Types of thinking in humans. Classification and main types of thinking

Thinking- this is the most generalized and indirect form of mental reflection, establishing connections and relationships between cognizable objects. In its formation, it goes through two stages: pre-conceptual and conceptual. Pre-conceptual is the initial stage of the development of thinking in a child, when the latter has a different organization than that of adults. Children's judgments are isolated, about this particular subject. When explaining something, they reduce everything to the particular, the familiar. Most judgments are made by similarity or analogy, since at this stage memory plays the main role in thinking. The earliest form of proof is an example. Considering this peculiarity of a child’s thinking, when he is being convinced or something is explained to him, it is necessary to support his speech with clear examples.

The main feature of pre-conceptual thinking is egocentrism (not to be confused with egoism). Accordingly, a child under 5 years old cannot look at himself from the outside, is not able to correctly understand situations that require some detachment from his own point of view and acceptance of someone else’s position.

Egocentrism determines such features of children's logic as:

• insensitivity to contradictions;
• syncretism (the tendency to connect everything with everything);
• transduction (transition from particular to particular, bypassing the general);
• lack of understanding of conservation of quantity.

During the normal development of a child, pre-conceptual thinking, the components of which are concrete images, is replaced by conceptual (abstract) thinking, which is characterized by concepts and formal operations. Conceptual thinking does not come immediately, but gradually, through a series of intermediate stages. Thus, L. S. Vygotsky identified 5 stages in the transition to the formation of concepts. The first one is for a child 2-3 years old. When asked to put together similar objects that fit together, he puts any objects together, believing that those placed next to each other are suitable - such is the syncretism of children's thinking.

The second stage is different in that children use elements of objective similarity between two objects, but the third object can be similar only to one of the first pair - a chain of pairwise similarities arises. The third stage occurs at the age of 7-10, when children can combine a group of objects by similarity, but are not able to recognize and name the features that characterize this group. And finally, in adolescents aged 11-14 years, conceptual thinking appears, but it is still imperfect, since primary concepts are formed on the basis of everyday experience and are not supported by scientific data. Perfect concepts are formed at the 5th stage, in adolescence, when the use of theoretical principles allows one to go beyond one’s own experience.

So, thinking develops from concrete images to perfect concepts, designated by words. The concept initially reflects the similar, unchangeable in phenomena and objects.

There are different types of thinking.

Visual-effective thinking relies on the direct perception of objects, the real transformation of the situation in the process of actions with objects.

Visual-figurative thinking characterized by reliance on ideas and images. Its functions are related to the presentation of situations and changes in them that a person wants to achieve as a result of his activities that transform the situation. Its very important feature is the composition of unusual, incredible combinations of objects and their properties. In contrast to the visually effective, here the situation is transformed only in terms of the image.

Verbal and logical thinking- a type of thinking carried out using logical operations with concepts. It is formed over a long period (from 7-8 to 18-20 years) in the process of mastering concepts and logical operations during training.

There are also theoretical and practical, intuitive and analytical, realistic and autistic, productive and reproductive thinking.

Theoretical and practical thinking differs in the type of problems being solved and the resulting structural and dynamic features. Theoretical is the knowledge of laws and rules. An example of this is the discovery of the periodic table of elements by D. I. Mendeleev. The main task of practical thinking is to prepare a physical transformation of reality: setting a goal, creating a plan, project, scheme. One of its important features is that it is deployed under conditions of severe time pressure. Practical thinking provides very limited opportunities for testing hypotheses, all this makes it sometimes more complex than theoretical thinking. The latter is sometimes compared with empirical thinking. Here the criterion is the nature of the generalizations with which thinking deals; in one case these are scientific concepts, and in the other - everyday, situational generalizations.

Also shared intuitive And analytical (logical) thinking. In this case, they are usually based on three characteristics: temporal (time of the process), structural (division into stages), level of occurrence (awareness or unconsciousness). Analytical thinking unfolds in time, has clearly defined stages, and is represented in the human mind. Intuitive thinking is characterized by rapidity, the absence of clearly defined stages, and is minimally conscious.

Realistic thinking is directed mainly to the external world, is regulated by logical laws, and autistic associated with the realization of a person’s desires (who among us has not presented what we wanted as reality). The term is sometimes used egocentric thinking, it is characterized by the inability to accept the point of view of another person.

It is important to distinguish between productive and reproductive thinking based on the degree of novelty of the resulting result of mental activity.

It is also necessary to isolate involuntary and voluntary thought processes: involuntary transformations of dream images and purposeful solution of mental problems.

The following stages of problem solving are distinguished:

• Preparation;
• decision maturation;
• inspiration;
• checking the solution found.

