Before we begin a detailed analysis of each of the five stages, it is useful to give a general understanding of the basic processes of thinking. These processes occur at every stage, so it’s good previously
consider them.
The main processes occurring in thinking, which we will consider:
1. From general to specific.
2. Planning.
3. Attracting attention.
4. Recognition.
5. Movement.
I understand that these items can be looked at in different ways. Each of these broad areas can be broken down into smaller ones that can claim to be considered core processes in their own right. For the sake of simplicity, I have highlighted only these basic processes.
FROM ABSTRACT TO CONCRETE, FROM GENERAL TO SPECIFIC
Imagine a nearsighted person who sees a cat for the first time. Due to poor eyesight, he sees the cat very blurry, and for him it is just “some kind of animal.” As the cat approaches him, details gradually emerge, and eventually the person sees a clear image of the cat.
Now imagine two hawks. One has excellent vision, and the other has poor vision. Both feed on frogs, mice and lizards. From a great height, a hawk with keen eyesight can see a frog. He swoops down and eats her. Thanks to its excellent eyesight, this hawk can feed only on frogs and forget about mice and lizards.
However, a hawk with poor eyesight cannot afford this. He is forced to develop a common
the concept of “small moving objects”. And as soon as he sees a small moving object, he immediately rushes down like an arrow. Sometimes he comes across frogs, sometimes mice, sometimes lizards - he can also come across children's toys.
Most people would be quick to assume that a hawk with good eyesight is the best, but they may not be entirely right. If the frogs suddenly die out, then the first hawk will die after them, and the second will manage to survive. This is because the second hawk with poor eyesight is adaptable.
It was developed through the creation of a general, broad and vague concept of “small moving objects”.
Several electronics students were asked to add some extra help to a very simple circuit. Ninety-seven percent complained about not having the necessary wires to complete the circuit. And only three percent completed the task. The ninety-seven percent who failed the task needed a wire, and since there was none, they were unable to complete the task. The three percent who managed to complete the task had a generalized, vague concept of a “connecting link.” There was no wire at hand, but they tried to find another connecting link. They used a screwdriver to complete the circuit.
Most of the virtues of the human mind as a thinking machine result from defects in the information machine. Since the brain cannot quickly form a clear, detailed image, we always have in stock many general, blurry images that become concepts. These comprehensive, general and vague images are extremely useful for thinking.
Compare the following two requests:
• “I need some glue to hold these two pieces of wood together.”
• “I need somehow
fasten these two wooden plates together.”
The first request is very specific. If there is no glue, then the task cannot be completed. It may also be that there is glue, but it is not suitable for gluing these two wooden plates.
The second request involves several alternative methods of holding two pieces of wood together: glue, nails, bolts, staples, rope, etc. This helps accommodate in case there is no glue and allows you to consider other possibilities.
Good thinkers have this ability to switch from the specific to the general, from the concrete to the abstract—and then back again.
When we look for a solution to a problem, we often have to start with the most abstract concepts.
“We need to attach this to the wall somehow.”
And only then do we begin to narrow the abstract concept to the concrete.
After all, we can only “do” specific things. But abstract, vague concepts broaden our search, allowing us to be more flexible and evaluate different options.
The ability to move from the particular to the general is sometimes called abstraction -
a term that confuses more than it helps.
As you move through the five stages of thinking, you will see frequent changes from abstract to concrete and back again.
In thinking we are always asked to be precise. But this is an area where you can
and
one must
try to look at things in
a general and vague way.
Naturally, you have to look "vaguely" in the right direction. If you're trying to find "some way to stick something to the wall," then it probably wouldn't be appropriate to look for "some way to fry an egg."
PROJECTION
Imagine that you have a VCR in your mind. You press a button and view a scene in your mind.
• Projection means turning something over in your mind.
• Projection means imagination.
• Projection means visualization.
We are able to see many different things in the world around us. Projection means looking into yourself and being able to see different things there.
Imagine how a car, one half of which is painted black and the other half white, gets into an accident. We can mentally imagine witnesses in court contradicting each other: one proving that the car was white, and the other proving that it was black. Almost all humor is based on projection, since you need to imagine the situation.
Projection occupies a major part of thinking, since we cannot test everything in practice. So we need to imagine what could happen and test it in our minds. We may make mistakes and paint a less than accurate picture, but at least we will have some idea.
“What would happen if public transport became free?”
