Thinking, its forms and types. Thinking as one of the key functions of human mental activity

Thinking is a property of the human psyche, a reflection by the subject of the picture of reality surrounding him. Thinking is characterized by generalization, the establishment of connections and relationships between objects. It has a complex and at the same time interesting species structure. Consider the main types of thinking in psychology.

Stages of development of thinking

The complexity of the process of formation of higher mental activity helped a person to develop many types of thinking in psychology. The table contains the steps for the development of thinking.

Pre-conceptual stage	Conceptual (abstract) stage
The main role in the process of thinking is given to memory. Thinking of a child with single judgments about objects, generalization with familiar objects. Judgments are based on similarities and examples. Therefore, the upbringing of children can be effective only by examples.	Abstract thinking gradually replaces pre-conceptual thinking if the child develops correctly. In this case, he begins to operate with concepts. The change of pre-conceptual thinking to conceptual thinking is not carried out immediately, but in stages. The first rudiments appear in two-year-old children, and the development of perfect conceptual mental activity is completed in adolescence.

Classification of types of thinking in psychology

Thinking has its own typology and structure. Types of thinking in psychology can be classified according to several criteria.

sign	Typology
1. The nature of the issues being addressed.	Thinking of a theoretical (conceptual) and practical nature.
2. Originality of thinking, productivity.	Creative and non-creative types of thinking in psychology.
3. The essence of the issues being addressed.	Effective, figurative and logical types of mental activity.
4. Awareness, detail of questions.	Discursive (conclusive) and intuitive (instantaneous).

Types of thinking in psychology and their characteristics

Mental activity is determined by the means used. Allocate:

visual-effective thinking associated with objective actions (a three-year-old kid breaks toys, collects a pyramid);
visual-figurative mental activity is manifested in interaction with images of objects from memory (the work of a fashion designer or stylist, the creation of a mental image);
thinking of the highest level, abstract-logical (verbal-logical) nature - operating with concepts about objects (in physics, the study of an electron without direct contact with particles).

The last type of thinking includes several subspecies.

Abstract-logical types of thinking in psychology
Theoretical and practical	Theoretical thinking is the knowledge of the theory, which includes scientific laws, rules, concepts, hypotheses. The essence of practical thinking is in the transformation of the surrounding world.
Analytical, realistic and autistic	Analytical (logical) thinking is conscious, limited in time, consists of logical stages. Realistic - focused on the environment, subject to the rules of logic. Autistic - aimed at the implementation of human needs.
productive and reproductive	Productive is the recreation of a new mental product. Reproductive is pattern reproduction.
involuntary and voluntary	Involuntary - change of images in dreams. Arbitrary - purposefulness of thought.

Let us consider the examples of abstract-logical types of thinking in psychology, briefly characterizing each.

Thinking at the level of theory and practice

Options for applying the results and the features of the questions determine the differences in thinking at the theoretical level and the practical one.

The results of theoretical thinking are not required to be applied in practice. Most often it is the development of methodology, the study of laws. For example, the theory of psychology: comprehension of laws and connections already defined by someone. Creation of the periodic table D.I. Mendeleev on the basis of systematization of data on chemical elements.

The goal of practical thinking, on the contrary, is the application of theory in practice, in real life. The psychotherapist's job is to help the client solve specific problems. Various types of thinking in psychology, a scheme for analyzing a condition, a strategy and techniques for healing are used by a doctor in practice. Or a lawyer contemplating speaking in court. From the information collected, he highlights the facts that make it possible to mitigate the guilt of the client. One of the features of practical thinking is the limited time, that is, it is required to quickly apply knowledge, any concept and types of thinking.

The psychology of a specialist, skill, professionalism in any business are predetermined by how a person uses both types of thinking. The relationship between them makes the division into theory and practice conditional. L. Rubinstein believed that thinking of any type is associated with practice. Theory is always based on practical experience.

Creative and reproductive types of thinking

The originality of the results is a sign by which thinking is divided into productive and unproductive. The product of thought can be creative and uncreative.

The non-creative type has another name - reproductive. Reproduction is a repetition, that is, this type of thinking consists in repeating the results already obtained by someone, possibly with the introduction of their own “strokes”. At the same time, the efficiency of solving the same problem increases.

According to A. Brushlinsky, uncreative thinking does not exist, since any thought process leads to the creation of a new one.

In terms of understanding creative thinking, the thought of the English doctor E. Bono is interesting: “In order to give birth to creative thoughts, one must think around.” This phenomenon has been called "lateral thinking". For example, Lagrange came up with the calculus of variations while listening to an organ in a church.

D. Gilford formulated the features of creative thinking:

original and unusual ideas;
the ability to be flexible, to see the situation from a different angle;
flexibility when comparing new ideas.

The development of a creative approach is hampered by conformism, fear of criticism and mistakes, anxiety, tension and high self-esteem.

The role of logic in thinking

Depending on the time of the thinking process, its awareness and the presence of structure, logical and intuitive thinking are distinguished. Logical (analytical) is characterized by unfolding in time, clarity, its stages are always clear. The intuitive is unpredictable, unconscious, and flows quickly. It is impossible to isolate its stages.

