Basic forms of thinking. Lecture on psychology: "Intellectual processes". Basic forms of thinking

Unlike others, it is done in accordance with a certain logic.

In the structure of thinking, the following logical operations can be distinguished:

• comparison;
• analysis;
• synthesis;
• abstraction;
• generalization.

Comparison- mental operation based on

Analysis- a mental operation of dividing a complex object into its constituent parts or characteristics with their subsequent comparison.

Synthesis- an operation inverse to analysis, which allows analysis and synthesis are usually carried out together, contributing to a deeper knowledge of reality.

abstraction — highlighting the essential properties and relationships of the subject and abstracting from others, insignificant.

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

Forms of logical thinking

The main forms of logical thinking are:

• concepts;
• judgments;
• inferences.

concept

Concept - form of thought reflecting word concrete and abstract.

Judgment

Judgment - form of thought reflecting connections approval form or denial.

inference

Inference - conclusion.

There are different conclusions:

• inductive;
• deductive;
• Similarly.

Induction- a logical conclusion in the process of thinking from the particular to the general.

Deduction- a logical conclusion in the process of thinking from the general to the particular.

Analogy- a logical conclusion in the process of thinking from private to private

Emotions can not only distort, but also stimulate thinking. It is known that feeling will give tension, sharpness, purposefulness and perseverance to thinking. As he claims, without a sublime feeling, a productive thought is just as impossible as without logic, skills, and habits.

Logic and emotions in the process of thinking

Unlike other processes, it is carried out in accordance with a certain logic. In the structure of thinking, the following logical operations can be distinguished: comparison, analysis, synthesis. abstraction and generalization.

Comparison - mental operation based on establishing similarities and differences between objects. The result of comparison can be a classification, which acts as the primary form of theoretical knowledge.

Analysis is a mental operation of dividing a complex object into its constituent parts or characteristics with their subsequent comparison.

Synthesis - the reverse operation of analysis, which allows mentally recreate the whole from analytically given parts. Analysis and synthesis are usually carried out together, contributing to a deeper Cognition of reality.

Abstraction - mental operation based on you are dividing the essential properties and connections of the subject and abstracting from others, insignificant. These selected characteristics as independent objects do not really exist. Abstraction contributes to a more thorough study of them. The result of abstraction is the formation of concepts.

Generalization is the mental union of objects and phenomena according to their common and essential features.

The main forms of logical thinking are concepts, judgments and inferences.

Concept - form of thought reflecting essential properties, connections and relationships objects and phenomena, expressed word or a group of words. Concepts can be concrete and abstract.

Judgment - form of thought reflecting connections between objects and phenomena approval form or denial. Judgments can be true or false.

Inference - a form of thinking in which, on the basis of several judgments, a certain conclusion. Inferences are inductive, deductive and by analogy.

Induction is a logical conclusion in the process of thinking from the particular to the general. Deduction is a logical conclusion in the process of thinking from the general to the particular.

Analogy - logical conclusion in the process of thinking from private to private based on some elements of similarity.

Although thinking is carried out on the basis of logical operations, it does not always act as a process in which only logic and reason operate. Emotions very often interfere with the process of thinking, changing it. Emotions subordinate thought to feeling, forcing them to select arguments that speak in favor of the desired solution.

Emotions can not only distort, but also stimulate thinking. It is known that feeling gives tension, sharpness, purposefulness and perseverance to thinking. According to psychology, productive thought is just as impossible without a sublime feeling as without logic, knowledge, skills, and habits.

Thinking is exactly what allows a person to establish certain patterns between phenomena and objects of the surrounding world. With the help of it, we get to know the reality around us. Forms of thought are of great importance. In the event that we perceived reality differently, it would be completely different. Forms of thought in psychology are nothing but formal structures of thought. There are three of them:

concept;

Judgment;

Inference.

In psychology:

Practical-effective;

Verbal-logical;

Visually figurative.

This article will consider exactly what forms of thinking are.

Forms of thinking: concept

Everything around is different. At the same time, it can be argued that everything around is not so unique. We can distinguish objects and phenomena precisely by the distinctive features that they possess. Example, squares have the same sides, milk is always white, dogs bark.

Concepts can only exist as meanings of words. It is also worth noting that it is precisely the words that denote them. Concepts generalize all our knowledge about the objects and manifestations of the world.

