - people whose professional activities are related to art, culture, beauty, style, fashion.

Abstract(verbal-logical): the basis of abstract thinking is existing theories, already proven and logically formulated. In essence, this is the manipulation of existing concepts - their classification, ordering, etc. This type of thinking is characteristic of philosophers and scientists. An example is studying the electron without conducting practical experiments.

These types act as successive stages in the development of human thinking. First, the child begins to manipulate objects, improving visual and effective thinking (infancy). Then, when he is already looking at pictures, listening to songs and fairy tales, watching cartoons, visual-figurative thinking develops (preschool age). And only later, when learning to read, count and write, children develop abstract thinking (school age).

By nature of tasks

Theoretical (empirical). This is the study of laws and rules, carried out on the basis of existing theoretical knowledge. A person analyzes an entire object, isolating the basis on which all its manifestations are based. Then the manifestations of the object are compared and their classification is carried out, as a result of which general ideas about the objects and their manifestations are formed. Laws of physics, theorems in mathematics, concepts in psychology, and philosophical teachings are examples of the results of theoretical thinking.

Its variety is empirical thinking. It is also characterized by generalizations and the identification of patterns and trends, but the basis for this is the results of research, testing hypotheses and comparing various objects, and not abstract concepts.

Practical. Here the result should be the practical application of the theory. Based on theoretical concepts, practical ways of transforming reality are formed - work plans, schemes, projects. The peculiarity of this type of thinking is the insufficient amount of time to test hypotheses and the risk of failure in case of a wrong decision. Aimed at changing the surrounding reality. His goal is not to create certain theories and laws; his task is to develop an action plan to achieve a specific goal. It is important to move from thought to action in a short time.

By degree of reflection

Analytical thinking is based on logic - the process is extended over time and goes step by step. Each next stage follows from the previous one. The entire process of analytical thinking is in the mind of the one who thinks in this way.

With intuitive thinking, the opposite is true - the process proceeds quickly, sometimes almost unconsciously. As they often say - intuition kicks in. Naturally, there are no logically successive stages here.

On the subject to which the action is directed

Realistic. An adequate assessment of the surrounding reality, which is subject to the laws of logic. A person with this type of thinking satisfies his needs based on the real state of affairs. At the same time, he tries to limit the influence of his expectations and desires, putting the truth at the forefront. A person with this type of thinking is characterized by high criticality - every statement must be practically proven.

The basis autistic thinking - the internal desires of a person, which may have nothing to do with the real state of affairs. The goal is to search and find the illusion that seems correct at the moment. There is no criticality here - even illogical concepts that do not run counter to the illusion are accepted, and everything that does not correspond to the goal is discarded.

Egocentric. This thinking is characteristic of immature individuals - for example, children. They have their own at the center of everything own self. Everything and everyone is perceived through the prism of this Self, and the feelings of other people are not taken into account.

By degree of novelty

Productive (creative). In this type of thinking, the main role is played by a person’s creative imagination, which can use everything that has ever been perceived by the brain and produce completely new, original images and concepts. A creative person is able to see a situation and an object from a different angle. The main criterion here is the uniqueness of the resulting object (both material and spiritual). People who think creatively use new ways and sources of knowledge search, make original conclusions and conclusions. They generate fresh ideas and develop unique projects.

Reproductive. There is not even a hint of creativity here - cognition is based on existing patterns or images perceived from any sources. But at the same time, the problem must be correlated with the existing solution rules, which will require a certain independence. Aimed at reproducing previously acquired knowledge and results.

According to the degree of arbitrariness

Voluntary: directed by the will and consciousness of a person. He has complete control over the thought process.

Involuntary: carried out by itself, without volitional effort. It is typical, for example, for those situations in which actions are performed automatically. Or such thinking may appear under the influence of some external stimuli.

Unconscious thinking

Unconscious thinking is the same way a person comprehends the world around him, but only with the unconscious part of his mind. There is practically everything that a person has - past experiences, beliefs, doubts, fears, sensations and in general all feelings and emotions. The unconscious does not look for a solution, it notices it. If consciousness can be at least somehow controlled, then the unconscious cannot be controlled.

The most correct decisions are made not through logical comprehension, that is, as a result of the hard work of the conscious, but as a result of the work of the unconscious part of our personality. We may not notice some things and phenomena, but our subconscious records them and analyzes them. All this is stored for the time being and appears only when a task appears for which this information will be needed. And the person will not even understand that he made this or that decision not because he thought a lot and looked for a logical way out of the situation, but because the unconscious influenced it.

Types of thinking depending on personal characteristics

The personal characteristics of each person can influence his type of thinking.

Male thinking, as a rule, is based on logic and is aimed at developing a plan of action. Most often it has a goal, it is characterized by rationality and the separation of reason from emotions. A man’s thinking usually has a clear task - to move from words (from thoughts) to actions and achieve the desired result. Most representatives of the stronger sex believe that emotions interfere with thinking.

