Types and methods of developing abstract logical thinking in humans. Exercises to develop logical thinking

Abstract thinking is thinking using speculative judgments. That is, with the help of various generalized terms such as “consciousness”, “life”, “meaning”. This type of mental activity allows you to see the full picture.

Abstract thinking: what is it?

They call it one of the types, thanks to which it is possible to generalize the situation from unnoticed details and take a closer look at it as a whole. This type of thinking allows you to take a step forward, crossing boundaries and standards.

The development of abstract thinking in people should occupy an important stage from childhood. This is due to the fact that this approach makes it much faster and easier to find unexpected conclusions and find a way out of any current situation. This type of thought is a variation of human cognition.

This type is very important in the life of any individual, therefore it has a number of such signs:

1. The ability to reproduce the external world without affecting the senses. That is, the individual does not require interaction with the object to obtain new information. The individual gets the outcome based on his skills.
2. Phenomena are summed up to determine legitimacy. Every individual wants to make the thinking process easier.
3. There is an undeniable connection between thoughts and linguistic expressions. The process of thinking is divided into thinking without language and internal dialogue, which occurs alone with oneself.

Forms of abstract thinking

Can be divided into three forms. Without understanding them, it is very difficult to understand what this type is. The forms are as follows:

1. Concept. This is a special form of thoughts in which an object or several objects are reproduced as one attribute. This sign must be significant. The main concepts can also be expressed in phrases.
2. Judgment. At the moment of judgment, an affirmation or denial of a phrase occurs. She describes surrounding objects. Contact and some pattern are established. But a judgment can be either simple or complex.
3. Inference. One or more interrelated judgments are linked into one whole. A conclusion has already been drawn from this. This is the basis of logical abstract thinking. Abstract thinking includes free thoughts that are operated by judgments, inferences and concepts.

Thoughts cannot be the same for every individual. Some are inclined towards painting, others towards music, others prefer poetry, but some can think abstractly. But such thinking needs to be formed and it is important to do this from early childhood. It is necessary to give the child the opportunity to fantasize, think and reflect.

In adults, it is already developed and it is extremely difficult for them to perceive new information. Thoughts can lose their flexibility over time. Below are exercises that will help combat this process. They are able to develop creativity and breadth of thought within themselves:

1. In your head you need to imagine emotions such as fear, joy, delight or doubt. What will pleasure look like? Or, for example, what will interest be like if it is not tied to individual objects.
2. Imagine some image of an idea. How can a person imagine harmony? Will this create an association or symbol? It is recommended to practice with such images as infinity, challenge, order, religiosity.
3. Turn the book over and read it from top to bottom. In this case, you need to read in a different order. It is necessary to establish a logical connection between the plot being reproduced.
4. Close your eyes and mentally imagine all the people with whom you communicated today. Pay attention to clothing and facial expressions, facial expressions, gestures. Not a single detail should be missed. What does a person get when communicating?
5. Take up drawing.

There are also exercises for children:

1. Come up with new unusual names with your baby. Find an interesting picture online and try to choose at least 3 titles for it.
2. Try to do dramatizations. Make costumes from available materials.
3. Solve various puzzles and puzzles.
4. Take a blank piece of paper and spill ink on it. Together with the baby, make some kind of face out of the stain.

It helps solve many problems. You need to think effectively and creatively. This will help you quickly make decisions and draw conclusions. Therefore, it is very important to improve yourself and pay attention to your abstract thoughts. But exercises must be done regularly. Only with effort and time can you get a good result.

In children starting school, “memory becomes thinking, and perception becomes thinking.” The statement of the outstanding child psychologist, author of original methods, D. B. Elkonin means the main thing: in the mental development of children of primary school age, an active transformation of the entire cognitive sphere (memory, attention, perception, speech) occurs. Psychologists emphasize that such improvement of the psyche is possible only with abstract logical thinking. Experts authoritatively state that abstract thinking is necessary not only for the further mental development of a child, but also for mastering such complex academic subjects as mathematics, natural history, and later, physics, geometry, and astronomy. It is important for parents to understand the diversity of their child’s mental development in order to come to the rescue in time.

