05 thinking

THINKING

BYDR . 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 conceptsCombined 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 differentiatebetween familiar and non familiar objects .• Differentiation Distinction between different items.

• AbstractionInability 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 formationAlthough 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. Inborn2. Acquired

or1. Formal ( classical )

All the members have all attributes2. Natural ( real ) Often cannot be easily defined (fuzzy) ,

with ill defined attributes and rules

• PrototypeIt 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

• CoreThe 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

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

A rat in a maze

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 phaseRecognition of the problem and definition of the goal

• Information gatheringGathering relevant information to the problem

• Solving stateUsing tools of thinkingPutting alternative solutionsElimination of the irrelevant solutionRevising previously solved similar problems

• Evaluation stateAssessment 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 strategies1. 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 goal2) 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 4 )Attitude :inflexibility

5 )Using incorrect strategies6) 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

ControlledGoal directedHappens in arts and inventive productionsHas 4 phases

Phases of creative thinking

1.Preparation phaseData collection and understanding all about the problem.

2.Incubation phaseIt is a waiting period . Work is neglected consciously but unconscious work is done.

3.Inspiration or illumination phaseThe solution comes suddenly out of the blue .

4.Verification phaseTesting the solution Experimental work to verify scientific hypothesis

Concrete and abstract thinkingConcrete thinkinginability to understand the meaning behind a word or statement .

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

Disorders of thinking

1 )Disorders of the stream2 )Disorders of the control3 )Disorders of the content

4 )Disorders of the form

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 contentPreoccupation 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