• Previous Article
• Next Article General characteristics of thinking

customize font

In modern psychology, along with verbal-logical thinking, visual-effective and visual-figurative thinking are distinguished as independent types.

All together they form stages in the development of thinking in ontogeny and phylogeny (Tikhomirov, 1984). In addition to the described classification, there are others, mostly built on a dichotomous principle.

The problem of classification of types of thinking and the main approaches to its solution

Psychological science in the course of its historical development gradually separated from philosophy, therefore it is no coincidence that psychologists first of all came to the attention of the kind of thinking that originally occupied philosophers - verbal-logical (reasoning) thinking, characterized by the use of concepts, logical structures that exist and function on the basis of language.

According to the type of tasks to be solved and the structural and dynamic features associated with them, theoretical and practical thinking are distinguished. Theoretical thinking is the knowledge of patterns, rules. It is most consistently studied in the context of the psychology of scientific creativity. The main task of practical thinking is the preparation of the physical transformation of reality: setting a goal, creating a plan, project, scheme. Practical thinking in this aspect was deeply analyzed by BM Teplov (1961).

Intuitive thinking is distinguished from analytical (logical) thinking in three ways: temporal (the time of the process), structural (division into stages) and the level of flow (consciousness or unconsciousness). Analytical thinking is deployed in time, has clearly defined stages, and is largely represented in the mind of a thinking person. The intuitive is characterized by the speed of flow, the absence of clearly defined stages, and minimal awareness. In Russian psychology, the analysis of this type of thinking is presented in the works of Ya. A. Ponomarev (1967), L. L. Gurova (1976) and others.

Realistic and autistic thinking is also differentiated. The first is directed mainly to the outside world, regulated by logical laws, and the second is connected with the realization of human desires (who among us has not passed off the wishful thinking as really existing!). Sometimes the term "egocentric thinking" is used, characterizing primarily the inability to accept the point of view of another person.

The basis for distinguishing productive and reproductive thinking is "the degree of novelty of the product obtained in the process of mental activity in relation to the knowledge of the subject" (Kalmykova, 1981, p. 13). It is also necessary to distinguish involuntary thought processes from arbitrary ones: for example, involuntary transformations of dream images and purposeful solution of mental problems.

The above list is far from complete. So, for example, ZI Kalmykova (ibid.) singles out the verbal-logical and intuitive-practical components of productive thinking. The complex relationships that exist between the types of thinking have not yet been revealed to a large extent, but the main thing is clear: the term "thinking" in psychology denotes qualitatively heterogeneous processes.

In the history of psychology, one can also note quite unusual at first glance attempts to single out types of thinking based on the relationship of two mental processes: intellectual and emotional. As a result, such concepts as "emotional thinking", "emotional intelligence" arise. This article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of this approach to the classification of types of thinking. It should be noted that similar ideas are presented in other sections of psychological science. For example, the term "affective memory" is widely used (Tikhomirov, 1984). With regard to the problems of the relationship between emotions and thinking, such a classification can be "two-sided" in nature. For example, when classifying emotional states, one can speak not only of "intellectual emotions", but also of "intellectual aggression", "intellectual stress", "intellectual frustration" (ibid.).

The peculiarity of the problems associated with the analysis of the relationship between emotions and thinking lies in the fact that it often appears at the intersection of the teachings about thinking and the teachings about emotions, occupying a peripheral position here and there (Vasiliev, Popluzhny, Tikhomirov, 1980; Tikhomirov, 1984). The psychological characteristics of the thinking process will be essentially incomplete without considering the role of emotional processes in the real search for a solution, in the formation of mental reflection at the level of thinking. An analysis of the motivational conditionality of thinking is not enough to specify the most important theoretical position on the subjectivity of thinking. It is necessary to characterize emotions that "reflect the relationship between motives (needs) and success or the possibility of successful implementation of the subject's activity corresponding to them" (Problems..., 1971, p. 198).

Approaches to the problem of identifying "emotional thinking"

The terms "emotional thinking", "emotional intelligence", as a rule, reflected the attempts of researchers to analyze the relationship between intellectual and emotional processes. These attempts often led to the identification of specific types of intellectual processes in which emotions and feelings play a special role. The point of view, according to which emotions and feelings have a mainly negative impact on cognition, has become widespread. Such a position reflected the well-known facts of the "victory" of feelings over reason. Within the framework of this approach, the facts of the distortion of the process of reflecting reality under the influence of emotions were absolutized: such, for example, are the ideas about the "logic of feelings" by T. Ribot and about "autistic thinking" by E. Bleiler.

At the same time, another interpretation of the term "emotional intelligence" has been noted in the psychological literature. So, in the concept of "emotional intelligence" proposed by J. Mayer and P. Salovey, the key concept is defined "as the ability to control feelings and emotions, one's own and other people, the ability to distinguish them and the ability to use this information to control one's thoughts and actions" (Salovey , Mayer, 1994, p.312). Thus, another aspect of the relationship between emotions and thinking is considered, namely, the influence of intellectual processes on emotions and feelings. In this case, we can rather talk about the "victory" of the mind over the senses.

The noted approaches to the definition of the concepts of "emotional intelligence" and "emotional thinking" reflect the current situation in the field of studying intellectual processes. M. A. Kholodnaya points out that the thesis put forward by L. S. Vygotsky about the “unity of affect and intellect” can be expressed in two qualitatively heterogeneous forms: “intellect can control drives, releasing consciousness from the captivity of passions, and intellect can serve drives, immersing consciousness into an illusory, desirable world" (Kholodnaya, 1997, p. 108). The ability of the subject to regulate his own behavior is considered as a criterion of "intellectual maturity". A high level of intellectual maturity contributes to the perception by the subject of any event as it objectively occurs, i.e. without distorting reality (or with a significant approximation to this level of perception of reality). This corresponds to the readiness of the subject to control and change the motives and goals of his own behavior under the influence of objective requirements and conditions of the activity performed. At a low level of intellectual maturity (in situations of cognitive deficits or blocking of intellectual processes due to the influence of various stress factors, depression, etc.), it is assumed that the subject is inclined to implement various options for defensive behavior, while his intellectual activity will manifest in specific forms.

The regulatory approach to the study of intelligence has emerged as an independent scientific direction relatively recently. M.A. Kholodnaya (1997) notes that L. Thurstone (Thurstone, 1924) was one of the first to formulate and substantiate the ideas of the regulatory approach. Within the framework of this direction, the intellect is considered not only as a mechanism for processing information, but also as a mechanism for controlling and regulating the mental and behavioral activity of the subject. In accordance with this provision, Thurstone distinguished between "reason" or "intelligence" and "reason" or "wisdom". Intelligence is manifested in the ability of the subject to control and regulate impulsive urges. The presence of this ability allows the subject to slow down his impulsive impulses or suspend their implementation until the moment when the current situation is analyzed and comprehended. This strategy allows you to choose the most appropriate way of behavior for a given person.

Analysis of the relationship between emotional and thought processes is due to both theoretical and practical problems of psychology. In this situation, there is a need for a historical analysis of the approaches developed in psychology to the study of these relationships.

Consideration of the relationship of emotions and thinking in classical philosophy

Without denying the merits of L. Thurstone (Thurstone, 1924) and R. Sternberg (Sternberg, 1988, 1993) in substantiating the regulatory approach as an independent scientific direction in the study of intelligence, we note that many of the main problems of the relationship between thinking and emotions were put forward by philosophers antiquity. In the famous dialogue of Plato "Phaedo" Socrates speaks of the emotions and feelings of a person as a kind of barrier in the knowledge of the truth. "The body fills us with desires, passions, fears, and such a mass of all kinds of absurd ghosts that, believe the word, because of it, it is really completely impossible for us to think about anything!" (Plato, 1970b, p. 25). The desire to "clear" the mind from the passions of the body that interfere with the search for truth leads to ideas that the knowledge of any subject should be approached "by means of thought alone (as far as possible)", without involving either feelings or sensations. A true thinker must strive in the process of cognition to separate himself from everything bodily and arm himself with only "pure" thought "in itself." Thus, the presence of passions in life real person allows us to distinguish, as it were, two types of thinking: real, i.e. distorted and "contaminated" by passions, and "cleansed" of them. Following this logic, Socrates comes to the conclusion that in order to achieve "pure knowledge" it is necessary to part with the body, and this is possible only after death. Only by descending into Hades, a person can join "the mind in all its purity." However, in real life we are the closer to pure knowledge, the more we limit our connection with the body and "we will not be infected by its nature" (ibid.).

To the greatest extent, the ability to control their passions is inherent in philosophers, connoisseurs of wisdom. A true philosopher is characterized by "the ability not to be carried away by passions, but to treat them with restraint, with disdain" (ibid., p. 27). Based on this point of view, differences between people are sought, in particular, in specific strategies for controlling the passions of the body. Thus, it is recognized that the ability to regulate one's feelings, to manage them is inherent not only in philosophers, but to one degree or another in other people. However, there are certain qualitative differences in the method of management itself. "Intemperate people" cannot resist the passions of the body, they completely submit to them, showing submission to pleasures and inability to control their desires. Moderate people with "dull reasoning" can abstain "from some pleasures simply because they are afraid of losing others, ardently desire them and are entirely in their power" (ibid., p. 28). Thus, people who surrender to the mercy of some pleasures can overcome others in this way, in other words, "they are temperate precisely because of intemperance" (ibid.).

However, by exchanging one pleasure for another, "fear for fear", "sorrow for grief", a person makes a "wrong exchange". Only the mind, according to Socrates, is the only correct exchange coin, for which everything should be given. Therefore, true virtue is always associated with reason, and “it doesn’t matter whether pleasures, fears, and everything else like it accompany it or not” (ibid.). Separated from reason, virtue becomes "empty appearance", "frail and false". “Meanwhile, the true is really a purification from all (passions), and prudence, justice, courage and reason itself are the means of such purification” (ibid.). Thus, three main theses are put forward, which, to one degree or another, will be inherent in many attempts to analyze the relationship between emotions and thinking.

Firstly, it is noted that feelings, passions associated with the bodily existence of a person, have a mainly negative impact on the mind, on the search for truth. Secondly, it is suggested that it is necessary to "purify" the mind from the negative influence of passions, since the knowledge of the truth requires a "pure" thought. Thirdly, they indicate various ways(which might be called "techniques") of controlling and controlling the passions of the body. The mind itself acts as the main means of "cleansing" the mind from the negative influence of the passions of the body, which allows you to control your feelings, manage them and thereby resist the negative influence of passions on the process of cognition. The very problem of individual differences in the ability of the subject to exercise such control over emotional processes is clearly distinguished.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Gurova L.L. Psychological analysis of problem solving. Voronezh, 1976.
2. Kolmykova Z.I. Productive thinking as the basis of learning. M., 1981.
3. Plato. Ion // Plato. Sobr. cit.: In 3 vols. T. 1. M., 1970a.
4. Plato. Phaedo // Plato. Sobr. cit.: In 3 volumes. T. 2. M., 1970b.
5. Ponomarev Ya.A. Psychic and intuition. M., 1967.
6. Problems of scientific creativity in modern psychology / Ed. M.G. Yaroshevsky. M., 1971.
7. Cold M.A. Psychology of intelligence: paradoxes of research. M.-Tomsk, 1997.
8. Sternberg R. The threearchic mind: A new theory of human intelligence. N.Y., 1988.
9. Sternberg R. The concept of "giffedness": A pentagonal implicit theory//The origin and development of high ability. Chichester Wiley, 1993.
10. Thurstone L.L. The nature of intelligence. N.Y., 1924.

