Associative thinking takes part in the process of information processing. Logical analysis is not applied. Human life experience contributes to the formation of a set of associations on which associative thinking is based. It should be noted that its principles formed the basis of many teaching methods. Practice shows that a person more easily remembers not abstract data, but associations. This way of perceiving and remembering helped people in ancient times to solve vital issues, make discoveries, survive.
Association is the connection between representations. An image contributes to the emergence of another image or concept. For example, the word milk is likely to be associated in consciousness with the word cow .
Associative thinking contributes to a number of tasks. It helps a person to create new and original ideas, to form connections within the meaning, to develop imagination and imagination.
There is a certain classification of associations. For example, words can have similarities ( match - bonfire ), can be close in space and time ( flowers - flower bed, pie - dough ). Concepts can have a relationship in contrast or opposite characteristics (for example, black - white, round - square ) or causal relationships (for example, bruise - pain ).
The connection of one object can be established not only with another object, but also with the signs of the object (sensation, image, color, smell and other characteristics).
The development of associative thinking contributes to the development of memory. It should be noted that a person has a somewhat limited range of concepts. In this regard, associative thinking is used by him not one hundred percent.
In humans, the process of memorization takes place on the basis of existing experience. The perception of events, objects, facts, phenomena is connected with the work of the imagination - a person attaches a new word (designation of something) to an already familiar image.
There are certain methods for the development of thinking.
The simplest exercise is finding a number of related concepts. You can take two words (for example, a museum - a brush ), and then make up a series that would begin with the first and end with the second word. Thus, the following series can be obtained: museum - painting - artist - canvas - brush .
Using the following exercise, you can develop the ability to create a series of associations. For example, taking a word, you can choose another one associated with it. The next word will also be an association of the previous, and so on. For example, compasses - iron - alloy - metal - welding , etc. In this case, unique chains will be created, which is due to the fact that each person will have his own series of related concepts.
You can select words that are associated on one basis. For example, with the words big and dark one can associate different concepts or images.
The development of associative thinking is greatly facilitated by the creation of original associations. In this case, the connection between the concepts is not supposed to be as explicit as usual.
Very often, these simple exercises are used in pedagogy. It should be noted that such developmental classes help students analyze information, quickly, easily and permanently memorize information.
Such exercises are also popular in the advertising business. On the basis of related concepts, slogans, advertising concepts are created.
For a deeper and more serious improvement in associative thinking, more sophisticated tools are used. Exercises are divided into three groups. The first includes methods that relieve thinking, the second - guiding methods, the third category includes techniques that contribute to the creation of an associative circle.