Outline of thought

A chimpanzee thinking.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to thought (thinking):

Thought (also called thinking) – the mental process in which beings form psychological associations and models of the world. Thinking is manipulating information, as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, reason and make decisions. Thought, the act of thinking, produces thoughts. A thought may be an idea, an image, a sound or even an emotional feeling that arises from the brain.

Nature of thought

Thought (or thinking) can be described as all of the following:

Types of thoughts

Content of thoughts

Types of thought (thinking)

Listed below are types of thought, also known as thinking processes.

Animal thought

Further information: Animal cognition and Animal intelligence

Human thought

Main article: Human thought

Classifications of thought

Creative processes

Decision-making

Main article: Decision-making

Erroneous thinking

see Error for some examples, see also Human error)

Emotional intelligence (emotionally based thinking)

Problem solving

Main article: Problem solving
  • Problem solving steps
  • Process of elimination
  • Systems thinking
  • Problem-solving strategy – steps one would use to find the problem(s) that are in the way to getting to one’s own goal. Some would refer to this as the ‘problem-solving cycle’. (Bransford & Stein, 1993) In this cycle one will recognize the problem, define the problem, develop a strategy to fix the problem, organize the knowledge of the problem cycle, figure-out the resources at the user's disposal, monitor one's progress, and evaluate the solution for accuracy.
    • Abstraction – solving the problem in a model of the system before applying it to the real system
    • Analogy – using a solution that solves an analogous problem
    • Brainstorming – (especially among groups of people) suggesting a large number of solutions or ideas and combining and developing them until an optimum solution is found
    • Divide and conquer – breaking down a large, complex problem into smaller, solvable problems
    • Hypothesis testing – assuming a possible explanation to the problem and trying to prove (or, in some contexts, disprove) the assumption
    • Lateral thinking – approaching solutions indirectly and creatively
    • Means-ends analysis – choosing an action at each step to move closer to the goal
    • Method of focal objects – synthesizing seemingly non-matching characteristics of different objects into something new
    • Morphological analysis – assessing the output and interactions of an entire system
    • Proof – try to prove that the problem cannot be solved. The point where the proof fails will be the starting point for solving it
    • Reduction – transforming the problem into another problem for which solutions exist
    • Research – employing existing ideas or adapting existing solutions to similar problems
    • Root cause analysis – identifying the cause of a problem
    • Trial-and-error – testing possible solutions until the right one is found
    • Troubleshooting –
  • Problem-solving methodology –

Reasoning

Main article: Reasoning

Machine thought

Main article: Machine thought

(outline)

Organizational thought

Organizational thought (thinking by organizations)

Aspects of the thinker

Aspects of the thinker which may affect (help or hamper) his or her thinking:

Properties of thought

Fields that study thought

Thought tools and thought research

History of thinking

Main article: History of reasoning

Nootropics (cognitive enhancers and smart drugs)

Main article: Nootropic

Substances that improve mental performance:

Organizational thinking concepts

Teaching methods and skills

Main articles: Education and Teaching

Awards related to thinking

Awards for acts of genius

Organizations

Media

Publications

Books

Periodicals

Television programs

Persons associated with thinking

People notable for their extraordinary ability to think

Scientists in fields that study thought

Scholars of thinking

Related concepts

Awareness and perception

Main articles: Awareness and Perception

Learning and memory

Main articles: Education, Learning and Memory

See also

Place these
Thinking
Lists

References

  1. ↑ Dictionary.com, "mind": "1. (in a human or other conscious being) the element, part, substance, or process that reasons, thinks, feels, wills, perceives, judges, etc.: the processes of the human mind. 2. Psychology. the totality of conscious and unconscious mental processes and activities. 3. intellect or understanding, as distinguished from the faculties of feeling and willing; intelligence."
  2. ↑ Google definition, "mind": "The element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness."
  3. ↑ Danko Nikolić (2014). "Practopoiesis: Or how life fosters a mind. arXiv:1402.5332 [q-bio.NC].".
  4. ↑ Ivan Fantin (2014). Applied Problem Solving. Method, Applications, Root Causes, Countermeasures, Poka-Yoke and A3. How to make things happen to solve problems. Milan, Italy: Createspace, an Amazon company. ISBN 978-1499122282
  5. ↑ "Definition of: Moral Reasoning". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Dictionary Search › proportional reasoning - Quizlet".
  7. ↑ "History of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy". National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists. Retrieved March 8, 2011.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, May 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.