What is abstract thinking

What do we know about abstract thinking? Is it really so important in a person’s life or can you do without it just fine, just using something visual! Abstract (abstract) thinking, that is, the formation of abstract concepts and operating with them, is inherent in each of us. From time to time a person should abstract (mentally distract himself) from the particular and operate with general concepts in order to see the world around him as a whole, without touching on the details. Such an action is necessary in order to concentrate on a specific goal, make discoveries, develop abilities, and fulfill one’s aspirations. When an event is viewed as if from the outside, abstractly, then original ways to solve it are sure to be found.

The clearest example of how abstract thinking works is in the exact sciences. For example, in mathematics we do not see a number as such, but we see its components (numbers), we can count or group different objects according to some characteristic and call their quantity. Abstraction is needed even when a person plans his future. It is still unknown, but each of us sets goals, has desires, makes plans, and all this happens thanks to abstract logical thinking.

About forms of abstract thinking

The main characteristic features of abstract thinking are its forms, since those surrounding phenomena that are inaccessible to the human eye are still actively present in human life. Like any phenomenon, they must have their own design, so psychologists distinguish three main forms:

Concept

The concept means a thought or a system of thoughts that identifies and generalizes various objects according to their general and specific characteristics. The concept conveys a common property of different objects in the surrounding world. For example, “furniture” unites into its group those objects that we need in everyday life and have a common property - to provide comfort to a person: table, chair, sofa, wardrobe, etc. Another concept “school supplies” generalizes a pen, pencil, notebook, eraser, that is, those items that are necessary for writing. Basic publicly available concepts are transmitted to children already in preschool age, since otherwise it will be simply impossible to understand the world around us in its entirety.

Judgment

The basic form of abstraction, which is present in the assertion or denial of something about an object, its qualities or relationships with other objects. In other words, the judgment shows some connection between objects and phenomena of the surrounding reality. Simply put, a judgment (simple or complex) serves us when we need to confirm or refute something, for example: “the child is playing” (simple judgment). The complex expression also has a more complex form: “autumn has come, the leaves are falling.” In addition, a proposition can be true or false, it all depends on what it is based on. If a person reasons objectively, in accordance with reality, then the judgment will be true. And if he is interested in his statement and relies on his own thoughts that contradict the real thing, then the judgment becomes false.

Inference

Expressed by a thought that is formed on the basis of several judgments. In order to draw a conclusion, you need to go through three stages: premise (initial judgment), conclusion (new judgment) and conclusion (logical transition from premise to conclusion). Usually, inference is expressed in complex sentences (“if all angles of a triangle are equal, then this triangle is equilateral”). A well-known fan of making inferences is the literary character Sherlock Holmes.

Signs of abstract-logical thinking in children

The presence of such signs can already be detected in preschoolers, since experts consider senior preschool age to be the most optimal period of transition from visual to abstract thinking. It is believed that by school the mental development of children reaches a fairly high level. A seven-year-old child already knows and can do a lot, acquires some life experience, for example, navigates the world around him, easily remembers information, knows literary works well, understands the meaning of riddles, solves problems whose conditions are clear, coherently expresses his opinion about various events, and is interested in computer, loves to do creative work (sculpting, drawing, designing). At the same time, the thinking of a primary school student is at a turning point in development; abstract-logical thinking is still imperfect. To understand what level of mental development your child is at, you can use a simple test that psychologists often use when examining primary school children.

Diagnosis of the ability to think abstractly

Cross out the extra word

• Lamp, lantern, Sun, candle.
• Boots, boots, laces, felt boots.
• Dog, horse, cow, wolf.
• Table chair, floor, sofa
• Sweet, bitter, sour, hot.
• Glasses, eyes, nose, ears.
• Tractor, combine, machine, sled.
• Soup, porridge, pot, potato.
• Birch, pine, oak, rose.
• Apricot, peach, tomato, orange.

