Human thinking and its capabilities. All about human thinking. Thinking what it is

Thinking is the mental and psychological process of finding the right solution, based on the available data about a problem or task, as well as possible ways to solve it with the greatest benefit for the applicant or at the lowest cost for him.

This term can also be called the process of cognition of the surrounding world in the physical or sensory plane. Thanks to him, imagination, memory and speech exist.

The sciences that study thinking include:

• Philosophy: studies the interaction of thinking and being, and also often considers it as consciousness, spirit, or psyche;
• psychology is interested in him as the cause of the appearance of the results of work, as well as in the process of his action, how it is carried out and due to what. Unlike logic, psychology studies it, including in a disturbed and distorted form;
• neurophysiology studies the mechanisms by which it is carried out;
• logic is only interested in true or correct thinking ();
• sociology studies this concept from the point of view of social groups;
• cybernetics is interested in it within the framework of artificial intelligence.

• understanding or analysis of the conditions of what is happening;
• solving a problem or setting a search target, and later a connection between known information and unknown;
• building a chain of goals that will lead to a solution to an existing problem;
• analysis of their way of thinking, behavior or actions (reflection) allows a person to achieve their goals and control themselves.

The word "thinking" comes from the word "think". Due to the palatalization of sounds in the southern and eastern languages \u200b\u200bof the Slavic group, the sound combination [sl ’] turned into [shl’]. The changes took place in the Proto-Slavic period.

What theories are being studied?

Depending on the understanding and perspective of studying the concept, the following theories and schools are distinguished:

• Associative... Mental processes proceed thanks to associations, and everything that is in the psyche is sensory representations connected by all the same associations. Thinking consists of judgment and reasoning. A judgment is associated representations, inference is judgments associated with each other, as a result of which a third judgment arises from them as a conclusion.
• Asocyanist... The development of thinking is considered the process of accumulation of associations, which occurs spontaneously.
• The theory of the Würzburg school... Thinking was considered an internal act or action. It was believed that thought develops through the interaction of different opinions. For the first time it was singled out as an independent activity. According to representatives of the school, it is not associated with practical activities, speech and sensory images.
• Logics studies this process from the point of view of its structure of thoughts, correctness and incorrectness of reasoning, distracting from the concrete content of thoughts and their development.
• IN gestalt psychology Is a sudden process of highlighting the significant features of the task at hand.
• Thinking as reflection, contemplation and a way of solving problems;
• Thinking as an activity;
• IN humanistic psychologythe problems of self-actualization and their influence on thought processes are studied.
• Information cybernetic theory... It is based on the concepts of algorithm, operation, cycle and information. The first designates a sequence of actions, the implementation of which leads to the solution of the problem; the second concerns a separate action, its nature; the third refers to the repeated execution of the same actions until the desired result is obtained; the fourth includes a set of information transferred from one operation to another in the process of solving a problem.
• Behaviorism considers thinking as learning, the formation of the skill of solving an intellectual practical problem.
• Motivation theory studies the connection of thinking with possible motivation that drives a person.

Thought processes in philosophy

Thinking is a distinctive feature of a person from an animal, which allows you to study and experience the environment in a special way. Unlike sensations or feelings, it happens consciously.

The psychophysiological problem in philosophy is the problem of the relationship between the human body and soul.

Aristotle saw it as the only effective way to know the world. In his opinion, the goal of a thinking person is to generalize knowledge and move in his reasoning from particular to whole... The philosopher considered the human body and soul to be inseparable.

Socrates linked thinking with the moral development of man. It is part of self-improvement and knowing oneself in the world. A moral person cannot be thoughtless.

According to Marcus Aurelius, in addition to the body and soul, a person also has a mind.

In the medieval period, scholastics believed that the human mind is God's grace. Scholastic views were a synthesis of ancient and religious thought. Thinking was approved only for godly purposes, and not for studying the world around. Philosophy and other sciences in this period increasingly gave way to theology.

In modern times, thinking and being were the most important categories of study. Then the catch phrase of Rene Descartes appeared: “ I think, therefore I exist". His theory was later called Cartesianism. If it was impossible to explain the situation with rational judgments, the Cartesians turned to myths. According to the philosopher, thought does not interact with the body in any way and vice versa. However, the bodily and psychic in man is connected only through Divine Providence.

Spinoza considered the psychophysiological problem to be false. Thinking and body, according to the author, are only two attributes of one person, and not different matter, as in Descartes.

Voltaire also opposed the Cartesian duality.

Leibniz put forward the theory of psychophysiological parallelism: two matters are not connected with each other and work in parallel.

The opponent of the Cartesians was Emmanuel Kant, he believed that thinking is based on experiment, and it is impossible to separate empiricism and rationalism. The philosopher created a typology of thinking, dividing formal and dialectical thinking, concrete and abstract, practical and dialectical.

In the 19th century, Jules Poincaré denied a priori knowledge and the ability of a person to objectively assess what is happening. Any theories, in his opinion, depend on the type of thinking of the author himself.

The German philosopher J. Molleshot stated about the dependence of mental and spiritual processes on the physiological nature of man.

Scientists of the 50s of the XX century considered reflex activity as both physiological and psychological.

Thinking in psychology

Cognitive

Thinking is associated with information processing and is studied in this context. Its development is possible with the emergence of symbolic functions and the formation of concepts. Internal cognitive structures include images and concepts, thanks to which a person has the opportunity to study the world, understand it and apply knowledge in further cognitive activity.

She seeks to study it, memory and perception are not isolated. Cognitive psychology has developed a huge arsenal of methods and techniques, and also developed a lot of theoretical models that can explain some aspects of the thought process.