Logical thinking works on the basis of a sequence of inferences. It obeys the rules of logic. Logic involves the study of the problem, its analysis, goal setting, identification of assumptions and methods for resolving the issue. Work on a problematic issue is built according to a clear logical scheme.

Intuition

The phenomenon of thinking based on intuition was aptly described by Edgar Allan Poe: "The gift to discover valuable things that were not sought." He emphasized that many great discoveries were made unpredictably, thanks to accidents and unexpected events.

Mental activity has always been associated with His Majesty the case. Intuitive kinds of thinking in psychology, examples of which are known to us from Faraday's Law, the discovery of radioactivity by the Curies, contributed to many interesting discoveries.

Chance does not determine everything in thinking. Even intuitive insights have their roots. According to scientists - experts in various fields, accidents contribute to a prepared mind. For example, not every person sitting under an apple tree and watching the fruit fall would formulate the Law of universal gravitation, but only I. Newton. He worked on solving the problem of gravity for a long time.

There is a hypothesis that the dominance of intuition or logic in thinking is genetically determined. According to scientists, people with the leading right hemisphere use intuition more, and those with the left hemisphere use logic.

Unconscious mental activity

Thinking is not only a level of consciousness, but also an unconscious sphere. The interactions of these spheres and the transitions of thinking from the first state to the second and vice versa are quite complex.

As a result of the interaction of consciousness and the unconscious, a solution to the problem always comes. To do this, it is important to develop purposeful thinking. The solution sometimes comes as a by-product of the main goal.

The interaction of the conscious and the unconscious is the connection between the direct and by-products of mental actions. The unconscious also affects a person and his actions, although it does not remain in consciousness, it is not expressed through speech. A side (unconscious) result of thinking is formed under the influence of the same images, phenomena, but it is not important for achieving the goal.

operational thinking

A special type of thinking is operational, which manifests itself in a number of ways:

limited time to solve the problem;
close relationship of perception and comprehension of information;
information and environment are changing rapidly;
the operator experiences a strong emotional and volitional load;
the operator correlates information about the object with previously accumulated knowledge and creates in his mind a clear image of the managed object.

What is autistic thinking?

Another unusual type of thinking is autistic, so named from the word "autism", which translates as "flight of fantasy", "flight in the clouds" or "out of touch with reality." This type of thinking implies a weak orientation to real life and circumstances. It is not considered the norm, but it is not a pathology (disease): for example, childhood fantasies cut off from life, solving unrealistic problems. Autistic thinking can be characteristic not only of a child, but also of an adult. In this case, an already mature person does not take into account the real situation, ignores reality and presents such a solution to a complex problem that does not correspond to it.

Conclusion

Thinking is a cognitive process inherent in the intellect. Thanks to him, a person can study objects and phenomena inaccessible to the senses. Allocates mental activity among other processes of cognition such a property as a generalized reflection of the surrounding world.

All kinds of thinking in psychology are purposeful and motivated. The needs, interests of a person, his goals trigger mental operations, which is characteristic of the human personality, and not just the brain. The improvement of thinking is always determined by the active desire to develop the intellect and the desire to use one's abilities.

4.5. Thinking

The concept of thinking. Cognition of the surrounding world goes "from living contemplation to abstract thinking and from it to practice - such is the dialectical path of knowing the truth, knowing objective reality" (V.I. Lenin).

Sensations, perception, memory - this is the first stage of cognition inherent in most animals, giving only an external picture of the world, a direct, "living contemplation" of reality. But sometimes sensory knowledge is not enough to get a complete picture of a phenomenon or fact. It is here that thinking comes to the rescue, which helps the knowledge of the laws of nature and society. A feature of thinking is the reflection of objects and phenomena of reality in their essential features, regular connections and relationships that exist between parts, sides, features of each object and between different objects and phenomena of reality.

Thinking is a process by which a person mentally penetrates beyond what is given to him in sensations and perception. In other words, with the help of thinking, one can gain knowledge that is inaccessible to the senses. The stage of abstract thinking (see below) is unique to man.

Thinking is a higher stage of cognition, it is a stage of rational, mediated cognition of reality, a condition for rational practical activity. The truth of such knowledge is tested by practice. Thinking is always a process of solving a problem, finding answers to a question or getting out of a situation.

Not all tasks require thinking. For example, if the method of solving a task set before a person has long been and well learned by him, and the conditions of activity are familiar, then in order to cope with it, memory and perception are quite enough. Thinking is "turned on" when a fundamentally new task is set or, if necessary, to use previously accumulated knowledge, skills and abilities in new conditions.

Thinking - it is an indirect, generalized reflection of reality in its most essential connections and relations, occurring in unity with speech.

Features of thinking are as follows.