Fill in the missing letters in the words

• d...r...in... (tree); k...m...n (stone); r...b... (fish); k...r...v... (cow); b...r...z... (birch)

Choose the word that makes sense

• 1) wolf: mouth = bird: ? a) air b) beak c) nightingale d) egg e) singing
• 2) library: book = forest: ? a) birch b) tree c) branch d) log e) maple
• 3) bird: nest = person: ? a) people b) worker c) chick d) house d) reasonable
• 4) school: training = hospital: ? a) doctor b) patient c) treatment d) establishment

Choose the opposite word

• Beginning -... (end). Day Night). Evil -... (good).
• High Low). Young -... (old). Strong -... (weak).
• Cry - ... (laugh). Make peace -... (quarrel). Find -... (lose).

Unscramble the words

• naul - (moon); maiz - (winter); aker - (river); toel - (summer).

Analysis of results

Each correct action is worth 1 point. The number of maximum points is 29.

• 29 - 26 - increased level of logical thinking
• 25 - 22 - high level
• 21 - 18 - average level
• 17 - 14 - level of logical thinking below average
• 13 - 10 - low level
• 9 - 0 - critical level.

Why develop abstract thinking in children

Are you convinced that a certain level of abstract thinking is necessary for success in school? Have you realized that your child has problems in the ability to think logically and find non-standard solutions? Do you want to form forms of abstraction in your little schoolchild? Then you need to listen to the opinion of experts. Thus, psychologists warn that the development of thinking is a rather long process and requires daily work. One child may not be able to quickly and efficiently master abstract operations. Therefore, parents need to help him develop abstraction skills. In psychological and pedagogical practice, many methods have been developed for the formation of abstract processes in primary schoolchildren. Parents can focus on the one that seems most accessible and acceptable to them for homeschooling.

Exercises and games for logical thinking

Gaming activities still remain important for younger schoolchildren, so games and exercises are successfully used in the development of abstract thinking. This method is accessible and interesting for children; with its help, you can do complex work to improve forms of abstraction. Each adult can come up with game tasks independently for their child. The main thing is your creativity and ingenuity! To prevent games from getting boring, they can be easily “revitalized” with elements of outdoor games (running, jumping, clapping) or sports objects (ball, skittles, rope). A competitive moment (who can name it faster...) and forfeits are good options. What can you offer for home use?

Synonyms - antonyms

The classic game of matching synonyms and antonyms always attracts children. They enjoy the competition of “who can come up with the first word (synonym or antonym).” You can play verbally, or you can throw the ball to each other with the chosen word. Approximate synonyms (close in meaning): stingy - greedy, throw - throw, dog - dog, slacker - lazy, friend - buddy, damp - wet, lie - not true.

A simpler task for children is to select antonyms (words with opposite meanings). It is carried out similarly to the previous one, for example: friend - enemy, brave - cowardly, future - past, good - evil, grief - joy, beautiful - ugly. Interest in the game can be maintained by introducing game moments: for an incorrect answer, the player gives a forfeit, and then redeems it with the help of a certain task: sing, dance, say a tongue twister, guess a riddle.

Finish the sentence

Similar to the previous game, an exercise is carried out to complete sentences. Players must catch the ball with the beginning of the phrase, and return it with the ending, for example: dogs bark, and cats... (meow), in winter there is frost, and in summer -... (heat), the car drives, but the plane... (flies). A more complex option - you need to end a complex sentence with a subordinate clause, for example: in winter it’s cold, ... (because it’s frost); the student received an A, ... (because he learned the lessons) and the like.

Decipher it!

Such an exercise must be prepared in advance; at first, pictures or words written on cards are used. Subsequently, when the student learns to divide a word into syllables mentally, it can be carried out in the form of a word game. The essence of the exercise is the following:

• highlight the first syllables of each word and compose a new one (decipher): de lo, re ka, in yes (tree); si la, Neither on the, tsa ritsa (tit); ma ma, shi py, On tasha (car);
• highlight the last syllables and create a new word: itself years, me chick(pilot); bar ban, ut ka(jar); dere in, laban Yes(water).

