Thinking productivity. Conditions for increasing the productivity of mental activity. Thinking. general characteristics
UDC 159.955
PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE THINKING: COMMONITY OR ANTAGONISM?
E.V. Getmanskaya (Moscow)
Annotation. The mobility of the boundaries of productive and reproductive thinking is studied, the specifics of both ways of thinking and their interdependence, as well as operational tools (mechanisms) of productive and reproductive thinking are revealed. Keywords: lateral and vertical thinking; divergent thinking; critical thinking; "analysis through synthesis"; free association.
Modern psychology, on the one hand, differentiates creative and reproductive thinking as different "modes" of thinking, and on the other hand, affirms their common nature, syncretism. Exploring this dichotomy, both domestic and foreign researchers, first of all, pave the way for a generalized definition of the concept of creative thinking, the characteristics of which in a comparative study with reproductive thinking show their essence more contrast and more definite.
The genesis of the scientific categories of productive, creative and reproductive thinking is largely associated with the categories of intuition and reflection. Let us turn to the dictionary entry "intuition", written for the "Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron" by the Russian philosopher V.S. Solovyov: “Intuition,” we read in the dictionary, “(from Latin intuere - to look) is the direct perception of something as true, expedient, morally good or beautiful. The opposite of reflection. It is impossible to deny intuition as a fact, but it would be unreasonable to look for in it the highest norm of philosophical knowledge, before which reflective thinking would lose its rights. V.S. Solovyov, anticipating the heightened interest in the psychology of the twentieth century. to creative and reproductive thinking, raises the problem of their balanced or non-equilibrium functioning and the very nature of these "ways" of thinking. Philosophical reading of V.S. Solovyov problems of intuitive and reflective thinking at the beginning of the 20th century. is transformed in the second half of the century into the format of categories of creative and reproductive thinking and becomes a significant problem of modern psychology.
Comparative approach to the study of the categories of productive and reproductive thinking in the twentieth century. represented by the works of A.V. Brushlinsky, E. De Bono, G. Lindsay, in the psychology of the last decades, the comparative principle of studying the problem is used by V.A. Sonin, I.P. Kaloshina. When starting to analyze studies on the stated topic, it should be emphasized that they do not have a strict polarization of the processes of creative and reproductive thinking. The point of view of our study of the problem is the existing mobility of the boundaries of creative and reproductive thinking, similarities and differences, commonality and antagonism
their processes. First of all, let us dwell on the terminological aspect of the problem, namely, on the semantic synonymy available in science for both the concept of creative thinking and the concept of reproductive thinking.
So, E. De Bono introduces the term lateral thinking, which is translated as “lateral”, non-standard thinking, respectively, vertical, or logical, thinking is meant by template thinking. Lateral thinking, according to the scientist, is associated with a change in concepts and perceptions and is based on the behavior of self-organizing information systems, it partially correlates with divergent (multidirectional) thinking, since both are associated with the generation of something new. Divergent thinking "is only part of the process of lateral thinking, which is associated not only with the generation of alternatives, but also with changing patterns (systems), with the transition to new and better patterns" . The end product of lateral thinking is insight, as opposed to the variety of broader alternatives that characterize divergent thinking. Creative thinking, from the position of E. De Bono, is a special kind of lateral (non-standard) thinking, covering a wider area. In some cases, the results of out-of-the-box thinking are ingenious creations, while in others they are nothing more than just a new way of looking at things. Thus, by implementing terminological innovations, E. De Bono comes to the internal hierarchy of the processes of creative and reproductive thinking.
The development of E. De Bono's views on the specifics of reproductive thinking and the difference between the scales of lateral and creative thinking is reflected in the concept of solving non-standard problems by V.A. Sonina. The researcher defines reproductive thinking as visual thinking based on images and ideas drawn from real sources, in a real sense, reproductive thinking is mental activity according to a certain standard, rule, standard. Productive thinking, according to the logic of the scientist, is based on creative imagination, active processing of emotional, cognitive and sensory experience into new combinations, combinations.