1. Solving problems indirectly, that is, in a way that uses a variety of auxiliary techniques and means designed to obtain the necessary knowledge. A person resorts to the help of thinking when direct knowledge is either impossible (people do not perceive ultrasound, infrared radiation, X-rays, the chemical composition of stars, the distance from the Earth to other planets, physiological processes in the cerebral cortex, etc.), or in in principle, it is possible, but not in modern conditions (archaeology, paleontology, geology, etc.), or it is possible, but irrational. Solving a problem indirectly means solving it, including with the help of mental operations. For example, when, waking up in the morning, a person goes to the window and sees that the roofs of the houses are wet, and there are puddles on the ground, he makes a conclusion: it rained at night. Man did not perceive rain directly, but learned about it indirectly, through other facts. Other examples: the doctor learns about the presence of an inflammatory process in the patient's body using additional means - a thermometer, test results, x-rays, etc.; the teacher can assess the degree of diligence of the student by his answer at the blackboard; You can find out what the air temperature is outside in different ways: directly, by sticking your hand out the window, and indirectly, using a thermometer. Indirect knowledge of objects and phenomena is carried out with the help of the perception of other objects or phenomena that are naturally associated with the first. These connections and relationships are usually hidden, they cannot be perceived directly, and mental operations are resorted to to reveal them.

2. Generalized reflection of reality. Only concrete objects can be perceived directly: this tree, this table, this book, this person. You can think about the subject in general (“Love the book - the source of knowledge”; “Man descended from the monkey”). It is thought that allows us to capture the similarity in the different and the different in the similar, to discover regular connections between phenomena and events.

A person can foresee what will happen in a particular case because it reflects the general properties of objects and phenomena. But it is not enough to notice the connection between two facts; it is also necessary to realize that it has a general character and is determined by the general properties of things, i.e., properties related to a whole group of similar objects and phenomena. Such a generalized reflection makes it possible to predict the future, to present it in the form of images that do not really exist.

3. Reflection of the most essential properties and connections of reality. In phenomena or objects, we single out the general, not taking into account the inessential, the non-principal. So, any clock is a mechanism for determining the time, and this is their main feature. Neither the shape, nor the size, nor the color, nor the material from which they are made, do not matter.

The thinking of higher animals is based on the causal reflex (from Latin causa - reason) - a type of brain reflexes, which, according to I.P. Pavlov, is not identical to a conditioned reflex. The causal reflex is the physiological basis for the direct (without the participation of concepts) mental reflection of essential connections between objects and phenomena (in humans, the causal reflex, combined with experience, underlies intuition and thinking).

4. The main feature of human thinking is that it inextricably linked with speech. the word denotes that which objects and phenomena have in common. Language, speech is the material shell of thought. Only in speech form does a person's thought become available to other people. A person has no other means of reflecting the corresponding connections of the external world, except for those speech forms that are entrenched in his native language. Thought can neither arise, nor flow, nor exist outside of language, outside of speech.

Speech is an instrument of thought. Man thinks with the help of words. But it does not follow from this that the process of thinking is reduced to speech, that to think means to speak aloud or to oneself. The difference between the thought itself and its verbal expression lies in the fact that the same thought can be expressed in different languages or using different words ("The next summer is expected to be hot" - "The coming season between spring and autumn will be hot"). The same thought has a different speech form, but without any speech form it does not exist.

“I know, but I can’t put it into words” is a state when a person cannot move from expressing thoughts in inner speech to outer speech, finds it difficult to express it in a way understandable to other people.

The result of thinking is thoughts, judgments and concepts expressed in words.

The physiological basis of thinking is the activity of the entire cerebral cortex, and not just one part of it. Temporary nerve connections in the second signal system in interaction with the first, which are formed between the brain ends of the analyzers, act as a specific neurophysiological mechanism of thinking.

mental operations. New thoughts and images arise on the basis of what was already in our minds thanks to mental operations: analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, abstraction. Analysis - this is a mental division of the whole into parts, the selection of individual features or sides and the establishment of connections and relationships between them. With the help of analysis, we isolate phenomena from those random, insignificant connections in which they are given to us in perception (analysis of a sentence by members, phonetic analysis of a word, analysis of a task condition into known, unknown and sought-for elements, analysis of educational activities in subjects and student success and etc.). Analysis as a mental operation arose from practical actions (for example, a child takes apart a new toy in order to understand how it works).

Synthesis - a process reverse to analysis, which is a mental union of parts, properties of an object into a single whole, into complexes, systems (mosaic; syllables - words - sentences - text).

These mental processes, opposite in content, are inseparably united. In the course of the thought process, analysis and synthesis continuously pass into each other and can alternately come to the fore, which is due to the nature of the material: if the initial problems are not clear, their content is not clear, then at first analysis will prevail; if, on the other hand, all the data are sufficiently distinct, thought will at once go predominantly along the path of synthesis. Ultimately, all processes of imagination and thinking consist in the mental decomposition of phenomena into their constituent parts and the subsequent unification of these parts in new combinations.

Analysis and synthesis as the main mental operations are inherent in any person, but the tendency to crush or combine the phenomena of the surrounding reality can be different for different people: some notice the smallest details, details, particulars, but do not grasp the whole - these are representatives of the analytical type; others immediately go to the main point, but express the essence of events in a too generalized way, which is typical of representatives of the synthetic type. Most people have a mixed, analytical-synthetic type of thinking.