/ Yu. D. Babaeva , I. A. Vasiliev , A. E. Voiskunsky , O. K. Tikhomirov // Bulletin of Moscow University. Psychology. 1999. No. 2.

Consideration of the relationship between emotions and thinking in classical philosophy (end)

MG Yaroshevsky (1976) notes that the idea of ​​"the primacy of reason" dominated the philosophy of antiquity. The Stoics regarded affects as "corruption of the mind" and believed that a person should be "treated" from them, as from a disease. Only a mind liberated from any affect will be able to correctly guide behavior.

At the same time, it is necessary to note some inconsistency in the ideas of ancient philosophers about the negative role of emotions in thinking. For example, arguing in the dialogue "Ion" about the essence artistic creativity, Socrates speaks of its divine origin. He notes that any good poet can create only thanks to divine power in a special state of "inspiration and obsession", when "there is no more reason in him" (Platon, 1970, p. 138). God, depriving the poets of reason, "through them gives us his voice" (ibid., p. 139). The dialogue "Phileb" (Plato, 1971) speaks of a special kind of "true, pure pleasures" that arise not only from contemplating beautiful colors and shapes, listening to melodies, but also from doing science. These true pure pleasures are not mixed with suffering, they are proportionate. They are almost "relatives of Reason and Mind".

Thus, the philosophers of antiquity put forward a very important position characterizing the relationship of emotions and thinking. For the first time, they drew attention to a special kind of emotional experiences, which differ sharply from others both in the nature of their manifestations and in their role in the process of cognition. We are talking about the so-called "mental pleasures", the source of which is the cognitive activity itself. "Mental pleasures and sufferings" in comparison with other types of emotional experiences of a person were considered by philosophers of antiquity as some kind of higher, "pure" experiences, cut off from everyday life, from more "lower" needs and passions of the body. Surprise occupies a special place among these “pure” and sublime feelings, which not only does not “contaminate” the mind, leading it away from the knowledge of the truth, but, on the contrary, according to Aristotle, is a kind of incentive for cognitive activity.

Rene Descartes (1989) singled out in human "passions" (or, on modern language, in emotional processes) two sides - spiritual and physical. The problem of managing passions also appears, as it were, in two planes. For example, seeing something terrible that causes fear, a person can take flight without any assistance from the soul, only "in a bodily way." However, if the soul has a special "power", it can intervene and radically change the behavior of a person. She can, in particular, prevent him from fleeing and force him to stay in place despite the fear experienced. To describe a specific control mechanism that causes a person to change his behavior, Descartes uses "machine-like" terminology. The soul acts on the body by means of a certain most delicate air, called "animal spirits." It "rocks the iron" and forces these "spirits" to follow other paths. However, even a strong soul does not have enough desire and will alone to defeat passions. That's when the intellect enters the arena. According to Descartes, passions can be conquered intellectually. To do this, you need to know the truth and be well aware possible consequences behavior (for example, running away from danger).

Thus, it is argued that thinking does not always govern "passions". The intellect is considered as a kind of supreme power over emotional processes, which has its own special ways and means of control.

Analyzing the rationalistic doctrine of Descartes about passions, A.N. Zhdan notes the important role of the special internal emotions of the soul, which are directed to "non-material objects". These emotions include "intellectual joy from thinking about something that is only intelligible" (Zhdan, 1997, p. 84).

In the doctrine of affects, developed by Spinoza (1936), the nature and origin of affects are analyzed. Much attention in this teaching is given to the role and power of the human mind in the fight against affects. Spinoza argues with the ideas of the Stoics about the possibilities of curbing and limitless control of affects. He calls the impotence and limited possibilities of a person in this struggle "slavery". This slavery is manifested in the fact that passions are more powerful than knowledge. Affects can bring not only harm, but also benefit, increasing the abilities of the body. However, all affects can mislead a person, making him a toy of fortune. The victory of reason over affects leads to human freedom.

At the same time, the taming of emotions does not in itself mean bliss. This special affect, the highest satisfaction, the "intellectual love of the world," arises in the process of knowing a higher kind. A. N. Zhdan notes that in this way "the idea of ​​the need for the unity of intellect and affect is affirmed" (1997, p. 92), as opposed to ideas about the negative role of emotions in the process of cognition.

An analysis of the philosophical literature makes it possible to identify a number of fundamentally important problems concerning the relationship between emotions and thinking, the solution of which requires a proper psychological, including experimental, approach.

Psychological approaches to the correlation of emotions and thinking

"Emotional thinking" (G. Mayer's concept). Heinrich Mayer (Maier, 1908), who singled out two types of thinking - judging and emotional - considers the motivating mechanisms of the thought process as a criterion. Judgmental thinking is stimulated by cognitive interest, emotional - "needs of feeling and will." Emotional thinking, in turn, is divided into volitional and affective. The latter is most closely associated with aesthetic and religious thinking.

According to I. I. Lapshin (1914), by delimiting thinking into emotional and judging, Mayer was able to largely dispel the intellectualistic prejudice, according to which the leading role in the initiation of thinking was given to cognitive interests. Mayer emphasizes that in the acts of emotional thinking the process of cognition is, as it were, obscured and acts only as a side tool. It is relegated to the background, since the focus is on achieving some practical goal.

For this conceptual approach, it is important to search for similar and distinctive characteristics of the two types of thinking. In particular, it is noted that similar logical processes (interpretation, objectification, activity of the categorical apparatus) are observed in judging and emotional thinking. However, objectification in acts of affective thinking is illusory, since the images of fantasy refer to imaginary reality. In this situation, the mechanism of "affective self-hypnosis" operates. The form of verbal expression of affective ideas is also specific. Thus, Mayer emphasizes that it would be erroneous to consider interjections characteristic of acts of affective thinking as a verbal expression of this type of representation, since they are not sentences or their rudiments. An affective shout can easily be replaced by other forms of sound expression, such as whistling.

Of fundamental importance is also the study of the relationship between emotions and cognition. According to Mayer, the existence of representation without sensory tone is impossible, as well as the existence of feeling without a cognitive correlate. If any mental state is assessed as indifferent, then such an assessment should be considered only as relative, not absolute. In this case, we can talk about some unrecognized sensual tone that lies below the threshold of discrimination. It is impossible to speak about the complete absence of representation of the object of feeling, since there are always some elements of this representation.

If we turn to the terminology now accepted in Russian psychological literature, it is easy to see that Mayer's concept of "emotional thinking" is very close to the concept of "practical thinking" presented in B. M. Teplov's work "The Mind of a Commander" (1961). Therefore, it is wrong to accept "emotional thinking" (according to Mayer) as an independent type of thinking. Mayer's work not only lacks specific psychological studies of emotional and affective thinking, but does not even distinguish them clearly from the whole variety of human mental processes (Tikhomirov, 1984).

Autistic thinking (E. Bleuler's concept). Considering the phenomenon of autism, E. Bleiler (1926) came to the conclusion that waking dreaming is a special, little-studied form of thinking. Crazy ideas that seem like complete nonsense, a chaotic random accumulation of some mental images, in fact, are subject to quite definite and accessible laws. Autistic thinking is determined by the affective needs of the subject, his desires, fears, etc. Bleuler identifies two main principles that govern autistic thinking: the striving of affect to preserve (as a result, the logical value of representations ascending to a certain affect is hypertrophied, and the value of representations that contradict this affect decreases) and the desire to receive and preserve pleasures and positive experiences (unpleasant representations). encounter defense mechanisms and are rejected). These principles are contradictory in the case of negative affects, and in the case of positive affects they act in concert.

Bleuler noted the impossibility of a sharp distinction between autistic and realistic thinking, since affective elements are also present in realistic thinking. He suggested the presence of various forms of autistic thinking, differing in the degree of departure from reality. The thought process includes autistic and realistic elements in various quantitative and qualitative ratios. Despite the lack of a clear boundary, autistic thinking is generally the opposite of realistic thinking in its goals, functions and mechanisms. Realistic thinking is designed to adequately reflect reality; it is the realism of the mechanisms of thinking that allows a person to survive in a hostile world, getting food for himself, defending himself from danger, etc. Very often, realistic thinking is forced to suppress the numerous desires and drives of the subject in order to achieve some significant goal. Autistic thinking, on the contrary, takes little account of reality and logic, which reflects the real relationships between objects and events. One of the main goals of autism, according to Bleuler, is the representation of the subject's unfulfilled desires as fulfilled. Autism does not deny the subject's real experience, but uses only those concepts and connections that do not contradict this goal. That is why many, even the most fundamental, aspects of the surrounding world are ignored. The autistic ideas themselves can be expressed in complex symbols that are often very difficult to recognize.

Arguing with Z. Freud, E. Bleiler points out that "autistic thinking" does not coincide with the "unconscious", moreover, these concepts should be strictly differentiated. Autistic thinking can be both conscious and unconscious.

Many of the phenomena that prompted Bleuler to introduce the concept of autistic thinking have received an unexpected development in our days in connection with the widespread introduction of new information technologies. The role of fantasies, dreams, "mental living" in situations created by one's own imagination has changed significantly in the course of historical development. In modern society, daydreaming, "daydreaming", so common in the romantic era, more often became the subject of pathopsychological research than a characteristic of the norm. Attempts to stimulate such altered states of consciousness with the help of narcotic drugs are persecuted or, in any case, not encouraged by society. Computer systems of virtual reality make it possible to implement socially approved forms of expanding symbolic experience (Nosov, 1994). According to available data, the generation and implementation of new forms of symbolic experience, the transformation of imagination processes, "computer dreams" can contribute to the emergence of a number of phenomena that have the same negative effect on subjects (especially children and adolescents) as drugs. This manifests itself in avoiding reality through absorption. computer games or the so-called "Internet addiction" (Babaeva, Voiskunsky, 1998). Neutralization of these negative consequences is possible only on the basis of a detailed study of the phenomenology and mechanisms of autistic thinking.

Multiplicity of types of intelligence (G. Gardner's concept). Howard Gardner (Gardner, 1983) proposes to move from the idea of ​​a certain unified intelligence to ideas about the existence of qualitatively various kinds intellect. According to this author, the following main types of intelligence can be distinguished: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic and personal. The latter, in turn, includes intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. All these species are independent of each other and function as some kind of separate systems, subject to their own laws. Each has its own special place in evolutionary development (for example, it is assumed that musical intelligence arose earlier than others). For the full realization of personality, all of the listed types of intelligence are necessary. However, it is argued that under the influence of heredity, education and other factors, some types of intelligence can develop in some people much stronger than others.

With regard to the problems of the relationship between emotions and thinking, "personal intelligence" is of the greatest interest, in which Gardner distinguishes two sides - intrapersonal and interpersonal. Intrapersonal intelligence is associated with the tasks of self-management. According to Gardner, it is thanks to the existence of this type of intelligence that a person can control his feelings and emotions, realize, distinguish and analyze them, and also use the information received in his activities. Interpersonal intelligence is related to the problems of interaction between people. It is the ability to identify, analyze and understand the needs and feelings of other people, their intentions. With its help, a person can anticipate the behavior of other people in various situations, as well as manage them.

Thus, in G. Gardner's concept, instead of one special ("emotional") type of intellect, two qualitatively different types are responsible for understanding and managing emotional processes.