Three effective methods for developing abstract thinking

Association game

Associations (connections between phenomena and concepts) are considered the most accessible and simple method of developing abstract thinking in children. It is easy to use in everyday life if you invite your child to find various connections between objects and phenomena that surround him. For example, during a walk together, or while traveling to the country, or over evening tea, you can play a word association game. The point of the game is that one concept or image entails another. An adult pronounces a concept, and children must choose words that are in any way related to it. For example, umbrella - rain - puddles - boots - roof; car - trip - passenger - truck - motor - wheel; summer - sun - warm - fun - swim - sunbathe - holidays. The player can name any word, the main thing is to prove that the words are related. It is interesting to involve all family members in the action and reward the winner who has found and proven the most associations.

As a variant of such a game, you can invite participants to create an associative chain based on a given characteristic, for example, yellow and warm - sun - lantern - lamp, etc. Or original associations, for example, hedgehog - Christmas tree - needles - burdock - brush.

The older the child, the more complex the concepts from which associations are built should be. These can be words denoting various relationships in the world around us: between people (family, mom, dad, sister, brother, society, friendship, school); in living and inanimate nature (winter, summer, water, thunderstorm, any animals, forest, tree, fruit, vegetables); emotional processes (joy, grief, love, success, envy, sympathy); phenomena of social life (homeland, peace, war, country) and other concepts that make up the world around us.

Shadow play

The most popular and interesting way to develop abstract thinking, somewhat similar to an association game. With its help, various images are created, by playing with which the child uses all mental processes (memory, attention, thinking, imagination, speech). Shadow theater is easy and simple to organize at home and make it a family tradition. To organize, you will need a sheet, a table lamp, character figures cut out of cardboard or plywood, or a variety of hand movements. The lamp is installed so that it creates a shadow. You can act out any works familiar to children, but not only - performances can be improvised. The main thing is that the child must see the image depicted and be able to act out it. Shadow theater promotes the development of abstract thinking in the child, develops the ability to use and understand symbols: hand movements are concrete, real, and an image is created from shadows on the screen. You have to imagine that these are no longer fingers, but animals that move.

Mental arithmetic

Experts consider mental arithmetic a more effective way to develop abstract thinking - a program for developing mental abilities and creative potential using arithmetic calculations on special accounts (soroban). The technique is designed for children and schoolchildren from four to sixteen years old. Instructions for this technique can be found in more detail on the Internet, in special courses for schoolchildren.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to form abstract thinking in a child at home if you follow the recommendations of specialists. And most importantly, show parental love, care, and attention. Help your little schoolchild see the world around him from all sides and show his abilities.

Nothing is clear in the world. If you are guided by accurate knowledge, you may not notice much. The world does not live exactly according to the instructions that were written by man. Much has not yet been explored.

When a person doesn’t know something, he turns on abstract thinking, which helps him make guesses, make judgments, reason. To understand what it is, you need to familiarize yourself with examples, forms and methods of its development.

What is Abstract Thinking?

What is it and why does the psychotherapeutic help site touch on the topic of abstract thinking? It is the ability to think in general that helps in finding a solution to a deadlock situation and the emergence of a different view of the world.

There is precise and generalized thinking. Precise thinking is activated when a person has knowledge, information and a clear understanding of what is happening. Generalized thinking is activated when a person does not know exact data and does not have specific information. He can guess, assume, and draw general conclusions. Generalized thinking is abstract thinking in simple words.

In scientific language, abstract thinking is a type of cognitive activity when a person moves away from specific details and begins to reason in general. The picture is considered as a whole, without affecting details, specifics, or accuracy. This helps to move away from rules and dogmas and consider the situation from different angles. When an event is considered in general, then various ways to solve it are found.

Usually a person starts from specific knowledge. For example, a man is lying on the couch and watching TV. The thought arises: “He’s a slacker.” In this situation, the beholder proceeds from his own ideas about what is happening. What could really be happening? The man lay down for 5 minutes to rest. He had already done everything around the house, so he allowed himself to watch TV. He's sick, that's why he's lying on the sofa. There could be many possibilities for what's going on here. If you abstract from the specifics and look at the situation from different angles, then you can find out a lot of new and interesting things.