Feminine thinking quite often it is intuitive in nature, it almost always contains emotions, it is based on specifics and details. Under the influence of a woman’s feelings and mood, her train of thoughts and conclusions may change. Although these patterns appear only at the level of trends, it cannot be said that female representatives are not characterized by logic and rationality in thinking. Depending on the goals and situation, women can also plan, calculate, generalize, and analyze just as well as men. And at the same time, they believe that emotions help them think.

Men are more inclined to think things through first and then formulate their thoughts. Women usually think while communicating.

Positive: People with this type of thinking tend to see opportunities around them when solving life's problems and, despite obstacles, remain optimistic. Positive thinking is realistic and constructive; it presupposes a sober assessment of the situation, an attitude of success and a desire for action.

Negative thinking: reflects dissatisfaction with life and a pessimistic approach to it. It is based on the habit of complaining and seeing everything as an obstacle to one’s actions. This kind of thinking reflects a person's desire to constantly gain sympathy and receive support from other people.

Strategic: This kind of thinking is possessed by people who tend to clearly plan far ahead and know how to predict the future. They strictly adhere to the goal and can evaluate the most effective ways to achieve it. Such people become successful leaders and businessmen.

Idealistic: an idealist does not cognize the world, he creates an ideal model of it in his mind and tries to “try it all on” to the real world. Usually both do not coincide, which is very frustrating for a person with this type of thinking. They often do not notice the obvious due to lack of observation and adherence to illusions.

Irrational: An irrational person cannot always explain why he acts one way or another. But at the same time, he believes in what he does and infects those around him with his faith. The most important thing for him is the result that the irrational strives for, despite the illogicality of actions and incorrect assessment of phenomena.

Rational: A rational person operates exclusively with facts, knowledge and skills - emotions and feelings are not important for him. He always thinks soberly and logically and approaches everything constructively. He solves problems quickly and clearly.

Analytical: The analyst believes only in logic - for him, one phenomenon follows from another and everything has its own reasons. He will study the problem for a long time and thoughtfully, getting to the bottom of the root cause.

Synthesizing: A person with a synthesizing type of thinking can create a holistic and clear picture from disparate facts and scraps of information. These people are not afraid of routine operations and are not at all eager for change.

The type of thinking depends on the individual characteristics of the person and consists of both innate characteristics and those that are formed in the process of life. It affects both the success of various tasks and the approach to perceiving the world as a whole. Some types of thinking are quite amenable to adjustment. And if you really want, for example, a negative style can be changed to a positive one.

Concept of thinking. Types of thinking and the possibilities of their classification.

Response plan

Concept of thinking.

1. Understanding thinking.

Types of thinking.

Classification capabilities.

Answer:

Concept of thinking.

1. Understanding thinking.

Thinking, unlike other processes, occurs in accordance with a certain logic.

Thinking– the mental process of a generalized and indirect reflection of stable regular properties and relationships of reality, carried out to solve cognitive problems, systematic orientation in specific situations. Mental activity is a system of mental actions and operations for solving a specific problem.

There are different psychological theories of thinking. According to associationism, thinking itself is not a special process and comes down to a simple combination of memory images (associations by contiguity, similarity, contrast). Representatives of the Wurzburg school considered thinking to be a special type of mental process and separated it from the sensory basis and speech. According to psychology, thinking occurs in a closed sphere of consciousness. As a result, thinking was reduced to the movement of thoughts in closed structures of consciousness. Materialistic psychology approached the consideration of thinking as a process that is formed in social conditions of life, acquiring the character of internal “mental” actions.

Thinking is the highest level of human knowledge. Allows you to obtain knowledge about such objects, properties and relationships of the real world that cannot be directly perceived at the sensory level of cognition. The forms and laws of thinking are studied by logic, the mechanisms of its flow by psychology and neurophysiology. Cybernetics analyzes thinking in connection with the tasks of modeling certain mental functions.

Problematic nature of thinking. Phases of the thought process.

Thinking is active and problematic. It is aimed at solving problems. The following phases of the thought process are distinguished:

Awareness of a problem situation - there is an awareness of the presence of information about the deficit. You should not think that this is the beginning of thinking, because awareness of a problem situation already includes a preliminary thought process.

Awareness of the emerging solution as a hypothesis includes a search for solution options.

Hypothesis testing phase - the mind carefully weighs the pros and cons of its hypotheses and subjects them to comprehensive testing.

Solving a problem is getting an answer to a question or solving a problem. The decision is recorded in the judgment on the issue.

Mental operations. Forms of thinking.