"Emotional intelligence" (the concept of J. Mayer and P. Salovey). The concept of "emotional intelligence" proposed by modern American psychologists P. Salovey and J. Mayer (Mayer, Salovey, 1993; Salovey, Mayer, 1994) also claims to distinguish a special type of intellectual processes. However, the criterion for classification varies. It is not the role of emotions in intellectual processes that comes to the fore, but, on the contrary, the role of intelligence in understanding emotions and feelings and controlling them.

The idea of ​​"emotional intelligence" partially overlaps with the concept of "interpersonal intelligence" introduced by Gardner (Gardner, 1983). Mayer and Salovey argue that the distinction between emotional intelligence and general intelligence can be made more validly than the distinction between general and social intelligence. As a rule, such a distinction cannot be made, because general intelligence plays an extremely important role in human social life. It is assumed that the following specific mechanisms may underlie emotional intelligence.

a) emotionality. People can differ significantly from each other in the frequency and amplitude of changes in dominant emotional states. In accordance with this, one can speak of a rich or, on the contrary, a poor repertoire of emotions. The emotional states experienced by the subject affect the assessment of the likelihood and plausibility of events. With sharp mood swings, assessments can change just as sharply: people build alternative life plans. This experience allows the subject to adjust to future surprises. Moods also affect the alignment of life priorities. Emotions that arise when the expectations of the subject do not coincide with the actual events that have taken place can direct a person’s attention to himself, contribute to the improvement of the process of setting priorities between life goals. Emotional people higher-level processes are available: attention to feelings, the accuracy of their recognition, the formation and use of regulatory strategies. At the same time, it is noted that people who are confident in their ability to regulate emotions, in case of failure, can change their mood faster and more efficiently.

b) The regulation of emotional states can lead to an increase or decrease in the information necessary to solve a problem. The emotional state experienced by the subject, as it were, “dictates” the reduction of experience (“don’t think about it”, “I won’t react”, “it’s not worth my attention”) or, on the contrary, contributes to the expansion of experience (“find out more”, “ respond to that feeling." Severe stress disrupts intellectual activity.

c) Ability (special ability) to encode and decode emotional representations.

In concept emotional intelligence P. Salovey and J. Mayer include three main aspects:

1. Accurate assessment and expression of emotions. It has been experimentally established that the ability of children to recognize emotions improves with age. Four-year-old children identify emotions on the face in 50% of cases, six-year-olds - in 75%. Some emotions are recognized earlier, others later. Thus, the correct identification of emotions of happiness and disgust is possible already at the age of 4. Children quite quickly master the words intended to express emotional states.

age development does not always lead to an increase in accuracy in the recognition of emotional states. Some adults are unable to properly assess their own emotions and are insensitive to other people's emotional states. They have considerable difficulty in recognizing the feelings expressed on the faces of other people. Significant individual differences are observed both in the ability to express their emotions with the help of facial expressions, and in the ability to express them with the help of words. People who are unable to use the emotional vocabulary to express emotions and feelings are called alexithymics. Mayer and Salovey note that alexithymics are highly susceptible to various psychosomatic illnesses. In those cases when adults, when trying to express emotions, replace "emotional words" with non-emotional ones, they experience a weakening of empathy.

Individual differences are observed not only in the degree of accuracy with which people can describe emotional states, but also in the degree to which they pay attention to these states. This can manifest itself, in particular, in a tendency to tell others about distress, about various physiological symptoms in stressful situations, etc.

2. Adaptive regulation of emotions. The desire and ability to control and manage one's emotions is the most important aspect of a person's mental development. Research shows that as early as four years old, children are aware of the ability to regulate their feelings. In doing so, they can use different strategies. Mayer and Salovey point to the existence of at least two strategies for regulating cognitive experience: cognitive ("think", "evaluate - it's not so bad") and behavioral ("go and do what you want"). At the same time, it is noted that both adolescents and children aged 4-6 can equally well recognize effective and ineffective strategies for controlling emotions.

The theory of emotional intelligence also includes the ability of the subject to adequately regulate the emotions and feelings of other people. This ability allows you to succeed in oratory, acting, etc. In addition, the presence of this ability allows you to successfully communicate with people, as well as solve many life problems. To refer to the extreme degree of manipulation of the feelings of other people, the authors use the terms "sociopathy" or "Machiavellianism". It is also assumed that "people with charisma" resort to the regulation of other people's emotions to a lesser extent. The effectiveness of one or another emotion regulation strategy also depends on the specific goals of interaction between people. When the main goal of the interaction is to help others, focusing on their feelings and minimizing (in certain situations) the manifestation of their own emotional states is considered a winning strategy.

3. Application of knowledge based on emotions. Meyer and Salovey note that emotions and moods influence problem-solving processes. The features of this influence depend both on the type of emotions and on the type of tasks being solved. The emotion of happiness promotes creative and inductive solutions, sadness promotes deductive solutions and consideration of many possible options. An inappropriate mood can undermine effective decision making. It is also assumed that a person with a developed emotional intelligence has an intuitive ability to assess which cognitive tasks can be solved more easily (with less stress) in a particular emotional state. The authors point out that the emotion of happiness increases the efficiency of categorization - for example, when classifying phenomena that are not related to the problem being solved or are not related to it. Effective categorization of this kind helps in finding creative solutions. Happy people are more confident in themselves and show more perseverance in trying to find a solution to a problem.

Sense theory of thinking

The semantic theory of thinking (Tikhomirov, 1984), which has been developed since the mid-1960s, is designed to explain the semantic regulation of specific mental activity. The main concept in this theory is the concept of a dynamic semantic system (DSS), first introduced by L. S. Vygotsky (1982). It seems to us productive to consider DSS as a functional system of regulation that unfolds in the course of mental activity (the most developed idea of ​​a functional system belongs to P. K. Anokhin).

The semantic theory of thinking is based on the position of L. S. Vygotsky on the relationship between intellect and affect. "... A deterministic analysis of thinking necessarily involves the discovery of the driving motives of thought, needs and interests, motives and tendencies that direct the movement of thought in one direction or another" (Vygotsky, 1982, p. 21). There is also a reverse influence of thinking on the affective, volitional side of mental life. An analysis that divides a complex whole into units shows that "there is a dynamic semantic system, which is a unity of affective and intellectual processes. It shows that in any idea, the affective attitude of a person to reality, represented in this idea, is contained in a revised form" (ibid. , p. 22).

In the works of A. N. Leontiev, thinking is considered as an activity that has "affective regulation, directly expressing its partiality" (Leontiev, 1967, p. 21). "Like practical activity, internal activity also meets certain needs and, accordingly, experiences the regulating effect of emotions" (Leontiev, 1964). Within the framework of the activity approach, a notion has been developed according to which "in fact, activity is based on a" functional system of integrated and cognitive processes ", that thanks to this system, emotions become "smart" in a person, and intellectual processes acquire an emotional-figurative character, become semantic" (Leontiev, Leontiev, 1994, p. 11). VK Vilyunas (1976) notes that emotions violate the equivalence of landmarks in a situation of choice, highlighting only some of them. Thus, emotions contribute to the selection of goals.

In the theory under consideration, the solution of mental problems is understood as the formation, development and interaction of various operational semantic formations. The concept of DSS allows one to adequately describe the most important aspects of the thought process: the development of the meanings of the final goal, intermediate goal and subgoals, the emergence of ideas, as well as the formation of the meanings of the elements and the meaning of the situation as a whole. At the same time, it is emphasized that these processes are carried out in the unity and interaction of the cognitive and emotional aspects.

The meaning of the ultimate goal, which goes through a number of stages of formation and formation, is recognized as the central structural formation of the DSS for the regulation of activity in solving problems (Vasiliev, 1977). Under the influence of the meaning of the final goal, the meaning of the situation develops, mediated by the development of the operational meanings of the elements of the situation. The meaning of the final goal simultaneously determines the formation of the meanings of intermediate goals (which determine the selectivity and regulation of activity at the stage of finding a solution), and ultimately the formation and development of the operational meaning of the situation (in the direction of its narrowing).

The very development of meanings proceeds under the regulatory influence of the process of goal formation. The goal "mediates the movement of meanings in activity, and the fate of meaning in activity depends to a decisive extent on it" (Vasiliev, Popluzhny, Tikhomirov, 1980, p. 2). Goal formation is interpreted as a process of constant development of the meaning of the goal by concretizing and enriching it by identifying new subject connections and relationships. Goal formation, understood in this way, is mediated by the development of the meanings of various kinds of formations: elements and actions with them, the situation as a whole, attempts and re-examinations of the situation. The thought process is a unity of the processes of goal and meaning formation.

The laws of semantic dynamics in the course of regulation of the solution of mental problems show a single process of development of meanings. This process can take place at different levels, which continuously interact with each other.

Unlike most of the approaches discussed above, according to which emotions have only a negative impact on cognition, distorting the reflection of reality, positive functions of emotions are also developed in this theory. In particular, a special kind of emotions called "intellectual" is specially distinguished and analyzed.

Intellectual emotions are anticipatory and heuristic; they signal the generation of semantic neoplasms in mental activity and perform an integrative function, uniting these neoplasms in a more complete whole. high level. They also carry out a fine regulation of mental activity and influence its structure in accordance with semantic development. This function of emotions is based on the fact that emotional development is an aspect of semantic development. Emotions "put the task on meaning", are "sensual tissue of meaning".

Effective mental activity is based on DSS - a functional system of integrated cognitive and emotional processes, in which emotions become "smart", since they are estimates of semantic neoplasms obtained in the course of a holistic-intuitive processing of subject content. This processing has an emotional-figurative character and is semantic in its essence. DSS goes through a number of stages in its formation along with the deployment of activities. At the stage of initiation, there is an emotional anticipation and selection of the object of mental activity, which is a gnostic contradiction. At the goal-formation stage, a general project for transforming the problem situation is emotionally anticipated and highlighted. This moment of "emotional solution" of the problem is preceded by the processes of shifting emotional zones and emotional cumulation. Emotional zone - a search area containing emotionally colored components. Cumulation of emotions - an increase in the emotional coloring of a component during the transition from one emotional zone to another. The general project is developed with the help of concretization and is reduced to the form of an acceptor of the results of the action. The concretization process also includes intellectual emotions that evaluate the intermediate products of this process. At the stage of implementation, emotions are involved in the detection and support of specific actions corresponding to the acceptor of results.

The specific mechanisms by which the influence of intellectual emotions on mental activity is carried out are emotional reinforcement, emotional guidance and emotional correction.

The first mechanism ensures the consolidation of some components of mental activity (such as an element, a method of acting with it, a decision principle, an intermediate result), which, in the course of the search, acquire meaning and emotional coloring for the subject. These emotionally colored components determine the meaning of some areas of search, are used in solving this problem and are subsequently transferred to solving other problems.

The second mechanism ensures the return of the search to the previously emotionally colored components, isolated as a result of the functioning of the mechanism of emotional fixation. The return is carried out according to semantic connections, and intellectual emotion is a signal of an "adequate" return. Emotional induction is based on the comparison of semantic regulators of different levels (personal and operational meanings), which occurs through holistic-intuitive processes of subject content processing.

The third mechanism (emotional correction) provides a change in the nature of search actions under the influence of an intellectual emotion that has arisen (for example, choosing a direction and fixing the search area, reducing the volume of the search area, the emergence of a new goal-setting tactic). In more general meaning emotional correction of behavior is understood as "bringing the general direction and dynamics of behavior in line with the meaning of this situation and the actions performed in it for the subject, to meet his needs and interests, to realize his value orientations" (Zaporozhets, 1986, p. 266). With regard to mental activity, a change in the nature of search actions means that intellectual emotions perform not only a signal (presenting), but also an incentive function. They encourage the subject to search for new ways to transform the problem situation, to recall from memory, and in the absence of it, to create new means of transforming the problem situation.