Productive thinking is characterized by the allocation of essence, the conceptual level of reflection, the inner essence, external manifestations that determine the empirical and theoretical types of knowledge. Creative thinking in the system of V.A. Sonina is the discovery of new knowledge, the production of one's own original ideas, demanded by time, by the reality of being. “Thinking creatively means the desire and ability to consider information without putting it on the shelves. This way of thinking forces one to look for new relationships between facts that are new to everyone, without relying on preconceived beliefs. In most cases, creative thinking needs talent to manifest itself, while out-of-the-box thinking is available to anyone who is interested in getting new ideas.
To a large extent, the analysis of creative and reproductive thinking in the scientific systems under consideration is focused on the essential characteristics of lateral thinking, built on the principle of implicit comparison with the characteristics of reproductive thinking. For proof, let us turn to some points of the descriptive list of mechanisms of lateral thinking according to E. De Bono, formulated as follows:
Lateral thinking aims to create as many alternative solutions as possible. It continues to seek other approaches even after a promising path has been found;
With lateral thinking, if the conclusion turns out to be true, it is not at all required that every action we take is correct. This way of thinking is like building a bridge. It is not at all necessary that all parts of the bridge at each stage of construction look like a complete whole, but when the last link takes its place, the bridge immediately takes on a complete look;
A person who thinks laterally understands that this or that model cannot be rebuilt from the inside - this is possible only as a result of some external influence. And he welcomes any such impact, as it plays the role of an inciting push. The more irrelevant such pushes seem, the more likely it is that the established model will be changed. To seek out only what looks appropriate is to help perpetuate the existing model.
Thus, the logic of E. De Bono defines lateral thinking as a cognitive style similar to divergent one, which allows you to find the right answers found in an unconventional way.
The well-known areas of psychological analysis of productive and reproductive thinking do not give a holistic view of the problem, since these concepts are studied only from one side: attention is fixed either on the goal, or on the means, or on their result. It often turns out to be quite difficult
the challenge is to compare the results of these studies. Difficulties are associated, in particular, with the fact that the generalized definition of productive thinking does not specify the procedures for such a comparison. The semantic correlation of the presented generalized definitions of creative and reproductive thinking is their constituent, but not the only characteristic. An extremely important characteristic of the two ways of mental activity is their structure: from the structure mechanisms flow. Understanding the structure of a mental phenomenon - its macro- and microelements, as well as the relationships between them - is an important part of the theoretical platform of the study. In order to obtain a structural model of the processes of thinking, it seems necessary, having accepted the generalized definitions of productive and reproductive thinking, to focus primarily on the mechanisms of the process of their flow. Orientation to the mechanisms, the inclusion of various aspects of the analysis of the two ways of thinking in a holistic view of them sets a systematic approach. It allows you to correlate the results of research on various aspects of a complex object and develop grounds for combining these results, to present the object as a system.
Thus, the system of "productive - reproductive thinking" A.V. Brushlinsky is described as a closed circuit of "analysis through synthesis", as a general initial mechanism of the thought process, which affirms the impossibility of dividing thinking into reproductive and productive. “Any thinking,” the scientist emphasizes, “at least to a minimal extent, is creative, since it is always a search (forecasting) and discovery of a substantially new, i.e. continuous inclusion of a cognizable object in new connections. The author focuses on the genetic links between reproductive and productive thinking and considers it wrong to differentiate the two main types of mental activity. According to A.V. Brushlinsky, new and old, revealed in the course of thinking, do not belong to two different objects, but are different qualities of one and the same object. Consequently, there are no two different types of thinking, one of which - productive - would cognize only new objects, and the other - reproductive - would deal only with long-known objects. If the new and the old do not belong to two separate objects, but to one and the same, then the “border” between the one and the other is very mobile, dynamic and is not fixed once and for all. In the process of thinking with the help of analysis through synthesis, a person continuously includes the “old” object in new connections and thereby reveals it in ever new qualities. Thus, analysis through synthesis as a universal initial mechanism of the thought process means the impossibility of dividing thinking into reproductive and productive. "Field of activity" of reproductive thinking A.V. Brushlinsky reduces it, calling it "simply memory", arguing that
most with a very common psychological interpretation of the category of reproductive thinking as thinking, with the help of which a person solves problems for a long time and is well known to him.
