Thinking[1]

Introduction to Thinking:
Cognitive abilities like thinking, reasoning and problem-solving

may be considered to be some of the chief characteristics which
distinguish human beings from other species including the higher
animals.
The challenges and problems faced by the individual or by society,

in general are solved through series of efforts involving thinking
and reasoning. The powers of thinking and reasoning may thus be
considered to be the essential tools for the welfare and meaningful
existence of the individual as well as society
A human mechanism that never stops. Thinking is a process that

generates ideas and keeps our flow of thought. However, there are
multiple ways and complexities when it comes to thinking.
Thinking is a higher mental process that involves analysing and

drawing meaning from the information which we receive from our
environment.
 It is considered as the base of all the cognitive activities like

Problem Solving, Decision Making, etc.
 It is an internal mental process that can be understood from
our overt Behaviour
 It is goal-directed in nature
Building blocks of thought
People usually think by means of mental images or thoughts which

are discussed below-
1) Mental Images
 It is defined as a mental representation of sensory
experience
 We usually think about places, events, etc
 For example, using maps and locating different places there
subsequently requires the use of mental images.
2) Concepts
 Whenever we come across a novel object we try to

understand what it actually is, what its features and
characteristics are and we try to match it with features of the
existing category, and if it is a perfect match we include that
object in the category with whom it’s features match.
A concept is defined as the mental representation of
categories and refers to those ideas, objects which share
common properties and features.
Concepts are of two types-
 Natural concepts have no set of properly defined features

that are based on prototypes.
 Logical Concepts are the ones that can be clearly defined by
a set of rules or features.
Why do we need to Form concepts?
We need to form concepts because of the reasons mentioned below:
 It helps in Organizing our knowledge and that makes our

knowledge accessible when we need it.
 Saves our time and effort.
 We form concepts to make our thought process quick and
efficient.
Problem-solving
Problem-solving is described as a way of thinking that is usually

goal-directed and intended towards solving a particular problem.
Obstacles To Solving Problems
A Mental set is defined as the tendency of a person to solve

problems in an already tried and tested manner and that at
times leads to rigidity which obstructs us in solving problems
in a unique manner.
 Lack Of Motivation is also another reason why people fail to
solve problems because even if a person has a sharp mind
and intelligence but lacks motivation then that intelligence is
of very little use.
Reasoning
It is a process that involves inference and is used in logical thinking

and problem solving and conclusions are drawn in reasoning on the
basis of the information and facts available.
Deductive Reasoning Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning begins with making Inductive Reasoning is based on specific

a general assumption about something facts and observations. It involves
and draws conclusions on the basis of drawing a general conclusion based on a
those assumptions. It is Reasoning from particular observation. The goal is to
general to particular. Accurate determine what conclusion can be drawn
assumptions should be made so that we
are able to draw apt conclusions. from certain given information.
Decision Making
 Decision-Making is a kind of problem-solving in which we

have several alternatives and after evaluating the cost and
benefit associated with each alternative, the best alternative
must be chosen.
 Judgment and Decision Making are interrelated processes.
However, judgment is a process by which we form opinions,
arrive at conclusions, and make critical evaluations about
objects, events, and people on the basis of available
information
Nature and process of Creative Thinking
Creative thinking as the name suggests is mainly about solving

problems in a novel and unique manner and coming up with
something unique or out of the box.
 It includes both convergent and divergent thinking but more

convergent thinking.
 Creativity can be applied in most fields and everyone has the
potential to be creative.
 Convergent thinking has only one correct answer and
it does not lead to the generation of new ideas.
 Divergent Thinking has many correct answers and
leads to the generation of new and novel ideas.
Barriers to creative thinking