Conclusion

In modern psychological literature, two main points of view have been developed regarding the degree of representation and the role of emotions in various classifications of mental activity. On the one hand, the negative role of emotional processes, their ability to have a devastating effect on mental activity, is emphasized. On the other hand, the principles of the regulatory approach that arose in antiquity and have taken shape at the present time are based on the ability to control emotional processes by intellectual processes.

Both directions are characterized by insufficient consideration of the specific role of emotional processes that have arisen in mental activity and are generated by motives brought to life by internal motivation, i.e. those contradictions that arise within the cognitive field. Limiting themselves to stating the phenomena of "maintenance of control" over emotions, both considered directions do not attempt to penetrate into the real mental mechanisms and determinants of the participation of emotions in mental activity. It is impossible to speak about the possible complementarity of the two research traditions: each of them, in fact, denies the opposite.

It seems to us (and the experience of considering the relationship between emotional and mental processes in the history of psychology confirms this) that the solution of the complex problem posed can be achieved only by analyzing the psychological mechanisms of regulation of real mental activity. It is on this theoretical and experimental basis that the question of the expediency and necessity of singling out "emotional thinking" as an independent type of mental activity can be resolved. Numerous studies have shown that the conceptual apparatus developed within the framework of the semantic theory of thinking (and, above all, the concept of DSS) makes it possible to describe not only the phenomenology of the mutual influence of emotional and mental processes, but also the specific mechanisms by which emotions affect mental activity.

Bibliography

1. Babaeva Yu.D., Voiskunsky A.E. Psychological consequences of informatization // Psychology. magazine 1998. T. 19.
2. Bleiler E. Autistic thinking. Odessa, 1926.
3. Vasiliev I.A. The ratio of the processes of goal formation and intellectual emotions in the course of solving mental problems // Psychological mechanisms of goal formation / Ed. O. K. Tikhomirova. M., 1977.
4. Vasiliev I.A. To the analysis of the conditions for the emergence of intellectual emotions // Psychological research of intellectual activity / Ed. O. K. Tikhomirova. M., 1979.
5. Vasiliev I.A., Popluzhny V.L., Tikhomirov O.K. Emotions and thinking. M., 1980.
6. Vilyunas V.K. Psychology of emotional phenomena. M., 1976.
7. Vygotsky L.S. Sobr. cit.: In 6 vols. T. 2. M., 1982.
8. Descartes R. Passions of the Soul // Works: In 2 vols. T. 1. M., 1989.
9. Zhdan A.N. History of psychology. From Antiquity to Modernity. M., 1997.
10. Zaporozhets A.V. Selected psychological works. T. 1. M., 1986.
11. Lapshin I.I. Psychology of Heinrich Mayer's Emotional Thinking//New Ideas in Philosophy. Issue. 16. St. Petersburg, 1914.
12. Leontiev A.N. Thinking //Philosophical Encyclopedia. T. 3. M., 1964.
13. Leontiev A.N. On some promising problems of Soviet psychology // Vopr. psychol. 1967. No. 6.
14. Leontiev A.A., Leontiev D.A. Foreword //Leontiev A.N. Philosophy of psychology. M., 1994.
15. Nosov N.N. Psychology of virtual reality. M., 1994.
16. Plato. Ion //Coll. cit.: In 3 vols. T. 1. M., 1970.
17. Plato. Philebus //Coll. cit.: In 3 vols. T. 3. M., 1971.
18. Spinoza B. Ethics. M., 1936.
19. Teplov B.M. Problems of individual differences. M., 1961.
20. Tikhomirov O.K. Psychology of thinking. M., 1984.
21. Yaroshevsky M.G. History of psychology. M., 1976.
22. Gardner H. Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligence. N.Y., 1983.
23. Maier H. Psychologie des Emotionalen Denkens. Tuebingen, 1908.
24. Mayer J.D., Salovey P. The intelligence of emotional intelligence//Intelligence. 1993 Vol. 17.
25. Salovey P., Mayer J.D. Some final thoghts about personality and intelligence //Personality and Intelligence /Ed. by J. Sternberg, P. Ruzgis. Cambridge University Press, 1994.

----

1 Emotions of fear, anxiety, helplessness have a negative, destructuring effect on the process of cognition. They can lead to a person losing control over the situation and over himself; "state" the failure (inefficiency) of the activity, but, despite this, "sanction" the continuation of actions in the same (unpromising) direction and block the search for new ways; present the meaning of the situation as threatening (dangerous) for the subject.

Babaeva Yu. D. Emotions and the problem of classification of types of thinking/ Yu. D. Babaeva , I. A. Vasiliev , A. E. Voiskunsky , O. K. Tikhomirov // Bulletin of Moscow University. Psychology. 1999. No. 3.

• Previous Article Emotional creativity and its differences from emotional intelligence. Andreeva I.N.

"Written earlier. Let me remind you that emotional thinking is a style of thinking in which the activity of the mind is completely suppressed by the emotional sphere, and a person stubbornly uses irrational methods to justify his judgments and conclusions. The emotional style of thinking is very stable - a person who is used to following it constantly, ignoring any, the most obvious considerations of common sense, and failing to follow the most elementary rules of logic.Although emotional thinking is related to emotional worldview, a distinction must be made between these things: if emotional worldview is a (conscious) reliance on the aspirations and values ​​that lie in the emotional sphere, emotional thinking is a violation and distortion of the thinking process under the influence of the emotional sphere.In principle, it is possible as an emotional worldview without emotional thinking (that is, a person thinks correctly, but still prefers emotional comfort, rather than reasonable aspirations), so and e emotional thinking without an emotional worldview (ie. e. a person gravitates towards reasonable aspirations, but certain troubles in the emotional sphere prevent him from thinking correctly). However, in the overwhelming majority of cases, emotionally minded people are people with an emotional worldview and vice versa.

The ratio of thinking and emotions became the subject of study in Russian psychology within the framework of the psychological theory of activity of A.N. Leontiev. The initiator of these studies was O.K. Tikhomirov. A significant contribution to the development of this topic was made by I.A. Vasiliev, V.L. Popluzhny, V.E. Klochko and O.S. Kopin.

When discussing general issues of the relationship between thinking and emotions, two main approaches are distinguished - functional and system-activity. The functional approach (T. Ribot, E. Bleiler, G. Mayer, G. Gardner, J. Mayer and P. Salovey) have a long philosophical tradition, which can be summarized as follows: passions take over the human mind or, on the contrary, the mind takes over over passions.

The American psychologist G. Gardner, developing the idea of ​​a plurality of types of intellect, identifies intrapersonal intellect, which solves the problems of self-management. Thanks to this intelligence, a person can manage his feelings and emotions, recognize, distinguish and analyze them, and use this information in his activities.

Emotions often interfere with the process of thinking, changing it. Here is what Rubinstein wrote about this: “Subjecting to the despotic domination of blind feeling, thought sometimes begins to be regulated by the desire to correspond with subjective feeling, and not with objective reality ... follows the “pleasure principle” in spite of the “reality principle” ... Emotional thinking with more or, with a less passionate prejudice, picks up arguments in favor of the desired solution. Emotions, however, can not only distort but also stimulate thinking. It is known that feeling gives great passion, tension, sharpness, purposefulness and perseverance to thoughts. Without a sublime feeling, a productive thought is just as impossible as without logic, knowledge, skills, and habits. The only question is how strong the feeling is, whether it exceeds the limits of the optimum, which ensures the reasonableness of thinking.

The psychological characteristics of the thought process, thinking as an activity, orientation in the task will be essentially incomplete without considering the role of emotional processes in the real search for a solution, in the formation of mental reflection at the level of thinking. In studies of the emotional regulation of search, the thesis about the subjectivity of thinking is concretized. It is important to take into account the motivational conditionality of thinking, but this is not enough; it is also necessary to characterize emotions that “reflect the relationship between motives (needs) and the success or possibility of successful implementation of the subject’s activity corresponding to them.” The peculiarity of the place of the problems associated with the analysis of the relationship between emotions and thinking lies in the fact that it often appears at the intersection of the teachings about thinking and the teachings about emotions, occupying a peripheral position here and there.

The very fact of existence and the important role of emotional processes in cognition were noted even before psychology was singled out as an independent science by philosophers who called such intellectual feelings as doubt, confidence, conjecture, surprise, pleasure, etc. Specific psychological studies of intellectual feelings encountered great difficulties. Intellectual feelings were reduced to cognitive processes. The point of view, according to which only the negative influence of emotions on cognition is emphasized, the facts of the distortion of the reflection of reality under the influence of emotions, was widely spread: the idea of ​​the logic of feelings in Ribot, of autistic thinking in Bleuler. In the history of psychology, there was an attempt to introduce a special concept of "emotional thinking", it was carried out in the work of G. Mayer. At the same time, Lapshin noted that "under the heading "psychology of emotional thinking" lies a whole metaphysical doctrine of an eclectic nature." G. Mayer distinguished “emotional thinking” from “judgmental thinking” and called the following as the main feature: “Practical needs come first ...”. Describing the specifics of emotional thinking, G. Meyer also noted that the cognitive process here is obscured, relegated to the background, the focus of attention is focused on a practical goal, for which knowledge is only a side tool. If we turn to the terminology now accepted in the Russian psychological literature, it is easy to see that the concept of "emotional thinking" by H. Mayer is very close to the concept of "practical thinking", therefore it is wrong to consider that "emotional thinking" (according to Mayer) is an independent type of thinking.

"Emotional thinking" is further classified by Mayer into "affective" and "volitional". The author refers aesthetic and religious thinking to the first one. So, for example, religious acts of thought, according to Mayer, are affective inferences. These peculiar inferences have the following characteristics: a direct evaluation of known facts, caused by the desire to achieve certain benefits and avoid known evils, a feeling of dependence in relation to some beginning, an impulse to carry out an act of faith. Thus, affective thinking, although it stands out as an independent one, receives only a general characteristic, is treated as a kind of inference. G. Mayer's work not only lacks specific psychological studies of emotional and affective thinking, but even lacks their clear separation from the whole variety of human mental processes.

In domestic psychology, in the works of L. S. Vygotsky, S. L. Rubinstein and A. N. Leontiev, methodological foundations were laid for overcoming the traditional gap between cognitive and emotional processes and, in particular, the separation of thinking from the emotional (and motivational) sphere .

The beginning of the system-activity approach to the problems of thinking and emotions was laid in the works of L.S. Vygotsky. He introduced the concept of a dynamic semantic system (DSS), which is the unity of intellect and affect. It was in the separation of the intellectual side of our consciousness from its affective, volitional side that L. S. Vygotsky saw one of the main and fundamental vices of all traditional psychology. With such a separation, "thinking ... inevitably turns into an autonomous flow of self-thinking thoughts, it breaks away from the fullness of living life, from the living motives, interests, drives of a thinking person ...". L. S. Vygotsky very emphatically warned about the limitations of the study of only the operational composition of thinking. He wrote: “He who has torn thinking from the very beginning from affect has forever closed his way to explaining the causes of thinking itself, because the deterministic analysis of thinking necessarily involves the discovery of the driving motives of thought, needs and interests, motives and tendencies that direct the movement of thought into that or the other side." Thus, L. S. Vygotsky clearly posed a psychological problem - to identify the connection between thinking and the emotional sphere of a person.