Introducing his own differentiation of signs of reproduction and productivity in thinking, I.P. Kaloshina, in accordance with the activity approach to mental phenomena, understands "creative thinking as a component of creative activity that performs certain functions in it." A detailed definition of creative activity is given by her through a system of the following features, according to which creative activity:
It is aimed at solving problems that are characterized by the absence in the subject area (or only in the subject) of both the method of solving the problem and the subject-specific knowledge necessary for its development - postulates, theorems, laws and other provisions. Such tasks I.P. Kaloshina calls creative; in the psychological literature, the characterization of creative problems often comes down to pointing out the absence of a solution method;
Associated with the creation by the subject at a conscious or unconscious level of new knowledge for him as an indicative basis for the subsequent development of a method for solving a problem;
It is characterized for the subject by an indefinite possibility of developing new knowledge and on the basis of their method of solving the problem. Uncertainty is due to the lack of any other knowledge that strictly determines the specified development.
The target (or epistemological) grounds for the interpretation of creative and reproductive thinking are stated in the concept of the American psychologist G. Lindsay. Creative thinking in this system is “thinking, the result of which is the discovery of a fundamentally new or improved solution to a particular problem” . In the study of critical (reproductive) thinking, G. Lindsay descends from the epistemological to the criterion analysis of the category, defining critical thinking as a specific criterion for creative thinking. Critical thinking in the system of G. Lindsay is a test of the proposed solutions in order to determine the scope of their possible application. Creative thinking is aimed at creating new ideas, and critical thinking reveals their shortcomings and defects. To highlight truly useful, effective solutions, creative thinking must be complemented by critical thinking. The purpose of critical thinking is to test the proposed ideas: are they applicable, how can they be improved, etc. Creativity will be unproductive if you do not critically check and sort the resulting products. Carrying out the appropriate selection in an appropriate way, G. Lindsay considered it necessary, firstly, to observe the well-known
distance, i.e. to be able to evaluate their ideas objectively, and, secondly, to take into account the criteria, or restrictions that determine the practical possibilities of introducing new ideas.
Reproductive (template, logical) thinking is often defined in conjunction (or antithesis) with creative thinking, according to the principle of explicit or implicit comparison. Implicit comparison is the goal-setting principle of E. De Bono's systemic characteristics of vertical thinking, which presents the main criteria for vertical thinking in internal antithesis with lateral (creative) thinking:
Vertical thinking, choosing any single path of action, discards all other possible options;
When a person thinks vertically, he chooses the approach to solving the problem that seems to him the most promising, going through various options until he finds the most promising;
With vertical thinking, moving towards solving a problem, they follow a strictly designated direction, using a well-defined method or set of techniques;
Modern psychology defines the degree of differentiation of creative and reproductive thinking in different ways, and in some scientific positions, differentiation is recognized as impossible at all, such, for example, is the point of view of A.V. Brushlinsky. Along with this, if we follow the logic of E. De Bono, creative and reproductive thinking exist on antagonistic principles. To clearly distinguish them, E. De Bono resorts to a direct and consistent comparison of the multiple functions of vertical and lateral thinking, for example: vertical thinking is selective, lateral thinking is creative; vertical thinking is a process with an end result, and lateral thinking is a probabilistic process, etc.
The mechanisms of creative and reproductive activity (as operational tools) are considered by psychologists depending on their theoretical positions. From the standpoint of the activity approach, the mechanisms of any mental phenomenon, including creative activity, are defined as a system of appropriate actions and techniques. In particular, I.P. Kaloshina refers to the mechanisms of controlled creative activity the following four invariant actions associated with the inclusion of the structure of a given creative task in a new structure in order to establish new relationships between unknown and known phenomena in the task:
The first action is the transfer to the task of macroelements of the new structure (summarizing known and unknown phenomena in the task under the categories of macroelements of the new structure);
The second is the transfer to the problem of microelements of a new structure, or the basis of macroelements (decomposition
Siberian Psychological Journal
known phenomena in the problem for their constituent elements);
The third is the transfer to the problem of the relationship between the macroelements of the new structure (the establishment of new relationships between unknown and known phenomena in a long problem);
- "the fourth action is the construction of an unknown phenomenon - a way to solve the problem - based on known phenomena and newly established relationships" .