With abstract thinking, a person thinks approximately. There are no specifics or details here. Generalized words are used: “life”, “world”, “in general”, “by and large”.

Abstract thinking is useful in situations where a person cannot find a way out (intellectual dead end). Due to the lack of information or knowledge, he is forced to reason and guess. If you abstract from the situation with its specific details, then you can consider something in it that was not noticed before.

Abstract logical thinking

In abstract-logical thinking, abstractions are used - units of certain patterns that were isolated from the “abstract”, “imaginary” qualities of an object or phenomenon. In other words, a person operates with phenomena that he cannot “touch with his hands,” “see with his eyes,” or “smell.”

A very striking example of such thinking is mathematics, which explains phenomena that do not exist in physical nature. For example, there is no such thing as the number "2". A person understands that we are talking about two identical units. However, this figure was invented by people in order to simplify certain phenomena.

The progress and development of mankind has forced people to use concepts that essentially do not exist. Another clear example would be the language a person uses. There are no letters, words, or sentences in nature. Man invented the alphabet, words and expressions to simplify the expression of his thoughts, which he wants to convey to other people. This allowed people to find a common language, since everyone understands the meaning of the same word, recognizes letters, and builds sentences.

Abstract-logical thinking becomes necessary in the situation of the presence of a certain certainty, which is not yet clear and unknown to man, and the emergence of an intellectual dead end. There is a need to identify what exists in reality, to find a definition for it.

Abstraction is divided into types and purposes. Types of abstraction:

• Primitive-sensual - highlighting some properties of an object, ignoring its other qualities. For example, considering structure but ignoring the shape of an object.
• Generalizing – highlighting a general characteristic in one phenomenon, ignoring the presence of individual characteristics.
• Idealizing - replacing real properties with an ideal scheme that eliminates existing shortcomings.
• Isolating – highlights the component on which attention is focused.
• Actual infinity - infinite sets are defined as finite.
• Constructivization is “coarsening”, giving shape to phenomena that have vague boundaries.

According to the purposes of abstraction there are:

1. Formal (theoretical thinking), when a person considers objects by their external manifestations. These qualities themselves do not exist on their own without these objects and phenomena.
2. Content-based, when a person can isolate from an object or phenomenon a property that can exist on its own and be autonomous.

The development of abstract logical thinking is important, since it is what made it possible to isolate from the surrounding world something that cannot be recognized by natural senses. Here concepts (linguistic expressions) were formed that convey the general pattern of a particular phenomenon. Now each person does not have to identify this or that concept, since he learns about it in the process of learning at school, university, at home, etc. This brings us to the next topic about the forms of abstract thinking.

Forms of abstract thinking

Since a person cannot “create a wheel” every time, he must systematize the acquired knowledge. Many phenomena are not visible to the human eye, some do not exist at all, but all this exists in human life, therefore it must have one form or another. In abstract thinking there are 3 forms:

1. Concept.

This is a thought that conveys a common property that can be traced in different objects. They may be different. However, their homogeneity and similarity allows a person to combine them into one group. So, for example, a chair. It can have round handles or square seats. Different chairs have different colors, shapes, and composition. However, their common feature is that they have 4 legs and it is customary to sit on them. The identical purpose of objects and their design allows a person to be combined into one group.

People teach these concepts to children from childhood. When we talk about a “dog,” we mean an animal that runs on 4 legs, barks, barks, etc. Dogs themselves come in different breeds. However, they all have the same characteristics, according to which they are united into one common concept - “dog”.

1. Judgment.

People use this form of abstraction when they want to confirm or refute something. Moreover, this verbal form is unambiguous. It comes in two forms: simple and complex. Simple - for example, a cat meows. It is short and unambiguous. The second is “the garbage was thrown out, the bucket was empty.” Often expressed in whole sentences of narrative form.