Comparison is a mental operation through which the similarity and difference of individual objects are established. K.D. Ushinsky considered comparison to be the basis of all understanding and all thinking: “We learn everything in the world only through comparison, and if we were presented with some new object that we could not equate to anything and distinguish from anything .. ... then we could not form a single thought about this subject and could not say a single word about it.

One of the most common mistakes that students make when comparing is the juxtaposition of objects (“Onegin is such and such ..., and Pechorin is such and such”), while they are absolutely sure that they are giving a comparative description of the characters. Comparison needs to be taught: comparison should be based on one basis (color, shape, purpose). It is also necessary to learn how to draw up a plan for comparing objects (what are the similarities and differences, for example, such objects as a nail and a screw, a cat and a squirrel, a white mushroom and a fly agaric, such intellectual qualities as curiosity and inquisitiveness).

Abstraction (distraction) - this is a mental operation that ensures the selection of essential features and distraction from non-essential ones, the selection of the properties of an object and considering them separately: a person, and a landscape, and a dress, and an act can be beautiful, but all of them are carriers of an abstract feature - beauty, prettiness.

Without abstraction, it is impossible to understand the figurative meaning of proverbs (“Don’t get into your sleigh”; “Count chickens in the fall”; “If you like to ride, love to carry sleds”).

Generalization- this is a mental operation that ensures the selection of the general in objects and phenomena and the unification of objects into sets, classes; rejection of single signs while maintaining the common ones with the disclosure of significant links. Generalization is any rule, any law, any concept. It is always some kind of result, a general conclusion made by a person.

It is obvious that all the basic operations of thinking do not act in a "pure form". When solving a task, a person uses one or another "set" of operations, in various combinations: it is different in the thought process of varying complexity and structure.

Forms of thinking. There are three substantive components of thinking - concept, judgment and conclusion.

concept– it is a form of thinking, through which the general and essential features of objects and phenomena are reflected.

Concepts are of a generalized nature, because they are the product of the cognitive activity of not one person, but many people. We recall once again that a representation is an image of a particular object, and a concept is an abstract thought about a class of objects. The word is the bearer of the concept, but, knowing the word (for example, a prestidigitator), one may not own the concept.

There are so-called worldly concepts that are formed without special training and reflect not essential, but secondary features of objects. So, for preschoolers, a rat is a predator, and a cat is a cute pet.

Any concept has content and scope.

By content(a set of features of an object) concepts are concrete and abstract. Specific concepts refer to the objects themselves, define objects or classes as a whole (table, revolution, hurricane, snow, etc.), and abstract reflect properties abstracted from real objects and phenomena (youth, honesty, whiteness, speed, height, strength, etc.).

By volume(set of objects covered by a given concept) concepts can be single and general. Single concepts reflect a single object (the Russian Federation, the Volga, the Battle of Kulikovo, Pushkin, Mars, space, etc.), and general apply to groups of homogeneous objects (countries, cities, rivers, universities, students, houses, organisms, etc.). In addition, distinguish still generic and specific concepts.

The definition (definition) of concepts is the disclosure of its essential features. For example, a person is a social individual with consciousness, abstract thinking, speech, capable of creative activity, creating tools of labor; personality is a conscious person involved in social relations and creative activity.

The process of assimilation of concepts is an active creative mental activity.

Judgment - this is a form of thinking that contains the assertion or denial of any provisions regarding objects, phenomena or their properties, that is, a judgment is a reflection of relations or objective connections between phenomena or objects.

A judgment is always either true or false. In terms of quality, judgments can be affirmative and negative, in terms of volume - general, particular and singular.

General judgments refer to a whole class of objects (all metals conduct electricity; all plants have roots). Private judgments refer to a part of some class of objects (some trees are green in winter; it is not always possible for a hockey player to score a goal). Single refer to one object or phenomenon (Yuri Gagarin - the first cosmonaut).

Judgments always reveal the content of concepts. The work of thought on judgment is called reasoning. It can be inductive and deductive.

inductive reasoning is called inference - this is a form of thinking with the help of which a new judgment (conclusion) is derived from one or several known judgments (premises), which completes the thought process. At the same time, thought moves from the particular to the general. A typical example of inference is the proof of a geometric theorem.

Deductive reasoning is called justification - here the conclusion is obtained, going from a general judgment to a particular one (all planets are spherical. The Earth is a planet, which means it has the shape of a ball).

Types of thinking. AT In his practical activity, a person encounters tasks that are different both in content and in the way they are solved.

depending on the degree of generalization thinking in solving mental problems distinguish between visual and abstract thinking.

visual (specific) such thinking is called, the object of which a person perceives or represents. It is directly based on the images of objects and is divided into visual-effective and visual-figurative.

Visual and effective thinking is genetically the earliest type of thinking, in which the mental task is solved directly in the process of activity and practical actions with material objects predominate.

At visual-figurative in the form of thinking, the solution of the problem occurs as a result of internal actions with images (representations of memory and imagination). For example, the analysis of a historical event can be done in different ways (scientific description of the blockade of Leningrad, A. Chakovsky's novel "Blockade", Tanya Savicheva's diary, Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony).