Clinical

The study takes into account the following factors: the patient's appearance, speech, behavior. A reliable analysis requires the study of each of its stages and the entire mental course of the patient. When contacting a patient, it is important to establish the presence or absence of delusions, fears, false ideas, as well as to find out what the patient's attitude to them now and earlier, in addition, it is necessary to understand how the thinking of a person affects behavior.

To analyze the thought process of patients, clinical psychology also uses drawings, diagrams, or letters written to someone.

In pathopsychological diagnostics, the following analysis techniques are used:

• folding pictures;
• understanding of literary texts;
• determination of the sequence of events and others.

Analysis in clinical psychology is important for determining the disease and, accordingly, the course of treatment.

Psychoanalysis

In psychoanalysis, thinking is considered as motivational process, that is, its type and character are associated with the motivation of the person, but not with an active understanding of our goal or needs, but with deep motivation. For example, Z. Freud, in his work on wit and its relation to the unconscious, argued that wit is the result or sign of a creative thought process that arose due to the dissatisfaction of one's needs in the past.

These processes are associated either with deep motives, or with motives for getting what you want, which can also be deep, and therefore may not be realized by a person.

Their connection with motivation has been studied in psychoanalysis only indirectly. Psychoanalysis does not provide information about how motivation practically affects the organization and structure of this process.

E. Blayler owns the theory of autistic thinking in psychoanalysis. The author believes that autism is a form in which a person's inner world dominates over the outer one. There is no clear distinction between autistic and ordinary thought processes, since the autistic is able to penetrate into the ordinary. Autistic processes give expression to the hidden tendencies and drives of a person. There is no time for this form, because it is not important.

Human thinking, according to E. Bleuler, is associated and explained by affective needs, fears, desires or complexes. Sometimes people unconsciously choose a certain form to protect themselves from the outside world.

Physiology

The thought process is both the highest form of reflection of reality and the psychological act of achieving a goal. It is only possible with motivation. Mental activity is realized through speech. According to neurophysiological and neuropsychological studies, subject-figurative thinking exists thanks to the right hemisphere of the brain, and abstract and verbal-logical thinking - to the left. Mental disorders are possible with injuries in the parieto-occipital and temporal parts of the left cerebral hemisphere.

Social Psychology

Thinking is one of the most important characteristics of a person and society. Its development is possible only in society and through communication with other members of this society. Its emergence in sociology is a dialogue with ourselves.

Human interaction with society continually influences thought processes. People spend at least a third of their lives just to learn how to survive in society. Some scientists believe that this period is much longer and constitutes the entire life of a person.

Socialization of a person begins from birth, when his parents teach him elementary skills, bring up some moral qualities in him, and lay in the offspring some kind of behavior model in society. After the person is under the influence of his friends, classmates, and later spouse, colleagues and other people. The influence of society is inevitable, because in order to live in society, it is necessary to adjust and adapt to the general rules in society. Even with a deliberate resistance to established norms of life, an unconscious influence on a person's thought processes is inevitable, because a person does not live alone in the forest or in the desert, but lives in society.

The collective unconscious, in accordance with the works of K.-G. Jung is universal and can be found everywhere. These are archetypes that existed before the birth of man. Archetypes can include patterns of behavior, feelings, experiences that can be found in mythological motives.

The personal unconscious is those traits or elements of a person's personality that were suppressed in him due to education. You can make a person forget memories, painful thoughts, unconscious feelings, complexes.

Can you develop these skills in yourself?

You can develop thinking skills throughout your life. The main thing is not to stop there, be curious and not rely on the unconscious. To develop these abilities, it is recommended to ask yourself the right questions, and find other right questions to your questions, since the search for an answer generates an even greater search for answers. Than more people knows, the more he understands that there is still much he does not understand.

A person needs the right questions to filter out unnecessary information that does not bring any benefit and only takes a person's thoughts and his time. Timely asked questions help develop thinking and memory.

For development, it is important to be able to switch from one information to another, as well as to feel the relationship between them for further use of this information. It's important to remain curious, thoughtful, and interested in information.

1. Introduction.

1.1 Chapter 1: Thinking as a Concept in Psychology

1.2 Types of thinking

1.3 Basic thought operations

1.4 Forms of thinking

2.1 Chapter 2: Solving mental problems. Intelligence

2.2 Personality and interests

2.3 Solving mental problems

2.4 Individual qualities of thinking

2.5 Intelligence

3. Conclusion

1. Introduction

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

The difference between thinking and other mental processes of cognition is that it is always associated with an active change in the conditions in which a person is. Thinking is always aimed at solving a problem. In the process of thinking, a purposeful and purposeful transformation of reality is carried out. The thinking process is continuous and proceeds throughout life, simultaneously transforming, due to the influences of such factors as age, social status, stability of the living environment. The peculiarity of thinking is its mediated nature. What a person cannot know directly, directly, he knows indirectly, indirectly: some properties through others, the unknown through the known. Thinking is distinguished by types, processes and operations. The concept of intelligence is inextricably linked with the concept of thinking. Intelligence is the general ability to learn and solve problems without trial and error i.e. "In the mind." Intelligence is considered as the level of mental development reached by a certain age, which is manifested in the stability of cognitive functions, as well as in the degree of mastering skills and knowledge (after words by Zinchenko, Meshcheryakov). Intelligence as an integral part of thinking, its integral part and, in a way, a generalizing concept.

Chapter 1.