1. Analysis - decomposition of the whole into parts or properties (shape, color, etc.)

2. Synthesis - mental combination of parts or properties into a single whole

3. Comparison - comparing objects and phenomena, finding similarities and differences

4. Generalization – mental unification of objects and phenomena according to their common essential features

5. Abstraction – highlighting some features and distracting from others.

6. Concretization is the process opposite to abstraction. We use concrete phenomena.

These operations are not just various side-by-side and independent variants of mental actions, but there are coordination relations between them, since they are particular, specific forms of the basic, generic mental operation of mediation. Moreover, voluntary regulation of thinking creates the possibility of reversibility of operations: dismemberment and connection (analysis and synthesis), establishing similarities and identifying differences (or comparison: if A>B, then B

Concept and scientific knowledge. Our thinking will be the more accurate the more precise and indisputable concepts we connect. A concept arises from an ordinary idea through clarification; it is the result of a thinking process, with the help of which both a child and an adult discover the relationships between objects and events.

Forms – judgment, inference, concept, analogy.

Generalization and mediation of thought.

Thinking, as the highest form of human cognitive activity, allows us to reflect the surrounding reality, generalize and establish connections and deviations between objects and phenomena. The generality of thought is represented by the isolation of general relations through the operation of comparison. Thinking is the movement of thought, revealing a connection that leads from the individual (particular) to the general. Generalization is facilitated by the fact that thinking is symbolic in nature and is expressed in words. The word makes human thinking indirect. Thinking is mediated by action.

Types of thinking.

Abstract thinking – thinking using concepts that accompany symbolization. Logical thinking - a type of thought process in which logical structures and ready-made concepts are used. Respectively, abstract – logical thinking is a special type of thought process that involves the use of symbolic concepts and logical structures.

Divergent thinking - a special type of thinking that assumes that there can be many equally correct and equal answers to the same question. Convergent thinking - a type of thinking that assumes that there is only one correct solution to a problem. (can be synonymous with "conservative" and "rigid" thinking)

Visual - actionable thinking - a special type of thought process, the essence of which lies in practical transformative activity carried out with real objects. Visual – imaginative thinking - a special type of thought process, the essence of which lies in practical transformative activity carried out with images. Associated with the presentation of situations and changes in them. Creative thinking – this is thinking in which images are used. (Imaginative logic plays a leading role)

Practical thinking - a type of thought process that is aimed at transforming the surrounding reality based on setting goals, developing plans, as well as perceiving and manipulating real objects.

Theoretical thinking – one of the types of thinking that is aimed at discovering laws and properties of objects. Theoretical thinking is not only the operation of theoretical concepts, but also the mental path that allows you to resort to these operations in a specific situation. An example of theoretical thinking is fundamental scientific research.

Creative thinking - one of the types of thinking, characterized by the creation of a subjectively new product and new formations in the course of the cognitive activity of its creation. These new formations relate to motivation, goals, evaluations and meanings. Creative thinking differs from the processes of applying ready-made knowledge and skills, called thinking reproductive .

Critical thinking – represents a test of proposed solutions in order to determine the scope of their possible application.

Prelogical thinking - a concept introduced by L. Levy-Bruhl to designate the early stage of the development of thinking, when the formation of its basic logical laws has not yet been completed - the existence of cause-and-effect relationships is already realized, but their essence appears in a mystified form. Phenomena are correlated on the basis of cause and effect even when they simply coincide in time. Participation (involvement) of events adjacent in time and space serves as the basis for explaining most events occurring in the world. At the same time, man appears to be closely connected with nature, especially with the animal world.

In prelogical thinking, natural and social situations are perceived as processes occurring under the auspices and counteraction of invisible forces - a magical worldview. Lévy-Bruhl did not associate prelogical thinking exclusively with the early stages of the formation of society, admitting that its elements manifest themselves in everyday consciousness in later periods (everyday superstitions, jealousy, fear, arising on the basis of partiality, and not logical thinking)

Verbally – logical thinking – one of the types of thinking using concepts and logical constructions. It functions on the basis of linguistic means and represents the latest stage in the historical and ontogenetic development of thinking. Various types of generalizations are formed and function in its structure.

Spatial thinking – a set of mental sequential operational spatial transformations and simultaneous figurative vision of an object in all the diversity and variability of its properties, constant recoding of these various mental plans.

Intuitive Thinking – one of the types of thinking. Characteristic features: rapid progression, lack of clearly defined stages, little awareness.

Realistic and autistic thinking. The latter is associated with withdrawal from reality into internal experiences.

There is also involuntary and voluntary thinking.

Classification capabilities.

(L.L. Gurova) there is no accepted classification of types and forms of thinking that corresponds to the modern theory of thinking. Thus, it is incorrect to establish a dividing line between theoretical and practical thinking, figurative and conceptual, as is done in old psychology textbooks. Types of thinking should be distinguished by the content of the activity performed - the tasks solved in it, and forms of thinking that are differently related to the content - by the nature of the actions and operations performed, their language.

They can be distinguished this way:

according to form: visual-effective, visual-figurative – abstract-logical;

by the nature of the tasks being solved: theoretical – practical;

by degree of deployment: discursive – intuitive

by degree of novelty: reproductive – productive.