Discursive (abstract-conceptual, verbal-logical) thinking is the verbal thinking of a person, mediated by past experience. This type of thinking is characterized by the fact that it acts as a process of coherent logical reasoning, in which each subsequent thought is conditioned by the previous one, and that, when solving a mental problem in a verbal form, a person operates with abstract concepts, logical constructions. It represents the latest stage in the historical and genetic development of thinking.

Another basis for distinguishing types of thinking is its orientation. According to this criterion, practical and theoretical thinking is distinguished.

Practical (technical, constructive) thinking is a process of thinking that takes place in the course of practical activity and is aimed at creating real objects and phenomena by changing the surrounding reality with the help of tools. It is associated with setting goals, developing plans, projects, often deployed in conditions of time pressure, which sometimes makes it more difficult than theoretical thinking.

The discovery of laws, the properties of objects, the explanation of phenomena is directed theoretical (explanatory) thinking, the main components of which are meaningful abstractions, generalizations, analysis, planning and reflection. In other words, theoretical thinking is in demand where it is necessary to reveal connections and relationships between individual concepts, connect the unknown with the known, and determine the possibility of foresight.

Thinking as a process of solving a new problem can be included in any activity: gaming, sports, labor, art, social. But in all these activities, it will play a service role, obeying the main goal of the activity: to build a house, win competitions, etc. It differs from these activities and thinking as a process. thinking activity, in which thinking plays the main role, where the purpose and content of the activity is cognition. Therefore, for example, two students of the same class, working on the same tasks, can carry out different types of activities: mental - the one who solves the problem in order to understand its essence and learn something new, practical - the one who solves to mark , for prestige.

Problem situation and mental task. If almost all cognitive mental processes can be both involuntary and voluntary, then thinking is always and necessarily voluntary: it occurs when faced with a problematic situation, when it is necessary to find a way out of the situation.

Problem situation- this is a task that requires an answer to a specific question, a situation that contains something incomprehensible, unknown to the subject along with the known. Thinking serves precisely to, based on the obvious, to find hidden connections, links and patterns (puzzles, chess studies, breakdown of mechanisms, life conflicts, etc.).

Many problem situations do not specifically affect the subject, they “start” thinking only when they become personally significant for him, because an incomprehensible fact (problem situation) and a mental task (a product of processing a problem situation) are far from the same thing.

mental task arises if a person has a desire or awareness of the need to understand the problem situation; in other words, a question arose - thinking began to work.

The stages of solving a mental problem are as follows:

1) awareness of the problem situation, the exact wording of the question;

2) analysis and synthesis of data related to the task;

3) promotion and analysis of hypotheses, search for possible solutions;

4) verification (mental or practical), comparison of the result with the original data.

Qualities of mind and intellect. In the process of thinking, not only the depth of a person's knowledge of reality is manifested, but also many personality traits clearly appear. Mental abilities are understood as the totality of those qualities that distinguish the thinking of a given person. Qualities of the mind These are the properties of a person's personality that consistently characterize his mental activity. These include: independence, curiosity, speed, breadth, simultaneity, depth, flexibility, mental mobility, logic, criticality, and many others.

Independence - this is the originality of thinking, the ability to find new options for solving problems, to defend the position taken without resorting to the help of other people, not succumbing to inspiring outside influences, the ability to make decisions and act unconventionally.

Curiosity- a property of a person as a need for knowledge of not only certain phenomena, but also their systems.

Rapidity- the ability of a person to quickly understand a new situation, to think over and make the right decision (not to be confused with haste, when a person, without having thought through the issue comprehensively, grabs one side of it, hurries to “give out” a decision, expresses insufficiently thought-out answers and judgments).

Latitude- the ability to use knowledge from another area to solve a problem, the ability to cover the whole issue as a whole, without losing sight of the particulars that are essential for the case (excessive breadth borders on amateurism).

Simultaneity - versatility of approach to problem solving.

Depth - the degree of penetration into the essence of phenomena, the desire to understand the causes of events, to foresee their further development.

Flexibility, mobility- full consideration of the specific conditions for solving this particular problem. A flexible, mobile mind implies freedom of thought from preconceived assumptions, stencils, the ability to find a new solution under changing conditions.

Logic- the ability to establish a consistent and accurate order in solving various issues.

criticality is characterized by the ability not to consider the first thought that came to mind to be true, to correctly assess the objective conditions and one's own activity, carefully weigh all the pros and cons, and subject hypotheses to a comprehensive test. Criticality is based on deep knowledge and experience.

If thinking is the process of solving problems in order to gain new knowledge and create something, then intelligence is a characteristic of the general mental abilities necessary to solve such problems. There are different interpretations of the concept of intelligence.

The structural-genetic approach is based on the ideas of the Swiss psychologist J. Piaget (1896-1980), who considered the intellect as the highest universal way of balancing the subject with the environment. From the point of view of the structural approach, intelligence is a combination of certain abilities.

The approach formulated by the French psychologist A. Binet (1857–1911) is also consonant with him: "intelligence as the ability to adapt means to ends."

The American psychologist D. Wexler (1896–1981) believes that intelligence is “the global ability to act reasonably, think rationally and cope well with life circumstances”, i.e., he considers intelligence as a person’s ability to adapt to the environment.