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

1. Motivation (desire to solve a problem).
2. Analysis of the problem (“what is given”, “what needs to be found”, what are the missing or redundant data, etc.).
3. Finding a solution.
4. Search for a solution based on one well-known algorithm (reproductive thinking).
5. Search for a solution based on choosing the optimal option from a variety of known algorithms.
6. A solution based on a combination of individual links from various algorithms.
7. Search for a fundamentally new solution (creative thinking):
   • based on in-depth logical reasoning (analysis, comparison, synthesis, classification, inference, etc.);
   • based on the use of analogies;
   • based on the use of heuristic techniques;

based on the use of empirical trial and error. In case of failure:

1. Despair, switching to another activity, “period of incubation rest” - “ripening of ideas”, insight, inspiration, insight, instant awareness of a solution to a certain problem (intuitive thinking). The following factors contribute to “insight”:
   • high passion for the problem;
   • belief in success, in the ability to solve the problem;
   • high awareness of the problem, accumulated experience;
   • high associative activity of the brain (during sleep, at high temperature, fever, with emotionally positive stimulation).
2. Logical justification of the found solution idea, logical proof of the correctness of the solution.
3. Implementation of the solution.
4. Checking the solution found.
5. Correction (if necessary, return to stage 2).

Mental activity is realized both at the level of consciousness and at the level of the unconscious; it is characterized by complex transitions and interactions of these levels. As a result of a successful (purposeful) action, a result is obtained that corresponds to a previously set goal. If it was not provided for, then it turns out to be a by-product in relation to such a goal (a by-product of the action). The problem of the conscious and the unconscious in a more specific form appears as a problem of the relationship between the direct (conscious) and by-products (unconscious) of action. The second is also reflected by the subject, and this reflection may participate in the subsequent regulation of actions, but it is not presented in verbalized form, consciously. The by-product “is formed under the influence of those specific properties of things and phenomena that are included in the action, but are not essential from the point of view of the goal.

The main mental operations are distinguished: analysis, comparison, synthesis, generalization, abstraction etc.

Analysis- the mental operation of dividing a complex object into its constituent parts or characteristics.

Comparison- a mental operation based on establishing similarities and differences between objects.

Synthesis- a mental operation that allows one to mentally move from parts to the whole in a single process.

Generalization- mental association of objects and phenomena according to their common and essential characteristics.

Abstraction(distraction) - a mental operation based on highlighting the essential properties and connections of an object and abstracting from other, unimportant ones.

The main forms of logical thinking are concept, judgment, inference.

Concept- a form of thinking that reflects the essential properties, connections and relationships of objects and phenomena, expressed in a word or group of words. Concepts can be general and individual, concrete and abstract.

Judgment- a form of thinking that reflects the connections between objects and phenomena; affirmation or denial of something. Judgments can be true or false.

Inference- a form of thinking in which a certain conclusion is drawn based on several judgments. Inferences are distinguished between inductive and deductive, by analogy:

• Induction- logical conclusion in the process of thinking from the particular to the general.
• Deduction- logical conclusion in the process of thinking from the general to the specific.
• Analogy- logical conclusion in the process of thinking from particular to particular (based on some elements of similarity).

Individual differences in the mental activity of people are associated with such qualities of thinking as breadth, depth and independence of thinking, flexibility of thought, speed and criticality of the mind.

Breadth of thinking- this is the ability to cover the entire issue as a whole, without at the same time missing out on the particulars necessary for the matter. Depth of thinking is expressed in the ability to penetrate into the essence of complex issues. The opposite quality is superficiality of judgment, when a person pays attention to 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- 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 of it, rushes to make a decision, and expresses insufficiently thought-out answers and judgments.

A certain slowness of mental activity may be due to the type of nervous system - its low mobility, “The speed of mental processes is the fundamental basis of intellectual differences between people” (G. Eysenck).

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

Individual characteristics include a person’s preference for a visual-effective, visual-figurative or abstract-logical type of thinking.

According to my observation of human thinking and comparison of what I see and understand with the research and theoretical conclusions of famous psychologists, I have come to the conclusion that I consider human thinking to be an exclusively adaptive response to the reality around him. At the same time, I am omitting such a part as fantasies; this is another topic, which also has many of its own nuances. Two main hypotheses about the nature of human thinking, one of which implies its natural origin, and the second a life process, have the right to exist. Only now they shape our thinking in different proportions, where the overwhelming role is played by the life process, surrounding factors, events, and so on. In other words, everything that surrounds us is material for the formation of our thinking. Let’s say you and I can say that by nature a person is designed in such a way that he is drawn to learning new things, but in fact, such knowledge is formed exclusively by the social environment in which a person lives.

For example, the first astronomers could appear only when they had enough time to engage in science, thanks to the division of labor. Nowadays, we see the degradation of individuals, and even entire groups, who have no interest in either knowledge or other types of intellectual activity. If thinking is capable of giving birth to images in our head that do not exist in nature, the same fantasies do this perfectly, then the derivative for such thinking is, again, the surrounding reality. Previously, people, by definition, could not dream the way we can dream today; they simply did not have the data for this that we have. In addition, I personally noticed that the more educated a person is, the richer his fantasies, and the more complex his structure of thinking. A person’s knowledge of himself, based on his internal qualities and hidden resources, is a rather vague topic. As a psychologist, I work only with verified facts, omitting the esoteric part, in which, although there are many interesting facts, they all require, for the most part, faith on our part, which, in my opinion, is not a serious approach to the questions posed to a person.