E. De Bono, as a mechanism for the functioning of creative and reproductive thinking, indicated the discrepancy between what a person has and what he wants. It can come down to the need to avoid something, to achieve something, to get rid of something, to understand one's hidden desires. “Problems of inconsistency” E. De Bono divided into three types:
Those that require more information or better methods of processing it for their resolution;
Those for which no additional information is required, but only a regrouping of existing data - an intuitive permutation;
The ones that boil down to the absence of a problem. “You have nothing to focus your efforts on to achieve the best result, because you do not even suspect that it is possible. You must realize that there is still a problem, and it lies in the fact that the situation can and should be improved.
The first type of problem can be solved with the help of vertical thinking. But to deal with problems of the second and third types, it is necessary to resort to the methods of lateral thinking. Thus, the expediency of using lateral thinking is to counteract the process of turning the problem situations we create into frozen schemes.
Two types of main problem situations are proposed by A.V. Brushlinsky. The first type is characterized by the fact that a person cannot fail to notice a problem situation that arises in the course of his activity. This obvious (obvious) problematic situation contains a pronounced contradiction between the desire and the inability to continue the previous actions. Thus, it constitutes the necessary initial, initial conditions for thinking: it naturally prompts to resolve the contradiction that has arisen, i.e. first of all, to comprehend the reasons for the failures that have begun in the implementation of certain activities. The strongest motivation for thinking is formed precisely in a problem situation of this type. The second type of non-obvious problem situations include those that, arising in the course of a certain (primarily cognitive) activity, may go unnoticed. For example, when reading and rereading a particular text (articles, books, letters), a person does not notice the formal-logical contradictions in those thoughts for a long time.
their own or others, which are in it. Thus, the task arises from a problem situation of any type, is closely related to it, but differs significantly from it. Thus, a problematic situation is a rather vague, not yet very clear, little-conscious impression or experience, as if signaling: “something is wrong”, “something is not right”. In such problematic situations, from the position of A.V. Brushlinsky, and the process of thinking begins. It begins with an analysis of the problematic situation itself. As a result of its analysis, a task arises, a problem in the proper sense of the word is formulated.
One of the ways of resolving a problem situation recognized by modern psychology is free association (G. Lindsay). According to the scientist: “If you want to think creatively, you must learn to give your thoughts complete freedom and not try to direct them in a certain direction.” This is called free association. The procedure is simple: get a group of people to “freely associate” on a given topic (brainstorming). The purpose of a brainstorming session is to get as many new ideas as possible, as the more ideas that are submitted, the more chances there are for a really good idea to come up. The group situation stimulates the processes of generating new ideas, which is an example of a kind of social assistance.
In modern science, the problem of the relationship between productive and reproductive thinking is not analyzed in a monotonous way. There are theories of their complementarity, polarity, and theories that separate reproductive and creative thinking into fundamentally different measurement systems. In the theory of E. De Bono, lateral and vertical thinking complement each other, namely: vertical thinking multiplies the effectiveness of the lateral, skillfully using its ideas. G. Lindsay defines the result of creative thinking as the discovery of a fundamentally new or improved solution to a particular problem. We find a different approach to understanding the nature of creative and reproductive thinking in the works of I.P. Kaloshina. Between creative activity and reproductive, from the point of view of the scientist, there are similarities and there are significant differences. The differentiation of reproductive and creative thinking, from the scientist's point of view, is based primarily on the difference in the structure of activities for solving creative and non-creative problems. A.V. Brushlinsky, proposing "analysis through synthesis" as the general initial mechanism of the thought process, asserts the impossibility of dividing thinking into reproductive and productive.
The study of creative and reproductive thinking is due to the nature of human life. The development of social relations, human intellect creates new opportunities for both recreative and creative activities. Next-
General psychology and personality psychology
It should be noted that the analysis of the systems for studying creative and reproductive thinking presented in the article is not complete. To a large extent, this is due to the fact that, despite the large number of works on this issue by domestic and foreign authors and a long period devoted to the study of the creative process, not all psychological aspects of the latter have been sufficiently studied. The goal set by the author of the article,
more modestly - to identify the essential features and patterns of creative and reproductive thinking, necessary for their subsequent use in the process of organizing the cognitive activity of students. Knowledge of the mechanisms and characteristics of both ways of thinking makes it possible to control the internal thought processes of an individual in the course of solving cognitive problems.