1.1 Thinking as a concept in psychology

In the process of sensation and perception, a person learns the world around him as a result of its direct, sensory reflection, it is this concept that is interpreted as thinking. Thinking - the process of reflecting real reality in the human mind through the synthesis and analysis of all cognitive processes. In practice, thinking as a separate mental process does not exist, it is present in all cognitive processes: in perception, attention, imagination, memory, speech. Thinking is a single mental cognitive process, but it is realized through a number of sub-processes, each of which is an independent and, at the same time, integrated with other cognitive forms process. The highest forms of these processes are necessarily associated with thinking, and the degree of its participation determines the level of their development. Not a single regularity can be perceived directly by the senses. An example is any conscious human activity; looking out the window, we can determine by the wet roof or puddles that it was raining; standing at a traffic light, waiting green light, since we realize that it is this signal that serves as an incentive to action. In either case, we are performing a thought process, i.e. reflect the essential connections between phenomena by comparing the facts. For cognition it is not enough just to notice the connection between phenomena; it is necessary to establish that this connection is a common property of things. On this generalized basis, a person solves specific problems. Thinking gives the answer to questions that cannot be obtained by the simplest sensory reflection. Thanks to thinking, a person is correctly oriented in the world around him, using previously obtained generalizations in a new, concrete environment. Human activity is reasonable due to knowledge of the laws, the relationships of objective reality. The main task with which the thought process begins is to formulate a problem and determine ways to solve it. In order to solve the problem as a result of the thought process, you need to come to a more adequate cognition. To such an increasingly adequate cognition of its subject and the solution of the task facing it, thinking proceeds through diverse operations that make up various interconnected and passing sides of the thought process.

Establishing universal relationships, generalizing the properties of a homogeneous group of phenomena, understanding the essence of a specific phenomenon as a variety of a certain class of phenomena - this is the essence of human thinking. The definition of thinking most often includes the following features:

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

2. A process that initially arises on the basis of practical actions and direct-sensory cognition.

3. The process, as it develops, goes beyond the limits of practical actions.

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

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

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

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

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

1.2 Types of thinking

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

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

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

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

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

In psychology, there is a different classification of types of thinking, so we will consider a few more types or how they are classified as the "fundamental types" of thinking.

· Autistic thinking - this type of thinking is aimed at satisfying one's own interests. The needs in this case are more personally oriented. In many ways, autistic thinking is the opposite of realistic thinking. With the autistic type of thinking, actual, generally accepted associations are inhibited, as it were, relegated to the background, personality orientations, in turn, dominate, in some cases affects predominate. Thus, personal interests are given scope for associations, even if they generate logical inconsistencies. Autistic thinking creates illusions, not truths.

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

· Egocentric thinking - is characterized as a rule by the fact that a person is not able to accept a point of view that does not coincide with his "ego". As a rule, logical principles are observed, but they do not lead to a rational solution of the problem, contradict generally accepted laws, and do not correspond to temporal trends. Such people perceive the picture of the world as “everything depends on my opinion and decision, and, as a rule, no other is given. In some pronounced cases, it can lead to deviations: megalomania, multiple personality disorder (less often).

· Reproductive - the specificity of this type of thinking can be characterized as the search for and establishment of connections and relationships between the finished products of mental activity, which are fixed in a sign form. This type involves intense mental activity. It is often found in pedagogical practice, when the sign forms that fix the content and relation of concepts are given and understandable for perception, and there is no understanding and logical comparison, as a result of various personal aspects of misunderstanding.

The above classifications of thinking can be formulated in the form of a number of patterns of the thinking process.

- the main function of thinking processes is the orientation of the subject in the surrounding world through the establishment of intersubject connections and relationships, based on various means and methods.

- the processes of establishing connections and relationships occur at several interconnected levels based on logical comparisons of visual-figurative, verbal-logical, visual-figurative or visual-effective thinking.

- at each level of thinking, the establishment of intersubject connections and relationships is realized through a number of universal interconnected reversible operations: analysis and synthesis; generalization and concretization. Such operations can be combined into functional schemes, psychological mechanisms that ensure the implementation of mental actions in solving various problems. The characteristics of these operations are given below.

1.3 Basic thought operations

Human mental activity is the solution of various mental tasks aimed at revealing the essence of something. A mental operation is one of the methods of mental activity, through which a person solves mental problems.

Analysis - mental separation of objects, objects or situations to highlight components; mental separation from the whole of its sides, actions, relationships. It should be noted that in order to induce this operation, both the division of the initial concept into parts is possible, and the initial material can be a part of any concept, performing mental operations on which one can come to the solution of the problem.

Synthesis - an operation inverse to analysis, in which the whole is restored, connections and patterns are found, parts, properties, actions, relations are combined into one whole.

Analysis and synthesis in thinking are interconnected. These operations were formed in the practical activity of man. In labor activity, people constantly interact with objects and phenomena. Their practical mastery led to the formation of mental operations of analysis and synthesis. Analysis and synthesis, as a rule, appear in unity, one without the other is not possible by definition. It is these patterns that classify thinking as the most complex process of cognition, which proceeds unconsciously, is stimulated by situations and depends on such aspects as: genetic information and philosophy of a person's worldview.

Abstraction - it is a process of mental distraction from some features, aspects of a specific, the selection of a single feature. This is the allocation of any side or aspect of the phenomenon, which in reality do not exist as independent ones. It is carried out on the basis of analysis, synthesis and comparison operations. The result of this operation is often the formation of concepts.

Generalization or generalization - this is the discarding of individual features, while maintaining common ones, with the disclosure of essential links. There is a connection with the class of objects and phenomena, it allows you to operate not with individual objects, but with their specific classes; record ways to achieve goals; replace knowledge of many cases with knowledge of one principle.

1.4. Forms of thinking

Cognition of reality, and its objective reflection, is a complex multilevel process, one of the structural units of which is concept .The results of the cognitive activity of people are recorded in the form of concepts. To know an object means to reveal its essence.

