More than once in our lives we have heard that men and women think differently. But this statement is not true. Everyone thinks the same way, but every time a person uses different methods. Psychologists have long identified several types. These include: intuitive thinking, discursive, rational, figurative, abstract, theoretical, practical, analytical and so on. After reading this article to the end, you will understand how they differ from each other, and what each of these types implies.
Definition
The complexity of the formulation of this concept lies in the fact that almost every adult represents what they call thinking. This is a method or means of obtaining information about the world and the processes occurring in it. It has an indirect and generalizing character.
There are various types (types) of this process. These include: discursive, imaginative thinking, intuitive, rational, practical, and pralogic. Each of them is radically different with something, but with something, on the contrary, it can be similar to any others. We find out what their difference and similarity is. In addition to types, the thought process has two forms: inference and judgment.
Inference is the result of all judgments, the final conclusion obtained from the information provided. There are only three types:
- deductive;
- inductive
- Similarly.
It is worth considering in more detail each of them, so that the subsequent information is more understandable to you. Deductive is done on the basis of general rules in relation to a particular case. Reliable facts are taken as a basis, and on their basis a person comes to some conclusion. We give the simplest example. Metals are plastic, iron is metal. So it’s plastic. In the inductive method, the individual, on the contrary, goes over to a general judgment on the basis of a particular case. The conclusion by analogy is that which one comes to based on the similarity of two (or several) cases, objects, or any properties.
Judgment is a separate thought about an object. By linking them into a single chain, we can come to a certain conclusion. For example: “A person who has committed a crime must be punished” is a judgment.
Intuitive thinking
Already, based on the name of this type, we can guess that it is associated with human intuition. It can be decided that a person with an intuitive type of thinking does not at all try to think logically. He does not want to streamline the thought process. But in fact, this is not entirely true. Subject still builds some kind of mental chain. But all this passes for him so imperceptibly and quickly that it may seem as if a person had not thought about anything at all.
If we compare intuitive and rational thinking, the second looks more reliable, since in the process the individual tries to draw conclusions, relying on actual knowledge. But this is actually a deceptive impression. Because even if someone tries to build a logical chain of judgments, there is no guarantee that he will not make mistakes in this process.
In the process of intuitive thinking, a person considers the task comprehensively, from different angles, using for this his emotions, previous experience and knowledge. In most cases, these actions remain invisible to people, so it seems to them that a decision or conclusion came from somewhere "from above".
Discursive
Human thinking can be of a discursive type. In the vast majority of cases, it seems to people more reliable. But, as it turned out, the reliability is very illusory. Here, in contrast to intuitive thinking, a person comes to the conclusion by enumerating various options for solving the problem.
The simplest example with which to explain this type is the process of collecting mosaics. The subject finds the necessary piece, sorting through all possible. In turn, he puts the puzzle to the picture until he finds the desired one. You must admit that this method is quite different from intuitive thinking. In addition, the discursive type is also divided into deductive and inductive:
- Deduction - with this method, the transformation of one judgment into another is carried out only through a logical transition. Finding this connection between them is strictly necessary. It was deduction that the famous Sherlock Holmes, the hero of Conan Doyle's novels, used.
- Induction (or, as it is also called, the guidance method) is a logical conclusion obtained on the basis of the transition from particular cases to general ones.
Figurative
This type is neither intuitive nor discursive. In this case, a person perceives information received from the environment through mental (mental) images created in the head. It is easier for such people to perceive a thought when it is explained by any specific examples. The functioning of some part in a huge machine (and the machine itself) they must first visualize in their heads, and only then continue to work with it.
Rational type
As mentioned earlier, it is clearly different from intuitive thinking and even figurative. Because in this case, a person moves from one judgment to another, guided only by the rules of logic. In this case, the subject is absolutely completely abstracted from any feelings and emotions in the decision of a particular case. Sometimes this type can be called logical. Both that and another variant of the name will be true.
Practical
This type is based on the person’s experience, observations, perceptions of the world and common sense. It has a large number of people on earth. It is practical thinking that helps us to cope with the usual routine or difficult work, to find a way out of everyday and life situations.
Pralogical thinking
This concept was introduced by L. Levy-Bruhl. The term turned out to be necessary to denote an early stage in the formation of the basic laws of logic. We are talking about that stage of formation when the meaning of cause-effect relationships is already understood and realized, but its essence is not entirely clear and even mystified. The reason for the emergence of certain conditions is necessarily some higher power, natural or animal (an example of this is the use of a totem, worship of the forces of nature, etc.). We are talking about that stage of human development, when a severe thunderstorm or drought could be perceived as the wrath of the gods.
This is perhaps worth finishing. Of course, there are many other types. But those that we mentioned can be called the most basic. Now you know that in addition to the logical, there is an intuitive way of thinking, and besides the practical, it is pralogical. But keep in mind, it is not always possible to say that this or that person uses only one specific type. Most often, in different situations, people resort to various thought processes, often without controlling their choice.