Some people will immediately think that this will benefit poorer people. Someone will immediately imagine crowded transport. Someone will think about what a favorable situation city stores will find themselves in. And someone will be scared by the thought that taxes will immediately increase.
“What happens if a piece of ice floating in a glass melts? Will the water level in the glass change or remain the same?
In order to answer this question, you must have at least some knowledge of physics. Our imagination is limited by our knowledge and experience, but we should use it as much as possible.
“Would the interior be good if we removed that circle and replaced it with a triangle?”
A designer should always design
and imagine what would happen if certain changes were made.
Famous thought experiments
Einstein are based on projection. When you do these kinds of experiments, you go through everything in your head and see what happens. You may reach a point where you tell yourself that you no longer know what will happen next. And then you need to decide whether to think about it further or conduct an experiment.
In some cases, we think while simultaneously drawing shapes and mathematical symbols on paper. We can even play with words. But more often than not, the thinking process occurs only in the mind, thanks to the ability to “project.”
What you project in your mind is not always correct. You may miss something very important, you may lack knowledge about the subject or experience. Never be overconfident when it comes to your “projections.” Be prepared that they may be incorrect or limited.
Forms of thinking and their characteristics
The well-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 us to separate man from the animal world. Here the characteristics of the forms of thinking will become interesting.
The concept happens:
- Simple - uniting objects and phenomena according to one characteristic.
- Complex - combining objects and phenomena according to several characteristics. In turn it happens:
- Disjunctive - concepts united by one or another property, or two at the same time.
- Conjunctive - concepts that are united by at least two characteristics.
- Correlative - the unification of concepts for all connections and relationships between the structures of a separate group.
- Single.
- Specific.
- Universal.
- Specific – shows certain characteristics of the phenomenon under consideration.
- Abstract – shows characteristics that are difficult to imagine or confirm.
The combination of objects and phenomena according to common characteristics 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:
- He learns, as a result of which he learns new concepts, their definitions and features.
- He observes the basis on which experience is formed, which allows him to draw certain conclusions.
Judgment is represented in psychology as an individual’s understanding of the variety of relationships between an object or phenomenon and 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. Errors occur when a person thinks in general terms. He endows all objects that are similar in some way 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 specific. He identifies specific features of an object that distinguish it from other similar objects. Here you can select parts and see the relationships between them. Also be aware of the processes occurring in a separate object and the reasons for their occurrence.
Judgment happens:
- True (truthful), when the conclusions drawn are confirmed by objective reality.
- False when the assumptions are not supported by real evidence.
- General orientation, when a general relationship is visible in objects of the same category.
- Particular when the relationship is observed in several objects of the same group.
- Single, when the conclusion relates to only one object, it is not characteristic of other objects of this class.
- Formal when facts are stated without indicating their veracity.
- Empirical, when judgments are made based on observation of objects that are included in the same group.
Inference is a complex mental mechanism that involves using existing knowledge to acquire new knowledge. Here concepts and judgments are used that already have evidence of their truthfulness. Several concepts or judgments are combined, between which the relationship is visible. Initial judgments are premises for forming a conclusion. A person mentally unites them and forms a relationship based on affirmation or denial. Thus, a certain conclusion is drawn.
Inference is made using logic.
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DIRECTION OF ATTENTION
"What time is it now?"
"How old are you?"
“Did you like the soup?”
“Would you like some more coffee?”
“What is the current exchange rate of the US dollar against the Japanese yen?”
“At what temperature does plastic melt?”
All questions serve as a way to direct attention. We can direct people's attention to certain topics without question.
"Pay attention to the time."
"Tell me the time."
“Notice your age and tell me what you find.”
“Note the melting point of the plastic and tell me what you know about it.”
Imagine this situation: a researcher returns from an expedition on a newly discovered island. In his report, he talks about a smoking volcano and a bird that could not fly. But what else was there? The researcher explains that these were the only two things that caught his attention. But this is not enough, and he is sent back with extremely simple instructions for directing his attention: “Look to your left and write down everything you see. Then look to your right and write down everything you see. Then look south and write down everything you see. Then look north and write down everything you see. Then come back and give us your notebook."
N-S-W-E instructions are a very simple pattern for directing attention. Usually our attention is drawn in three cases:
1. When we are interested in something or are currently emotionally involved.
2. By habit, developed by experience and practice.
3. With a more or less random transition from one object to another.
So many conscious thought processes involve a specific focus of attention. Socrates' questions are a good example of directing attention, and there is nothing magical about it.