There are various concepts of the structure of intelligence. So, at the beginning of the twentieth century. English psychologist C. Spearman (1863-1945) singled out the general factor of intelligence (factor G) and the factor S, which serves as an indicator of specific abilities. From his point of view, each person is characterized by a certain level of general intelligence, which determines how this person adapts to the environment. In addition, all people have developed specific abilities to varying degrees, manifested in solving specific problems.

The American psychologist L. Thurstone (1887–1955) used statistical methods to study various aspects of general intelligence, which he called primary mental potencies. He singled out seven such potencies: 1) counting ability, that is, the ability to operate with numbers and perform arithmetic; 2) verbal (verbal) flexibility, i.e. the ease with which a person can explain himself using the most appropriate words; 3) verbal perception, i.e. the ability to understand oral and written speech; 4) spatial orientation, or the ability to imagine various objects and forms in space; 5) memory; b) the ability to reason; 7) the speed of perception of similarities or differences between objects and images.

Later, the American psychologist D. Gilford (1897–1976) singled out 120 intelligence factors based on what mental operations they are needed for, what results these operations lead to and what their content is (the content can be figurative, symbolic, semantic, behavioral).

Man was created to think and think. Over time, the requirements for oneself become tougher, a person tries to achieve more, but the level of thinking does not always allow this. Increasingly popular means of developing thinking.

There are theories that allow answering how the development of thinking occurs in ontogeny and how many stages of development of thinking there are. The theory of J. Piaget divides the following stages in the development of thinking:

0-2 years. This is the period of sensorimotor intelligence, which lies in the fact that the formation of thinking in a person occurs exclusively through actions. Connect together sensory information and actions that the child performs in practice. In the process of studying, Piaget determined that the formation of images originates, but as such, imagination is absent.
2-8 years old. The pre-operational stage, such a strange name, appeared due to the fact that, as such, the individual is not yet able to perform mental operations. The child can already draw, and, accordingly, transfer objects that have arisen in his subconscious in the form of images to paper, speech develops. It is important that at this age a person develops symbolism. Psychology gives impetus to parents and educators to help the child develop abstraction, symbolism and substitution through play. During this period, the perception of the world occurs from an egocentric point of view.
7-12 years old. The study of this stage of development has shown that this is the moment when the child begins to behave like an adult. From the point of view of psychology at this age, having a small amount of information, the reaction to external factors only in some cases resembles the behavior of the reaction of an adult. This is explained by the fact that there is still no necessary level of abstraction and generalization.
12 and older. Already in adolescence, for a person, deliberation follows the principle of logic, when an action can be explained or supported by a well-known fact, imagination is developed. Also, Piaget, according to his theory and from the point of view of psychology and medicine, believed that thinking directly depends on the development of the central nervous system and the brain.

How to develop thinking in a teenager

In adolescence, a person not only changes in size in the body, but also his consciousness. It is believed that in adolescence at 15 years of age, brain activity and consciousness can reach the development of an adult. At the same time, information processing is improved, control of one's own emotions is improved, memory and attention work well.

If we compare a child of 7 years old and 14 years old, then it immediately becomes noticeable that in adolescence, mental processes are completed faster. This observation confirms Piaget's theory that the features of the mind depend on the size of the brain and the development of the CNS.

In adolescence, hypothetical development takes a push, which is not the case for children who are accustomed to reasoning within the limits of past events and based solely on them.

But, despite this, one cannot speak of a sharp transition from childish thinking to adult thinking. Features of the development of thinking of individuals in adolescence lie in the inherent nature of egocentrism, as in childhood.

Levels of development of thinking

It is customary to talk about 4 types that coincide with levels. In thinking, the following levels of its development are distinguished:

Theoretical conceptual. The process takes place exclusively in the human mind and does not in any way concern previously acquired experience. When a person reproduces a task and a decision in his mind, using knowledge previously tested by other people in practice.
Theoretical figurative. There is a similarity with the previous level, only in this case, the place of theoretical ambushes are images that were previously created theoretically. At this level, a person's imagination works. Such thinking is habitual for a creative person.
Visually figurative. At this level, what is important for a person is what he previously saw or sees now, since visual-figurative thinking is impossible without this element at any age. Unlike theoretical imaginative thinking, the images that occur in this case arise from short-term memory.
Visually effective. This level is important for people who are busy with practical work, they see a certain object, as well as a layout, picture or description of how it should be after transformation.

Traps in the mind

If we talk about the traps of thinking, then there are too many of them to remember everything. Recently, films that help solve problems and are based on the process of studying human psychology have become popular. It is important to consider common pitfalls in human psychology. We fall into the traps of thinking ourselves, but sometimes we are pushed to buy a product in order to win over or use you as a “weapon”.