Literature
1. Bono E. Lateral thinking. St. Petersburg: Piter, 1997. 315 p.
2. Bono E. The birth of a new idea: On unconventional thinking: Per. from English. M.: Progress, 1976. 143 p.
3. Brockhaus F.A., Efron I.A. Illustrated encyclopedic dictionary: modern version. M.: Eksmo: Forum, 2007. 959 p.
4. Brushlinsky A.V. Subject: thinking, teaching, imagination. Moscow: Publishing House of MPSI; Voronezh: MODEK, 2003. 406 p.
5. Kaloshina I.P. Psychology of creative activity: Proc. allowance. 3rd ed., add. M.: UNITI-DANA, 2008. 671 p.
6. Lindsay G. Theories of personality: Proc. allowance. M.: SP+, 1997. 719 p.
7. Sonin V.A. Psychology of solving non-standard problems. St. Petersburg: Rech, 2009. 384 p.
PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE THINKING: GENERALITY OR ANTAGONISM Getmanskaya E.V. (Moscow)
summary. Investigated in clause mobility of borders of productive and reproductive thinking puts a problem of finding-out of specificity of both ways of thinking and their interdependence. Also clause come to light operational tools (mechanisms) of productive and reproductive thinking which cause a problem of management of thought processes of the individual during the decision it of cognitive problems.
Key words: lateral and vertical thinking; divergent thinking; critical thinking; "the analysis through synthesis"; free association.
Although thinking as a process of generalized and mediated cognition of reality always includes elements of productivity, its share in the process of mental activity can be different. Where the share of productivity is high enough, one speaks of productive thinking proper as a special kind of mental activity. As a result of productive thinking, something original arises, fundamentally new for the subject, i.e., the degree of novelty here is high. The condition for the emergence of such thinking is the presence of a problem situation that contributes to the awareness of the need to discover new knowledge, stimulating the high activity of the subject solving the problem.
The novelty of the problem dictates a new way of solving it: spasmodicity, the inclusion of heuristic, search samples, the great role of semantics, meaningful analysis of the problem. In this process, along with verbal-logical, well-conscious generalizations, intuitive-practical generalizations are very important, which at first do not find their adequate reflection in the word. They arise in the process of analyzing visual situations, solving specific practical problems, real actions with objects or their models, which greatly facilitates the search for the unknown, but the process of this search itself is outside the clear field of consciousness, it is carried out intuitively.
Weaving into conscious activity, being sometimes stretched out in time, often very long, the process of intuitive-practical thinking is recognized as an instant act, as an insight due to the fact that the result of the decision first breaks into consciousness, while the path to it remains outside of it and is realized. on the basis of subsequent more detailed, conscious mental activity.
As a result of productive thinking, the formation of mental neoplasms occurs - new communication systems, new forms of mental self-regulation, personality traits, her abilities, which marks a shift in mental development.
So, productive thinking is characterized by the high novelty of its product, the originality of the process of obtaining it, and, finally, a significant influence on mental development. It is a decisive link in mental activity, as it provides a real movement towards new knowledge.
From a psychological point of view, there is no fundamental difference between the productive thinking of a scientist who discovers objectively new laws of the world around us that are not yet known to mankind, and the productive thinking of a student who makes a discovery of something new only for himself, since the basis is general mental laws. However, the conditions for the search for new knowledge are very different for them, just as the level of mental activity leading to the discovery is also different.
In order to somehow indicate these differences, most researchers prefer to use the term productive thinking in relation to this type of thinking of schoolchildren, and the term creative thinking denotes the highest stage of mental activity carried out by those who discover fundamentally new knowledge for humanity, create something original, which does not have analogue to itself.
With less productivity, reproductive thinking nevertheless, it plays an important role in both cognitive and practical human activity. On the basis of this type of thinking, the solution of problems of a structure familiar to the subject is carried out. Under the influence of the perception and analysis of the conditions of the task, its data, the desired, functional links between them, previously formed systems of links are updated, providing a correct, logically justified solution to such a task, its adequate reflection in the word.
