Psychology: A Self-Teaching Guide

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122 PSYCHOLOGY


that we can do it, a moment’s reflection suggests how unusual an ability it is.
Even if it is granted, as seems to some degree reasonable, that certain animals
such as dolphins and chimpanzees can think, it is doubtful that they engage in
metathought. They probably don’t think, as we do, about the nature of thought
itself.
As indicated above, the study of thinking has a long and respectable tradition
in both philosophy and psychology.
Before we proceed with its study, let’s define thinking. Thinkingis a mental
process characterized by the use of symbols and concepts to represent both inner
and outer reality. A symbolis a word, mark, sign, drawing, or object that stands
for something else. Consequently, the word dogis a symbol that stands for an
actual dog. Concepts are defined below.

(a) Thinking about thinking is called.

(b) Thinking is a mental process characterized by the use of and
to represent both inner and outer reality.

(c) Something such as a word, mark, sign, drawing, or object that stands for something else
is called.

Answers: (a) metathought; (b) symbols; concepts; (c) a symbol.

Forming Concepts: Putting the World into Mental Boxes

A conceptis a mental category. A basic tool of thought, it is a way in which we
organize and simplify information. Concepts put the world of experience into
mental boxes. Let’s say you see a bowl of fruit containing an assortment of
lemons and oranges. You see only two kinds of fruit. You don’t feel over-
whelmed by information. However, it is clear that no one lemon is exactly like
any other lemon. And no one orange is exactly like any other orange. The con-
cepts of lemons and of oranges simplify things for us. The concept of lemons
includes these attributes: a yellow skin, elongated shape, and somewhat sour
taste. The concept of oranges includes these attributes: orange-colored, round,
and sweet. Differences between individual lemons and oranges are obscured
when we employ the two concepts. And this is the functional value of the con-
cepts. There are three basic kinds of concepts: (1) conjunctive, (2) disjunctive,
and (3) relational.
A conjunctive conceptstrings together perceived attributes. A conjunctionin
grammar has the function of joining words and phrases. Similarly, a conjunctive
concept joins attributes to make a perceptual whole. The concept of a lemon is
conjunctive because to most of us a lemon is an object that has a yellow skin and
an elongated shape anda somewhat sour taste.
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