In these cases, the process is tritely simple, the information that is in our minds is presented in such a way that a person does not even question it. Examples of how a person falls into the traps of thinking:

A decision that has already been made. A person makes a decision, after a while the information becomes irrelevant, changes occur, and so on. But instead of admitting that this is no longer relevant, he continues to stand his ground, in most cases the person himself understands that he is wrong, but does not want to give up the previously chosen one.
Mental transformation of the desired into reality. That moment when we talk about rose-colored glasses. As an example, you trust your loved one, everyone around you says that he uses you, and provide facts. At the same time, instead of adequately looking at the situation, you continue to assure yourself of the opposite. Convince yourself that everything is fine and turn a blind eye to the obvious facts.
Incomplete information. In this case, not so much imagination as stereotypes will play a significant role for a person. Having incomplete information, it is common for a person at any age to complete it at his own discretion. Most often this happens based on what you have heard about similar people or countries, although it can be exactly the opposite.
Trust in the first findings. We tend to believe more in the information about the subject or person that we heard for the first time. In psychology, it has long been noted that if you say new information (already real and truthful) about another person, he will question it, and not previously received.

How to change the way you think

The way you think is the factor that moves you forward or keeps you where you are. It is believed that a rich person or a poor one also depends on his way of thinking, and not at all on the abilities of a person.

Useful tricks to help change your mindset in a positive way:

All victories and defeats help to grow.
People and events in life replace each other, you need to come to terms with this.
Leave the fears of a 10-year-old child, do not carry them through life.
First imagination, then plan, then action.
Changes are definitely needed.
The flexibility of the mind and the way of thinking will help to become happy - positive moments are born in the head.

Flexibility of thinking

Few people think about the fact that the flexibility of the mind helps us live. Psychology claims that the flexibility of thinking determines how quickly we find a solution to a particular problem.

They develop the flexibility of the mind at the age of 2-10 years, when the development of speech and thinking takes place. Teachers recommend starting language learning during this period.

Flexibility depends on the development of consciousness and how developed the imagination. Psychology confirms that in order to develop the flexibility of thinking, it is necessary to use not only imagination, but also solve various problems.

To develop flexibility, remember these rules.

First, do not limit yourself to the knowledge that black is black and white is white, thinking development techniques are based on the use of imagination and going beyond stereotypes to solve the problem.
The second point, which speaks about the peculiarities of the development of thinking, is based on abandoning one's principles, because holding on to them it is impossible to go beyond the framework in solving the problem.
Psychology gives the third tip regarding the development of thinking, which will help increase the flexibility of the mind - this is leaving behind past victories and defeats.

Training and development of thinking

To improve the flexibility of thinking, the imagination is not enough to use the same ways of studying a given topic. In adolescence, tasks and methods are suitable, at an older age - films.

This is explained by the fact that in adolescence it is important to learn how to look for ways out of difficult situations, to use different methods and techniques for this. This approach helps to turn on the imagination, develop the flexibility of thinking in order to solve the tasks.

To train your own thinking, try using these techniques:

In addition to the fact that you will adopt such techniques, connect special techniques. There are such ways of developing mental abilities and thinking:

solving a logic problem;
reconciliation process;
logic games that allow you to speed up thinking, improve memory and attention (games "Thoughtaholics", "25 letters", "Dossier on passers-by", "Laws", "New concepts").

Considering the methods and ways of developing mental abilities, special attention should be paid to the IQ test. Those who have had to pass it know perfectly well that this is not only a test of knowledge. This is a great training for the mind, which allows you to show non-standard thinking, but at the same time everything is supported by logic.

10 movies that will change your reality

Films will help at an older age to draw conclusions for oneself, it will be easier to do this, since there is a wealth of knowledge gained in the process of studying psychology, philosophy and other sciences. Such films have an exciting plot and give an “explosion” to the brain:

"Changing reality";
"Beyond myself";
"Butterfly Effect";
"Thirteenth floor";
"Regions of darkness";
"Lucy";
"Time";
"Start";
"Source";
"Superiority".

Almost all films that develop thinking show what is quite real in our world, but no one has come across this and paid no attention to it. After looking at such pictures in the form of training, you can use the continuation of the plot, but by yourself.

But this does not mean at all that teenagers cannot watch films, they can and even need to, but the effect will be more at the level of impressions, and not a semantic load.

Everyone can develop thinking, but for the brain, as well as for the body, maintaining shape directly depends on training. All kinds of games, own theories and conclusions help to give the necessary load and develop mental abilities.

Thinking- socially determined, inextricably linked with speech, the mental process of searching for and discovering something new, i.e. the process of generalized and indirect reflection of reality in the course of analysis and synthesis.

Thinking as a special mental process has a number of specific characteristics and features.

The first such sign is generalized a reflection of reality, since thinking is a reflection of the general in objects and phenomena of the real world and the application of generalizations to individual objects and phenomena.

The second, no less important, sign of thinking is indirect knowledge of objective reality. The essence of indirect knowledge lies in the fact that we are able to make judgments about the properties or characteristics of objects and phenomena without direct contact with them, but by analyzing indirect information.

The next most important characteristic feature of thinking is that thinking is always associated with the decision of one or another tasks, arising in the process of cognition or in practical activity. The process of thinking begins to manifest itself most clearly only when a problem situation arises that needs to be solved. Thinking always starts with question, the answer to which is goal thinking

An exceptionally important feature of thinking is the inextricable connection with speech. The close connection between thinking and speech finds its expression primarily in the fact that thoughts are always clothed in speech form. We always think in words, that is, we cannot think without uttering the word.

