Thinking is the mental activity that is involved in the understanding, processing, and communicating of information. Thinking is made possible by the use of symbols, concepts, and prototypes. Symbols are an object or an act that stands for something else. Concepts to mentally group together objects, events, or ideas that have similar characteristics. Prototypes is an example of a concept that best exemplifies that concept.


In many cases, people do not go straight from a problem to its solution in a series of steps. Algorithms is an specific procedure that, when used properly and in the right circumstances, will always lead to the solution of a problem. An example of algorithms are formulas. Heuristics are rules of thumb that often, but not always, help us find the solution to a problem, meaning that they are shorcuts.  There are multiple problem solving methods such as trial and error, difference reduction in which we identify our goal, where achieve that goal. Means-end analysis, we know that certain things we can do will have certain results.  Working backward this method is particularly useful when we know what we want to accomplish but are not sure how best to begin. Analogies that are similarities between two or more items, events, situations. Insights and Incubation is making connections that something that might have happened to you and incubation is taking a break after doing a very long problems to see if when your break has ended you have new approaches. Mental set is the tendency to respond to a new problem with an approach that was successfully used with similar problems. Functional fixedness is the tendency to think of an object as being useful only for the function that the object is usually used for. Functional fitness can be overcomed with creativity. Creativity requires divergent thinking rather that convergent thinking. In convergent thinking thought is limited to available facts. One tries to narrow one´s thinking to find the single best solution. Divergent thinking is when one associates more freely to the various elements of a problem. Some psychologists advise to use the ABDCE of problem solving  which are Assess the problem that means examining its parts and making sure that you understand it, Brainstorm approaches to the problem is the free spontaneous production of possible approaches or solution to a problem, Choose the approach that seems most likely to work after brainstorming the person must choose which approach to take and which course of action to follow, Do it- try most likely approach that is to do the problem, by trying out the approach, Evaluate the results that is to see if the goal was achieved.

Reasoning is the use of information to reach conclusions. There are two main types of reasoning: deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning when the conclusion is true if the premises are true. A permise is an idea or statement that provides the basic information that allows us to draw conclusions, an example of deductive reasoning is that South Korea is in Asia. Inductive reasoning on the other hand, we reason from individual cases or particular facts to reach a general conclusion. An example of this can be that Spain and Portugal are near each other, and they have similar languages. To prove, or confirm a hypothesis rather disprove them is a confirmation bias. 

The basic elements of language are phonemes, morphemes, syntax  and semantics. Phonemes are basic sounds of a language. Morphemes are the units of meaning in a language. This are made of phonemes. Syntax is the way in which words are arranged to make phrases and sentences. English syntax usually follows the pattern of subject, verb, and object of the verb. Semantics is the study of meaning. There are stages of language development. Crying, cooing and babbling is the first stage. After this comes wording when we start true language. Then development of grammar. We learn language by hereditary influences meaning that people have a natural tendency to acquire language and environmental influences that are teachings that come from our surroundings.

Thinking and language are very extensive and interesting topics. There are various stages for both of them. By thinking we usually use reasoning. And as we grow old we learn how to extend our language or even better, learn others!