Thinking, as a complex process of reflection and cognition of reality, is a source of new knowledge, such that a person cannot get in direct experience. Modern thinking, capable of solving complex problems and operating with abstract concepts, has come a long way of formation. Visual-effective thinking is genetically the first, the earliest stage of its development.
Types of thinking
The human brain continuously receives and processes a huge amount of information from the outside world. This processing occurs, as it were, at two levels: at the level of direct sensory cognition (sensation and perception) and at the level of thinking.
From simple sensory cognition, thinking is distinguished by an indirect character. “Intermediaries” in the thought process can be images (visual, auditory, tactile, etc.) and signs - words and concepts.
Visual-effective thinking is a kind of cognitive process in which objects of the material world are used as "intermediaries". This is its qualitative difference from other types of thinking. This thinking is also called sensorimotor, thereby emphasizing its connection with the sensory and motor spheres.
The highest level of thinking is considered abstract-logical, conceptual, which is abstract. However, no one, even the most intellectually developed person, thinks exclusively with the help of words-concepts. The process of cognition of reality necessarily includes images; moreover, the creative process is associated precisely with visual-figurative thinking.
Consequently, two types of thinking constantly interact in the mind of a modern person: abstract and visual-figurative thinking. The visually effective, it would seem, remains aside. Or does it play no role at all in the mental life of an adult?
Features of sensorimotor thinking
Firstly, it is closely related to activity and is included in direct operations with objects, as a result of which a person transforms them, combines them, creating new objects.
Secondly, visual-effective thinking is concrete thinking, it arises only at the moment of manipulation with objects and allows you to comprehend only specific actions. In contrast, both the abstract and the visual-figurative are of an abstract nature. They allow a person to leave in his thoughts from the situation in which he is, to imagine things that do not exist at the moment, to fantasize and plan activities.
Third, visual-effectivethinking is a situational cognitive process. It cannot take a person out of a particular situation. This is the "here and now" mindset. It is, as it were, limited, constrained by the conditions in which a person is.
The oldest form of understanding the world
Sensomotor thinking appeared in our very distant ancestors. Paleopsychologists believe that it was possessed by primitive people, and it largely determined the mental activity of backward peoples, who were at the stage of primitive society back in the 19th century. For example, ethnographers (M. Wertheimer, R. Turnwald), describing the thinking of savages, noted that they were incapable of abstract calculation. It was important for them to know what items to count. Bears can be counted only 6 pieces, since not a single person managed to see more of these animals at the same time. But cows can be counted up to 60.
That is why in the language of many archaic peoples there were no general concepts, but there were many words denoting specific objects, actions, states. K. Levy-Bruhl, who studied primitive thinking, counted 33 words for walking in the language of one of the African tribes. The verbs changed depending on who, where, with whom and why they were going.
Visual-effective thinking is a kind of “thinking”, which exists in embryonic form in animals. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, studies of the behavior of chimpanzees, conducted by the German psychologist W. Koehler, showed that great apes are capable of solving simple mental problems in the process of manipulating objects.
Baby Thinking
The most vivid and distinct manifestation of this type of cognition of reality can be seen in children under 3 years old. For such crumbs, visual-effective thinking is a game. All their mental actions occur in the process of manipulating objects. The basic operations of thinking are available to the child, but only as direct practical actions.
Here is a kid enthusiastically dismantling a house, just built by his mother from cubes. You should not be offended by him, because this is how the child analyzes - the division of the whole into separate elements.
Then the kid sorts through the cubes - compares them, selects the right ones, discarding, from his point of view, the extra ones. This is a comparison, and then comes the turn of a more complex mental operation - synthesis. The child begins to build, erecting a seemingly unlike anything.
The design grows, with each cube becoming higher and higher. The kid looks at it with interest and at some point joyfully exclaims: “This is a tower! Mom, look, I built a tower! Having compared his construction with the image in his memory, the child performed the operation of generalization and made a conclusion.
This is a little thinker, only his thinking is still visual-effective, inseparable from objective, "manual" activity. Therefore, the child needs toys that can be disassembled and reassembled so much, because it is in the game with them that visual-effective thinking develops.
Formation of thinking in children
Manipulating various objects, the child learns to establish connections between them, highlight their main and secondary qualities. But most importantly, he retains in his memory the images of once committed actions and uses them later to solve new problems. This is how the formation of more complex, imaginative thinking begins.
Sensomotor thinking is not only objective, but also emotional. Surprise with something new, created by one's own hands, irritation from a failed action and delight when one manages to achieve the desired result - all this enriches and develops the baby's inner world.
The role of sensorimotor thinking in the psyche of a modern adult
The human psyche is one, just like thinking is one, and it is impossible to single out any kind from this harmonious process. Each of them is important and fulfills its function.
But quite often this or that person is dominated by a certain kind of thinking. Creative people, dreamers are characterized by highly developed figurative thinking. And mathematicians and economists are characterized by a high level of conceptual thinking.
People with a predominance of sensorimotor thinking also occur. These are the ones who are said to have golden hands. Masters "from God", capable, without knowing anything about the principles of operation of a particular mechanism, to disassemble it, repair it, assemble it again, and even improve it in the assembly process.
Can it be said that abstract and figurative thinking are more important types of thinking? Visual-effective is also necessary for anyoneman, it accompanies all objective actions. Without it, it is impossible to make repairs in the apartment, or weed the garden bed, or knit a hat. Even soup cannot be cooked without this mindset.
Having arisen in childhood, sensorimotor thinking does not remain at a primitive level, but develops in the same way as other types of cognitive activity.