Reproductive thinking is of great importance in the educational activities of schoolchildren. It provides an understanding of new material when it is presented by a teacher or in a textbook, the application of knowledge in practice, if this does not require their significant transformation, etc. The possibilities of reproductive thinking are primarily determined by the presence of an initial minimum of knowledge in a person; is easier to develop than productive thinking, and at the same time plays a significant role in solving new problems for the subject. In this case, it appears at the initial stage, when a person tries to solve a problem that is new to him using methods known to him and is convinced that familiar methods do not ensure his success. Awareness of this leads to the emergence of a problem situation, i.e., activates productive thinking, which ensures the discovery of new knowledge, the formation of new systems of connections, which will later provide him with the solution of similar problems. As already noted, the process of productive thinking is spasmodic, part of it is carried out subconsciously, without adequate reflection in the word. First, its result finds expression in the word (Aha! Found! Guessed!), And then - the path to it itself.
Awareness of the solution found by the subject, its verification and rationale are again carried out on the basis of reproductive thinking. Thus, real activity, the process of independent cognition of the surrounding reality, is the result of a complex interweaving, interaction of reproductive and productive types of mental activity.
According to the degree of novelty of the product obtained as a result of thinking, productive and reproductive thinking are distinguished. They are very interconnected: without relying on previous experience and knowledge, it is difficult to create something new; To go beyond what has been learned, one must first study. Let's talk a little more about each.
Productive Thinking
Thinking, as a result of which a new product appears, which ultimately affects the development of the mind, is considered to be productive thinking. Its fruits are the deep assimilation of knowledge, and their application in practice, in new conditions. The result of productive thinking is the emergence of some new product of thinking - hence the name. Productive thinking is distinguished by the specificity of formulations. For example, the difference between "I will run in the morning" and "I will go for a run tomorrow" is that the first statement is general, while the second is a specific intention, being productive.
Productive thinking allows you to deeply and quickly assimilate knowledge, transfer it to new conditions, independently solve emerging new problems, without resorting to borrowing ready-made solutions from outside. The apotheosis of productive thinking is creative thinking.
Productive thinking leads to the emergence of new knowledge, forming a new system of connections, which, in turn, will then help in solving similar problems. The next step will be the assimilation, awareness of the found way to solve the problem, analysis, verification - all this happens on the basis of reproductive thinking. As you can see, these two types of thinking are very closely interconnected, and productive thinking is based on reproductive.
reproductive thinking
Thinking, the end result of which is the assimilation of information and its reproduction in such situations, is considered to be reproductive. Without forming new knowledge, reproductive thinking performs a different role: it allows one to assimilate basic knowledge and provides, on its basis, the solution of familiar problems. Understanding new material, its consolidation and application is the scope of reproductive thinking. For its use, of course, the presence of a basic level of knowledge is assumed, and the possibilities of applying reproductive thinking are directly proportional to this level. It can be said that reproductive thinking also plays an important role in solving new problems, since if an unsuccessful attempt to solve a new problem using known methods arises, a problem situation arises, activating productive thinking, that is, the search for new solutions.
And to what kind of thinking are empty thoughts inherent in “inner chatter” (the same one that fills our time and creates the illusion of being busy, although, in fact, simply steals this very time); oppressive thoughts, taking away strength and devoid of expediency, empty daydreaming? These are all examples of unproductive thinking, which is also part of our lives. If you recognize and control the process of thinking, then you can learn to manage it.
Try to think - no matter what - in such a way as to give yourself strength, believe in yourself, learn at least a little, but really useful for you. Specifically. For example, put your desktop in order (after all, this will help streamline your thoughts), or stop looking for your (someone else's) fault in everything that happens, or plan your day, or something else specific. If you're thinking about something, that's great! Do you want to change something? Great, but if nothing specific, then it's better to do something specific and useful.
Development of productive thinking
As we have said, productive thinking is useful when solving important issues: with its help, we can achieve much more meaningful results. How to achieve the development of productive thinking?
Learn to formulate your affairs specifically: not “improve your posture”, but “do three exercises in the morning to improve your posture.” Not "go to bed on time", but "tonight go to bed at 22.00". Not "tidy up your desk", but "tidy up your desktop today".
Make it a habit to ask yourself these questions:
- Is there a need to change something (in this or that case)?
- How can I do that?
- What conditions must be met for this?
- In what order?
Make your day (your life) more organized, plan and carry out your plans.
To learn from those who managed to organize their affairs, their living space.
Think positive: do not waste time and energy on the negative. Something went wrong? This is also a useful experience. We learn a lesson, thank for it and move on!