Concepts should not be confused with the perception or representation of memory, since in both of these cases our mind operates with something specific. In the case of the concept, there are no specifics (the concept of “knight” does not mean a specific horse, but all horses at once).

Forms of thinking: judgment

A judgment is nothing more than an affirmation or denial of something, about some object or phenomenon of the world around. It can be a negation or an affirmation of connections, properties, features, and so on.

A judgment, unlike a concept, is expressed not by a word, but by a sentence. Judgments can be divided into:

General and private;

Affirmative and negative;

In the first case, everything depends on whether we are talking about all objects and phenomena or only about individual ones. An example of a general proposition: all living things breathe, an example of a particular one: some dogs have long ears.

Affirmative judgment: the table is wooden, negative: it is not cold outside.

If any condition is mentioned in the judgment (if it rains, then) - it is conditional. There are no conditions - it is categorical.

Judgments help to reveal the essence of concepts. It is worth noting that a true judgment can be built only by knowing the essence of the concept in question.

Judgments can express not only knowledge, but also subjective assessments.

Forms of thought: inference

In this case, from one or several judgments at once, we get new ones. They can be:

deductive;

inductive;

Similarly.

Deduction is a movement from the whole to the part (from the general to the particular). Everything in this case is based on the fact that a person, on the basis of some general laws, cognizes individual phenomena and objects.

In induction, everything happens the other way around. Thought moves from the general to the particular. That is, general laws are established on the basis of any particular phenomena or objects.

Analogy is the movement of thought from the particular to the particular. In other words, a person studies two similar objects or phenomena, and on the basis of the information received, draws some conclusions. It is important to note that the objects under consideration must have at least some common features.

An example of deductive reasoning:

All people lie. Vakulin man. Vakulin is lying.

An example of inductive reasoning:

The seagull has a beak. The crow has a beak. Every bird must have a beak.

An example of an inference by analogy:

My cheap TV is broken. The neighbor's cheap TV broke. All cheap TVs break.

Thus, a person with the help of the described forms of thinking cognizes the surrounding reality.

Thinking is a cognitive mental process of generalized and indirect reflection of connections and relations between objects of objective reality. Thinking is the process of processing information, either received through sensations or stored in memory as a result of personal experience, in order to be able to respond to a new situation. The following distinguishing features are distinguished:
1. The main function of thinking is to identify internal connections in objects.
2. Thinking relies in its cognition on these sensory images;
3. Thinking can be divorced from the real world, since for knowledge it can use a “substitute” for objects of the outside world - a sign, a symbol
4. Thinking proceeds as a whole based on previously acquired knowledge;
5. Feature - mental results are initially generalized;
6. We can think not only in terms of the present, but also of the past and the future.
Types of thinking:
1. By the nature of the tasks to be solved:
- theoretical - aimed at finding common patterns.
- practical - aimed at solving particular specific problems.
2. According to the method of solving problems (according to the genesis of development):
- visual-effective (subject-effective) - the tool is the subject.
Feature - with its help it is impossible to solve the task without the participation of practical actions. That is why it has such a close connection with practice.
- visual-figurative - allows you to know the real world without the participation of practical actions, can only be carried out in terms of the ideal. Distinctive features: simultaneity (simultaneity), impulsiveness and syntheticity.
- verbal-logical (conceptual) - using this type of thinking, a person can analyze, compare phenomena, objects, situations, evaluating an object, situation, phenomenon, both from his own point of view and from other points of view.
- abstract-logical (abstract) - highlighting the essential properties and relationships of the subject and abstracting from others, non-essential.
3. According to the degree of deployment:
- discursive (logical) - mediated by the logic of reasoning, not perception.
-intuitive - thinking based on direct sensory perceptions and direct reflection of the effects of objects and phenomena of the objective world.
4. according to the degree of novelty and originality:
- creative (productive) - thinking based on creative imagination.
- recreating (reproductive) - thinking based on images and ideas drawn from some specific sources.
5. By means of thinking:
- verbal - thinking, operating with abstract sign structures.
- visual - thinking on the basis of images and representations of objects.
6. By function:
- critical - aimed at identifying flaws in the judgments of other people
- creative - associated with the discovery of fundamentally new knowledge, with the generation of their own original ideas, and not with the evaluation of other people's thoughts.
Basic forms of thinking:
The concept is a form of thinking that reflects the essential properties of objects and phenomena
Judgment is a form of thinking that reflects the relationship between objects and phenomena
Inference is a form of thinking in which a certain conclusion is drawn on the basis of judgments.
Thinking operations:
-analysis (mental division) - selection in the object of one or another of its sides, elements, properties, connections, relationships, etc.; it is the dismemberment of a cognizable object into various components.
-synthesis (mental unification) is a mental operation that allows one to move from parts to the whole in a single analytical-synthetic process of thinking.
-generalization (mental association into a class or category) - the union of many objects or phenomena according to some common feature.
Comparison - an operation that consists in comparing objects and phenomena, their properties and relationships with each other and in identifying the commonality or difference between them.
-abstraction (singling out some features and distinguishing them from others) is a mental operation based on abstraction from non-essential features of objects, phenomena and highlighting the main, main thing in them.
- classification - systematization of subordinate concepts of any field of knowledge or human activity, used to establish links between these concepts or classes of objects.
- categorization - the operation of assigning a single object, event, experience to a certain class, which can be verbal and non-verbal meanings, symbols, etc.