S. L. Rubinshtein's position that thinking as a real mental process is itself a unity of the intellectual and emotional, and emotion is a unity of the emotional and intellectual. S. L. Rubinshtein pointed out that “mental processes, taken in their specific integrity, are not only cognitive processes, but also “affective”, emotional-volitional ones. They express not only knowledge about phenomena, but also attitude towards them...” Continuing this idea, the author writes: “The true concrete “unit” of the mental (consciousness) is the integral act of reflecting the object by the subject. This formation is complex in its composition; it always to some extent includes the unity of two opposite components - knowledge and attitude, intellectual and "affective", of which, now one, then the other act as the predominant one. In another work, S. L. Rubinshtein poses the problem of “affect and intellect” even more sharply: thinking itself as a real mental process is itself a unity of the intellectual and emotional, and emotion is a unity of the emotional and intellectual. The above provisions come close to the need for an experimental study of the nature and role of emotions that arise in the thought process.

In the works of A. N. Leontiev, thinking is considered as an activity, an activity that has “its own affective regulation, directly expressing its partiality” . A deeper basis for the partiality of activity is the presence of “personal meanings” in its structure. A connection is established between the concepts of emotion and personal meaning. The function of emotions is "in directing the subject to their real source, in the fact that they signal the personal meaning of the events taking place in his life ...". However, there is no complete coincidence between these concepts, but there is a complex relationship due to the development of the human motivational sphere.

The difference between the concepts of "emotion" and "feeling" introduced by A. N. Leontiev is important. Emotion has a situational character, i.e., it expresses an evaluative attitude to the current or possible situation in the future, as well as to one's activity in the situation. Feeling, on the other hand, has a clearly expressed “objective character”. It arises on the basis of the generalization of emotions and is associated with the representation or idea of ​​some object - concrete or abstract. In other words, a feeling is a "stable emotional attitude".

Within the framework of the activity approach, a concept has been developed, according to which the dynamic semantic system (DSS) is the basis of mental activity, i.e. a functional system of integrated emotional and cognitive processes, in which emotions evaluate semantic neoplasms obtained in the course of a holistic-intuitive (emotional-figurative) processing of subject content. In this approach, emotions are considered as internal systemic components of productive thinking that affect the course and result of mental activity.

Within the framework of the system-activity approach, a semantic theory of thinking was formed (O.K. Tikhomirov). Based on this theory, the following directions have arisen. research work in the field of emotional regulation of mental activity.

First, these are studies of the conditions for the emergence and functions of intellectual emotions in mental activity. Intellectual emotions are understood as emotions that act as internal signals from an actualized cognitive need. The close connection of intellectual emotions with the processes taking place at the unconscious and non-verbalized level is shown, i.e. with non-verbalized operational meanings. The operational meaning of an element is understood as a form of reflection of those of its functions that are revealed when examining the specific conditions in which it is located. These studies continue in the direction of studying the conditions for the emergence and functions of intellectual emotions at different stages of mental activity - initiation, goal formation, implementation.

Secondly, the role of emotions in the processes of goal formation is specially studied. It is shown that the first reaction to a cognitive contradiction is an emotional one. The emotional assessment of the contradiction causes the actualization of the search cognitive need, which initiates the process of goal formation. Emotions are one of the main mechanisms for generating verbalized plans and ideas.

Thirdly, research is underway on the motivational-emotional regulation of mental activity. In particular, the emotional regulation of mental activity under conditions of various motivations - external and internal - has been studied. It is shown that there are different types of emotional regulation, characterized by different place and the role of emotions in the system of regulation of mental activity. The role of emotional processes in the regulation of activity increases with the transition from activity determined by external motivation to activity with internal motivation.

The main phenomena are clearly manifested when considering the development of a dynamic semantic system. So, at the stage of initiation, emotional anticipation occurs and the subject of mental activity is singled out - a cognitive contradiction. At the stage of goal formation, finding the principle of solution is preceded by intellectual emotion. This emotional anticipation is called an emotional decision, since the subject has a subjective experience that the principle of the solution has been found, although the idea has not yet been comprehended and not verbally framed. An emotional decision is prepared by a gradual increase in the emotional coloring of a certain action in the search process. There is a kind of cumulation of bursts of emotional activation. At the stage of concretization of the decision principle, intellectual emotions also arise when objectively correct actions are found.

Specific mechanisms of the functioning of intellectual emotions in mental activity are revealed. This is the emotional consolidation of those elements that acquire operational meaning in the course of the search. This mechanism determines the selectivity at specific stages of the search for a solution. Emotional induction in case of failure ensures that the search returns to previously emotionally colored elements. Such a return is carried out according to semantic connections, and intellectual emotion is a signal of an adequate return. Emotional correction provides a shift of the search area to another area under the influence of intellectual emotions. In more broad meaning emotional correction is understood as bringing the general direction and dynamics of mental search in line with the meaning of the situation, determined by the cognitive need.

The work of V. Vilyunas is devoted to the analysis of emotional phenomena. Emotion is understood by the author as “a special experience by the subject of individual elements of the image, giving them a target characteristic and prompting the subject to solve the problem of how to achieve them at the level of the image ...” . In accordance with this interpretation, two main functions of emotions are distinguished - evaluation and motivation. These functions of emotions are also preserved during the transition from the biological to the historical process of human development. The study specifically discusses the question of the relationship between the concepts of "emotion" and "personal meaning". V. Vilyunas distinguishes between verbalized and emotionally direct forms of existence of personal meaning. At the same time, the verbalized form is “richer” than the direct one, since in the first one the meaning receives some causal explanation. In other words, "the verbalization of meaning is the restoration of its motivational conditionality in the meanings, it is the awareness of the relationships that gave rise to it" . The discrepancy between verbalized and emotionally direct forms of meaning is revealed, for example, in cases where verbalization acts as a "protective mechanism". It is important to emphasize that emotionally direct meaning is a necessary component of any psychological semantic formation, both verbalized and non-verbalized, constituting its “basic part”. The author distinguishes between the concepts of "emotion" and "feeling". At the same time, the nature of the value of the object to which the emotional experience is directed is taken as the basis for such a difference. The objects of emotions have only a situational, conditional value, mediated by their objective relationship to the motive. Feelings are directed to objects that have a constant stable value for the subject, that is, to the motives of activity. According to V. Vilyunas, "motive is an emotional phenomenon that can be considered both from the side of the reflected content - as some object of reality, and from the side of subjective experience - as a feeling". It seems to us that such a distinction between the concepts of "emotion" and "feeling" is justified, and we will keep it for the subsequent analysis of intellectual emotions and feelings.

P.M. Jacobson. Cognitive activity "generates a kind of emotional response." Intellectual feelings include a feeling of surprise in front of a complex and still incomprehensible phenomenon, a feeling of curiosity in relation to new data about the world, a feeling of doubt about the correctness of the solution found, a feeling of confidence in the correctness of the conclusion, a feeling of pleasure from the mental result. At the heart of various experiences arising from the process of cognition lies a feeling of love for knowledge. This feeling can acquire a different subject orientation. For example, love for specific knowledge in different areas or love for generalized knowledge. Based on the development of the experience of intellectual experiences, a generalized feeling of love for truth can arise.

The provisions on the general functions of emotions are also important. The theoretical provisions of V. K. Vilyunas, F. V. Bassin, P. M. Yakobson, B. I. Dodonov, V. L. Popluzhny, A. V. Zaporozhets can also be used in the study of emotional regulation of thinking. All types of emotional phenomena are associated (involved in it) with mental activity - both affects, and emotions proper, and feelings (according to the classification of A. N. Leontiev). You can also talk about intellectual aggression, intellectual stress, intellectual frustration.

So, we examined the main approaches to the study of emotions in the mental activity of various psychologists, it was revealed that experimental psychological studies of the emotional regulation of mental activity began relatively recently, but without them it is no longer possible to imagine the modern psychology of thinking. The “internal conditions” of thinking are both the emergence and the complex dynamics of emotional assessments.

So, in the first chapter we examined thinking and its laws.

In the psychological literature, thinking is defined by three structural characteristics that are not found at the sensory-perceptual level of cognitive processes. Thinking is a reflection of the essential connections and relationships between the objects of reality.

The development of the problem of the psychology of thinking in our country is carried out in two directions: the first comes from the concept of S. L. Rubinshtein, the second direction is associated with the development of ideas about the gradual formation of mental actions based on the theory of internalization.

The methodological foundation of the theory of thinking developed by S. L. Rubinshtein is the dialectical-materialistic principle of determinism.

Thinking is included in the relationship with all mental processes, it arises only when there is an appropriate motive that makes it necessary to solve a particular problem or task.

The presence of a certain motive gives rise to the need to analyze the problem situation.

Emotions often interfere with the process of thinking, changing it.

Emotions, however, can not only distort but also stimulate thinking. Emotions and feelings permeate the whole life of a person. They can have a completely opposite effect: on the one hand, activate behavior, activity, on the other hand, slow down, mismatch behavior and activity.

In the history of psychology, there are quite unusual at first glance attempts to distinguish types of thinking based on the relationship of two mental processes: intellectual and emotional. As a result, such concepts as "emotional thinking", "emotional intelligence" arise. This article sheds some light on these concepts.

Supporting articles:

In recent decades, the term “emotional thinking” has begun to be used, which, according to the meaning of its authors, includes the provision on uncertainty in the process of thinking. This means that when a person thinks emotionally, he does not determine the course of his thoughts with the help of logic and mathematics.

Emotions and thinking in modern philosophical and psychological literature are considered as closely related, but fundamentally heterogeneous processes. When classifying mental phenomena, thinking is traditionally combined with sensations, perceptions, and some other internal activities into a group of cognitive processes, and emotion is either singled out as an independent category, or “added” to will. Sometimes emotions and thinking are combined into "emotional thinking", but in the sense of a scientific metaphor. This means that thinking turns from rational into proper emotional when its main tendency leads to the inclusion of feelings, desires in its process and result, gives out these subjective moments as objective properties of material things and connections themselves independent of consciousness.

Emotional thinking is closest to natural thinking, since words are weak regulators for it. But in the world of civilization, where rationality helps to survive, emotional thinking makes a person weak and vulnerable. It should not be assumed that emotional thinking is characteristic of women; men can be committed to it no less. After all, it is not about the manifestation of feelings, but about the influence of feelings on thinking. A person who thinks emotionally is guided in his choice more often by taste, sensation, feeling, intuition. Emotional thinking enhances impressionability. On the one hand, this leads to cheerfulness and carelessness, on the other hand, to excessive nervousness and depression. Opposites are caused by the same cause. It is difficult and inexpedient to influence only verbally a person with emotional thinking.

Figurative and emotional thinking are inseparable parts of the mind. They play a huge role in the process of thinking and are closely related to each other. The first is always present in the process of thinking, the second helps the figurative to achieve moments of insight into thought, to develop new original thoughts. About the ratio of figurative and emotional thinking, one can say this: figurative thinking is a burning fire, and emotional thinking is logs thrown into the fire so that it burns better.

When a person acquires knowledge about a thing, his mind retains the image of this thing along with the emotional coloring of this image. In the future, a person can remake this thing, based on its image and emotionality. In this case, emotional thinking gives him the opportunity to remake this thing in an original way. When a painter depicts a person on his canvas, he starts from the image of a person, and then his emotional thinking suggests what features to give him.