Concept - there is a reflection essential features and properties of objects and phenomena, while the unique characteristics of each phenomenon are brought together and synthesized. In order to understand and display this process, you need to comprehensively study the subject, establish its connections with other subjects. The concept of an object arises on the basis of many judgments and inferences about it. The formation of concepts is the result of a long, complex and active mental, communicative and practical activity of people, the process of their thinking. A concept is an assimilated final characteristic, even abstract or generalized. When a new concept arises, its assimilation takes place. To grasp a concept means to understand its content, to be able to distinguish essential features, to know exactly its boundaries (volume), its place among other concepts in order not to be confused with similar concepts; be able to use this concept in cognitive and practical activities.

Another form of thinking is usually called inference. Inference - derivation of a subjectively new judgment from the already known judgments that are currently available in the socio-historical experience of mankind and the personal practical experience of the subject of mental activity. Inference as a form of obtaining knowledge is possible only if the laws of logic are observed. Inferences are inductive, deductive and analogous.

Judgment Is a form of thinking that reflects objects of reality in their connections and relationships. Each judgment is a separate thought about something. Judgments are formed in two main ways:

directly when what is perceived is expressed in them;

indirectly - by reasoning or reasoning. Judgments can be:

true;

private;

single.

A consistent logical connection of several judgments, necessary in order to solve any mental problem, to understand something, to find an answer to a question, is called reasoning .

Reasoning - has practical meaning only when it leads to a certain conclusion, inference. The inference will be the answer to the question, the result of the search for thought. Reasoning in which thought moves in the opposite direction is called deduction, and inference is called deductive. Deduction is the derivation of a particular case from a general position, the transition of thought from the general to the less general, to the particular or individual. In deductive reasoning, knowing the general position, rule or law, we conclude about particular cases, although they have not been specially studied.

Chapter 2

2.1 Solving mental problems. Intelligence

Knowing the world, a person generalizes the results of sensory experience, reflects the general properties of things. For knowledge of the surrounding world, it is not enough just to notice the connection between phenomena, it is necessary to establish that this connection is a common property of things. On this generalized basis, a person solves specific cognitive tasks. Thanks to thinking, a person is correctly oriented in the world around him, using previously obtained generalizations in a new, concrete environment. Human activity is reasonable due to knowledge of the laws, the relationships of objective reality. In thinking, the relationship of the conditions of activity to its goal is established, knowledge is transferred from one situation to another, the situation is transformed into an appropriate generalized scheme. Establishing general properties, highlighting a generalized assessment criterion, transferring the characteristics of one group to another - this is the main function of thinking. But thinking, going beyond sensations and perception, always remains inextricably linked with the sensory reflection of reality. Generalizations are formed on the basis of the perception of single objects, and their truth is verified by practice. Each person interprets concepts from his own point of view, relies on personal prejudices and established stereotypes, but at the same time, everyone understands each other and finds a compromise. In the process of genesis, a person needs constant communication and freedom of decision-making, while everyone takes into account their point of view and applies their own evaluation criterion, but, nevertheless, understands the impossibility of their existence without taking into account generally accepted norms, concepts and ideals.

In our opinion, the processes of thinking of each individual in the new time are influenced by such aspects of everyday life and historically established stereotypes as:

National traditions and mentality.

This criterion operates at the level of historically established principles formed in such sciences as: history, political science, religion.

Social and political norms.

This criterion is dictated by the existing political system, ideology and orientation towards development. It should be noted that the criterion depends on the form of government in the state, and its leaders. Thinking is socially conditioned, it arises only in the social conditions of human existence, it is based on knowledge, i.e. on the social and historical experience of mankind. In the process of historical development, mental actions began to obey certain logical rules; Constantly repeating and testing in practice, these rules were fixed in the consciousness of a person and acquired an axiomatic character for him.

The above two points are more widely disclosed by individual sciences - political science, social psychology.

The personal needs and interests of everyone.

The most generalized criterion, a definite interpretation cannot be given, since it is impossible to take into account the interests of everyone in a particular situation.

Thus, the process of thinking, in one way or another, is associated with the operations of analysis and synthesis. A person highlights some features for himself or summarizes the information received in accordance with the above classification.

Psychology in its classical understanding considers the personality criterion, since it is most associated with specific, subject-oriented needs that arise independently and in many ways, in accordance with the situation.

2.2 Personality and interests

When asked what a person is, psychologists answer differently. Each of the definitions of personality found in the literature deserves to be taken into account in the search for a global definition of personality. Let's look at several definitions. For greater efficiency, let's take definitions from various fields of psychology.

1. Personality is a special quality of a person acquired by him in the socio-cultural environment in the process joint activities and communication.

2. Personality is an autonomous (to a certain extent independent from society) person who knows how to rule himself, who has self-awareness, who has an active life position, his own view of things.

3. Personality is a person taken in the system of his psychological characteristics that are socially conditioned, manifest in social connections and relationships, are stable, determine the moral actions of a person, which are essential for him and others.

All of the above definitions characterize the personality from different sides, which allows you to form a specific concept for everyone. When forming the concept of personality, it is necessary to take into account the main parameter: the personality of each person is endowed only with her inherent combination of mental traits and characteristics that make up the originality of each person, his dissimilarity to other people. Such a peculiarity of the psyche and personality of the individual, their uniqueness is called individuality.

In our case, when interpreting the process of thinking, the concept of personality is integral. Each of us is individual and good in his own way, the thought process takes place in each of us autonomously and is focused on needs and real opportunities.

2.3 Solving mental problems

Human mental activity is manifested in the understanding of the objects of thinking and in solving various mental tasks on this basis. Thinking is purposeful and is necessary only in situations where a new goal arises, and the old old means are no longer sufficient to achieve it. Such situations are called problematic.

Problem situation - this is an uncertain situation that forces us to look for new solutions.