Man is a thinking being. Even when he did not go to school, his brain used all its capabilities in the form of memorization, thinking, solving logical problems, etc. There are three forms, which are the concept, inference and judgment ..

Thinking is the process of processing information and bringing it to a certain conclusion. A person thinks in order to better understand the world around him, to solve a problem, to see patterns and connections. In the process of thinking, a person makes scientific discoveries, creates creative objects of art, and deduces assumptions. Without thinking, a person would be like an ordinary animal, which is guided only by its instincts. Thanks to him, speech arose, which people now use to communicate with each other.

What are forms of thought?

Thinking is a process. What are forms of thought? This is the result of mental activity, which has specific manifestations. Among the forms of thinking, there are three, the founder of which was still Aristotle:

1. Concept.
2. Inference.
3. Judgments.

However, many scientists wanted to attribute hypotheses, laws, proofs, concepts and arguments to forms of thinking. Subsequently, they were classified as derivatives of three main forms.

The concept is called a holistic concept, which implies the presence of certain qualities and properties of the phenomenon under consideration. This is also attributed to generalization and reflection, which involves consideration of the category of objects according to common properties and relationships, the totality of their specific features.

Judgment is an unfinished thought process that involves the denial or confirmation of some idea. Here, various characteristics of an object or phenomenon can be considered.

A conclusion is called a conclusion or summed up. This is already a complete process that deduces a certain rule, an axiom, a theory.

Basic forms of thinking

As already mentioned, the main forms of thinking are inference, judgment and concept. This division is conditional. First, a person faces a certain question to which he has no answer, after which he begins to think. Forms of thinking are conditional structures of thoughts that a person comes to as a result of his mental activity.

It is quite difficult to understand the definition of these forms. The concept is difficult to recognize, since it is based on qualities, properties, signs that may be significant and not significant. It is on significant signs that concepts are made, while not significant qualities can change.

The concept becomes complex, since any object that only partially or completely has the qualities in question can fit into it. For example, a triangle differs from other geometric shapes only in the presence of three angles. However, the shape, length and other parameters may coincide with the same parameters of other geometric shapes.

In a general sense, the concept denotes a certain phenomenon or object that has certain properties and parameters. It is denoted by a word and defines the given word. So, people use various terms, knowing their definition, meaning. This is called a concept, which differs from perception and representation, which have concreteness, visibility, imagery.

A concept is a generalized and abstract phenomenon, in contrast to perception and representation. The concept is presented in the form of an abstract definition, while perception and representation have specific figurative phenomena.

Judgment is a process of mental activity, which denotes the relationship between parameters, qualities and the relationship between objects in the environment. The essence of judgment is the denial or confirmation of a certain relationship. Here, both exclusively mental processes can be used, as well as the sense organs, etc.

Judgment happens:

1. General - denial or agreement with a certain quality of objects or phenomena, united by one concept.
2. Single - the allocation of a specific feature inherent in one phenomenon or object.
3. Particular - denial or agreement with the presence of a certain quality or characteristic of only some objects or phenomena, united by one concept.

Judgment is aimed at identifying certain features of a particular concept. They can be tested by practice and by actual environmental evidence. At the same time, a person must have the necessary information about all the processes with which he operates, and the concepts that he uses.

