The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to thought (thinking):
Thought (also called thinking) – the mental process 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 thoughts. A thought may be an idea, an image, a sound or even an emotional feeling that arises from the brain.
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 humans, but which also may apply to other life forms. 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 – intellectual capacity, which is characterized by perception, consciousness, self-awareness, and volition. Through their intelligence, humans 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 humans 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.Thought as a biological adaptation mechanismListed below are types of thought, also known as thinking processes.
Bloom's taxonomyDual process theoryFluid and crystallized intelligenceHigher-order thinkingTheory of multiple intelligencesThree-stratum theoryWilliams' taxonomyOrganizational thought (thinking by organizations)
Management information systemOrganizational communicationOrganizational planningStrategic planningStrategic thinkingSystems thinkingAspects of the thinker which may affect (help or hamper) his or her thinking:
Cognitive modelDesign toolDiagramArgument mapConcept mapMind mapDSRPIntelligence amplificationLanguageMeditationSix Thinking HatsSynecticsHistory of artificial intelligenceHistory of cognitive scienceHistory of creativityHistory of ideasHistory of logicHistory of psychometricsNootropics (cognitive enhancers and smart drugs)
Substances that improve mental performance:
Nobel PrizePulitzer PrizeMacArthur FellowshipAssociations pertaining to thoughtAssociation for Automated ReasoningAssociation for Informal Logic and Critical ThinkingInternational Joint Conference on Automated ReasoningHigh IQ societiesMega SocietyMensaMind Sports OrganisationsWorld Mind Sports GamesThink tanksHandbook of Automated ReasoningJournal of Automated ReasoningJournal of Formalized ReasoningPositive Thinking MagazineThinkabout (U.S. TV series)GeniusesList of MacArthur FellowsList of Nobel laureates (see also Nobel Prize)PolymathsList of cognitive scientistsAaron T. BeckEdward de BonoDavid D. Burns – author of Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy and The Feeling Good Handbook. Burns popularized Aaron T. Beck's cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) when his book became a best seller during the 1980s.Tony BuzanNoam ChomskyAlbert EllisHoward GardnerEliyahu M. GoldrattDouglas HofstadterRay KurzweilMarvin MinskySteven PinkerBaruch SpinozaRobert SternbergCognitionKnowledgeMultiple intelligencesStrategyStructureSystem