Problem situations arise throughout everyone's life, and the solution comes in different ways. The situation requiring a solution plays an important role. It can be associated with everyday life, work activities, focused on the family sphere of each subject. The speed of decision making depends on these parameters. You should take into account such a concept as understanding, since it is one of the main phases in the course of the thinking process. Understanding - the process of penetration of thought into the essence of something. The object of understanding can be any subject, phenomenon, fact, situation, action, speech of people, work of literature and art, scientific theory, etc. Understanding can be included in the process of perceiving an object and expressed in recognition, awareness of it, it can be carried out outside of perception. Understanding is a prerequisite for solving mental problems. Any thought process is an act aimed at solving a specific problem, the formulation of which includes a goal and conditions. Thinking begins with a problematic situation, a need to understand. In this case, the resolution of the problem is a natural completion of the thought process, and its termination with an unattained goal will be perceived by the subject as a breakdown or failure. The subject's emotional well-being is associated with the dynamics of the thought process, tense at the beginning and satisfied at the end.

Acting, a person solves a variety of tasks. A task is a situation that determines the action of a person who satisfies a need by changing this situation. The essence of the task is to achieve the goal. A person solves complex problems in several stages. Having realized the goal, the question, the arisen need, he then analyzes the conditions of the problem, draws up a plan of action and acts. A person solves some tasks directly, by performing habitual practical and mental actions, and solves other tasks indirectly, by acquiring the knowledge necessary to analyze the conditions of the problem. Tasks of the latter type are called mental tasks. Solving mental problems goes through several stages.

First step - awareness of the question of the task and the desire to find an answer to it. Without a question there is no task, there is no activity of thinking at all. The first sign of a thinking person is the ability to see the problem where it is. The emergence of questions (which is typical for children) is a sign of the developing work of thought. A person sees the more problems, the larger the circle of his knowledge. Thus, thinking presupposes the presence of some initial knowledge.

Second phase solving mental problems is an analysis of the conditions of the problem. Without knowing the conditions, it is impossible to solve a single problem, neither practical nor mental. From the awareness of the problem, the thought proceeds to its solution. The problem is solved in different ways. there is special tasks (tasks of visual-effective and sensorimotor intelligence), for the solution of which it is enough only to relate the initial data in a new way and rethink the situation. (Representatives of Gestalt psychology mistakenly tried to reduce the solution of all problems to such a scheme.)

Stage three solving a mental problem is the solution itself. The decision process is carried out through various mental actions using logical operations. Mental actions form a certain system, successively replacing each other.

The last step in solving mental problems is to check the correctness of the solution. Checking the correctness of the decision disciplines mental activity, allows you to comprehend every step of it, find unnoticed mistakes and correct them.

The ability to solve mental problems characterizes a person's mind, especially if a person can solve them independently and in the most economical ways. So, we found out that throughout life we \u200b\u200bsolve problems of varying complexity, but why everyone thinks differently and the solution to one problem can be achieved in different ways and have a different time threshold for several people.

The thinking of a particular person has individual characteristics. These features in different people are manifested, first of all, in the fact that they have different relationships between complementary types and forms of mental activity. There are three types of mental actions that are characteristic of the problem solving process.

1. Approximate actions - begin with the analysis of conditions, on the basis of which the main element of the thought process arises - a hypothesis. It arises on the basis of the information received, analysis of the conditions and contributes to further search, directs the movement of thought, and eventually goes into a solution plan. Awareness of the hypothesis gives rise to the need for verification, when the verification ends, the thought process moves to the final phase - a judgment on the issue.

2. Executive actions - are mainly reduced to the choice of methods for solving the problem. There is a calculation of various actions necessary to solve the problem and weeding out irrelevant or illogical units of action.

3. Finding the answer - consists in checking the solution against the initial conditions of the problem. If, as a result of comparison, the result is consistent with the initial conditions, the process is terminated.

2.4 Individual qualities of thinking

Let's give an example of several individual qualities inherent in each person.

Independent thinking is the ability to see and raise a new question or problem, and then solve it on your own. The creative nature of thinking is clearly expressed in precisely this independence. People of creative professions are endowed with these qualities. It can be clearly seen in purely individual types of activity.

Flexibility of thinking - the ability to change aspects of considering objects, phenomena, their properties and relationships, the ability to change the intended way of solving a problem if it does not satisfy the changed conditions. This is the ability to understand and realize that any task has many ways to solve it. Ability to transform raw data and use their relativity. With the development of intellectual activity, the variability, plasticity of behavior increases significantly, acquiring, as it were, a new dimension. The relationship between successive - previous and subsequent - acts of behavior and, at the same time, the relationship between the act of behavior and the situation in which it is performed changes significantly.

Inertia of thinking is a quality of thinking that manifests itself in a tendency to a template, to habitual ways of thinking, in the difficulty of switching from one system of actions to another.

The rate of development of thought processes is the minimum number of exercises necessary to generalize the principle of the solution. This quality includes the concept of quick thinking, i.e. the speed of the flow of thought processes. The time spent on solving the problem and the efficiency of the thinking process itself directly depend on this quality. It is inherent in people with a dynamic lifestyle and occupation.

Efficiency of thinking is the number of logical moves (reasoning) through which a new pattern is acquired. It is the ability to cut off unnecessary actions and thoughts necessary for solving a problem or making a decision.

The breadth of mind is the ability to cover a wide range of issues in various areas of knowledge and practice. This criterion implies the concept of a person's outlook, the ability to apply knowledge from various fields.

Depth of thinking - the ability to delve into the essence, to reveal the causes of phenomena, to foresee the consequences; manifests itself in the degree of essential features that a person can abstract when mastering new material, and in the level of their generalization.

Consistency of thinking - the ability to maintain a strict logical order in considering a particular issue.

