05 thinking

THINKING

BY
DR . MANAL ELATTAR
M.D PSYCHAITRY

Introduction
Thinking is included in all our
activities . It is the language of the
mind

Definition

It is a mental activity which
does not depend directly upon
sensory or motor contact with
the present circumstances .

Anatomical sites
concerned with thinking
1. Cerebral cortex .
2. Limbic system .
3. Reticular activating system .

Tools of thinking
• Concepts
• Combinations of concepts :rules ,laws and
principles
• Language symbols : vocal and written
expressions
• Diagrams
• Images : a mental representation of visual
information
• Cognitive maps : a mental representation
of familiar parts of the environment
• Theories

?What is concept

• A concept is a mental event used to
represent a category ,class or group
of actions or objects , not just
individual cases .
• It is to know the common properties
and the rule that relate them.
• It is one of the higher cognitive
functions

Why do we need
?concepts
• Combination of concepts
Combined concepts guide
thoughts and actions . Rules ,
laws, and principles combine so
many concepts in certain
relationships .

Knowledge of the common
properties has great impact on
how we deal with the objects
around us.

Concepts enable us to go
beyond the information we
perceive . Having some visible
properties of an object allow us
to infer properties that are not
visible . This ability is
fundamental to thought .

Concepts allow us to apply the
common properties that we
already know to objects or people
we encounter for the first time .

Concepts of widely used
activities such as eating ,
abstract things such as truth or
justice or states as being old
allow us to communicate quickly
about things that occur
.frequently

If we had no way to organize or-
classify our experiences , our
impressions of our environment
and of ourselves would be
.chaotic

Phases of concept
:formation
1. Generalization .
2. Differentiation .
3. Abstraction .

• Generalization
Inability to differentiate
between familiar and non familiar objects .
• Differentiation
Distinction between different items.
• Abstraction
Inability to grasp the essentials of a whole
and the hidden meaning .
• It is tested by proverbs
• Medical implication ( abstract and
concrete thinking ) In certain forms of
psychiatric and physical illnesses .

Factors playing a role in
concept formation
Although our concepts , principles and beliefs may
guide our thinking , personal feelings and prejudices
may falsify our ideas and lead to erroneous
conclusions .

Your own concept of a certain thing may not agree in
all respects with the standard definition as your own
concept consists of what you know or believe about
this thing and its interaction with your personality .

practicing objective observations and straight
thinking decrease such errors .

Types of concepts

1. Inborn
2. Acquired
or
1. Formal ( classical )
All the members have all attributes
2. Natural ( real )
Often cannot be easily defined
(fuzzy) , with ill defined attributes
and rules

• Prototype
It is the member of a concept that best
typifies or represents that concept or
properties to describe the best examples

It is a way to help us better define natural
concepts

• Core
The properties that are the most essential
for being a member of the concept

:Types of thinking

1. Autistic thinking .
2. Purposive thinking.
e.g problem solving.
e.g logical thinking.
3. Creative thinking .
4. Concrete and abstract thinking

Autistic thinking
• Does not go with the real world or its facts.
• Not directed towards any purpose.
• Passive , does not need any attention.
• does not lead to any mental exhaustion .
• Forms : imaginative play in children ,
daydreams and night dreams
• Beneficial if it is moderate ( escape or
gratification of certain desires .
• Pathological if the whole thinking is
directed through this unrealistic way as in
schizophrenia.
• It leads to withdrawal from reality and social
isolation .
• May use symbols with very personal
meaning .

Purposive thinking

• Controlled and goal directed
• Uses concepts and its
combinations of rules and
principles
• Uses vocal and written
language symbols

Problem solving
• It is the process of seeking and finding the
ways and means to solve a problem .
• It is an active process
• It is a higher cognitive function .
• problems are usually solved by a mixture
of :
• Trial and error
• Insight learning

• we may solve the problem by trial and error
then gain insight retrospectively how it was
solved

Trial and error
A rat in a maze

After many trials of exploration ,
.the rat reaches the food box
The rat learned the direction of the
goal in a situation with which it
has become familiar

Insight learning
A chimpanzees and a
.bunch of banana
Insight means planning the
solution on a mental level
.beforehand
insight is affected by past
experience and full
information about the
problem

Steps of problem
solving
• Initiation phase
Recognition of the problem and definition of the goal

• Information gathering
Gathering relevant information to the problem

• Solving state
Using tools of thinking
Putting alternative solutions
Elimination of the irrelevant solution
Revising previously solved similar problems

• Evaluation state
Assessment of the result
Self criticism

Problem solving
strategies
• Definition
Strategy is a systematic plan for generating possible
solutions that can be tested to see if they are correct.

• Types of strategies
1. Algorithms : evaluating all possible solutions

2. Heuristics : evaluating probabilities that you think to be
more reasonable .

3. Reduction : dividing the problem into small sub - problems
more easier to manage

4. Finding analogue : finding the similarities between the
current problems and previous problems .

Barriers for effective
problem solving
1) Indefinite goal
2) Insufficient or irrelevant data
3) Mental set : tendency to perceive or
respond in a particular way
. Distractibility
Lack of motivation .
Failure to retrieve memory .
Inability to control emotional factors .
Attitude :inflexibility( 4
Using incorrect strategies( 5
6) Insufficient tools of thinking or
unclear concepts

Logical thinking

It is to reach a conclusion which is
accepted by the thinker as certain
or at least probable conclusion by
.using relevant data

The opposite is illogical or loose
thinking ; using irrelevant data to
reach unaccepted conclusion

Creative thinking

Controlled
Goal directed
Happens in arts and inventive
productions
Has 4 phases

Phases of creative
thinking
Preparation phase.1
Data collection and understanding all about the
.problem
Incubation phase.2
It is a waiting period . Work is neglected consciously
.but unconscious work is done
Inspiration or illumination phase.3
. The solution comes suddenly out of the blue
Verification phase.4
Testing the solution
Experimental work to verify scientific hypothesis

Concrete and abstract
thinking
Concrete thinking
inability to understand the
meaning behind a word or
statement .

Abstract thinking
Ability to understand the
essentials and hidden meaning
behind a word or a statement

Disorders of thinking

Disorders of the stream( 1
Disorders of the control( 2
Disorders of the content( 3
Disorders of the form( 4

Disorders of stream

Rapid thinking and flight of
ideas : mania

Slow retarded thinking :
depression

Thought block : schizophrenia

Disorders of control

Thought reading

Thought insertion

Thought broadcasting

Thought withdrawal

Disorders of content
Preoccupation with obsessions , fears ,and suicidal
.thoughts

Overvalued ideas

Delusions
In schizophrenia
Bizarre
Persecutory
Delusions of reference
Delusions of infidelity

In depression
Delusions of nihilism
Delusions of hypochondraisis
Somatic delusions

In mania
Delusions of grandiosity

05 thinking

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