Types of thinking.

There are the following types of thinking:

- Visual-effective - here the solution of the problem is carried out with the help of a real transformation of the situation on the basis of a motor act. Those. the task is given visually in a specific form and the way to solve it is a practical action. This type of thinking is typical for a child of preschool age. This kind of thinking also exists in higher animals.

Visual-figurative - a situation necessary for solving a problem, a person recreates in a figurative form. Begins to form at the senior preschool age. In this case, in order to think, the child does not have to manipulate the object, but it is necessary to clearly perceive or visualize this object.

- Verbal-logical(theoretical, reasoning, abstract) - thinking appears primarily in the form of abstract concepts and reasoning. Begins to develop at school age. Mastery of concepts occurs in the process of assimilation of various sciences. At the end of school education, a system of concepts is formed. Moreover, we use concepts that sometimes do not have a direct figurative expression (honesty, pride). The development of verbal-logical thinking does not mean that the previous two types do not develop or disappear altogether. On the contrary, children and adults continue to develop all kinds of thinking. For example, in an engineer, designer, visual-effective thinking achieves greater perfection (or when mastering new technology). In addition, all types of thinking are closely interconnected.

From the point of view of the originality of the tasks being solved, thinking can be: creative(productive) and reproducing (reproductive). Creative is aimed at creating new ideas, reproductive is the application of ready-made knowledge and skills.

Forms of thinking - concepts, judgments, conclusions.

concept- a thought that reflects the general, essential and distinctive features of objects and phenomena of reality (for example, the concept of "man"). Distinguish concepts worldly(acquired in practical experience) and scientific(acquired during training). Concepts arise and develop in the process of development of science and technology. In them, people record the results of experience and knowledge.

Judgment - reflection of connections between objects and phenomena of reality or between their properties and features.

inference- such a connection between thoughts (concepts, judgments), as a result of which we get another judgment from one or several judgments, extracting it from the content of the original judgments.

Thinking processes.

There are several basic mental processes (mental operations), with the help of which mental activity is carried out.

Analysis- mental division of an object or phenomenon into its constituent parts, the allocation of individual features in it. Analysis is practical and mental.

Synthesis- mental connection of individual elements, parts and features into a single whole. But synthesis is not a mechanical combination of parts.

Analysis and synthesis are inextricably linked and provide a comprehensive knowledge of reality. Analysis provides knowledge of individual elements, and synthesis, based on the results of analysis, provides knowledge of the object as a whole.

Comparison- comparison of objects and phenomena in order to find similarities or differences between them. Thanks to this process of thinking, we know most things, because. we cognize an object only by equating it with something or distinguishing it from something.

As a result of comparison in the compared objects, we highlight something in common. That. Thus, on the basis of comparison, a generalization is built.

Generalization - mental association of objects into groups according to those common features that stand out in the process of comparison. Through this process, conclusions, rules and classifications are made (apples, pears, plums - fruits).

Abstraction consists in the fact that, by isolating any properties of the object under study, a person is distracted from the rest. Concepts (length, breadth, quantity, equality, value, etc.) are created by abstracting.

Specification involves the return of thought from the general and abstract to the specific in order to reveal the content (give an example for the rule).

Thinking as a process of problem solving.

The need for thinking arises first of all when, in the course of life, a new problem appears before a person. Those. thinking is necessary in those situations in which a new goal arises, and the old methods of activity are no longer sufficient to achieve it. Such situations are called problematic . In a problem situation, the process of thinking begins. In the course of activity, a person encounters something unknown, thinking is immediately included in the activity, and the problem situation turns into a task that is realized by the person.

Task - the goal of an activity given in certain conditions and requiring the use of means adequate to these conditions for its achievement. Any task includes: goal, condition(known) desired(unknown). Depending on the nature of the ultimate goal, tasks are distinguished practical(aimed at transforming material objects) and theoretical(aimed at cognition of reality, for example, study).

The principle of solving the problem : the unknown is always connected with something known, i.e. the unknown, interacting with the known, reveals some of its qualities.

Thinking and problem solving are closely related to each other. But this connection is not unambiguous. Problem solving is carried out only with the help of thinking. But thinking is manifested not only in solving problems, but also, for example, for the assimilation of knowledge, understanding of the text, setting the task, i.e. for knowledge (mastery of experience).

Individual features of thinking.

The thinking of each person has some differences in certain properties.

Independence- the ability of a person to put forward new tasks and find the right solutions without resorting to the frequent help of other people.

Latitude- this is when a person's cognitive activity covers various areas (broad-minded).

Flexibility- the ability to change the solution plan planned at the beginning, if it no longer satisfies.

Rapidity- the ability of a person to quickly understand a difficult situation, quickly think and make a decision.

Depth- the ability to penetrate into the essence of the most complex issues, the ability to see a problem where other people do not have a question (you need to have a Newton's head to see a problem in a falling apple).

criticality- the ability to objectively evaluate one's own and other people's thoughts (not to consider one's thoughts absolutely correct).