A proposition can be true or false. A true judgment reflects the real state of affairs and is often based on the fact that a person does not show any attitude towards it, that is, he judges objectively. A judgment becomes false when a person is interested in it and is based on his own conclusions, and not on the real picture of what is happening.

1. Conclusion.

This is a thought that is formed on the basis of two or more judgments, from which a new judgment is formed. Every inference has 3 components: premise (premise), conclusion and conclusion. Premise (premise) is the initial judgment. Inference is a process of logical thinking that leads to a conclusion - a new judgment.

Examples of abstract thinking

Having considered the theoretical part of abstract thinking, you should familiarize yourself with various examples. The most striking example of what an abstract judgment is is the exact sciences. Mathematics, physics, astronomy and other sciences are often based on abstract thinking. We don't see numbers as such, but we can count. We collect objects into a group and name their number.

A man talks about life. But what is it? This is the existence of a body in which a person moves, breathes, functions. It is impossible to give a clear definition of what life is. However, a person can clearly determine when someone lives and when they die.

Clearly abstract thinking occurs when a person thinks about the future. It is unknown what will happen there, but everyone has goals, desires, plans. Without the ability to dream and imagine, a person would not be able to make plans for the future. Now he strives to realize these goals. His movement through life becomes more purposeful. Strategies and tactics emerge that should lead to the desired future. This reality does not yet exist, but man strives to shape it the way he wants to see it.

Another common form of abstraction is idealization. People love to idealize others and the world in general. Women dream of princes from fairy tales, not noticing what men are like in the real world. Men dream of obedient wives, ignoring the fact that only an unthinking being can be subordinate to another.

Many people use judgment. Often they are false. Thus, a woman may conclude that “all men are bad” after being betrayed by her only partner. Since it distinguishes man as a single class, which is characterized by the same quality, it attributes to everyone the quality that was manifested in one person.

Often, incorrect conclusions are made based on false judgments. For example, “the neighbors are unfriendly”, “there is no heating”, “the wiring needs to be changed” - this means “the apartment is unfavorable”. Based on the emotional discomfort that arises under existing circumstances, unambiguous judgments and conclusions are made that distort reality.

Development of abstract thinking

The most optimal age for the development of abstract thinking is the preschool period. As soon as a child begins to explore the world, he can be helped in the development of all types of thinking.

The most effective way of development is toys. Through shapes, volumes, colors, etc., the child first begins to recognize details and then combine them into groups. You can give your child several square or round toys so that he can arrange them into two piles according to the same characteristics.

As soon as a child learns to draw, sculpt, and make things with his own hands, he should be allowed to indulge in such hobbies. This not only develops fine motor skills, but also promotes creativity. We can say that abstract thinking is creativity, which is not limited by frames, shapes, colors.

When a child learns to read, count, write and perceive words by sound, you can work with him on the development of abstract logical thinking. Riddles that need to be solved, puzzles where you need to solve some issue, exercises for ingenuity where you need to notice an error or inaccuracy are well suited here.

Since abstract thinking is not born with a person, but develops as he grows, various puzzles, crosswords, and puzzles will help here. There is a lot of literature on how to develop different types of thinking. It should be understood that puzzles alone cannot develop only one type of thinking. All of them are partially or fully involved in the development of various types of cognitive activity.

Various life situations in which the child must find a way out of the situation become especially effective. The simple task of taking out the trash will force the child to first think about how to dress and what shoes to wear in order to leave the house and carry the garbage bag to the bin. If the trash can is located away from home, then he will be forced to predict his route in advance. Forecasting for the future is another way to develop abstract thinking. Children have a good imagination, which should not be suppressed.

Bottom line

The result of abstract thinking is that a person is able to find solutions to any situation. He thinks creatively, flexibly, outside the box. Accurate knowledge is not always objective and capable of helping in any situation. Circumstances happen differently, which makes a person think, reason, and predict.