We don’t have to believe, we have to know and see clearly how our thinking actually works, because it is what shapes around us the reality in which we live. When I came to my conclusion that our thinking is a product of the reality around us and, in particular, the reaction to it, I proceeded, first of all, from a person’s ability to adapt to the environment. Flexibility of thinking, in my opinion, is the very proof that we think based on our needs and the conditions of the surrounding reality. All our qualities, be it thinking, instincts, intuition, etc., they are all intended for our survival, first of all. And just as the human psyche is formed mainly thanks to upbringing and thanks to the conditions that surround a person, so his thinking is formed mainly thanks to our senses, which collect information from the world around us. Any images in our head have a definition that is taken from the world around us.

Give a blind man an apple in his hand and ask him about what he is holding, if until that moment he has not held an apple in his hand, how can he define it, his brain will only process the sensations, but he has no definition for it. This can be done with a sighted person, who also has no idea about the apple, and he, too, will not give you the correct answer, or will simply substitute a different word. Or take as an example imitation, when a person simply having no idea what he should do, simply copies the actions of another, and this happens more often than we can imagine. And a person imitates only out of necessity, feeling the need for it, and believing that this will be better for his survival. In this case, what kind of thought process occurs in his head, except for the processing of the received data and conclusions based on them, it cannot be called anything else. Any thought has its own logic, just as thinking in general is logical, and any thinking. In psychology, logic that does not have support is called a scheme; it is precisely this scheme that is built in our head during thinking.

Some attribute this scheme to the inner speech that forms it, but this is the point of view of those who are inclined to the theory of the natural origin of human thinking. I see logic in any thought process, any thought, in my opinion, has its own logical conclusion, but since thinking is formed on the basis of external data, the interpretation of which can sometimes be erroneous, then the scheme built in a person’s head, according to his logic, can be nothing more than adequate processing of external data. But this is only if we do not consider all kinds of mental deviations with you, but simply set as an example a person who makes mistakes. It's like a mathematical problem that, in order to be solved correctly, requires a correspondingly correct composition. But if a mistake is made in the preparation of the problem, then its solution will be appropriate. Now look at what tasks life sets for us, are they logical, and what tasks do the people around us set for us? Every person in your life has the same basic mindset that they are trying to survive in this world.

His thinking will be formed according to the position that he occupies, and yours according to your position. And the greater the difference in your positions, the greater the difference will be in the way of thinking of two people living in fact in different worlds. Awareness, personal experience, conditions, all this can form a way of thinking, which will be a product of adaptation to the external conditions surrounding a person, and the material processed in this case will be the knowledge that a person has. And since people’s conditions are usually different, so is their set of knowledge, and in general the picture of the world does not look the same for everyone, we have completely opposite points of view among different people, a lack of logic in thinking, while it is simply different, and in Overall different ways of thinking. And as you yourself may know, flexibility of thinking can be trained, and it is best to do this in conditions that simply force a person to spin. This is how I see the process of formation of human thinking, and apparently my point of view, my logical conclusions, are also adapted to the conditions in which I live, and the data that I have, just like any of you.

For some reason, people often complain about it, but no one complains about thinking. And in general, it seems that the very need to develop thinking concerns us little. Don't you think this is strange? For the majority of people, the process of the birth of thought is no less mysterious than the birth of the Galaxy. But thinking can also be different. But before we talk about types of thinking, let's figure out what it is.

Every second a person receives a variety of information from the outside world. The result of the work of our senses is visual images, sounds, smells, taste and tactile sensations, data about the state of the body. We receive all this as a result of the direct sensory. This is primary information, the building material with which our thinking works.

The process of processing sensory data, their analysis, comparison, generalization, conclusions - this is thinking. This is a higher cognitive process, during which new, unique knowledge is created, information that is not in our sensory experience.

An example of such a birth of new knowledge is the simplest construction - a syllogism, consisting of two premises - empirical (given in direct experience) knowledge and one conclusion - a conclusion.

• The first premise: all students take exams in winter.
• Second premise: Ivanov is a student.
• Conclusion: Ivanov takes exams in winter.

This conclusion is the result of elementary thinking, because we do not know whether Ivanov passes exams in winter, but we obtain this knowledge through reasoning. Although, of course, most often the process of the birth of a thought is more complex and even confusing.

Birth of a thought

Everyone knows that thoughts are born in the head, or more precisely, in the brain. But answering the question of how this happens is not easy.

The main role in thinking and in mental activity in general is played by nerve cells - neurons. And we have at least a trillion of them, and each neuron is a whole data processing factory. It is connected by numerous nerve fibers to other neurons and exchanges with them electrochemical impulses that carry information. Moreover, the transmission speed of this information is 100 m/sec. It is this high-speed exchange of data that is thinking, and it was not without reason that in ancient times they believed that the fastest thing in the world is human thought.

If you imagine the thinking process in the form of a bright image, it resembles fireworks. First, one star flashes - an impulse or signal from an external stimulus. Then it spreads out in breadth and depth along the chain of nerve cells with new bursts of activity, covering an ever-increasing area of ​​the brain.

Interestingly, when passing through the neural circuits of the brain, the impulse must overcome certain “obstacles” at the junction of nerve fibers. But each subsequent signal along this path will pass much easier. That is, the more we think, the more often we force our brain to work, the easier the thinking process becomes.

Knowledge, of course, has high value. But they are necessary primarily as material for thinking. We become smarter not when we receive new knowledge, but when we comprehend it, incorporate it into activity, that is, think.

