THE 15 TYPES OF THINKING AND HOW THEY WORK - ARTE - 2025

The types of human thinking are common to all people, although each individual has a series of specific cognitive abilities. In other words, each person can adopt and develop the different reasoning processes. For example; even if they have not developed it, all people could learn interrogative thinking.

The way of thinking is not innate, rather it develops. Despite the fact that the personal and cognitive characteristics of individuals motivate the preference for one or more specific types of thinking, people can develop and practice any type of reasoning.

Although in a traditional way, thinking is interpreted as a specific and delimited activity, this process is not univocal. In other words, there is no single way to carry out the thinking and reasoning processes.

In fact, multiple particular ways of operating thought have been identified. For this reason, today the idea that human beings can present different ways of thinking is supported.

On the other hand, it should be noted that each type of thought is more effective to carry out specific tasks. Certain cognitive activities can benefit more than one type or another of thinking.

Thus, it is important to know and learn to develop the different types of thinking. This fact makes it possible to fully exploit the cognitive capacities of the person and develop different abilities for different problems.

Types of human thoughts in psychology

1- deductive thinking

Deductive reasoning is that type of thinking that allows a conclusion to be inferred from a series of premises. In other words, it is a mental process that starts from "the general" to reach "the particular."

This type of thinking focuses on the reason and the origin of things. It requires a detailed analysis of the aspects of the problem to be able to induce conclusions and possible solutions.

It is a reasoning process widely used on a day-to-day basis. People analyze everyday items and situations to draw conclusions.

For example, if someone comes home and sees that their partner is absent, it can induce that they have gone somewhere.

At that time, the person can go to see if the keys or their partner's coat are in the places where they usually keep them. If you connote that these elements are missing, you will have more evidence to think that it is gone, drawing that conclusion through deductive thinking.

Apart from its everyday functionality, deductive thinking is vital for the development of scientific processes. This is mainly based on deductive reasoning: it analyzes the related factors to develop hypotheses to be tested.

2- critical thinking

Critical thinking is a mental process that is based on analyzing, understanding and evaluating the way in which the knowledge that tries to represent things is organized.

It is cataloged as a highly practical thought, through which knowledge is used to effectively reach the most reasonable and justified conclusion.

Critical thinking thus analytically evaluates ideas to lead them to concrete conclusions. These conclusions are based on the morals, values ​​and personal principles of the individual.

Thus, through this type of thinking, the cognitive capacity is united with the personality traits of the individual. So it defines not only a way of thinking but also a way of being.

The adoption of critical thinking has direct effects on the functionality of the person, since it makes them more intuitive and analytical, allowing them to make good and wise decisions based on specific realities.

3- Inductive thinking

Inductive reasoning defines a way of thinking opposite to inductive thinking. Thus, this way of reasoning is characterized by seeking explanations about the general.

Part of the specific to obtain large-scale conclusions. It looks for distant situations to make them similar and, in this way, it generalizes the situations but without reaching a verification.

The purpose of inductive reasoning therefore consists in the study of the tests that allow us to measure the probability of the arguments, as well as the rules to build strong inductive arguments.

4- Analytical thinking

Analytical thinking is about analyzing, breaking down, separating, and analyzing information. It is characterized by being orderly, that is, it presents a rational sequence to follow: it goes from the general to the particular.

In this way, problem solving based on analytical thinking starts from the general and breaks down the particularities of the problem to understand it exhaustively.

It is always focused on finding an answer, so it consists of a highly decisive type of reasoning.

5- Investigative thinking

Investigative thinking focuses on the investigation of things. She does it in a thorough, interested and persistent way.

In this sense, this type of reasoning incorporates both attitudes and cognitive processes. Investigative thinking requires a way of thinking in which issues and questions to be solved are constantly elaborated.

It consists of a mix between creativity and analysis. That is, part of the evaluation and investigation of the elements. But its objective does not end with the examination itself, but requires the formulation of new questions and hypotheses based on the aspects investigated.

As its name suggests, this type of thinking is basic to research and development and the evolution of the species.

6- systematic thinking

Systematic or systemic thinking is that type of reasoning that occurs in a system made up of different subsystems or interrelated factors.

It consists of a highly structured type of thinking that aims to understand a more complete and less simple view of things.

Try to understand how things work and solve the problems that cause their properties. It implies the elaboration of a complex thought that has been applied, until today, to three main routes: physics, anthropology and socio-politics.

7- Creative thinking

Creative thinking involves cognitive processes that have the ability to create. This fact motivates the development of elements that are novel or different from the rest through thought.

