Thinking is the base of all cognitive activities or processes and is unique to human beings. It is a higher mental process through which we manipulate and analyse acquired or existing information. This manipulation and analysis occur by means of abstracting, reasoning, imagining, problem solving, judging, and decision-making. Thinking is mostly organised, goal-directed, and is an internal mental process that can be inferred from overt behaviour.
Thinking relies on knowledge represented either in the form of mental images or words/concepts:
Experiment Title: Culture and Thinking Study on American and Asian Students
Background/Subject: American and Japanese students.
Method/Procedure: Subjects were shown a picture of an underwater scene for a brief period and asked to describe what they saw.
Observations/Results: American students focused on the biggest, brightest, and most outstanding features (e.g., "the large fish swimming to the right"). In contrast, Japanese students focused on the background (e.g., "the bottom was rocky" or "the water was green").
Psychological Inference: Beliefs, values, and social practices influence cognitive styles. Americans usually analyse each object separately, demonstrating analytical thinking. Asian people think more about the relationship between objects and backgrounds, demonstrating holistic thinking.
Problem Solving is thinking that is goal-directed, connecting an initial state (the problem) to an end state (the goal) through a series of mental operations.
| Mental Operation | Nature of Problem (Example: Organising a School Play) |
|---|---|
| 1. Identify the problem | A week is left and you are given the task of organising a play. |
| 2. Represent the problem | Organising involves identifying a theme, screening actors, arranging money, etc. |
| 3. Plan the solution (Set sub-goals) | Search and survey available themes, consult experts, decide based on cost and suitability. |
| 4. Evaluate all solutions | Collect all information and conduct stage rehearsals. |
| 5. Select one solution and execute it | Compare and verify options to get the best play. |
| 6. Evaluate the outcome | Assess if the play is appreciated; note steps for future reference. |
| 7. Rethink and redefine | Think about ways to plan a better play in the future. |
Reasoning is the process of gathering and analysing information to arrive at conclusions. It is a form of problem solving with the goal of determining what conclusion can be drawn from given information.
In judgment, we draw conclusions, form opinions, and evaluate events or objects based on knowledge and available evidence. Decision-making is a specific type of problem solving where we choose among alternatives by evaluating the cost and benefit associated with each option. In decision-making, the various solutions or choices are already known, and the task is to select the best one.
Creative Thinking involves the production of novel, unique, and original ideas or solutions to problems. To be considered creative, an idea must be reality-oriented, appropriate, constructive, and socially desirable.
Edward de Bono coined the term Lateral Thinking, distinguishing it from vertical (logical) thinking. Vertical thinking digs the same hole deeper (logical progression), whereas lateral thinking is concerned with digging a hole in another place (seeking alternative pathways). De Bono developed the 'Six Thinking Hats' technique to stimulate different modes of thinking:
The relationship between language and thought is examined through three major viewpoints:
Language consists of a system of symbols organised by means of certain rules that we use to communicate with each other. It has three basic characteristics:
Bilingualism refers to attaining proficiency in communicating through any two languages. Learning more than two languages is multilingualism. Studies show that bilingualism and multilingualism facilitate cognitive, linguistic, and academic competence in children.