Take care of the harmonious development of different components of thinking. Let us recall the words of Edward Bono, a British writer, psychologist and recognized expert in the field of creative thinking: “Without the ability to think, a person is not able to control his destiny.”
Everything related to improving brain function is directly related to improving thinking. It is very useful to train the cognitive functions of the brain on.
We wish you success in self-development!
Visual-figurative memory is the preservation and reproduction of images, previously perceived objects or phenomena of reality, smells, sounds, tastes.
a) The leading role in the life orientation and professional activities of most specialists is played by visual and auditory memory.
b) Verbal-logical memory occupies a leading place among the various types of memory. The content of verbal-logical memory is thoughts embodied in a linguistic form.
c) Emotional memory is the memory of experienced feelings. The importance of this type of memory for self-regulation of human behavior is great. Feelings experienced and stored in memory act as signals, either inciting to action, or holding back from actions that caused negative experiences in the past. Emotional memory is distinguished by a significant strength of traces.
II. Memory processes
The following memory processes are distinguished: imprinting, preservation, reproduction and forgetting.
but) imprinting(remembering) - fixing the new by linking it with the previously acquired.
b) Preservation- maintaining the captured material for a more or less long time in a form available for reproduction.
in) Playback- actualization of material previously fixed in memory by extracting it from long-term memory and transferring it to short-term memory.
G) Forgetting- complete loss or inability to recall material previously imprinted in memory.
III. The qualities of memory
Individual differences in memory processes appear in the form of memory qualities: volume, speed, strength, readiness.
but) Memory- the number of objects recalled immediately after their perception (the amount of short-term memory; the amount of long-term memory).
b) Memory speed- is measured by the amount of time or the number of repetitions required by a given subject to memorize a certain material.
in) Strength - retention of memorized material and the rate of its forgetting.
G) Memory readiness It is expressed in the extent to which a person can easily and quickly recall what he needs at the right time.
e) motor memory- this is the memorization, preservation and reproduction of various movements and their systems. The significance of this type of memory lies in the fact that it serves as the basis for the formation of practical and labor skills.
Arbitrary and involuntary memory differ in purposes and methods of memorization and reproduction.
involuntary memory characterized by the absence of a conscious goal to remember what is happening or what is seen. Memorization is carried out as if by itself, without special volitional efforts.
For arbitrary memory purposeful memorization or reproduction of material is characteristic.
According to the duration of the preservation of impressions, memory is divided into short-term and long-term.
short term memory characterized by a short preservation of traces.
long term memory characterized by a significant duration and durability of the perceived material.
FEATURES OF THINKING
Thinking- this is the process of reflection in the human mind of complex connections and relationships between objects and phenomena of the objective world.
I. Distinguish between productive and reproductive thinking.
Productive - it's creative thinking. The need for it arises whenever a person is faced with the need to solve non-trivial problems, finds himself in new conditions.
Reproductive - thinking, which is used in solving problems of a known type and suggests the use of ready-made rules and programs for transforming the material.
Mental activity includes the operations of comparison, analysis, synthesis, abstraction, concretization and generalization.
Analysis - this is the selection in the object of one or another of its sides, elements, properties, connections, relations.
Synthesis - unification of the components of the whole selected by the analysis.
Abstraction - a mental operation based on highlighting the essential properties and relationships of an object and abstracting from other, non-essential ones.
THINKING
Visual- Depth of thinking
Figurative Generalization
Comparison of the process and result of thinking in terms of the degree of novelty in psychology, pedagogy and in everyday consciousness is used very widely. In our opinion, in this comparison, even in scientific publications, myths are often found that are more characteristic of ordinary ideas. The main of these myths is about the exceptional value of productive (creative) thinking and the "worthlessness" or even harmfulness (at least for the development of the individual) of reproductive (reproducing) thinking. Is it true?