Psychologists note negative consequences if parents do not engage in the development of this thinking in their child. Firstly, the baby will not learn to isolate the general from the details and, conversely, move from the general to the details. Secondly, he will not be able to show flexibility of thinking in situations in which he does not know a way out. Thirdly, he will be deprived of the ability to predict the future of his actions.

Abstract thinking differs from linear thinking in that a person does not think in cause-and-effect relationships. He abstracts from details and begins to think in general. The most remarkable thing here is that only after a general vision of affairs can a person move on to the details that are important in the situation. And when the details do not help in solving the problem, then the need arises to abstract, to go beyond what is happening.

Abstract thinking allows you to find new things, create, create. If a person were deprived of such thinking, then he would not be able to create a wheel, a car, an airplane and other technologies that many now use. There would be no progress that first arises from man's ability to imagine, to dream, to go beyond the limits of what is accepted and reasonable. These skills also turn out to be useful in everyday life, when a person encounters different characters and behaviors of people whom he has never met before. The ability to quickly rebuild and adapt in unchanging circumstances occurs thanks to abstract thinking.

Each person is unique by nature and this is reflected not only in visual differences from each other and character traits, but also in what happens in our heads. Looking at the same picture, everyone will describe it in their own way, in their own colors and understanding. Thinking is responsible for this process, which helps us reflect reality exactly as we see it.

The development of thinking is a very important process that has been practiced since early childhood. The more extraordinary it is, the more creative the person will be. It is thanks to this function that poems, lyrics, paintings, and music are born. Thinking is inherent in absolutely any person, for some it is more expressed in a creative direction, while for others it is given in a logical direction, people with a technical mindset. In any case, both figurative and logical thinking require their development, and special exercises and tasks will help with this.

Development of imaginative thinking

It would seem that such an activity as the development of imaginative thinking is needed for children, adolescents, or, in extreme cases, adults whose work involves creativity. But this is not so, imaginative thinking contributes to:

• solve assigned tasks or problems easily and clearly;
• analyze what is happening, clearly formulate thoughts and summarize thoughts;
• calming the nervous system;
• reproduce in your head what you saw or experienced earlier, etc.

For these and not only reasons, it is important to have developed imaginative thinking at any age. So, let's look at a few effective exercises that can help improve this brain function:

Development of logical thinking

In addition to imaginative thinking, an equally important role is given to logical thinking. The use of logical thinking occurs in the following cases:

• the ability to find the right solution or outcome for a particular task, problem, situation;
• the ability to clearly express your thoughts and formulate them;
• the ability to identify errors in the presentation of another person’s thoughts and the ability to summarize what was said without resorting to demagoguery;
• the ability to select arguments to convince another person of the correctness of your point of view.

The following tasks and exercises are suitable for developing logical thinking:

Development of abstract thinking

Abstract thinking is closely related to logic. This type of thinking is unique to humans and is inaccessible to animals. Thanks to abstract thinking we can:

• analyze and summarize information;
• build a logical, generalized chain of what is happening, for example, coffee - cup - hot - aroma. We connect all these concepts together, presenting the overall picture;
• systematize knowledge, etc.

The following simple and interesting exercises are suitable for developing abstract thinking:

Development of spatial thinking

Spatial thinking is the ability to imagine objects, including imaginary ones, in three dimensions in all details and colors. According to statistics, spatial thinking is not developed in everyone and is a specific type of mental activity. But despite this, there are a number of exercises that can help develop this type of thinking. Here are the following task options:

• What kind of object can be obtained if a triangle is superimposed on a segment?
• what shapes can be obtained by intersecting two segments?
• What shapes will emerge when two triangles intersect?

The tasks are quite simple, but require concentration, and can be used in the development of thinking in both an adult and a child. If you initially cannot recreate images of objects mentally, use paper and pen. Draw objects and visually assemble the necessary elements from them.

Everything ingenious is simple, this expression is familiar to everyone. But this is how it is, but in order to invent or create something brilliant, you just need to get away from stereotyped, standard thinking. Only by breaking the stereotyped understanding and habitual interpretation of objects in yourself can you easily create something creative. In general, thinking, whether abstract, logical or figurative, is an integral part of normal human development. It’s just that for some people, logical thinking is more typical, while others are guided more by figurative thinking. But the result is the same, each of these types of thinking requires development and no matter how old you are - 5, 15 or 35, a mental shake-up will be useful at any age!