Man has been using figurative thinking since ancient, prehistoric times, from the time when he had the first thought about the world around him. More can be said: the animal state of man, animal world gave people figurative thinking, and without it a person would not have language, conversation and, of course, art. The process of imaginative thinking is fast, even instantaneous in comparison with logical thinking. And the faster a person has figurative thinking, the more talented he is.

Emotional thinking is widespread in everyday life. Nature awarded some people with this gift to a greater extent (their minority), others to a lesser extent (their majority), some, she did not give emotional thinking at all. At the same time, one should not assume that this type of thinking is inherent, as a rule, only artists. They also have strong imaginative thinking. There can be no artist without imaginative thinking, and a person with emotional thinking does not always become an artist. Such people with developed emotional thinking can be called creative people.

It should be noted that both without emotionally thinking people, and without emotionally thinking people (who are the absolute majority), humanity could not develop. The former, by virtue of emotional insights, give ideas, make discoveries, invent new things, the latter put these insights into practice, and very talentedly. Some complement others, and a collective fruitful mind is obtained.

In general, in psychology it is customary to distinguish between primary and secondary mental processes. Accordingly, two types of mental activity are distinguished: the first is characteristic of the mental functions of the unconscious, the second - of conscious thinking. The thinking of the primary process reveals condensation and displacement, i.e. images often merge and can easily replace and symbolize each other; this process uses mobile energy, ignores the categories of space and time, and is governed by the pleasure principle, i.e. reduces the displeasure of instinctive tension by hallucinatory wish fulfillment. In topographical terms, it is a way of thinking that operates in the Eid. The thinking of the secondary process obeys the rules of grammar and formal logic, uses associated energy and is controlled by the reality principle, i.e. reduces the displeasure of instinctive tension through adaptive behavior. Freud considered primary processes to be ontogenetically and phylogenetically earlier than secondary processes—hence the terminology—and considered weak adaptability to be an inherent property of them. All ego development is secondary to the repression of primary processes. Secondary processes, in his opinion, developed on an equal footing and simultaneously with the ego, and with adaptation to the external world and are closely related to verbal thinking. An example of primary processes - dreams, secondary - thought. Dreaming, imaginative and creative activity (imagination and creativity), and emotional thinking are mixed manifestations of both processes. These two processes are reminiscent of discursive and non-discursive symbolism.

Subconscious and emotions

Much has been said about the fact that emotions permeate our whole life. We emphasize here only some information about emotions that are not mentioned so often.

The subconscious regulates all physical processes. It is a place where emotions are born, behavior patterns are formed. This is the part of the brain where all fears, anxieties, expectations, etc. live.

The subconscious mind is the mechanism that

a) performs automatic actions for us (walks, breathes, etc.)
b) analyzes the information coming from the senses (including thoughts and imagination) and issues a recommendation for survival in the form of an emotion.

Also, the subconscious and emotions can be clues to achieve some previously set (seriously or jokingly) goal.

That's why you can call the subconscious mind an autopilot. To some extent, the autopilot resists you taking the controls away from it. It requires effort, it is difficult to manage your attention, but it is possible. Then the autopilot will also get used to it.

Emotions are the language of the subconscious. Emotion is a reflection of the state of the subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind speaks to us in the language of emotions. They reflect our experiences and feelings. If we are in a good mood, it means that our internal organs are normal, and when we take our bad mood out on other people, this is our subconscious signaling that not everything is in order in the body.

In addition, emotions also arise as a result of a discrepancy between our capabilities and needs. Naturally, if we cannot satisfy our desires, then we experience negative emotions. Otherwise, the emotions will be positive. The problem is that a person does not always understand what the subconscious is trying to tell him. And it can speak to us through dreams, visions and even hallucinations. Often in dreams we see a warning or foresee something - thus the subconscious mind tells us that it is necessary to pay attention to the state of health. Often diseases arise due to an excess of negative emotions - the body is overexcited, and nervous system reacts with nervous breakdowns and psychoses.

Negative emotions also arise because habitual stereotypes of behavior, that is, habits, are violated. It can also be caused by the fact that the needs of a person are not satisfied, and the so-called dominant of desire arises. In this case, all the thoughts of a person are focused on achieving the desired, and this turns into an obsession.

It is generally accepted that positive emotions are stronger than negative ones (in the sense that good triumphs over evil), however, in this case, the desired is passed off as the real. Of course, it’s more pleasant to think so, but in practice we have the following pattern:

Properties	Emotions are positive	Emotions are negative
Lifespan:		Large (up to life)
Regeneration (mostly)		External and internal
Deactualization
Ability to be re-caused by the same cause
Recall effect	Decreasing fast	growing steadily
In the presence of several reasons, the strength of emotions	Does not stack	Are summed up
The ability to form a semantic complex	Missing
Indirect Initiation Ability	Missing

Emotions at the subconscious level. Most of us will agree that emotions arise as a result of certain events and we usually understand the reason that causes them. For example, at the sight of an ice-cream stall, a child becomes indescribably delighted, and at the sight of a barking dog, it becomes frightened and starts to cry. Recent studies have shown that emotions can be evoked not only on a conscious, but also subconscious level, and also manipulated. Dutch psychologists Kirsten Reiss and Didrik Stapel of the Tilburg Institute for the Study of Behavioral Economics were the first to conduct a series of experiments proving that a person does not need to be aware that an event has influenced his mood or feelings. Scientists have hypothesized that, since a person is able to react quickly and unconsciously to certain stimuli, he can also react to emotional events without realizing it: “You are more likely to survive if you stop at the sight of a snarling grizzly bear. and you won't move. And you do not need to understand what caused such a reaction, ”explains Rice and Stapel.

To find out whether certain emotions can be aroused in a person at a subconscious level, psychologists analyzed the thoughts and feelings of the participants in the experiment and observed their behavior. This study is based on the theory that a person is able to perceive information that causes certain emotions automatically. The participants in the experiment were divided into three groups and warned that short-term flashes would appear on the monitor screen. Then they were asked to press the “P” key if the flashes flickered on the right side of the display, and “L” if on the left. In reality, the "flashes" were subliminal images specially chosen to evoke fear, disgust, or neutral emotions. The pictures flashed at different rates, resulting in the participants not being fully aware of what they were seeing on the screen. In other words, the subjects had no idea that they were shown pictures of growling dogs, dirty toilets, or neutral images like horses or chairs.

To find out what effect these images have on cognitive perception, feelings and behavior, participants were asked to take three tests. To study cognitive perception, they made up different words by substituting the missing letters. The result was words expressing disgust, fear, anger, words with a common negative, positive and neutral connotation. In the second test, on a 7-point scale, participants assessed their mood, the degree of feeling of fear, disgust, satisfaction, relief, pride, anger, shame and joy. To assess behavior, the subjects were asked to participate in either a “bad food test” or a “scary movie test.” In theory, the participants who were shown pictures with disgusting images would hardly want to try something tasteless. At the end, the researchers asked the participants each time more specific questions about the pictures that affected their subconscious, to find out how much they understood the goals and objectives of the experiment.

Interesting results published in the issue of the scientific journal of the Association of Psychologists Psychological Science largely confirm the theory of the Dutch researchers. Subjects who were shown subconsciously disgusting pictures formed words that meant something disgusting and tended to choose the "scary movie test." The same was true for participants who viewed fear-inducing pictures. They chose words expressing fear and "tasteless food test." The psychologists found that after participants were exposed to a fast-frequency (120ms) emotional stimulus, they experienced a general negative mood accompanied by a specific feeling, such as fear after seeing scary pictures. After ultra-fast (40ms) viewing, a negative state appeared without any emotion.

So, psychologists from the Netherlands for the first time managed to prove in their experiments that very specific emotions can occur in a person without realizing the reason that causes them, and that the general mood can turn into a certain emotion. Despite the fact that the experiments do not reveal exactly how a person eventually becomes aware of their emotions, scientists have put forward an additional hypothesis. “When emotions reach their peak, a person becomes aware of them, knowing his own actions and bodily reactions; and vice versa, when emotions are less expressed, a person practically does not pay attention to his little relevant actions and bodily reactions.

Emotional thinking hypothesis

The problem of classifying types of thinking

Psychological science in the course of its historical development gradually separated from philosophy, therefore it is no coincidence that the field of attention of psychologists first of all came to the kind of thinking that originally occupied philosophers - verbal-logical (reasoning) thinking, characterized by the use of concepts, logical constructions, which exist and function on the basis of the language.

According to the type of tasks to be solved and the structural and dynamic features associated with them, theoretical and practical thinking are distinguished. Theoretical thinking is the knowledge of patterns, rules. It is most consistently studied in the context of the psychology of scientific creativity. The main task of practical thinking is the preparation of the physical transformation of reality: setting a goal, creating a plan, project, scheme.

Intuitive thinking is distinguished from analytical (logical) thinking in three ways: temporal (the time of the process), structural (division into stages) and the level of flow (consciousness or unconsciousness). Analytical thinking is deployed in time, has clearly defined stages, and is largely represented in the mind of a thinking person. The intuitive is characterized by the speed of flow, the absence of clearly defined stages, and minimal awareness.

Realistic and autistic thinking is also differentiated. The first is directed mainly to the outside world, regulated by logical laws, and the second is connected with the realization of human desires (who among us has not passed off the wishful thinking as really existing!). Sometimes the term "egocentric thinking" is used, characterizing, first of all, the inability to accept the point of view of another person.

The basis for distinguishing between productive and reproductive thinking is the degree of novelty of the product obtained in the process of mental activity in relation to the knowledge of the subject. It is also necessary to distinguish involuntary thought processes from arbitrary ones: for example, involuntary transformations of dream images and purposeful solution of mental problems.

Distinguish between divergent and convergent thinking.

Divergent thinking (from the Latin divergere - to diverge) is a method of creative thinking, usually used to solve problems and tasks. It consists in finding many solutions to the same problem.

Convergent thinking (from Latin convergere to converge) is based on the strategy of precisely using previously learned algorithms for solving a specific problem, i.e. when instructions are given on the sequence and content of elementary operations to solve this problem.

There are special tests of divergent abilities, for example, the Gestalt and Jackson's test: the test subject needs to find as many ways as possible to use objects such as a brick, a piece of cardboard, a bucket, a rope, a cardboard box, a towel.

Divergent thinking methods include brainstorming, memory mapping, etc.

The above list is far from complete. So, for example, ZI Kalmykova single out verbal-logical and intuitive-practical components of productive thinking. The complex relationships that exist between the types of thinking have not yet been revealed to a large extent, but the main thing is clear: the term "thinking" in psychology denotes qualitatively heterogeneous processes.

In the history of psychology, one can also note quite unusual at first glance attempts to single out types of thinking based on the relationship of two mental processes: intellectual and emotional. As a result, such concepts as "emotional thinking", "emotional intelligence" arise. Let us conduct a comprehensive analysis of this approach to the classification of types of thinking. It should be noted that similar ideas are presented in other sections of psychological science. For example, the term "affective memory" is widely used (Tikhomirov, 1984). With regard to the problems of the relationship between emotions and thinking, such a classification can be "two-sided" in nature. For example, when classifying emotional states, one can speak not only of "intellectual emotions", but also of "intellectual aggression", "intellectual stress", "intellectual frustration" (ibid.).