The mystery of the two hemispheres: right-hemisphere and left-hemisphere thinking

In what form is a thought born in our head? It is not easy to answer this question, since thought is a process and a product of information processing, and information in the brain exists in two forms.

1. Sensory and emotional images. From the outside world it comes in the form of sensory images: sounds, colors, pictures, smells, tactile sensations, etc. Very often these vivid images are also emotionally colored.
2. Abstract signs - words, numbers, verbal structures, formulas, etc. Words can denote (replace) any sensory images or be of an abstract nature, such as numbers.

Scientists say that a person thinks in two languages ​​- the language of words and the language of images. There is even a special type of thinking - conceptual, that is, verbal. Moreover, the centers responsible for conceptual and figurative thinking are located in different hemispheres of the brain, and these two types of information are processed differently. The left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for the operations of our consciousness with words and numbers, and the right hemisphere is responsible for operations with sensory images. By the way, the center of creative abilities is also located in the right hemisphere; it is associated with intuition and the subconscious.

The famous physiologist I.P. Pavlov believed that among us there are people who clearly have one of two types of mental activity:

• right-hemisphere - this is an artistic type, thinking based on images and sensory perception;
• left-hemisphere - a thinking type that operates better with concepts and abstract signs.

However, all people should not be divided into these two types. Most of us are of the average type and use both words and images in our mental activity. And depending on the goal, task, problem facing us, either the right or left hemisphere is activated.

In general, an adult, fully developed person has all types and types of thinking, including its three main types:

• visually effective;
• figurative;
• abstract-logical.

Although all these three types of thinking are not formed at once.

Visual-effective thinking

This is the most ancient type of mental activity, which arose among the primitive ancestors of man and is the first to form in a small child. And, according to scientists, it is precisely this type of mental activity that higher animals have.

Thinking is called mediated mental activity because, unlike direct sensory perception, it uses “intermediaries” - images or words. But visual-effective thinking is distinguished by the fact that material objects act as such “intermediaries” in it. This type of thinking occurs only in the process of objective activity, when a person manipulates objects.

Children's manual thinking

I think everyone has seen how a small child of 2-3 years old plays: he makes a tower of cubes, assembles a pyramid, folding the wheels to fit, or even unscrews the wheels of a new car. This is not just a game. This is how the baby thinks and develops mentally. While only visual and effective thinking is available to him, his mental operations take on the form of objective, manipulative activity:

• Comparison - choosing a suitable size circle or cube.
• Synthesis is the composition of individual cube elements into a single whole - a tower.
• Well, and analysis, when a child disassembles a whole thing (a car or a doll) into individual components.

Scientists call visual-effective thinking pre-thinking, emphasizing that there is more direct-sensory thinking in it than indirect thinking. But this is a very important stage in the development of mental activity, including the mental development of the child.

Visual-effective thinking in adults

This type of thinking cannot be considered primitive or inferior. In adults, it is also present and actively participates in objective activities. For example, we use it when making soup, digging beds in the garden, knitting socks or fixing the faucet in the bathroom. And for some, this type of thinking even at times prevails over the abstract-logical and figurative. Such people are called masters “from God”; they say that they have “golden hands”.

By the way, it’s the hands, not the head. Because such people can repair a complex mechanism without completely understanding the principle of its operation. To do this, they just need to disassemble it and then reassemble it. By disassembling, they will understand what caused the breakdown, and by reassembling, they will fix it, and even improve the unit.

Visual-figurative thinking

The main tools of visual-figurative thinking are images, as a result of sensory perception and comprehension of reality. That is, an image is not a photographic imprint of an object, but the result of the work of our brain. Therefore, it may differ to one degree or another from the original.

The role of images in mental activity

Our thinking operates with three types of images.

1. Images-perceptions are associated with the direct activity of our senses: visual pictures, sounds, smells, etc. These are also not photographic copies of reality, because we may not hear something, not see some details - the brain will guess, add missing.
2. Images-representations are figurative information that is stored in our memory. And when saved, the images become even less accurate, since not very significant and important details are lost or forgotten.
3. Imagination images are the result of one of the most mysterious cognitive processes. With the help of imagination, we can recreate from a description or invent an image of a never-seen creature or object. However, these images are also connected with reality, since they are the result of processing and combining information stored in memory.

All three types of images are actively involved in cognitive activity, even when it comes to abstract logical thinking. Without this type of information, neither problem solving nor creativity is possible.

Specifics of imaginative thinking

Figurative thinking is a higher level of mental activity, but it also does not need words too much. After all, we can comprehend even such abstract concepts as “love”, “hate”, “loyalty”, “resentment” through images and feelings.

A child’s imaginative thinking begins to form around the age of 3, and the peak of its development is considered to be 5-7 years. It is not for nothing that this time is called the age of dreamers and artists. At this period of development, children already have a good command of speech activity, but words do not interfere with the images at all; they complement and clarify them.

It is believed that the language of images is more complex than the language of words, because there are many more images, they are diverse, colored with numerous shades of feelings. Therefore, there are not enough words to describe all the images involved in our thinking.

Imaginative thinking is the basis of the highest cognitive process - creativity. It is inherent not only to artists, poets, musicians, but also to all those who have a high level of creativity and love to invent new things. But for the majority of people, visual-figurative thinking fades into the background, giving way to abstract-logical thinking.

