Types of thinking according to psychology

According to psychology, there are different types of thinking, which we tend to use on certain occasions depending on the task we are doing. For example, the type of thinking that we are going to use when we are going to reflect on a topic such as religion is going to be different from the type of thinking that we are going to use to perform some mathematical calculation in the mind. There are 9 types of thoughts, among them are logical, critical, reflective, practical, systemic thinking, among others that we will see later.

In this Psychology-Online article, we are going to let you know in detail which are the 9 types of thinking according to psychology.

Index

1. What are thoughts?: types of thinking and examples
2. Types of thinking according to psychology: reflective, critical and analytical
3. Types of thinking and their definition: logical, systemic, analogical and creative thinking
4. Deliverative and practical thinking

When we speak of thinking, we mean a psychological mental process Through which people can create, regulate and develop ideas about ourselves, the environment that surrounds us or others. The thoughts that people adopt have different individual characteristics and they develop over time. A thought will always be accompanied by other types of mental processes that have a close relationship with the emotions which are regulated by the limbic system. Although, as we well know, each person thinks for himself, it is also true that we adopt different ways of thinking.

When we talk about ways of thinking, we refer to the different social interventions that we have been incorporating over time in our mentality, that is, they have to do with our own history and with the constructions social.

So it can be said that all our modes of thought have been created and have evolved throughout the time in which human beings have been facing different challenges and situations, which we have been surpassing. This is what makes our ways of thinking extremely important since it is mostly about our own cultural heritage.

The nine types of thinking according to psychology they are the following:

1. Reflective thinking
2. Critical thinking
3. Analytical thinking
4. Logical thinking
5. Systemic thinking
6. Analog thinking
7. Creative thinking
8. Deliverative thinking
9. Practical thinking

But,what is the use of knowing these 9 types of thoughts? Because thoughts influence our emotions and therefore our actions and the way we live, it helps us to know and understand ourselves better.

Reflective thinking

This type of thinking was exposed by one of the greatest American scholars, John Dewey, in his book: "How We Think." In this book he recognizes the following values ​​in reflective thinking: it facilitates systematic action, orients our actions towards a goal in a conscious way, it facilitates the control between thought and action and encourages us to seek the meaning of our actions or of the situations.

Reflective thinking according to Dewey refers to the different ways in which they can be represent and express ideas or situations, which helps us to increase awareness about our own actions. In summary, we can say that this type of thinking helps us to plan in an orderly way and in the most conscious way our actions according to our expectations.

Critical thinking

Critical thinking refers to the inquiry, analysis and evaluation of knowledge, highlighting the different realities that may be hiding behind reality doing so logically. It can be said that what critical thinking does is face reality in all its dimensions (the reality as we want it to be, the reality that we all see, the reality today and in the past). So this type of thinking, although it cannot allow us to affirm what reality is, it allows us to affirm that it is at some point between which all realities are intertwined.

Analytical thinking

These types of thoughts help us to better understand a situation, pigeonholeing and / or organizing reality so that we can process it in a better way. People who adopt this type of thinking tend to have their ideas very clear and defined as they make a thorough and thoughtful analysis about a problem or situation. They do this by dividing the problem into parts or categories, which are analyzed to arrive at a good solution.

We define the following types of thinking as the ability to understand, order and create the ideas that pass through our minds. Do you want to know more about these types of thinking? So take note of the following definitions:

Logical thinking

This type of thinking is based on the expression of ideas orderly manner, which can lead us to convince ourselves that we are right. People who adopt this type of thinking are fundamentally based on the rules that are already established by a logical system. The idea is to be able to communicate to other people that the conclusions that have been reached really correspond or not, with the expectations of what could be expected. In summary, we can say that logical thinking is more than anything about obtaining new ideas from those already had, following a logical and precise order.

Systemic thinking

This type of thinking refers to the capacity that people have to be able to understand the relationships that different elements have that make up a system. This type of thinking is applicable to the resolution of interpersonal problems, social relationships, organizational, etc. since it studies all the elements of the system and the interaction that exists between them.

Analog thinking

This type of thinking is indispensable for almost all human activities. Although at first glance it seems somewhat complex, people tend to constantly use analogies in our daily lives. When we think analogically, we are organizing our ideas in order to be able to make comparisons between them. An example of this would be the following: "Teachers who teach in the afternoon are similar to those who teach in the morning, therefore, both teachers are equally dedicated."

Creative thinking

This type of thinking refers to the production of new ideas, new experiences, new realities, since people who normally adopt this type of thinking have the belief that everything is possible so they do not limit themselves when creating. People with this type of thinking are flexible and original people.

Each person usually adopts certain types of thoughts on a regular basis with which he is more familiar and have to do with her personality, However, all people are capable of applying all the types of thinking that exist to achieve the results that we wish. Next, we are going to define the last two types of thinking according to psychology:

Deliverative thinking

This type of thinking refers to the way people make their decisions. The decisions that the person can make are not made based on logic, calculation or reasoning only, rather, they are fundamentally based on certain criteria, personal values, ethical principles, and established norms, etc.

Practical thinking

Practical thinking is a type of reasoning that is responsible for applying the knowledge acquired in a more simplified and practice so that as each of the processes to be followed are established and fulfilled, the results are obtained desired. Developing this type of thinking is very important to develop more effectively our activities of daily life and in the workplace.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of thinking according to psychology, we recommend that you enter our category of Cognitive psychology.

1. Moya, J. M. OR. (s.f.). Cognitive processes and types of thinking. Retrieved November 26, 2018, from http://www.competenciasbasicashuelva.net/atlantida/EJEMPLIFICACIONES%20CURRICULO%20FORMAL/Integrando%20procesos%20y%20contenidos/proceso