Inference is a form of derivation of a new judgment on the basis of old ones, which are compared and compared. There are 4 types of inference:

1. Induction is a form of thinking when a person moves from the particular to the general. Based on private assumptions, qualities, events, general rules, conclusions, and conclusions are made.
2. Deduction is a form of thinking when a person moves from the general to the particular. General rules and norms make it possible to identify particular qualities, events.
3. Analogy is a form of thinking when significant features of some objects are highlighted and conclusions are drawn.
4. Assumption is an unfinished form of thinking that has no evidence. It only puts forward theories that can be criticized and find other evidence that refutes it.

Inductive reasoning is based on the study of many subjects, the collection of information. By identifying similarities and differences, certain general conclusions can be drawn. Summarizing, a person derives general formulas and concepts.

Deductive thinking allows you to identify the particular parameters and qualities of an object based on general knowledge about it.

The most commonly used form of thinking is induction. The highest form of the thought process is the verbal-logical one, which displays complex relationships, deduces concepts, solves theoretical problems, and draws conclusions.

Forms of thinking and their characteristics

Known 3 forms of thinking are aimed at simplifying human life. This is determined by the structures of the nervous system with which a person is born. The thought process is considered the highest process that allows you to separate a person from the animal world. Here the characteristics of the forms of thinking become interesting.

The concept is:

1. Simple - uniting objects and phenomena on the same basis.
2. Complex - uniting objects and phenomena on several grounds. In turn, it happens:

• Disjunctive - concepts that are united by one or another property, or two at the same time.
• Conjunctive - concepts that combine at least two features.
• Correlative - the union of concepts for all connections and relationships between the structures of a separate group.

1. Single.
2. specific.
3. Universal.
4. Specific - shows certain characteristics of the phenomenon under consideration.
5. Abstract - shows characteristics that are difficult to imagine, confirm.

The unification of objects and phenomena according to common features often manifests itself only in some part of the group, and not in the whole. Thus, a person operates only with individual objects for generalization, and not with the entire category of objects.

Concepts are formed in a person in two ways:

1. He learns, as a result of which he learns new concepts, their definitions and features.
2. He observes on the basis of what experience is formed, which allows us to draw certain conclusions.

Judgment is presented in psychology as an individual's understanding of the diversity of the relationship of an object or phenomenon with other things in the surrounding world. The more a person knows about the subject he is discussing, the more accurate and correct the judgment becomes. Mistakes occur when a person thinks in general terms. All objects that are similar in some way, he endows with qualities that are not inherent in them. This is a superficial judgment.

Judgment becomes deeper when a person moves from the general to the particular. He highlights the specific features of an object that distinguish it from other objects similar to it. Here you can highlight the parts and see the relationships between them. Also be aware of the processes occurring in a separate object, the reasons for their occurrence.

Judgment happens:

• True (truthful) when the conclusions drawn are confirmed by objective reality.
• False when assumptions are not supported by real evidence.
• General orientation, when a general relationship is seen in subjects of the same category.
• Private, when the relationship is observed in several subjects of the same group.
• Singular, when the conclusion refers to only one subject, it is not characteristic of other subjects of this class.
• Formal, when facts are stated without indicating their veracity.
• Empirical, when judgments are derived on the basis of observation of objects that are part of the same group.

Inference is a complex mental mechanism that involves the use of existing knowledge to acquire new knowledge. It uses concepts and judgments that already have evidence of their veracity. Several concepts or judgments are combined, between which the relationship is visible. Initial judgments are premises for the formation of a conclusion. A person mentally combines them and forms a relationship based on affirmation or denial. Thus, a conclusion is drawn.

Inference is made using logic.

Outcome

Thinking is an important function in a person. Animals have simple forms of thinking, while a person can deduce concepts, reason and draw conclusions. This ultimately allows him to organize his life, build states and establish rules.

Human life is inconceivable without thinking. It is only thanks to him that he makes new discoveries, suggests that he then tries to prove or disprove, creates new technologies and mechanisms.

Only through complex thinking does a person have a speech that has a clear structure and rules. Also, thanks to thought processes, he can learn. It is often mental forms that are used here, and not simple memorization. The more associations and actually made conclusions a person uses, the better he knows the material.

