Thinking refers to all the mental activities associated with processing, understanding and communicating (Myers, 2000).
Tools of thinking
The two major tools using in thinking process are
a) concept b) imagery
According to ‘David Myers’, concepts are the mental groupings of similar objects, events and people. Concepts provide us much information without much cognitive effort. To simplify things concepts are organized into hierarchies. In addition to that some concepts are formed by definition. E.g. On the basis of the rule that a triangle has three sides, all the three sided geometrical forms is recognized as triangles. Concepts are also formed through the development of prototypes. Prototype is a mental image or a best example that incorporates all the features associated with a category. Prototypes may include positive or negative instances. When a child sees a dog and forms the mental image, “it is a dog”, then it is a positive instance. When the child sees a goat and discriminate it forming the mental image “it is not a dog”, then it is a negative instance.
Concepts are of two types – logical and natural. Logical concepts (or formal concepts) are those which are clearly defined by a set of rules, a formal definition or a classification system. It is also called artificial concept. E.g. mathematical symbols like triangles, rectangle, square etc. Natural concepts are those acquired not from a definition, but through every-day perceptions and experience. They are somewhat fuzzy, not clear cut and systematic. Imagery is the mental representation of sensory experiences. It can be visual, auditory, gustatory, motor, olfactory or tactile. E.g. Imagination of tasting favorite ice cream is a gustatory imagery. Mental images may be dimmer and less vivid than actual experiences. Though the images are not limited to time, space or other physical realities, they used to be similar to that of the real world. Visual imagery is most common form of imagery. Imagery about performance has impact on the muscles, and the consequence is muscular imagery.
Tools of thinking
The two major tools using in thinking process are
a) concept b) imagery
According to ‘David Myers’, concepts are the mental groupings of similar objects, events and people. Concepts provide us much information without much cognitive effort. To simplify things concepts are organized into hierarchies. In addition to that some concepts are formed by definition. E.g. On the basis of the rule that a triangle has three sides, all the three sided geometrical forms is recognized as triangles. Concepts are also formed through the development of prototypes. Prototype is a mental image or a best example that incorporates all the features associated with a category. Prototypes may include positive or negative instances. When a child sees a dog and forms the mental image, “it is a dog”, then it is a positive instance. When the child sees a goat and discriminate it forming the mental image “it is not a dog”, then it is a negative instance.
Concepts are of two types – logical and natural. Logical concepts (or formal concepts) are those which are clearly defined by a set of rules, a formal definition or a classification system. It is also called artificial concept. E.g. mathematical symbols like triangles, rectangle, square etc. Natural concepts are those acquired not from a definition, but through every-day perceptions and experience. They are somewhat fuzzy, not clear cut and systematic. Imagery is the mental representation of sensory experiences. It can be visual, auditory, gustatory, motor, olfactory or tactile. E.g. Imagination of tasting favorite ice cream is a gustatory imagery. Mental images may be dimmer and less vivid than actual experiences. Though the images are not limited to time, space or other physical realities, they used to be similar to that of the real world. Visual imagery is most common form of imagery. Imagery about performance has impact on the muscles, and the consequence is muscular imagery.
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