Abstract logical thinking

This type of thinking is considered higher, it is specially taught to children at school, and the level of its development is often identified with intelligence. Although this is not entirely correct, because without the participation of imaginative thinking, with the help of only logical thinking, only elementary problems can be solved - albeit complex ones, but having one only correct solution. There are many such problems in mathematics, but in real life they are rare.

But abstract-logical thinking is also valuable because it allows you to operate with abstract concepts that have no basis in real images, such as function, differential, justice, conscience, volume, length, etc.

Logical Thinking Tools

This type of thinking is closely related to speech activity, therefore the prerequisites for its development appear in children when they have fully mastered speech. Words and verbal structures - sentences - act as tools of logical thinking. The very name of this type of thinking comes not so much from the word “logic” as from the Greek “logos” - word, concept, thought.

Words in abstract logical thinking replace images, actions, and feelings. This allows you to think abstractly, abstractly, without connection with a specific situation or object. Animals, even higher ones, not endowed with the ability to speak, are deprived of such an opportunity.

The process of abstract logical thinking is sometimes called inner speech, since it occurs in verbal form. Moreover, if reflection (inner speech) does not bring success in solving a problem or understanding an issue, then psychologists recommend switching to external speech, that is, reasoning out loud. In this case, the person will no longer be distracted by randomly and spontaneously arising images and associations.

Features of abstract-logical thinking

We said that imaginative thinking is voluminous, multifaceted and allows you to see a situation or problem as a whole, on a large scale. In contrast, abstract-logical thinking is discrete, since it consists of individual bricks and elements. Words and sentences are such building blocks. The use of words allows you to organize thinking and streamline it. Such organization makes vague, vague thoughts clearer and clearer.

Logical thinking is also linear; it is subject to the laws of the algorithm, which require sequential transition from one mental operation to another. The most important thing for him is the consistent construction of reasoning.

Development of abstract logical thinking

This way of thinking can cause difficulties when thoughts begin to get confused, as if scattering in different directions, or flickering like mosquitoes on a summer evening. Before a person has time to seriously think through one thought, it is replaced by the next one, often unrelated to the main problem. Or a brilliant idea dawns on you, flashes for a moment and flies away to get lost in a labyrinth of convolutions. And it’s such a pity, because the idea is not bad, sensible! But you can't catch her anymore. This stupid “catching thoughts” is annoying, tiring and makes you want to give up on these chaotic thoughts and look for a ready-made solution on the Internet. The reason for such difficulties is simple - the lack of mental activity skills. Thinking, like any other activity, needs constant training.

You know the saying: “He who thinks clearly speaks clearly”? This law can be read in reverse. Logical thinking requires well-developed, clear, orderly speech. But this is not enough. If imaginative thinking is spontaneous, elemental, intuitive and depends on inspiration, then ordered logical thinking is subject to strict laws that were formulated in Antiquity more than 2 thousand years ago. At the same time, a special science arose that studies the laws of thinking - logic. Knowledge of the laws and rules of mental activity is a prerequisite for mastering logical thinking.

And although this type of thinking is considered the highest, it should not be limited. This is not a panacea or a unique multifunctional tool. The problem facing us can be solved most effectively by using imaginative thinking.

Creative thinking

There is one more species that stands somewhat apart. They began to study it relatively recently, but research has already proven the fundamental importance of this type of thinking not only for a person’s full life, but also for the development of human civilization. This . But it’s worth talking about it separately.

Thinking is a mental cognitive process that makes it possible to actively cognize the surrounding reality. In everyday life, a person uses thinking constantly. Sometimes mental images become so habitual that we simply do not notice the internal dialogue taking place. In fact, the process happens constantly. The main forms and types of thinking are presented in this article.

Forms of thinking

In psychology, it is customary to distinguish certain forms of thinking. They are familiar to every person, but they still need to pay close attention.

Inference

Inference is a form of thinking in which an individual comes to a logical conclusion through long reflection on a question. To come to a definite opinion, you need to be able to compare information and analyze it. Often people make conclusions without really understanding the problem, but based on their own subjective feelings. This is strictly not recommended. This approach can be confusing and lead to undesirable consequences. Inference forces a person to think and reflect on the events taking place in his life. It does not allow him to relax and give up in difficult situations. We should not forget that there is always a way out of any situation and you just need to look for it carefully. After all, it doesn’t happen that a person wants to find a solution for a long time, but it doesn’t exist. You must learn to think with a clear head, without misleading yourself or others.

Judgment

Judgment in psychology is a form of thinking in which the subject mentally or out loud (in conversation with an interlocutor) reflects on phenomena or an object that interests him. Judgment as a form of thinking often helps to produce meaningful arguments in a dispute. Sometimes it seems almost impossible to prove something to your opponent. However, once you begin to operate with weighty judgments, the main dispute is resolved. This form of thinking is focused primarily on finding existing alternatives and eliminating misunderstandings between people. Sometimes a person uses judgment as a way to realize something. He can be alone with himself and at the same time reason, mentally addressing an invisible interlocutor.

Types of thinking

In psychology, it is customary to distinguish several main types of thinking. They are considered from the point of view of the development of the individual and his ability to understand the world around him. The higher the level of human development, the more complex types of thinking he uses in his daily life.