There is still much in the world around us that remains unknown. But thanks to his mental activity, a person will be able to formulate specific concepts and theories at the expense of the unknown. On the basis of old knowledge, new ones will be derived, which will make it possible to better understand the world around us and even manage it.

forms of thought: concept, judgment, conclusion.

concept- this is a reflection in the human mind of the distinctive features of objects and phenomena, their general and specific features, expressed by a word or a group of words. The concept is the highest level of generalization, inherent only in the verbal-logical type of thinking. Concepts are concrete and abstract. Concrete concepts reflect objects, phenomena, events of the surrounding world, abstract ones reflect abstract ideas. For example, “man”, “autumn”, “holiday” are specific concepts; “truth”, “beauty”, “good” are abstract concepts. The content of concepts is revealed in judgments, which also always have a verbal form.

Judgment- this is a form of thinking containing an affirmation or denial about the world, its objects, patterns and relationships. .Judgments are general, particular and singular. In general, something is asserted about all objects of a certain group, for example: "All rivers flow." A private judgment applies only to some of the objects of the group: "Some rivers are mountainous." A single judgment concerns only one object: “The Volga is the largest river in Europe.” Judgments can be formed in two ways. The first is a direct expression of the perceived relationship of concepts. The second is the formation of a judgment in an indirect way with the help of inferences.

inference- this is the derivation of a new judgment from two (or more) already existing judgments (premises). The simplest form of inference is a syllogism - a conclusion made on the basis of a particular and general judgment. For example: "All dogs have a highly developed sense of smell" - a general premise, "Doberman is one of the breeds of dogs" - a private premise and conclusion (inference) - "Dobermans have a highly developed sense of smell." Any process of proving, for example, a mathematical theorem, is a chain of syllogisms that sequentially follow one from the other.

A more complex form of reasoning is deductive and inductive reasoning. Deductive - follow from general premises to a particular judgment and from particular to singular. Inductive ones, on the contrary, derive general judgments from single or particular premises.

Types of thinking:

Thinking is a special kind of activity that has its own structure and types.

There are many kinds of thinking in science. There is no single classification.

by the nature of the tasks to be solved:

1. theoretical: conceptual (verbal-logical), figurative

   practical: visual-figurative and visual-effective

according to the degree of development and awareness - discursive intuitive;

according to the degree of novelty and originality - reproductive and productive (creative);

by the number of participants - individual and collective thinking.

By the nature of the tasks to be solved:

Thinking theoretical- a type of thinking aimed mainly at finding common patterns. This is the thinking of scientists, it has less to do with practice.

Conceptual thinking is thinking in which certain concepts are used. At the same time, when solving certain mental problems, a person does not turn to searching for any new information using special methods, but uses ready-made knowledge obtained by other people and expressed in the form of concepts, judgments, and conclusions.

Figurative thinking is a type of thought process in which images are used. These images are retrieved directly from memory or recreated by the imagination. In the course of solving mental problems, the corresponding images are mentally transformed in such a way that, as a result of manipulating them, a solution to the problem of interest can be found.

However, although conceptual and figurative thinking are varieties of theoretical thinking, they are in constant interaction. They complement each other, revealing to us different aspects of life. Conceptual thinking provides the most accurate and generalized reflection of reality, but this reflection is abstract. In turn, figurative thinking allows us to obtain a specific subjective reflection of the reality around us. Thus, conceptual and figurative thinking complement each other and provide a deep and versatile reflection of reality.

Thinking is practical- a type of thinking aimed at solving practical problems.

According to the degree of development and awareness

Thinking is discursive - analytical, deployed in time, phased and greatly conscious.

Intuitive thinking is a type of thinking characterized by curtailment, simultaneousness, flow without stages. The main characteristics of intuitive thinking are, on the contrary, speed of flow, the absence of clearly expressed stages and minimal awareness. Thus, for their comparison, three signs are used: temporal (the time of the process), structural (division into stages), and the degree of awareness of the flow.

Intuition is the ability to quickly find the right solution to a problem and navigate difficult life situations, as well as foresee the course of events.

According to the degree of novelty and originality

Reproductive thinking is a type of thinking that is expressed in the ability to reproduce ways of solving problems after training or according to a model. Reproductive thinking is characterized by the use of ready-made knowledge and skills.

Creative thinking (productive) is a type of thinking associated with the creation or discovery of something new. This is the ability to solve non-standard tasks, problems, find new ways of thinking (heuristics).

Productive thinking is aimed at creating a new way of solving a particular problem or improving an existing way.

By number of participants:

Individual thinking is the thinking of an individual.

Collective thinking is the thinking of a group of people in solving problems and tasks.