Thus, creative thinking can be defined as the acquisition of knowledge characterized by originality, flexibility, plasticity and fluidity.

It is one of the most valuable cognitive strategies today, since it allows the formulation, construction and resolution of problems in a new way.

Developing this type of thinking is not easy, so there are certain techniques that allow it to be achieved. The most important are morphological analysis, analogies, animated ideas, color inspiration, empathy, the 635 method, and the Scamper technique.

8- Synthesis thinking

Synthetic thinking is characterized by the analysis of the different elements that make up things. Its main objective is to reduce the ideas regarding a certain topic.

It consists of a type of reasoning vital for learning and personal study. Synthesis thinking allows a better memory of the elements, since they are subjected to a summary process.

It consists of a personal process, in which each individual forms a significant whole from the parts that the subject presents. In this way, the person is able to remember multiple particularities of a concept, by encompassing them in a more general and representative term.

9- Interrogative thinking

Interrogative thinking is based on questions and questioning of important aspects. Use the question mark to gradually break down the specific characteristics of the topic to be discussed.

In this way, interrogative thinking defines a way of thinking that appears from the use of questions. In this reasoning there is never a lack of a why, since it is this element that allows the development of one's own thinking and the acquisition of information.

Through the questions raised, data are obtained that seek the elaboration of a final conclusion. This type of thinking is used mainly to deal with topics in which the most important element lies in the information that can be obtained through third parties.

10- divergent thinking

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Divergent thinking, also known as lateral thinking, is a type of reasoning that constantly discusses, doubts, and seeks alternatives.

It is a thought process that allows you to generate creative ideas through the exploration of multiple solutions. It is the antithesis of logical thinking and tends to appear spontaneously and fluidly.

As its name suggests, its main objective is based on diverging from previously established solutions or elements. In this way, it configures a type of thinking closely related to creative.

It consists of a type of thinking that does not appear naturally in people. Human beings tend to associate and relate similar elements to each other. Instead, divergent thinking tries to find solutions different from those that are normally done.

11- convergent thinking

For its part, convergent thinking is a type of reasoning opposite to divergent thinking.

In fact, while divergent thinking is postulated to be governed by neural processes in the right hemisphere of the brain, convergent thinking is governed by processes in the left hemisphere.

It is characterized by working through associations and relationships between elements. It does not have the ability to imagine, seek or inquire alternative thoughts, and it usually leads to the establishment of a single idea.

12- synvergent thinking

This type of reasoning, of recent appearance and coined by Michael Gelb, refers to the combination between divergent thinking and convergent thinking.

Thus, it is a way of thinking that includes the detailed and evaluative aspects of convergent thinking, and relates them to the alternative and novel processes related to divergent thinking.

The development of this reasoning allows associating creativity with analysis, postulating itself as a thought with a high capacity for achieving effective solutions in multiple areas.

13- Conceptual thinking

Conceptual thinking involves the development of reflection and self-assessment of problems. It is closely related to creative thinking and its main objective is to find concrete solutions.

However, unlike divergent thinking, this type of reasoning focuses on revising previously existing associations.

Conceptual thinking implies abstraction and reflection, and it is very important in different scientific, academic, everyday and professional fields.

Likewise, it is characterized by the development of four main intellectual operations:

1. Supraordination: consists of relating specific concepts with the broader concepts in which they are included.
2. Infraordination: consists of relating specific concepts included within broader and more generalized concepts.
3. Isoordination: it deals with a particular relationship of two concepts and aims to define the peculiar characteristics of the concepts, through the relationship with others.
4. Exclusion: consists of detecting elements that are characterized by being different or not the same as the other elements.

14- metaphorical thinking

Metaphorical thinking is based on making new connections. It is a highly creative type of reasoning, but it does not focus on creating or obtaining new elements, but new relationships between existing elements.

With this type of thinking it is possible to create stories, develop the imagination and generate, through these elements, new connections between well differentiated aspects that share some aspects.

15- Traditional thinking

Traditional thinking is characterized by the use of logical processes. It focuses on the solution and focuses on the search for similar real situations to find elements that may be useful for its resolution.

It is usually developed through rigid and pre-elaborated schemes. It constitutes one of the bases of vertical thinking, in which logic acquires a unidirectional role and develops a linear and consistent path.

It is about one of the most used types of thinking in everyday life. It is unsuitable for creative or original elements, but it is very useful for solving everyday and relatively simple situations.

References

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