The CoRT thinking program for schools (we will describe it later) includes several techniques for directing attention. For example, the ODL technique (Other People's Views) helps the thinker direct his attention to the views of other people.
Some thinkers can do this automatically, but most thinkers cannot, so attention-directing techniques must be used.
A very important analysis process -
This is an instruction to direct attention.
“Pay attention to the components of this situation.”
“Note the various reasons that affect the price of oil.”
“Pay attention to the various factors that influence the effectiveness of a police operation.”
“Pay attention to what the skateboard is made of.”
“Pay attention to the components of our strategy.”
Comparison is another fundamental instruction that guides attention.
“Notice the similarity between these two sentences.”
“Note the similarities and differences between these two types of packaging.”
“Note the relative advantages and disadvantages of these two routes to the coast.”
“Compare these two microwave ovens. Pay attention to their differences in price, properties, company reputation, etc.”
To direct attention, complex external schemas can be used (as with CoRT techniques) or simple internal instructions such as analyze
and
compare.
Another form of getting attention is to ask people to focus their attention on a specific aspect of the situation.
“I want you to focus on the political impact of raising diesel taxes.”
“I want you to focus on safety measures during the banquet.”
“I want you to focus on who will take care of the dog you want to buy.”
“I want you to focus on the benefits of going to technical college.”
“I want you to focus on the disadvantages of a fixed-rate mortgage.”
In the Six Thinking Hats technique (we'll discuss it later), this focusing of attention is achieved by an external schema. For example, using a “yellow hat” implies an exclusive focus on the values and benefits of the situation being discussed. Using a “black hat” means focusing only on dangers, problems and shortcomings.
Although many people claim their ability to direct attention naturally, in practice it turns out that everything is not so simple. For example, in a group of highly educated administrators, one part of the people was asked to consider the proposal objectively, and the other part was asked to use both yellow and black hats thoughtfully. And it turned out that the latter scored three times more points, although most of the members of the first group claimed that they always see the pros and cons in every situation.
Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to use external formal and discreet techniques to direct attention. They may seem simple and obvious, but despite this they are very effective.
RECOGNITION AND FIT
There is a children's game in which the child is asked to combine figures of various shapes with the corresponding holes.
Imagine that a certain person is approaching you. You weren't expecting to meet anyone, but as he gets closer, you kind of start to recognize him. And when he is already close, you are completely sure of who it is: the recognition mechanism is triggered, “adjustment” occurs.
A taster tries wine from a bottle without a label. After some time, he announces that the wine is from the Casablanca region of China. In this case, the processes of recognition and adjustment are evident.
The brain models patterns from experience; rather, experience self-organizes into patterns in the brain. This is why we can get dressed in the morning - otherwise we would have to think of 39,816,800 ways to put on eleven pieces of clothing.
Without patterns, we wouldn't be able to cross the road or drive a car, read, write, or do anything at work. The brain is an excellent system for creating and using patterns (but this is detrimental to creativity).
We always try to fit
various things for templates.
We are looking for how we can use the cells
and definitions developed by experience, as Aristotle taught. We usually call this recognition, identification or evaluation. Most of the time it is extremely useful but sometimes it is dangerous especially when we use the wrong cell or the found cell is already outdated in this ever changing world.
We tune in to the search and are happy when we find something that matches what we are looking for; this ends the search.
Upon recognition, a kind of “click” occurs, meaning that we have selected a well-suited template and we no longer need to “wander in the dark.”
I prefer the word "fit" to "judgment" because judgment has a much broader meaning. It can mean certification and evaluation, which are already specific processes of directing attention. The word "fit" is closer to the word "recognition."
In a sense, the goal of thinking is to abolish thinking, and some have succeeded in achieving this. The mind tries to create patterns that help us look at the world and tell us what to do. This would completely eliminate the need for thinking.
I said that some people have achieved this - they believe that the patterns they create will last for the rest of their lives. For such people there is no prospect or progress, but this is quite satisfactory for them. In thinking, we try to “recognize” patterns and immediately notice when recognition occurs. We also need to determine the value or danger of such recognition. Using stereotypes is a form of recognition, but it does more harm than good.
How to develop logical thinking?
Classes on developing logical skills should be conducted from preschool age. The child’s social adaptation, academic performance, and most importantly, mental health depend on their effectiveness.
How to develop logical thinking in children? Experts recommend using play forms accessible to children:
- construction of pyramids;
- creating models from constructors;
- guessing riddles;
- making puzzles;
- board and role-playing games.
