INTERROGATIVE THINKING: CHARACTERISTICS AND EXAMPLES - PSYCHOLOGY - 2024

The interrogative thinking is one of the main ways to use the mind. Its main function is to create questions that allow us to understand a situation or problem. Therefore, it is used mainly in research contexts, but also in those in which it is necessary to overcome a difficulty.

Interrogative thinking is closely related to analytical skills and rationality, since to ask good questions it is necessary to understand the problematic situation in its most fundamental parts. Its main component is the use of questions in a methodical way, each time reaching a greater level of depth.

This type of thinking has been tried to formalize on various occasions throughout history, to help people think more logically and solve their problems by asking the right questions. Thus Socrates 'maieutics, Descartes' methodical doubt, and Kant's formal logic are in part attempts to formalize the art of asking questions.

Learning to use interrogative thinking in the right way is very useful in many different areas. In this article we will see both its characteristics, as some ways to improve its application, and several examples to finish understanding its use.

characteristics

Using questions

The basic structure of interrogative thinking is the question. To understand how the world works or what is the best way to solve a problem, humans have to ask ourselves what are its most basic components and what are the steps we have to take to take care of the situation in which we find ourselves.

In fact, the main difference between a person who uses questioning thinking correctly, and another who has problems with it, is the ability to ask the right questions and find the answers to them. Fortunately, various investigations in this regard suggest that this skill can be trained and improved.

Rational thinking

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Interrogative thinking is used primarily to understand reality. Unfortunately, this can be a lot more complicated than it first appears.

In practically any situation, there are a multitude of factors that interact with each other and affect each other, so there are usually no easy answers.

This is why good interrogative thinking uses rationality and logic to try to break each problem and situation down into its smallest factors. Only in this way is it possible to try to find a satisfactory solution or answer.

Generally, it is necessary to train this skill consciously, since normally we human beings use a mixture of emotional and rational thought that is very useful for certain situations; but applied to interrogative thinking, it can bring us many problems.

Decomposition of a situation into smaller elements

As we have already seen, the main reason for using interrogative thinking is to try to understand what is the best course of action to take in a specific situation. However, due to the complexity of most of the problems that we face in our daily lives, it is practically impossible to solve them at once.

For this reason, by using questioning thinking well, one of the most important effects achieved is breaking down the problems being analyzed into their most fundamental components. In this way, by understanding each element in more depth, it is possible to decide the best course of action more easily.

Why is it so difficult to use interrogative thinking correctly?

One of the characteristics of interrogative thinking is the ability to put one's emotions and beliefs aside, and examine reality as it is. However, most people have a lot of trouble achieving this, to the point that only those who consciously train this skill end up being able to apply it correctly.

This is because, contrary to what we usually think popularly, our default reaction is to think based on our feelings and our previous ideas. According to the Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahnemann, our mind filters the information we receive from the environment and simplifies it based on our beliefs, emotions and points of view.

Therefore, to use questioning thinking correctly, it is necessary to put aside emotions and preconceptions for a moment, and really look at the problem before us. For this, the development of rationality and the ability to decompose each situation into its smallest parts is very useful.

Examples

Here are some examples to help us better understand what questioning thinking is exactly and in what contexts it can be used successfully.

Scientific investigation

Scientific research is one of the fields in which questioning thinking is most used. In order to test a theory or develop existing knowledge in an area such as chemistry or physics, the researcher has to be able to understand the problem he is facing, develop questions, and then design methods to check his answers.

For example, someone who wants to develop a new drug against a dangerous disease will have to be able to ask themselves how it spreads, what are its characteristics, what pathogen causes it, and what do we know about it. Then, through other new questions, you should be able to find the solution to the problem of creating the new medicine.

Decision making

But not only researchers have to apply interrogative thinking on a regular basis. In our daily life, we find ourselves in a multitude of situations in which we must choose between two (or more options) that have both advantages and disadvantages.

For example, let's imagine that a person is fed up with his job and wants to start his own business, but does not know what to do. In this case, you will have to ask yourself questions to discover all the factors that may affect your decision, such as if you have enough marketing knowledge or if you can afford to go several months without payment until your new business takes off.

Programming

Another area in which interrogative thinking is used the most is computer programming. When a person wants to design a new application or software, they have to be able to break down the problem at hand into its most fundamental parts, and then find a viable solution to each of them.

References

1. "Importance of interrogative thinking" in: Importance. Retrieved on: October 04, 2019 from Importance: importa.org.
2. "Critical and interrogative thinking" in: Thought 387. Retrieved on: October 04, 2019 from Thought 387: Thought387.wordpress.com.
3. "Types of thoughts, what are they and how are they used?" in: Self-help Resources. Retrieved on: October 04, 2019 from Self-Help Resources: Recursosdeautoayuda.com.
4. "The 12 types of thinking (and their characteristics)" in: Medsalud. Retrieved on: October 04, 2019 from Medsalud: medsalud.com.
5. "7 Types of Thinking and How to Find out What Kind of Thinker You Are" in: Learning Mind. Retrieved on: October 04, 2019 from Learning Mind: learning-mind.com.