Visual-effective thinking

This type of thinking is more characteristic of young children who do not yet know how to speak or are just learning to do so. They carefully observe the actions of adults and try to imitate them. Visual-effective thinking allows you to learn new skills by simply copying what you see and without making any significant changes in your behavior. The principle of this type is simply to follow the lead of an older and more experienced person. Most often, a parent teaches his child.

Subject-effective thinking

This type assumes that a person does not simply repeat the actions that are shown to him from the outside, but manipulates a certain object himself. The object of action can be toys, some household items or other accessories. In most cases, objective-effective thinking refers to children's perception of reality. In psychology, the concept is often used - to perform an action with an object, manipulating it at your discretion.

Imaginative thinking

Imaginative thinking helps to better perceive the objects of the surrounding reality. When pronouncing specific words, each person puts a certain meaning into them. This happens thanks to the formed image in his head. This type of thinking is based on subjective perception. It is also very important here that people entering into dialogue correctly understand each other. Otherwise, each of them will imagine something different while listening to the interlocutor. Often, real conflicts arise on this basis, and the reason is simple: people simply put different meanings and meanings into spoken words. The imaginative type forces a person to think, develop imagination, and constantly learn something new; it is especially actively used by adults. When putting a certain image into a particular concept, it is worth taking into account the fact that the interlocutor may misunderstand you. That is why it is necessary to try to clarify some points, especially those that can be interpreted ambiguously. There are other forms and types of thinking in psychology that deserve careful study.

Verbal and logical thinking

Verbal and logical thinking helps create a sense of community with other people. When interacting with each other, people, first of all, rely on logic and common sense. An adult is expected to present his thoughts consistently, provide a reasoned answer, and be clear during the conversation. In a conversation, we usually pronounce specific words and hope to be understood by the interlocutor. We draw conclusions based on some judgments and make our own assumptions. And all this allows you to understand what the conversation itself is directly leading to. This type helps researchers come to logical conclusions in their work, since they operate with real facts and not fictitious images. This type of thinking is, first of all, based on the ability to follow logic and make responsible decisions. Verbal and logical thinking is used constantly in everyday life. To take some action, you sometimes need to resort to a whole series of reasoning. Only in this case can you hope that you will be correctly understood by your interlocutor.

Creative thinking

This type of thinking is typical for extraordinary and talented people. In fact, not everyone is able to think about everything that surrounds them, contemplate reality, or deeply comprehend the changes occurring to them. Creative professions require a person to be extremely focused on the task at hand. It is unacceptable to be distracted here; complete immersion is necessary. It is also important to be able to think not just constructively, but to be flexible, willing to accept new ideas that come to mind. The interestingness of the projects that a creative person is involved in is a prerequisite for achieving success. This activity involves imposing great responsibility on a person. A creative person is responsible, first of all, to himself. You need to learn to feel the material you work with, constantly discover new facets and possibilities in yourself. As you know, human resources are far from endless. Creative thinking as a type of activity contributes to the comprehensive development of the individual. A person who is involved in art almost always has an interested look and sparkling eyes. He is at the mercy of his own feelings and knows how to listen carefully to his own feelings.

Constructive and destructive thinking

In everyday reality, the ability to think constructively is very important. This means that the person will be able to find the right way out of the most difficult situation. This requires trust in yourself and the people around you, and the ability to focus on the present moment. The constructive type of thinking assumes that a person has the ability to carefully analyze the changes occurring to him and always looks for the most worthy option for the outcome of the situation. Constructive thinking is based on taking responsibility, the desire to understand what is happening, and a complete rejection of criticism and accusations. Destructive, on the contrary, can be called very limited. It limits a person’s decision-making, makes them experience doubt, anxiety, and uncontrollable fear. People who have formed the habit of thinking destructively do not understand what is really happening to them, do not want to go into details and do not see basic cause-and-effect relationships.

Thus, in psychology there are several types of thinking. All of them are necessary for a person in everyday life. The transition from a simpler type to a complex one is carried out according to the present situation. Types of thinking are closely related to its forms and are united with them by an inextricable logical chain. It's hard to imagine one without the other. The main types and forms of thinking represent a single integrity. A person’s task is to strive to develop, make far-reaching plans and realize existing opportunities.

The term “thinking” was understood differently by representatives of various sciences. By thinking they meant the entire psychology of man and contrasted it with the really existing material world (17th century French philosopher R. Descartes). At the end of the 19th century. thinking began to be understood as one of the cognitive processes. From the middle of the 20th century. it turns out that it is a rather complex process and it is not possible to accurately define thinking as a concept. There is still no single, generally accepted definition of thinking.

And yet, thinking in its modern understanding can be defined from different sides as one of the cognitive, mental processes of a person. Its goal is to understand the world around us through the senses or through other psychological processes.

Thinking is the process of solving problems, questions, problems by transforming initial conditions according to certain rules and laws of logic.

Thinking is the process of a person’s generalized cognition of reality at the conceptual level (knowledge about the most important and essential things that are associated with a certain word, content.

Thinking is also a process of indirect (using special means) human cognition of reality.