Critical thinking is a quality of thinking that allows a rigorous assessment of the results of mental activity, to find strengths and weaknesses in them, to prove the truth of the proposed provisions. Criticality is a sign of a mature mind. The uncritical mind easily takes any coincidence for an explanation, the first decision that comes up as the final one.

Stability of thinking is a quality of thinking, manifested in an orientation towards a set of previously identified significant features, towards already known patterns. This is the ability to compare a given situation with those already known from theory or practice.

All these qualities are individual, change with age, and can be corrected. These individual characteristics of thinking must be specially taken into account in order to correctly assess mental abilities and knowledge.

2.5 Intelligence

The totality of all the criteria for evaluating the thought process gives rise to such a concept as intelligence. Let's consider some definitions of intelligence.

1) Intelligence - general ability to learn and solve problems, which determines the success of any activity and underlies other abilities.

2) Intelligence - the level of mental development reached by a certain age, which is manifested in the formation of cognitive functions, as well as in the degree of mastering skills and knowledge.

Based on these definitions, we conclude that intelligence is a concept that generalizes thinking and all cognitive processes. The concept is abstract and it is impossible to judge the intellectual abilities of a person by a specific activity or situation. It is necessary to take into account a certain period of a person's life, which includes: situations, actions, spheres of life. Intelligence is associated with the concept mental development.

Under mental development is understood as a set of both knowledge, skills, and mental actions formed in the process of acquiring these skills and knowledge. The most common characteristic of the level of mental development is the preparedness of the functioning of thinking within the age-related socio-psychological standard (SPN). That is, the level of mental development should reflect the most typical, general, characteristic for a given society features of mental activity, concerning both the volume and quality of knowledge and skills, and the stock of certain mental actions.

When studying the structures of intelligence, the following reasons are taken into account:

· Recognition and understanding of the presented material on various grounds;

· Convergent productivity - looking for a solution in one direction in order to get the only correct answer;

· Divergent productivity - searching for a solution in different directions in order to obtain several equally correct answers;

· Control and assessment - judgments about the correctness, consistency of a given situation;

· Specific objects or their images;

· Behavior, actions, deeds of another person and their own;

· Units of objects to which human intellectual activity is directed;

· Classes of objects to which human intellectual activity is directed;

· Transformation and transformation of a given material;

· Prediction of the result or implication: what happens if ...

Intellect is viewed in psychology as: a system of psychological mechanisms that make it possible to build a subjective picture of what is happening “inside” the individual. Intelligence as a concept is very broad and requires a separate interpretation from the point of view of intellectual psychology.

The process of formation of mental actions, according to P.Ya. Halperin.

1. Familiarization with the composition of future action in in practical terms, as well as the requirements that it must meet. It is an indicative basis for future action.

2. Execution given action in external form, in practical terms, with real objects or their substitutes. The mastery of this external action proceeds according to all the basic parameters with a certain type of orientation in each.

3. Performing an action without direct support on external objects or their substitutes. Transferring the action from the external plan to the loud speech plan. Speech is a subjective idea of \u200b\u200baction in the form of speech. It is, as it were, a pointless execution of an action.

4. Transfer of speech action into the internal plan. The peculiarity of internal speech is its brevity, conciseness, convolution. But when thinking difficulties arise, inner speech takes an expanded form and often turns into whispering or loud speech. This allows you to better analyze and consolidate abstract speech material: formulations, problem conditions, etc.

Language is a means of abstraction, abstraction of the essential features of objects, a means of fixing and storing knowledge, a means of transferring knowledge to other people. It is only thanks to language that the social and historical experience of all mankind becomes the property of an individual. The means of thinking is the meaning of the word.

5. Performing an action in terms of internal speech with its corresponding transformations and abbreviations, with the departure of the action, its process and details of its implementation from the sphere of conscious control and the transition to the level of intellectual abilities and skills.

3. Conclusion

Thus, the process of thinking is independent and general in function, throughout the entire life of a person. Thinking requires thorough consideration in pedagogical and leadership activities. Thinking is the guiding function of human behavior, reflecting the true picture of the world of a given subject. When teaching activities should be considered developmental psychology... When leading activities, one should take into account the individuality of each person and at the same time compliance with the norms of the enterprise. The qualities of thinking are developed differently for everyone, but one should not deviate from traditions and established norms of behavior. The scientific and technological revolution constantly changes the structure of modern consciousness, simplifying mental operations and presenting new hypotheses for general consideration. The combination of all of the above opens up new intellectual areas of activity for understanding the world and exploring the possibilities of human consciousness.

List of references

1. Psychology. R.S. Nemov ed. "Valdos" 2003

2. Psychological mechanisms of human thinking. Malanov S.V. ed. "Moscow Psychological and Social Institute" 2003

3. General psychology. Maklakov A.G. ed. "Peter" 2006

4. Psychology and pedagogy in questions and answers. Peters V.A. ed. "Prospect" 2004

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Technician - humanist, extrovert - introvert, logician - ethic, left - right. Dozens of such thinking patterns have accumulated over the years of work of psychologists, and each of them unites people according to certain criteria and divides them into 2 groups.

website chose 8 of the most interesting psychological types that will help you understand yourself and understand other people a little better.

1. Logician - ethic

Logic evaluate the world in terms of rules, laws, logical connections and inferences. They are well versed in technology, drawing up business plans, developing concepts and working with numbers. For a logician, communication is an exchange of information: “Speak up already on the case”, “Let's analyze the details”, “Let's look at the numbers”, “Consider the decision”.

Ethics they look at the world from the point of view of emotions, feelings, experiences. They act according to what the heart and mood suggest. They can easily cheer you up, inspire and help build relationships. For an ethicist, communication is an exchange of energy: “You look sad today”, “What a sincere company”, “She only said hello, but I already understood everything”.

