Thinking-types, Processes And Skills: Class 5

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.

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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

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Left vs. Right Brain RATIONAL/ LOGICAL

CRITICAL

JUDGEMENTAL

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ABSTRACT

CREATIVE

INTUITIVE

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Our thinking brain

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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.

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Our feeling brain Is involved with emotional reactions and in learning. It helps us to process information and direct it for storage as a memory.

Except for smell, many types of information destined for the cerebral cortex are routed through here.

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

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Convergent vs. divergent thinking Balanced Flexible Whole Brained

More deliberate More explicit May close prematurely Examines difficult issues Uses logic to judge Can stay focused

CONVERGENT THINKING 11/03/09

 Defers judgement

Looks for lots of ideas Accepts more ideas Let ideas simmer Combines and builds on ideas Can go off-track (digresses) DIVERGENT THINKING

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Critical vs. Creative Thinking Compares Comparesand and contrasts many contrasts manyideas ideas Improves Improvesand andrefines refines Questions Questionsand and verifies verifies Screens, Screens,selects selectsand and supports ideas supports ideas Makes Makesdecisions decisions

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Many Manypossibilities possibilities Suspends Suspendsjudgment judgment New Newand andunusual unusual possibilities possibilities Uses Usesimagination imagination and intuition(gerak and intuition(gerak hati) hati) Generates Generatesand and selects selectsalternatives alternatives

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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

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• 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

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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

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