Thinking is a type of activity through which a person, including it in other cognitive processes, transforms them into higher mental functions. The highest forms of perception, attention, imagination, memory and speech of a person are most closely related to thinking.

Features of thinking

Thinking- this is a mental cognitive process of reflecting significant connections and relationships of objects and phenomena of the objective world. It acts as the main tool of cognition. Thinking is mediated (cognition of one thing through another) cognition. The thinking process is characterized by the following features:

1. Thinking always has indirect nature. Establishing connections and relationships between objects and phenomena of the objective world, a person relies not only on immediate sensations and perceptions, but also on the data of past experience preserved in his memory.

2. Thinking relies on available to a person knowledge about the general laws of nature and society. In the process of thinking, a person uses the knowledge of general provisions that has already been established on the basis of previous practice, which reflects the most general connections and patterns of the surrounding world.

3. Thinking comes from “living contemplation”, but is not reduced to it. Reflecting connections and relationships between phenomena, we always reflect these connections in an abstract and generalized form, as having a general meaning for all similar phenomena of a given class, and not just for this specifically observed phenomenon.

4. Thinking is always there reflection of connections and relationships between objects in verbal form. Thinking and speech are always in inextricable unity. Due to the fact that thinking takes place in words, the processes of abstraction and generalization are facilitated, since words by their nature are very special stimuli that signal reality in the most generalized form.

5. Human thinking is organic connected With practical activities. In its essence, it is based on human social practice. This is by no means Not simple “contemplation” of the external world, but such a reflection of it that meets the tasks that arise before a person in the process of labor and other activities aimed at reorganizing the surrounding world.

Thought, however, is different from other cognitive processes. for example, from perception, imagination and memory.

The image of perception always contains only that which directly affects the senses. Perception always more or less accurately, directly or indirectly, contains or reflects information that affects the senses.

Thinking always represents something that in reality, in physical form, does not exist. The concept of phenomena and objects is the result of thinking. Thinking reflects only the essential and ignores many random, unimportant signs of objects and phenomena.

Imagination and thinking are purely internal and different processes. However, they are significantly different. The result of thinking is a thought, and the result of imagination is an image. Thinking helps a person to understand the world around him more deeply and better. The result of imagination is not any law. The further the fantasy image departs from reality, the better the imagination. The closer to reality the product of thinking is, the more perfect it is.

A person with a rich imagination is not always creatively gifted or intellectually developed, and a person with a well-developed thinking does not always have a good imagination.

Memory remembers, stores and reproduces information about the surrounding world. It does not introduce anything new, does not generate or change thought. Thinking, on the contrary, generates and changes precisely thoughts as such.

Basic types of human thinking. There are several approaches to the classification of types of thinking: empirical (experienced) and static, logical, genetic principles.

So, in a person we can distinguish the following main types of thinking:

theoretical and practical,

productive (creative) and reproductive (non-creative),

intuitive (sensual) and logical,

autistic and realistic,

visual-effective, visual-figurative and verbal-logical thinking.

Theoretical is called thinking that occurs in the mind, without resorting to practical actions, i.e., thinking based on theoretical reasoning and inferences. For example, proof of any non-obvious position by mental transformation of already known provisions, definition of concepts, formulation and justification of theories that explain any phenomena of reality.

Practical they call thinking, the purpose of which is to solve some practical, life problem, different from those purely cognitive problems that were called theoretical. Such thinking can contain both mental and practical actions of a person. Practical thinking - thinking based on judgments and inferences based on solving practical problems.

Productive or creative they call such thinking that generates some new, previously unknown material (object, phenomenon) or ideal (thought, idea) product. Productive(creative) thinking - thinking based on creative imagination.

Reproductive or reproducing thinking deals with problems for which solutions have been found. In reproductive thinking, a person follows an already traveled, known path. Nothing new is created as a result of such thinking. Therefore, it is sometimes also called uncreative. Reproductive(reproducing) thinking - thinking based on images and ideas drawn from certain sources.

The names “productive” and “reproductive” in relation to thinking appeared and began to be used at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries. Currently, the preferred names are “creative thinking” and “non-creative thinking”.

Intuitive is called thinking, the peculiarity of which is that a person has a special intellectual ability and a special feeling - intuition. Intuition is the ability to quickly find the correct solution to a problem without much reasoning and to be convinced, to feel its correctness, without having strong evidence of the truth of this solution. A person is guided by intuition, and it also leads his thinking along the right path.

Intuitive thinking - thinking on the basis of direct sensory perceptions and direct reflection of the effects of objects and phenomena of the objective world.

Intuitive thinking is usually unconscious. A person does not know, cannot give a conscious account of how he came to this or that decision, cannot logically justify it. Discursive thinking is thinking mediated by the logic of reasoning, not perception.

Logical They call thinking that is recognized as a process and can be proven and verified from the point of view of its correctness or error using logical rules.

There is an assumption that the predominance of intuitive or logical thinking in humans is to some extent determined genetically. Scientists admit that in people for whom the right hemisphere of the brain is dominant, intuitive thinking predominates, and in people for whom the left hemisphere of the brain is dominant, logical thinking is dominant.

