Thinking- Types, Processes

and Skills
Class 5
Learning Objectives
• Understand the various
processes and types of thinking
• Be able to distinguish the
difference between convergent
vs. divergent
• Difference between critical and
creative thinking.

11/03/09
2
Definition of thinking & processes
• The purposeful exploration of experience maps
• An operating skill whereby intelligence acts upon
experience.
• Thinking (cognitive) processes includes:
 Perceiving
 Recalling
 Conceiving ideas
 Reasoning
 Analysing
 Comparing
 Imagining
 Judging
11/03/09
3
Left vs. Right Brain
ABSTRACT
RATIONAL/
LOGICAL

CREATIVE
CRITICAL

JUDGEMENTAL INTUITIVE

11/03/09
4
Our thinking brain

11/03/09
5
Our thinking brain
• Frontal lobes – complex mental activities such as
decision-making. Include conceptualizing, planning
and the conscious appreciation of emotion.
• Parietal lobes – Sensory perception, movement,
orientation, calculation and some types of
recognition.
• Occipital lobes – Visual processing.
• Temporal lobes – processing sound, speech
comprehension and expression.

11/03/09
6
 Except for smell, many
Our feeling brain types of information
destined for the cerebral
cortex are routed
Is involved with emotional
through here.
reactions and in learning. It
helps us to process information
and direct it for storage as a
memory.

Generates emotions from

our perceptions and thoughts. Why
we feel strong and immediate emotions
when we smell something.

11/03/09
7
Convergent vs. divergent thinking
Balanced
Flexible
Whole
Brained

More deliberate
More explicit  Defers judgement
May close prematurely Looks for lots of ideas
Examines difficult issues Accepts more ideas
Uses logic to judge Let ideas simmer
Can stay focused Combines and builds on ideas
Can go off-track (digresses)

CONVERGENT DIVERGENT
THINKING THINKING

11/03/09
8
Critical vs. Creative Thinking

Compares
Comparesand Many
and Manypossibilities
possibilities
contrasts
contrasts manyideas
many Suspends
Improves
ideas Suspendsjudgment
judgment
Improvesand
andrefines
refines New
Newand andunusual
unusual
Questions
Questionsand
and possibilities
possibilities
verifies Uses
verifies
Screens, Usesimagination
imagination
Screens,selects
selectsand
and and intuition(gerak
and intuition(gerak
supports ideas
supports ideas hati)
Makes hati)
Makesdecisions
decisions Generates
Generatesand and
selects
selectsalternatives
alternatives

11/03/09
9
Brain dominance, gender & thinking
• Corpus callosum – body of tissue that connects the
left and right brain hemispheres. This matures 2-3
years earlier in girls than in boys. It is also 10-12%
denser(tebal) in the female brain.
• This means women may take longer to make a
decision, but the decision is usually more holistic.
• Women on average also have better language
skills(kuasai bahasa).
• Men tend to favour maths and science. Better visual
spatial skills(image).

11/03/09
10
• Hormonal influences.
 Testosterone (male hormone) influences both the
physical and emotional aspects of behavior, producing
more muscle density and strength, as well as
predisposition(kecenderungan) towards aggressiveness
and competitiveness(suka bersaing). Also influences
visual-spatial ability.
 Estrogen (female hormone) – brain becomes more alert
and receptive
(terbuka).
 Progesterone (female hormone) – reduces blood flow to
the brain resulting in lower oxygen – that causes
fatigue(keletihan) or depression.

11/03/09
11
Biology vs. culture
• While biological differences do
influence to some extent the way a
man and woman approach life, the
socio-cultural difference have actually
determined the roles played by men
and women in society.
• For example, while women might be
more suited to become a nurse, this
does not mean that a woman cannot
become a pilot.

11/03/09
12