2. Sensory - intuition

Intuits- these are theorists, philosophers, thinkers, people with global thinking. They quickly grasp the essence, see opportunities well and easily think over numerous options and methods. Almost everything that surrounds us was originally invented by intuitions. Ideas constantly arise in their heads, which are often ahead of their time. And their ideas are often carried out in the future by their descendants.

Intuits, as a rule, people are dreamy, scattered, forgetful, and there is often a "creative disorder" in their environment.

Sensorics- these are practitioners who have concrete thinking, notice details well, sense smells, tastes, and distinguish the slightest shades of color. Realists focused on current events who are strong in carrying out ideas and ideas. Much that surrounds us was brought to life by the hands of sensors.

It can be difficult for sensors to see the big picture. They live as if one day, so they often worry about the unpredictability of events and what will happen tomorrow.

3. Decisive - judicious

Decisive people make decisions easier, endure heavy loads, act in the most tense, stressful environment. These are people who love and know how to overcome difficulties and learn from mistakes. Often in the future they become good mentors with a huge store of knowledge and practical experience.

Reasonable make informed decisions, avoid unnecessary actions, adjust to the environment, love to relax and relieve stress. These are people who prefer comfort, warmth, like to talk about pleasant events and things. They do not rely on their previous experience, but focus on new ideas, perspectives and the future.

4. Schizotimic - cyclothymic

Schizotimics are people prone to schizophrenia and exhibiting some of its symptoms in everyday life. They are characterized by subtlety of feelings, selfishness, arrogance and a strong desire to be better than others. As a rule, these are domineering, aristocratic people who like to talk about high things, rarely show their emotions and do not adapt well to a new environment.

Cyclothymics - people prone to manic-depressive psychosis. They are characterized by irresponsibility, carelessness and excessive emotionality. As a rule, they are cheerful and sociable people, with a good sense of humor, who like to be always in the spotlight.

5. Changer - runner

Changers - these are people who today can sit in the office, and tomorrow jump with a parachute in the Alps. In their work, they like to deal with a new project, new business each time. And if the work does not allow, then they change it. Changers are always full of energy, learn quickly and adapt to any conditions. But due to the inability to sit still, it is more difficult for them to bring what they started to the end and achieve mastery in one thing.

Runners it is common to do one thing. They carefully choose their hobbies, place of work, shopping and social circle. They simply cannot fail to bring the chosen business to the end. Runners do not adapt well to changing conditions, a new team, a new occupation, they are often conservative in beliefs and faithful to traditions.

6. Introvert - extrovert

Introverts pay attention mainly to their inner world. They are withdrawn, sensitive and judicious. For them, the depth of events, emotions and relationships is more important than their coverage. For example, they will prefer to communicate with only one person, but the closest one. Choose one thing, but understand it well.

Extroverts focused on the outside world. They are sociable, active, they have a wide range of interests. It is much easier for them to increase the number of their hobbies than their depth. To contact a person, they do not need to find common hobbies or character traits, so it is easier for them to communicate and make new acquaintances.

7. International - external

Internal type people believes that the events happening to him depend only on his qualities (competence, purposefulness, endurance). He is aimed at pumping his abilities in order to resist the external environment and influence events.

External type I am convinced that all successes and failures depend on external factors (actions of people, chance, environment, good luck). They go to great lengths to eliminate all of these factors.

8. Positivist - Negative

PositivistsWhen faced with a situation, they first see the qualities that are present in it. For example, such a person will say: "The weather is good, it's warm outside." These qualities will always be positive.

Negativists when evaluating, first of all, those qualities that are absent in it are distinguished. He will say: "The weather is not bad, it is not cold outside." These qualities will always be negative.

What is important for us to remember

Each person is unique, but we are somehow similar - it's true. Each type has positive and negative sides, so they complement each other. Intuits come up with things, but sensors do. Introverts can teach you to think deeper, and extroverts can teach you more. The positivist helps you see the best things, and the negativist avoids the worst.

It is important to be open and learn from the other side.So, any person can have all the positive qualities, get rid of the negative ones and do really great things.

Types of thinking are common to all people, although each person has a number of specific cognitive abilities. In other words, each person can accept and develop different thinking processes.

Content:

Thinking is not innate, but rather develops. Despite the fact that all personal and cognitive characteristics of people motivate a preference for one or more types of thinking, some people can develop and practice any type of thinking.

Although traditionally thought has been interpreted as a specific and limited activity, this process is not unambiguous. That is, there is no single way of carrying out the processes of thinking and reasoning.

In fact, many specific ways of thinking have been defined. For this reason, the idea today is that people can imagine different ways of thinking.

Types of human thinking

It should be noted that each type of thinking of a person more efficient at performing specific tasks. Certain cognitive activities can benefit more than one type of thinking.

Therefore, it is important to know and learn to develop different types of thinking. This fact allows you to maximize the use of human cognitive abilities and develop different abilities to solve various problems.

Deductive thinking is the type of thinking that allows you to draw a conclusion, a conclusion from a number of premises. That is, it is a mental process that starts from the "general" to reach the "specific".

This type of thinking focuses on the cause and origin of things. It requires a detailed analysis of aspects of the problem in order to be able to draw conclusions and possible solutions.

This is a method of reasoning that is very often used in everyday life. People analyze elements and everyday situations to draw conclusions.

Besides day-to-day work, deductive thinking is vital to the design of scientific processes. It is based on deductive thinking: it analyzes related factors in order to develop hypotheses and draw conclusions.

Critical thinking is a mental process based on analyzing, understanding and evaluating how knowledge is organized that claims to represent things.

Critical thinking uses knowledge to arrive at an effective conclusion that is more reasonable and justified.

Therefore, critical thinking analytically evaluates ideas in order to lead them to concrete conclusions. These conclusions are based on morality, values \u200b\u200band personal principles of the individual.