Autistic thinking- a special type of thinking that does not always reveal the truth to a person or lead to the correct solution of a particular problem. “Autism” is translated into Russian as “having your head in the clouds”, “free flight of fantasy”, “detachment from reality”. We are talking about thinking that does not take into account or is poorly oriented towards reality, solving problems without taking into account objective life circumstances. Such thinking in most cases is not quite normal from the point of view of the usual understanding of the norm. This thinking, however, cannot be called sick (pathological), since its presence in a person does not indicate the presence of any disease.

In contrast to autistic thinking, realistic thinking is distinguished. This type of thinking is always guided by reality, seeks and finds solutions to problems as a result of a careful study of this reality, and the solutions found, as a rule, correspond to reality. Autistically thinking people are sometimes called dreamers, and realistically thinking people are called pragmatists, realists.

Visually effective is called thinking, the process of which comes down to real, practical actions of a person with material objects in a clearly perceived situation. Internal, mental actions are practically reduced to a minimum; the task is mainly solved through practical manipulations with objects. Visually effective- This is the simplest known type of thinking, characteristic of many animals. Visually effective thinking is thinking directly involved in activity.

It represents genetically the earliest type of human thinking.

Visually figurative They call thinking in which problems are solved by a person through internal, psychological actions and transformations of images of objects. This type of thinking appears in children aged 3-4 years. Figurative thinking is thinking carried out on the basis of images, ideas of what a person perceived before.

Verbal-logical called the highest level of development of human thinking, which arises only at the end of preschool age and improves throughout life. Such thinking deals with concepts about objects and phenomena, proceeds entirely on the internal, mental plane, and does not require reliance on a clearly perceived situation.

Abstract thinking is thinking carried out on the basis of abstract concepts that are not represented figuratively.

Thinking processes. Thinking processes These are the processes by which a person solves problems. It could be like internal, so and external processes, as a result of which a person discovers new knowledge and finds solutions to the problems that arise before him. In different types of thinking: visual-effective, visual-figurative and verbal-logical - these processes appear as different.

In visual-effective thinking, they represent purposeful practical actions of a person with real objects, leading him to a given goal. These actions are determined by the conditions of the problem and are aimed at transforming them in such a way as to lead a person to the desired goal - the desired solution to the problem - in a minimum number of relatively simple actions.

In visual-figurative thinking, its process is already a purely internal, psychological process, the content of which is the manipulation of images of relevant objects.

The processes that characterize verbal-logical thinking are understood as the internal reasoning of a person, where he acts with concepts according to the laws of logic, searching for the desired solution to a problem through comparison and transformation of concepts.

Under judgment understand a certain statement containing a certain thought. Under reasoning They mean a system of logically interconnected judgments, the constructed sequence of which leads to a conclusion that represents the desired solution to the problem. Judgments can be statements about the presence or absence of a specific feature in an object or phenomenon. Logically and linguistically, propositions are usually represented by simple sentences.

In psychology and logic, the processes related to verbal-logical thinking turned out to be the most studied in detail. Over the centuries, in the process of searching for the right ways to operate with concepts - ones that guarantee the avoidance of mistakes, people have developed rules for operating with concepts, which are called logical operations of thinking.

Logical operations of thinking - These are mental actions with concepts, as a result of which new knowledge, and true knowledge, is obtained from generalized knowledge presented in the corresponding concepts. The basic logical operations of thinking are as follows: comparison, analysis, synthesis, abstraction, generalization And specification.

Comparison is a logical operation as a result of which two or more different objects are compared with each other in order to establish what is common and different in them. The identification of common and different is the result of a logical comparison operation. Comparison - this is an operation consisting of comparing objects and phenomena, their properties and relationships with each other and thus identifying the commonality or differences between them.

Analysis - This is a mental operation of dividing a complex object into its constituent parts.

Analysis is a logical operation of dividing a complex or composite object into separate parts, the elements of which it consists. Sometimes the connections that exist between parts or elements are also clarified in order to determine how the corresponding complex object is internally arranged.

Synthesis call the logical operation of combining parts or elements into a complex whole. As in the case of analysis, this is sometimes done in order to further determine how a complex whole is structured, what special properties it differs from the elements of which it is composed. Synthesis - This is a mental operation that allows one to move from parts to the whole in a single analytical-synthetic process of thinking.

It rarely happens in human thinking that it includes only one logical operation. Most often, logical operations are present in a complex manner.

Abstraction is called such a logical operation, as a result of which any particular property of one or several different objects is isolated and considered, moreover, a property that in reality does not exist as separate and independent from the corresponding objects. Abstraction - a mental operation based on abstracting from unimportant signs of objects and phenomena and highlighting the main, main thing in them.

Generalization- this is a logical operation, as a result of which some particular statement, valid in relation to one or more objects, is transferred to other objects or acquires a generalized, rather than private, character. Generalization - This is the unification of many objects or phenomena according to some common characteristic.

Specification - this is the movement of thought from the general to the specific.

Specification is a logical operation opposite to generalization. It manifests itself in the fact that a certain general statement is transferred to a specific object, that is, properties inherent in many other objects are attributed to it.

Participating in a holistic process of thinking, logical operations complement each other and serve the purpose of such transformation of information, thanks to which it is possible to quickly find the desired solution to a certain problem. All processes of thinking and all logical operations included in it have an external organization, which is usually called forms of thinking or inferences.