Outline of thought


The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to thought :
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 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. 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 - general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations automatically. Since a sequence of operations 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

Classifications of thought

  • Creative processes

Decision-making

Erroneous thinking

Emotional intelligence (emotionally based thinking)

Problem solving

Reasoning

Machine thought

Organizational thought

Organizational thought
  • Organizational planning
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  • Aspects of the thinker

Aspects of the thinker which may affect his or her thinking:

Properties of thought

Fields that study thought

Thought tools and thought research

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  • History of thinking

  • Nootropics (cognitive enhancers and smart drugs)

Substances that improve mental performance:

Organizational thinking concepts

Teaching methods and skills

Awards related to thinking

Awards for acts of genius

  • Organizations

  • Associations pertaining to thought
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  • Media

Publications

Books

  • ''Handbook of Automated Reasoning''

    Periodicals

  • Journal of Automated Reasoning
  • Journal of Formalized Reasoning
  • ''Positive Thinking Magazine''

    Television programs

  • Thinkabout

    Persons associated with thinking

People notable for their extraordinary ability to think

Learning and memory

Miscellaneous