Thus, through this type of thinking, cognitive ability is combined with. Therefore, it defines not only the way of thinking, but also the way of being.

Adopting critical thinking directly affects a person's functionality, as it makes him more intuitive and analytical, allowing him to make good and wise decisions based on specific realities.

Inductive thinking defines a way of thinking that is the opposite of deductive thinking. Thus, this way of thinking is characterized by the search for explanations about the general.

Getting conclusions on a large scale. It looks for distant situations in order to turn them into similar ones and, thus, generalizes situations, but without resorting to analysis.

Therefore, the goal of inductive thinking is to study tests that measure the probability of arguments, as well as rules for constructing strong inductive arguments.

Analytical thinking is breaking down, separating and analyzing information. It is characterized by ordered, that is, it is a sequence of the rational: it goes from the general to the particular.

It always specializes in finding the answer, therefore in finding arguments.

Investigative thinking focuses on exploring things. Does it in a thorough, motivated and persistent manner.

It consists of a mixture of creativity and analysis. That is, part of the evaluation and research of the elements. But its goal does not end with the examination itself, but requires the formulation of new questions and hypotheses in accordance with the investigated aspects.

As its name suggests, this type of thinking is central to the research and development and evolution of species.

Systematic or systematic thinking is the type of reasoning that occurs in a system formed by various subsystems or interrelated factors.

It consists of a highly structured type of thinking, the purpose of which is to understand a more complete and less simple idea of \u200b\u200bthings.

Try to understand how things work and solve the problems that their properties give rise to. This involves developing complex thinking that has so far been applied to three main areas: physics, anthropology, and sociopolitics.

Creative thinking includes cognitive processes that create the ability to create. This fact motivates the development of elements new or different from the rest through thought.

Thus, creative thinking can be defined as the acquisition of knowledge characterized by originality, flexibility, plasticity, and fluidity.

It is one of the most valuable cognitive strategies today because it allows you to formulate, construct, and solve problems in new ways.

Developing this type of thinking is not easy, so there are certain techniques that can be used to achieve this.

Synthetic thinking is characterized by the analysis of the various elements that make up things. Its main purpose is to reduce ideas on a specific topic.

It consists of a type of vital teaching and personal study case. The thought of synthesis allows the elements to be more reminiscent as they undergo a consolidated process.

It is a personal process in which each person forms a significant whole from the parts that the subject represents. Thus, a person can remember several features of the concept, embracing them in a more general and representative concept.

Interrogative thinking is based on questions and the question of important aspects.

Thus, interrogative thinking determines the way of thinking that arises from the use of questions. There is always a reason in this reasoning, because it is this element that allows you to develop your own thinking and receive information.

Through the questions raised, data have been obtained that allow for a final conclusion. This type of thinking is mainly used to address issues in which the most important element is information obtained through third parties.

Diverse (Divergent) Thinking

Diverse thinking, also known as lateral thinking, is a type of reasoning that discusses, doubts, and consistently seeks alternatives.

It is a thinking process that allows you to generate creative ideas through the exploration of multiple solutions. It is the antithesis of logical thinking and tends to manifest itself spontaneously and smoothly.

As the name suggests, its main purpose is based on divergence from previously established solutions or elements. Thus, it sets up a type of thinking closely related to creative.

It consists of a type of thinking that doesn't seem natural in people. People tend to associate and associate similar elements with each other. On the other hand, a diverse mindset tries to find different solutions for those that are performed normally.

Convergent thinking

On the other hand, convergent thinking is a type of reasoning that is the opposite of different thinking.

In fact, divergent thinking is driven by neural processes in the right hemisphere of the brain, convergent thinking will be driven by processes in the left hemisphere.

It is characterized by functioning through associations and relationships between elements. He has no ability to imagine, seek or explore alternative thoughts and usually leads to the creation of a single idea.

Intelligent thinking

This type of reasoning, a recent emergence and invented by Michael Gelb, makes reference to a combination between divergent and convergent thought.

Thus, intelligent thinking that includes aspects of the details and evaluators of convergent thinking and connects them with alternative and new processes associated with divergent thinking.

The development of this reasoning allows us to link creativity with analysis, postulating as thought with a high ability to achieve effective solutions in several areas.

Conceptual thinking

Conceptual thinking involves the development of reflection and self-assessment of problems. It is closely related to creative thinking, and its main goal is to find concrete solutions.

However, unlike different thinking, this type of reasoning focuses on a review of pre-existing associations.
Conceptual thinking involves abstraction and reflection, and it is very important in a variety of scientific, academic, everyday and professional fields.

It is also characterized by the development of four basic intellectual operations:

Subordination: consists of linking specific concepts to the broader concepts in which they are included.

Coordination: It consists of linking specific concepts that are included in broader and more generalized concepts.

Infraordination: deals with a certain relationship between two concepts and is aimed at determining the specific features of concepts, relationships with others.

Exception: It consists of detecting elements that are characterized by being different or not equal to other elements.

Metaphorical thinking

Metaphorical thinking is based on making new connections. This is a very creative type of reasoning, but it does not focus on creating or obtaining new elements, but on new relationships between existing elements.

With this type of thinking, it is possible to create stories, develop imaginations and generate, through these elements, new connections between well-differentiated aspects that share some aspects.

Traditional thinking

Traditional thinking is characterized by the use of logical processes. It focuses on solution and focuses on finding similar real-life situations to find items that might be helpful for resolution.

Usually it is developed using rigid and pre-designed schemes. It is one of the foundations of vertical thinking in which logic takes on a one-way role and develops a linear and sequential path.

This is one of the most commonly used types of thinking in everyday life. It is not suitable for creative or original elements, but it is very useful for solving everyday situations and is relatively simple.