Outline of thought

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to thought (thinking): Thought is the object of a mental process called thinking, in which beings form psychological associations and models of the world. Thinking is manipulating information, as when we form concepts, engage in problem solving, reason and make decisions. Thought, the act of thinking, produces more thoughts. A thought may be an idea, an image, a sound or even control an emotional feeling.

Nature of thought Thought (or thinking) can be described as all of the following:

An activity taking place in a: brain – organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals (only a few invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, adult sea squirts and starfish do not have a brain). It is the physical structure associated with the mind. mind – abstract entity with the cognitive faculties of consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, and memory. Having a mind is a characteristic of living creatures. Activities taking place in a mind are called mental processes or cognitive functions. computer (see § Machine thought below) – general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations automatically. Since a sequence of operations (an algorithm) can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than one kind of problem. An activity of intelligence – intelligence is the intellectual process of which is marked by cognition, motivation, and self-awareness. Through intelligence, living creatures possess the cognitive abilities to learn, form concepts, understand, apply logic, and reason, including the capacities to recognize patterns, comprehend ideas, plan, problem solve, make decisions, retaining, and use language to communicate. Intelligence enables living creatures to experience and think. A type of mental process – something that individuals can do with their minds. Mental processes include perception, memory, thinking, volition, and emotion. Sometimes the term cognitive function is used instead. A biological adaptation mechanism Neural network explanation: Thoughts are created by the summation of neural outputs and connections of which vectors form. These vectors describe the magnitude and direction of the connections and action between neurons. The graphs of these vectors can represent a network of neurons whose connections fire in different ways over time as synapses fire. These large thought vectors in the brain cause other vectors of activity. For example: An input from the environment is received by the neural network. The network changes the magnitude and outputs of individual neurons. The altered network outputs the symbols needed to make sense of the input.

Types of thoughts

Content of thoughts

Types of thought (thinking) Listed below are types of thought, also known as thinking processes.

Animal thought

Human thought Human thought – Cognitive process independent of the sensesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

Classifications of thought Bloom's taxonomy – Classification system in education Dual process theory – Psychological theory of how thought can arise in two different ways Fluid and crystallized intelligence – Factors of general intelligence Higher-order thinking – Concept in education and education reform Theory of multiple intelligences – Educational model of human intelligence Three-stratum theory – Cognitive ability theory Williams' taxonomy

Creative processes

Decision-making

Erroneous thinking

Emotional intelligence (emotionally based thinking) Emotional intelligence – Capability to understand one's emotions

Problem solving Problem solving – Process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles

Reasoning Reasoning – Capacity for consciously making sense of thingsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

Machine thought

Organizational thought Organizational thought (thinking by organizations)

Management information system – Information system used for organizational decision-making and coordination Organizational communication – Field of study in communication studies Organizational planning Strategic planning – Organizational decision making process Strategic thinking – Cognitive activity Systems theory – Interdisciplinary study of systems

Aspects of the thinker Aspects of the thinker which may affect (help or hamper) his or her thinking:

Properties of thought

Fields that study thought

Thought tools and thought research Cognitive model – Model of cognition's operation Design tool – Objects, media, or computer programs, which can be used to design Diagram – Symbolic representation of information using visualization techniques Argument map – Visual representation of the structure of an argument Concept map – Diagram showing relationships among concepts Mind map – Diagram to visually organize information DSRP – Theory and method of thinking Intelligence amplification – Use of information technology to augment human intelligence Language – Structured system of communication Meditation – Techniques to train attention and awareness Six Thinking Hats – 1985 book by Maltese Dr. Edward de Bono Synectics – Thought process for making the strange familiar and the familiar strange

History of thinking History of reasoning – Capacity for consciously making sense of thingsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

History of artificial intelligence History of cognitive science – Interdisciplinary scientific study of cognitive processesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets History of the concept of creativity History of ideas – Study of the history of human ideas and of intellectualsPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets History of logic History of psychometrics – Theory and technique of psychological measurementPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

Nootropics (cognitive enhancers and smart drugs) Nootropic – Compound intended to improve cognitive function

Substances that improve mental performance:

Organizational thinking concepts

Teaching methods and skills

Awards related to thinking

Awards for acts of genius Nobel Prize – Prizes established by Alfred Nobel in 1895 Pulitzer Prize – Awards for American journalism and arts MacArthur Fellows Program – Annual prize by the MacArthur Foundation

Organizations Associations pertaining to thought Association for Automated Reasoning Association for Informal Logic and Critical Thinking International Joint Conference on Automated Reasoning – Conferences series on automated reasoning, automated deduction, and related fields High IQ societies – Organization for people with a high IQ scorePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets Mind Sports Organisation – Association for promoting mind sportss World Mind Sports Games – Multi-sport event Think tank – Organization that performs policy research and advocacy

Media

Publications

Books Handbook of Automated Reasoning

Periodicals Journal of Automated Reasoning Journal of Formalized Reasoning Positive Thinking Magazine

Television programs Thinkabout (U.S. TV series)

Persons associated with thinking

People notable for their extraordinary ability to think Geniuses List of Nobel laureates (see also Nobel Prize) Polymaths Intellectual

Scientists in fields that study thought List of cognitive scientists

Scholars of thinking

Aaron T. Beck Edward de Bono Tony Buzan Noam Chomsky Albert Ellis Howard Gardner Eliyahu M. Goldratt Douglas Hofstadter Ray Kurzweil Marvin Minsky Richard W. Paul Steven Pinker Bertrand Russell Baruch Spinoza Robert Sternberg

Related concepts Cognition Knowledge Multiple intelligences Strategy Structure System Ideation Fact

Awareness and perception

Learning and memory

Miscellaneous

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