Barriers to Creative Thinking are discussed below-
 The tendency to be overpowered and influenced by pre-

existing habits is a huge obstruction in the creative thinking
process and coming up with out of the box ideas
 Motivational and emotional barriers show that creativity is
more than just a cognitive process as other factors like fear of
failure, lack of motivation hinder our creative thinking ability
 Cultural Barriers are related to excessive adherence to
tradition, expectations, and Conformity. it arises due to the
fear of being different, social pressure, mediocrity, etc.
Strategies to overcome creative thinking Barriers
Strategies that can be used to overcome barriers associated with

creative thinking are elucidated below:
 Encourage self-evaluation.
 Be positive and confident in life.
 Develop independent thinking in making judgments.
 See multiple angles and perspectives of a particular
problem.
 Resist the temptation of instant gratification.
Thought and Language
Language as a Determinant of Thought
 Benjamin Lee Whorf had this point of view that the language
we use determines the content of our thought which is
termed the Linguistic
 The extent to which individuals can think is to a large extent
determined by the language we use.
Thought as a Determinant of language
 Piaget believed that thought not only determines language,

it precedes it
 Children form an internal representation of the world.
 Through thinking, language is just a vehicle for thought.
A child’s observation and imitation of the other person’s
behavior involves thinking but no language.
Different origins of language and thought
 Lev Vygotsky who is an esteemed Russian Psychologist was

of the view that language and thought to develop separately
in a child until about two years of age when they merge
 Before 2 years of age, thought is experienced more in action
rather than verbal.
 Around 2 years of age child begins to express his/her
thought verbally and in a rational way.
Development Of Language and Language Use
Language involves the use of symbols and symbols represent

someone or something. It involves the use of rules and when we
present two or more words together a proper and logical sequence
is followed. Language is primarily used for communicating one’s
thoughts, feelings, and ideas to others People who can’t use oral
speech communicate through the use of signs which is a form of
language
Development Of Language
Human Language is more complex, creative, and spontaneous as

compared to the system of Communication which other animals use
Stages of Language Development are elaborated below:
 Newborn babies and young infants make a variety of sounds

which gradually get modified to resemble words. The first
sound produced by babies is crying which is similar across
many situations and pitch intensity changes to signify
different states such as hunger, pain, etc.
 At around 6 months of age, children enter the babbling
phase which involves repetition of a variety of vowel and
condiment words.
 By about 9 months of age, these sounds get elaborated to
strings to some sound combinations such as (dadada) into
repetitive patterns.
 Around 1st birthday most of the children enter the one-word
stage and the first word usually contains one
syllable(example ma,pa).
 Around 18-20 months of age children enter two words stage
which exemplifies telegraphic speech and contains mostly
mound and verbs
 Close to their 3rd Birthday which is 2.5 years, children’s
language development gets focused on the rules of the
language they hear. This is called Syntactic Development.

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Introduction to Thinking:

Cognitive abilities like thinking, reasoning and problem-solving

The challenges and problems faced by the individual or by society,

A human mechanism that never stops. Thinking is a process that

Thinking is a higher mental process that involves analysing and

 It is considered as the base of all the cognitive activities like

Building blocks of thought

People usually think by means of mental images or thoughts which

 Whenever we come across a novel object we try to

Concepts are of two types-

 Natural concepts have no set of properly defined features

Why do we need to Form concepts?

We need to form concepts because of the reasons mentioned below:

 It helps in Organizing our knowledge and that makes our

Problem-solving is described as a way of thinking that is usually

Obstacles To Solving Problems

A Mental set is defined as the tendency of a person to solve

It is a process that involves inference and is used in logical thinking

Deductive Reasoning Inductive Reasoning

Deductive Reasoning begins with making Inductive Reasoning is based on specific

 Decision-Making is a kind of problem-solving in which we

Nature and process of Creative Thinking

Creative thinking as the name suggests is mainly about solving

 It includes both convergent and divergent thinking but more

Barriers to creative thinking

 The tendency to be overpowered and influenced by pre-

Strategies to overcome creative thinking Barriers

Strategies that can be used to overcome barriers associated with

Thought and Language

Language as a Determinant of Thought

Thought as a Determinant of language

 Piaget believed that thought not only determines language,

Different origins of language and thought

 Lev Vygotsky who is an esteemed Russian Psychologist was

Development Of Language and Language Use

Language involves the use of symbols and symbols represent

Human Language is more complex, creative, and spontaneous as

Stages of Language Development are elaborated below:

 Newborn babies and young infants make a variety of sounds

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