The peculiarity of the problems associated with the analysis of the relationship between emotions and thinking lies in the fact that it often appears at the intersection of the teachings about thinking and the teachings about emotions, occupying a peripheral position here and there. The psychological characteristics of the thinking process will be essentially incomplete without considering the role of emotional processes in the real search for a solution, in the formation of mental reflection at the level of thinking. An analysis of the motivational conditionality of thinking is not enough to specify the most important theoretical position on the subjectivity of thinking. It is necessary to characterize emotions that reflect the relationship between motives (needs) and success or the possibility of successful implementation of the subject's activity corresponding to them.

Approaches to the problem of identifying "emotional thinking"
The terms "emotional thinking", "emotional intelligence", as a rule, reflected the attempts of researchers to analyze the relationship between intellectual and emotional processes. These attempts often led to the identification of specific types of intellectual processes in which emotions and feelings play a special role. The point of view, according to which emotions and feelings have a mainly negative impact on cognition, has become widespread. Such a position reflected the well-known facts of the “victory” of feelings over reason. Within the framework of this approach, the facts of the distortion of the process of reflecting reality under the influence of emotions were absolutized: such, for example, are the ideas about the “logic of feelings” by T. Ribot and about “autistic thinking” by E. Bleiler.

At the same time, another interpretation of the term "emotional intelligence" has been noted in the psychological literature. So, in the concept of "emotional intelligence" proposed by J. Mayer and P. Salovey, the key concept is defined "as the ability to control feelings and emotions, one's own and other people, the ability to distinguish them and the ability to use this information to control one's thoughts and actions." Thus, another aspect of the relationship between emotions and thinking is considered, namely, the influence of intellectual processes on emotions and feelings. In this case, we can rather talk about the "victory" of the mind over the senses.

Along with emotional intelligence, such interrelated categories as emotional thinking and emotional competence require clarification. Emotional competence is defined, in particular, as the ability to act with the internal environment of one's feelings and desires, a person's openness to experience, his feelings. As can be seen, there are extensional definitions here as well. Emotional thinking, due to the semantic uncertainty of the concept, is often identified with emotional intelligence or, on the contrary, is understood as a kind of defective component of the thought process that reduces the objectivity of knowledge. In our opinion, emotional competence is a set of knowledge, skills and abilities that allow making adequate decisions and acting on the basis of the results of intellectual processing of external and internal emotional information. In its turn, emotional thinking is the process of processing emotional information.

The noted approaches to the definition of the concepts of "emotional intelligence" and "emotional thinking" reflect the current situation in the field of studying intellectual processes. Nominated by L.S. Vygotsky, the thesis of “the unity of affect and intellect” can be expressed in two qualitatively heterogeneous forms: the intellect can control drives, releasing consciousness from the captivity of passions, and the intellect can serve drives, plunging consciousness into an illusory, desirable world. The subject's ability to regulate his own behavior is considered as a criterion of "intellectual maturity". A high level of intellectual maturity contributes to the perception by the subject of any event as it objectively occurs, i.e. without distorting reality (or with a significant approximation to this level of perception of reality). This corresponds to the readiness of the subject to control and change the motives and goals of his own behavior under the influence of objective requirements and conditions of the activity performed. At a low level of intellectual maturity (in situations of cognitive deficits or blocking of intellectual processes due to the influence of various stress factors, depression, etc.), it is assumed that the subject is inclined to implement various options for defensive behavior, while his intellectual activity will manifest in specific forms.

The regulatory approach to the study of intelligence has emerged as an independent scientific direction relatively recently. M.A. Kholodnaya (1997) notes that L. Thurstone (Thurstone, 1924) was one of the first to formulate and substantiate the ideas of the regulatory approach. Within the framework of this direction, the intellect is considered not only as a mechanism for processing information, but also as a mechanism for controlling and regulating the mental and behavioral activity of the subject. In accordance with this provision, Thurstone distinguished between "reason" or "intelligence" and "reason" or "wisdom". Intelligence is manifested in the ability of the subject to control and regulate impulsive urges. The presence of this ability allows the subject to slow down his impulsive impulses or suspend their implementation until the moment when the current situation is analyzed and comprehended. This strategy allows you to choose the most appropriate way of behavior for a given person.

Analysis of the relationship between emotional and thought processes is due to both theoretical and practical problems of psychology. In this situation, there is a need for a historical analysis of the approaches developed in psychology to the study of these relationships.

Relationships between emotions and thinking in classical philosophy
Without denying the merits of L. Thurstone (Thurstone, 1924) and R. Sternberg (Sternberg, 1988, 1993) in substantiating the regulatory approach as an independent scientific direction in the study of intelligence, we note that many of the main problems of the relationship between thinking and emotions were put forward by philosophers antiquity. In Plato's famous dialogue Phaedo, Socrates speaks of a person's emotions and feelings as a kind of barrier to the knowledge of truth. “The body fills us with desires, passions, fears, and such a mass of all kinds of absurd ghosts that, believe the word, because of it, it’s really impossible for us to think about anything!” The desire to “clear” the mind from the passions of the body that interfere with the search for truth leads to ideas that the knowledge of any subject should be approached “by means of thought alone (as far as possible)”, without involving either feelings or sensations. A true thinker must strive in the process of cognition to separate himself from everything bodily and arm himself with only “pure” thought “in itself”. Thus, the presence of passions in the life of a real person allows us to distinguish, as it were, two types of thinking: real, i.e. distorted and "contaminated" by passions, and "cleansed" of them. Following this logic, Socrates comes to the conclusion that in order to achieve "pure knowledge" it is necessary to part with the body, and this is possible only after death. Only by descending into Hades, a person can join "the mind in all its purity." However, in real life, we are the closer to pure knowledge, the more we limit our connection with the body and "we will not be infected by its nature."

To the greatest extent, the ability to control their passions is inherent in philosophers, connoisseurs of wisdom. A true philosopher is characterized by "the ability not to be carried away by passions, but to treat them with restraint, with disdain." Based on this point of view, differences between people are sought, in particular, in specific strategies for controlling the passions of the body. Thus, it is recognized that the ability to regulate one's feelings, to manage them is inherent not only in philosophers, but to one degree or another in other people. However, there are certain qualitative differences in the method of management itself. "Intemperate people" cannot resist the passions of the body, they completely submit to them, showing submission to pleasures and inability to control their desires. Moderate people with "blunt reason" may abstain "from some pleasures simply because they are afraid of losing others, ardently desire them and are completely in their power." Thus, people who surrender to some pleasures can conquer others in this way, in other words, "they are temperate precisely because of intemperance."

However, by exchanging one pleasure for another, “fear for fear”, “sorrow for grief”, a person makes a “wrong exchange”. Only the mind, according to Socrates, is the only correct exchange coin, for which everything should be given. Therefore, true virtue is always associated with reason, while “it doesn’t matter whether pleasures, fears, and everything else like that accompany it or not” (ibid.). Separated from reason, virtue becomes “an empty appearance”, “frail and false”. “Meanwhile, the true is indeed a purification from all (passions), and prudence, justice, courage and reason itself are the means of such purification.” Thus, three main theses are put forward, which, to one degree or another, will be inherent in many attempts to analyze the relationship between emotions and thinking.

Firstly, it is noted that feelings, passions associated with the bodily existence of a person, have a mainly negative impact on the mind, on the search for truth. Secondly, it is suggested that it is necessary to “purify” the mind from the negative influence of passions, since the knowledge of the truth requires a “pure” thought. Thirdly, various ways (which might be called "techniques") of controlling and controlling the passions of the body are indicated. Mind itself acts as the main means of "cleansing" the mind from the negative influence of the passions of the body, which allows you to control your feelings, manage them and thereby resist the negative influence of passions on the process of cognition. The very problem of individual differences in the ability of the subject to exercise such control over emotional processes is clearly distinguished.

The idea of ​​the "primacy of reason" dominated the philosophy of antiquity. The Stoics regarded affects as "corruption of the mind" and believed that a person should be "treated" for them, as if they were a disease. Only a mind liberated from any affect will be able to correctly guide behavior.

At the same time, it is necessary to note some inconsistency in the ideas of ancient philosophers about the negative role of emotions in thinking. For example, speaking in the dialogue "Ion" about the essence of artistic creativity, Socrates speaks of its divine origin. He notes that any good poet can create only thanks to divine power in a special state of "inspiration and obsession", when "there will be no more reason in him." God, depriving poets of reason, "through them gives us his voice." The dialogue "Phileb" (Plato, 1971) speaks of a special kind of "true, pure pleasures" that arise not only from contemplating beautiful colors and shapes, listening to melodies, but also from doing science. These true pure pleasures are not mixed with suffering, they are proportionate. They are almost "relatives of Reason and Mind."

Thus, the philosophers of antiquity put forward a very important position characterizing the relationship of emotions and thinking. For the first time, they drew attention to a special kind of emotional experiences, which differ sharply from others both in the nature of their manifestations and in their role in the process of cognition. We are talking about the so-called "mental pleasures", the source of which is the cognitive activity itself. “Mental pleasures and sufferings”, in comparison with other types of human emotional experiences, were considered by philosophers of antiquity as some kind of higher, “pure” experiences, divorced from everyday life, from more “lower” needs and passions of the body. Surprise occupies a special place among these “pure” and sublime feelings, which not only does not “contaminate” the mind, leading it away from the knowledge of the truth, but, on the contrary, according to Aristotle, is a kind of incentive for cognitive activity.

Rene Descartes (1989) singled out two sides in human "passions" (or, in modern language, in emotional processes) - spiritual and bodily. The problem of managing passions also appears, as it were, in two planes. For example, seeing something terrible that causes fear, a person can take flight without any assistance from the soul, only "in a bodily way." However, if the soul has a special "power", it can intervene and radically change a person's behavior. She can, in particular, prevent him from fleeing and force him to stay in place despite the fear experienced. To describe a specific control mechanism that causes a person to change his behavior, Descartes uses "machine-like" terminology. The soul acts on the body through a kind of tender air, called "animal spirits." She "rocks the iron" and forces these "spirits" to follow other paths. However, even a strong soul does not have enough desire and will alone to defeat passions. That's when the intellect enters the arena. According to Descartes, passions can be conquered intellectually. To do this, you need to know the truth and be well aware of the possible consequences of a particular behavior (for example, fleeing from danger).

Thus, it is argued that thinking does not always govern "passions". The intellect is considered as a kind of supreme power over emotional processes, which has its own special ways and means of control.

Analyzing the rationalistic doctrine of Descartes about passions, A.N. Zhdan notes the important role of the special internal emotions of the soul, which are directed to "non-material objects". These emotions include “intellectual joy from thinking about something that is only intelligible” (Zhdan, 1997).

In the doctrine of affects, developed by Spinoza (1936), the nature and origin of affects are analyzed. Much attention in this teaching is given to the role and power of the human mind in the fight against affects. Spinoza argues with the ideas of the Stoics about the possibilities of curbing and limitless control of affects. He calls the impotence and limited possibilities of a person in this struggle "slavery". This slavery is manifested in the fact that passions are more powerful than knowledge. Affects can bring not only harm, but also benefit, increasing the abilities of the body. However, all affects can mislead a person, making him a toy of fortune. The victory of reason over affects leads to human freedom.

At the same time, the taming of emotions does not in itself mean bliss. This special affect, the highest satisfaction, "intellectual love of the world" arises in the process of knowing the highest kind. A.N. Zhdan notes that in this way "the idea of ​​the need for the unity of intellect and affect is affirmed" in contrast to the ideas about the negative role of emotions in the process of cognition.

