Cognitive Thinking Styles and Conflict Resolution

Classifications of Rational Thought

Rational Thought: Characterized by the development of concepts and the use of logical modes of reasoning. Imaginative thinking: Occurs through imagination and fantasy. Created thought: Artistic, scientific, or other natures are directly connected to it.

Deduction: Characterized by starting from data accepted as true, from whose relationship a conclusion is necessarily inferred. Induction: Characterized by analysis from a series of events, resulting in a general law that covers all the facts.

Creative thinking: Characterized by proposing new solutions to problems; it combines personal experience with the use of imagination and fantasies.

Guilford's Intelligence Analysis

Guilford analyzed intelligence tests in order to check what kinds of arguments are taken into consideration to measure IQ:

• Convergent Thinking: Involves the use of academic knowledge to find solutions to a problem, characterized by having only one correct answer.
• Lateral Thinking: Used for a problem that has several options in its response, where one cannot speak of a unique solution.

The Würzburg School and Problem Solving

Preparation: To be conscious of a problem, it is necessary to first identify it. We collect materials and knowledge that allow us to analyze the different possibilities of action.

Incubation: This is the sudden appearance of the "Eureka" phenomenon, or the "Aha! experience."

Assessment: This is designed to verify if the solution is correct or incorrect.

Understanding Psychological Conflict

Conflict: This is a situation where we have several alternatives. These should be compatible and have a similar intensity so we can properly speak of the conflict. This is a situation in which two opposing impulses are pitted against each other, resulting in the event that the subject can only act on one of them while ignoring the other.

Internal and External Conflicts

We distinguish between external and internal conflicts:

• External Conflict: Arises when we act against our ideas or impulses due to an external constraint.
• Internal Conflict: Occurs when we make a choice and we do not know which path to take.

Types of Conflict Scenarios

• Attraction-Attraction: When the subject is confronted with two options that are equally attractive.
• Attraction-Avoidance: When performing a behavior brings both positive and negative consequences.
• Avoidance-Avoidance: When we have to choose and both possible alternatives produce a rejection.
• Multiple Attraction-Avoidance: This occurs when a choice must be made among several alternatives.