Reading strengthens neural connections:

The world surrounding a person is full of concrete things that can be seen, heard, touched. Nevertheless, there is a lot in our lives that neither our eyes, nor our ears, nor other senses can detect. For example, how to imagine infinity, or how to measure the power of love, or what would happen if a modern person was suddenly transported to the distant past? There are answers to these questions, but they are ambiguous, because each person has his own idea of ​​what you cannot see with your eyes, cannot hear with your ears and cannot touch with your hands. This feature is given to him thanks to abstract thinking, which is also called abstract-logical.

Abstract logical thinking is the privilege of humans exclusively. Animals do not have the ability to draw conclusions, analyze, compare and reflect. They act based on instincts. In contrast, a person can not only study the world around him, but also, based on his experience, represent its components in images and symbols and even predict the future, considering an alternative course of events. By the way, to understand what abstract thinking is, its skills are precisely what is needed.

What forms of abstract thinking exist

Depending on what questions a person is able to answer about the world around him, there are three forms of abstract thinking:

• concept - allows a person to answer the question: “What is this?”, and in one or two words. Here, for example, there is a woman standing at a bus stop, and next to her is a tall woman, and a little further away is also a woman, also tall, but extremely beautiful;
• Judgment – ​​a person’s ability to understand “what is happening or will happen?” For example, when the bus arrives, women at the bus stop will probably board public transport;
• inference - will allow you to draw a conclusion on the topic: “Why did it happen this way?” Let’s say a bus pulled up to the women standing at the bus stop, but only one got on. Why did the other two remain? Apparently this route is not suitable for them.

Thus, abstract-logical thinking allows a person to go beyond the visible and tangible boundaries of the surrounding world and immerse himself in the world that he creates in his mind.

It should be understood that abstract thinking in psychology is the interaction of connections between the causes of phenomena and their consequences based on personal conclusions. What constitutes the area of ​​isolated emotions and feelings has nothing to do with it. Intuition also refers to a concept that is not a form of abstract thinking.

Possibilities of abstract thinking

Thanks to a person’s ability to see more than what the surrounding reality offers, he receives unique opportunities as a gift:

• evaluate objects or phenomena by comparing them with each other;
• analyze what is happening, decomposing the event into its components or connecting its disparate parts into a whole;
• abstract from specific circumstances, separating signs from the subject;
• generalize or specify objects or phenomena, finding correspondences between the particular and the general;
• systematize and classify knowledge, extracting what is necessary and pushing aside what is unnecessary for a given moment in time.

All these abilities are inherent in every person, but to varying degrees. However, it is within the power of man to improve these abilities. That is why the question: “How to develop abstract thinking?” is relevant at any age, although the sooner the answer is found, the better.

How to develop abstract thinking?

The development of abstract thinking must begin in early childhood. The younger a person is, the easier it will be, according to scientists, to learn a new science. The main thing is to do this gradually and in accordance with age. Parents can adopt many simple techniques:

• play in associations - for example, fantasize what the objects around you look like;
• together with your child, compose fairy tales, the heroes of which can be anything you have at hand - a comb, a refrigerator, a zucchini grown in a garden bed;
• complete each other’s drawings or ask your child to continue one given sketch in different versions - what is hidden behind the zigzag across the entire page or what the spiral circles can mean;
• invent life stories to randomly seen people - be it just passers-by on the street or strangers from glossy magazines;
• create chains of associations - for example, what words can correspond to the word “rest” or what the word “delicious” implies;
• solve logical problems together - remember when we all tried to transport a wolf, a goat and a cabbage to the shore in one boat as children?

There are many ways to develop abstract thinking. It is enough to work with your child for only half an hour a day, and after some time he will amaze you with the logic of his judgments and the ability to draw conclusions.

Attention!

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