1. Not all specialists in cognitive psychology oppose these 2 types of thinking. A.V. Brushlinsky was a categorical opponent of such a division. Among his arguments: not a single discovery, not a single result of creativity arose from scratch. Both the artist, and the poet, and the scientist use and reproduce the socio-cultural experience that they already have in their arsenal, even in the process of creating a completely original creation. Could Einstein create the theory of relativity and tensor geometry without knowing classical physics and Euclidean geometry? Could Picasso create his creations without going through a solid art school? Thus, in any new product there are elements of an existing one. On the other hand, there is not a single absolute act of reproduction, reproduction. Even in the process of daily washing, there is always something new (pressure and temperature of water, the amount and presence of detergents, lighting, availability of time, etc. - all this changes, i.e. our actions are never completely repeated - still the ancients noticed this - "you cannot enter the same river twice!".
I.Sh.Ilyasov, exploring heuristic thinking, also notes that it is impossible to separate completely productive and reproductive thinking, since it is impossible to completely separate reproductive and creative tasks. Each of them has a certain measure of productivity, there are more productive and less productive tasks, during the solution of which the corresponding thinking is activated.
2. Each of these types of thinking has its own exceptional functions for society:
Reproductive thinking has the function of preserving and systematizing the accumulated experience.
the productive one has the function of modifying experience, activities and creating new products and knowledge.
3. It is believed that the creative process contributes to the development of personality, individuality of a person. Of course it is! But in what activity do volitional character traits develop, for example? Such as endurance, perseverance, discipline, responsibility, purposefulness? Is it only when performing creative tasks? Rather, on the contrary, the corresponding qualities develop in the course of performing sometimes routine work, accompanied by reproductive thinking.
Thus, in the learning process, not only productive, but also reproductive thinking has the right to exist. They should not be opposed, understanding the importance and socially valuable functions of each of them. At the same time, the progress of the development of society is largely associated with productive, creative thinking. This sets certain guidelines for both the school and the state, whose prosperity increasingly depends on whether its citizens are able to create truly new ones, i.e. competitive products (in production, in science, culture, etc.). This landmark in the era of globalization has come to the fore. It is those countries that create conditions for the concentration and realization of creative people that are leading the world today. Another thing is that we are talking about a very small group of creatively gifted people, in fact, geniuses.
But even an ordinary person today is placed in a rapidly changing world. One of the key conditions for his success, a professionally important quality, is the ability and habit to respond flexibly to all these changes. I would not say that this leads to an increase in the "creativity" of the entire population. The Spanish philosopher José Ortega I Gasset rightly notes that not everything is so optimistic - a colossal contradiction is developing between the “pathetic” handful of creators-developers who know “how everything works”, “how everything works”, and the rest of the “world of users”, users who are not interested in this internal device at all. However, the appropriate qualities of thinking can more often lead to success than just reproduction. And on a national scale, this is one of the key elements of today's policy. It is no coincidence that the levels of development of states are often determined by this criterion. Most often the following sounds: 1) states-developers of new technologies; 2) user states; 3) states that are raw material appendages; 4) “endless states” (they have neither developers, nor education sufficient to use modern technologies, nor human and natural resources ... ". So it turns out that "we are all in the same boat, but some - as provisions ... "
Thus, both reproductive and productive thinking perform important social functions in their own way, but the development of history gradually increasingly emphasizes the value of creative thought in terms of a key condition for long-term development.
If creative, productive thinking is so valuable, what are its features? It is necessary to know this in creating conditions for its development.
According to D. Gilford and P. Torrance (USA), the main characteristics of creative (creative) thinking are the following:
1. G (flexibility of thinking; synonyms - variability, plasticity, divergence)
2. About (originality as a degree of originality of the product of thinking);
3. C (speed, but not the speed of the solution, but the speed of generating original options, i.e. the rate of divergence);
4. T. (thoroughness of work; unlike the first three cognitive x-k, this one is personal)
Explanation requires perhaps the term divergent thinking. According to the level of flexibility, Guilford divided thinking into 2 more types: convergent and divergent. Convergent thinking reduces all possible solutions to a problem to one. Thus, a mathematics teacher often reacts to a student's decision: "This is not rational, although the answer is received." In this case, only reproductive thinking is supported. A person who thinks divergently reacts to the problem differently - as if he "opens the fan of all possible options" (Gilford's metaphor). Each ray of the fan is a new, often completely non-standard option.
We see in these "classic" signs of creative thinking (creativity) a fusion of cognitive and personal characteristics. Indeed, outstanding creators themselves or creatively gifted children differ greatly in both cognitive and personal development from the usual statistical norm.