An analysis of the philosophical literature makes it possible to identify a number of fundamentally important problems concerning the relationship between emotions and thinking, the solution of which requires a proper psychological, including experimental, approach.

Psychological approaches to the correlation of emotions and thinking
"Emotional thinking" (G. Mayer's concept). Heinrich Mayer (Maier, 1908), who singled out two types of thinking - judging and emotional - considers the motivating mechanisms of the thought process as a criterion. Judgmental thinking is stimulated by cognitive interest, emotional - by "needs of feeling and will." Emotional thinking, in turn, is divided into volitional and affective. The latter is most closely associated with aesthetic and religious thinking.

According to I.I. Lapshina (1914), by delimiting thinking into emotional and judging, Mayer was able to largely dispel the intellectualistic prejudice, according to which the leading role in the initiation of thinking was given to cognitive interests. Mayer emphasizes that in the acts of emotional thinking the process of cognition is, as it were, obscured and acts only as a side tool. It is relegated to the background, since the focus is on achieving some practical goal.

For this conceptual approach, it is important to search for similar and distinctive characteristics of the two types of thinking. In particular, it is noted that similar logical processes (interpretation, objectification, activity of the categorical apparatus) are observed in judging and emotional thinking. However, objectification in acts of affective thinking is illusory, since the images of fantasy refer to imaginary reality. In this situation, the mechanism of "affective self-hypnosis" operates. The form of verbal expression of affective ideas is also specific. Thus, Mayer emphasizes that it would be erroneous to consider interjections characteristic of acts of affective thinking as a verbal expression of this type of representation, since they are not sentences or their rudiments. An affective shout can easily be replaced by other forms of sound expression, such as whistling.

Of fundamental importance is also the study of the relationship between emotions and cognition. According to Mayer, the existence of representation without sensory tone is impossible, as well as the existence of feeling without a cognitive correlate. If any mental state is assessed as indifferent, then such an assessment should be considered only as relative, not absolute. In this case, we can talk about some unrecognized sensual tone that lies below the threshold of discrimination. It is impossible to speak about the complete absence of representation of the object of feeling, since there are always some elements of this representation.

If we turn to the terminology now accepted in Russian psychological literature, it is easy to see that Mayer's concept of "emotional thinking" is very close to the concept of "practical thinking" presented in the work of B. M. Teplov "The Mind of a Commander" (1961). Therefore, it is wrong to take "emotional thinking" (according to Mayer) as an independent type of thinking. Mayer's work not only lacks specific psychological studies of emotional and affective thinking, but does not even distinguish them clearly from the whole variety of human mental processes (Tikhomirov, 1984).

Autistic thinking (E. Bleuler's concept). Considering the phenomenon of autism, E. Bleiler (1926) came to the conclusion that waking dreaming is a special, little-studied form of thinking. Crazy ideas that seem like complete nonsense, a chaotic random accumulation of some mental images, in fact, are subject to quite definite and accessible laws. Autistic thinking is determined by the affective needs of the subject, his desires, fears, etc. Bleuler identifies two main principles that govern autistic thinking: the striving of affect to preserve (as a result, the logical value of representations ascending to a certain affect is hypertrophied, and the value of representations that contradict this affect decreases) and the desire to receive and preserve pleasures and positive experiences (unpleasant representations). encounter defense mechanisms and are rejected). These principles are contradictory in the case of negative affects, and in the case of positive affects they act in concert.

Bleuler noted the impossibility of a sharp distinction between autistic and realistic thinking, since affective elements are also present in realistic thinking. He suggested the presence of various forms of autistic thinking, differing in the degree of departure from reality. The thought process includes autistic and realistic elements in various quantitative and qualitative ratios. Despite the lack of a clear boundary, autistic thinking is generally the opposite of realistic thinking in its goals, functions and mechanisms. Realistic thinking is designed to adequately reflect reality; it is the realism of the mechanisms of thinking that allows a person to survive in a hostile world, getting food for himself, defending himself from danger, etc. Very often, realistic thinking is forced to suppress the numerous desires and drives of the subject in order to achieve some significant goal. Autistic thinking, on the contrary, takes little account of reality and logic, which reflects the real relationships between objects and events. One of the main goals of autism, according to Bleuler, is the representation of the subject's unfulfilled desires as fulfilled. Autism does not deny the subject's real experience, but uses only those concepts and connections that do not contradict this goal. That is why many, even the most fundamental, aspects of the surrounding world are ignored. The autistic ideas themselves can be expressed in complex symbols that are often very difficult to recognize.

Arguing with Z. Freud, E. Bleiler points out that "autistic thinking" does not coincide with the "unconscious", moreover, these concepts should be strictly differentiated. Autistic thinking can be both conscious and unconscious.

Many of the phenomena that prompted Bleuler to introduce the concept of autistic thinking have received an unexpected development in our days in connection with the widespread introduction of new information technologies. The role of fantasies, dreams, "mental living" in situations created by one's own imagination has changed significantly in the course of historical development. In modern society, daydreaming, "daydreaming", so common in the romantic era, more often became the subject of pathopsychological research than a characteristic of the norm. Attempts to stimulate such altered states of consciousness with the help of narcotic drugs are persecuted or, in any case, not encouraged by society. Computer systems of virtual reality make it possible to implement socially approved forms of expanding symbolic experience (Nosov, 1994). According to available data, the generation and implementation of new forms of symbolic experience, the transformation of imagination processes, “computer dreams” can contribute to the emergence of a number of phenomena that have the same negative effect on subjects (especially children and adolescents) as drugs. This is manifested in the escape from reality through the preoccupation with computer games or the so-called "Internet addiction". Neutralization of these negative consequences is possible only on the basis of a detailed study of the phenomenology and mechanisms of autistic thinking.

Multiplicity of types of intelligence (G. Gardner's concept). Howard Gardner (Gardner, 1983) proposes to move from the idea of ​​a single intelligence to the idea of ​​the existence of qualitatively different types of intelligence. According to this author, the following main types of intelligence can be distinguished: linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic and personal. The latter, in turn, includes intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence. All these species are independent of each other and function as some kind of separate systems, subject to their own laws. Each has its own special place in evolutionary development (for example, it is assumed that musical intelligence arose earlier than others). For the full realization of personality, all of the listed types of intelligence are necessary. However, it is argued that under the influence of heredity, education and other factors, some types of intelligence can develop in some people much stronger than others.

With regard to the problems of the relationship between emotions and thinking, "personal intelligence" is of the greatest interest, in which Gardner distinguishes two sides - intrapersonal and interpersonal. Intrapersonal intelligence is associated with the tasks of self-management. According to Gardner, it is thanks to the existence of this type of intelligence that a person can control his feelings and emotions, realize, distinguish and analyze them, and also use the information received in his activities. Interpersonal intelligence is related to the problems of interaction between people. It is the ability to identify, analyze and understand the needs and feelings of other people, their intentions. With its help, a person can anticipate the behavior of other people in various situations, as well as manage them.

Thus, in the concept of G. Gardner, instead of one special (“emotional”) type of intelligence, two qualitatively different types are responsible for understanding and managing emotional processes.

"Emotional intelligence" (the concept of J. Mayer and P. Salovey). The concept of "emotional intelligence" proposed by modern American psychologists P. Salovey and J. Mayer (Mayer, Salovey, 1993; Salovey, Mayer, 1994) also claims to single out a special type of intellectual processes. However, the criterion for classification varies. It is not the role of emotions in intellectual processes that comes to the fore, but, on the contrary, the role of intelligence in understanding emotions and feelings and controlling them.

The idea of ​​"emotional intelligence" partially overlaps with the concept of "interpersonal intelligence" introduced by Gardner (Gardner, 1983). Mayer and Salovey argue that the distinction between emotional intelligence and general intelligence can be made more validly than the distinction between general and social intelligence. As a rule, it is not possible to make such a distinction, because general intelligence plays an extremely important role in a person's social life. It is assumed that the following specific mechanisms may underlie emotional intelligence.

a) emotionality. People can differ significantly from each other in the frequency and amplitude of changes in dominant emotional states. In accordance with this, one can speak of a rich or, on the contrary, a poor repertoire of emotions. The emotional states experienced by the subject affect the assessment of the likelihood and plausibility of events. With sharp mood swings, assessments can change just as sharply: people build alternative life plans. This experience allows the subject to adjust to future surprises. Moods also affect the alignment of life priorities. Emotions that arise when the subject's expectations do not coincide with actual events can direct a person's attention to himself, contribute to the improvement of the process of setting priorities between life goals. Emotional people have access to higher-level processes: attention to feelings, the accuracy of their recognition, the formation and use of regulatory strategies. At the same time, it is noted that people who are confident in their ability to regulate emotions, in case of failure, can change their mood faster and more efficiently.

b) The regulation of emotional states can lead to an increase or decrease in the information necessary to solve a problem. The emotional state experienced by the subject, as it were, “dictates” the reduction of experience (“don’t think about it”, “I won’t react”, “it’s not worth my attention”) or, on the contrary, contributes to the expansion of experience (“find out more”, “ respond to that feeling." Severe stress disrupts intellectual activity.

c) Ability (special ability) to encode and decode emotional representations.

P. Salovey and J. Mayer include three main aspects in the concept of emotional intelligence:

1. Accurate assessment and expression of emotions. It has been experimentally established that the ability of children to recognize emotions improves with age. Four-year-old children identify emotions on the face in 50% of cases, six-year-olds - in 75%. Some emotions are recognized earlier, others later. Thus, the correct identification of emotions of happiness and disgust is possible already at the age of 4. Children quite quickly master the words intended to express emotional states.

Age development does not always lead to an increase in accuracy in the recognition of emotional states. Some adults are unable to properly assess their own emotions and are insensitive to other people's emotional states. They have considerable difficulty in recognizing the feelings expressed on the faces of other people. Significant individual differences are observed both in the ability to express their emotions with the help of facial expressions, and in the ability to express them with the help of words. People who are unable to use the emotional vocabulary to express emotions and feelings are called alexithymics. Mayer and Salovey note that alexithymics are highly susceptible to various psychosomatic illnesses. In those cases when adults, when trying to express emotions, replace “emotional words” with non-emotional ones, they experience a weakening of empathy.

Individual differences are observed not only in the degree of accuracy with which people can describe emotional states, but also in the degree to which they pay attention to these states. This can manifest itself, in particular, in a tendency to tell others about distress, about various physiological symptoms in stressful situations, etc.

2. Adaptive emotion regulation. The desire and ability to control and manage one's emotions is the most important aspect of a person's mental development. Research shows that as early as four years old, children are aware of the ability to regulate their feelings. In doing so, they can use different strategies. Mayer and Salovey point to the existence of at least two strategies for regulating cognitive experience: cognitive ("think", "evaluate - it's not so bad") and behavioral ("go and do what you want"). At the same time, it is noted that both adolescents and children aged 4-6 can equally well recognize effective and ineffective strategies for controlling emotions.

The theory of emotional intelligence also includes the ability of the subject to adequately regulate the emotions and feelings of other people. This ability allows you to succeed in oratory, acting, etc. In addition, the presence of this ability allows you to successfully communicate with people, as well as solve many life problems. To refer to the extreme degree of manipulation of the feelings of other people, the authors use the terms "sociopathy" or "machiavellianism". It is also assumed that "people with charisma" resort to the regulation of other people's emotions to a lesser extent. The effectiveness of one or another emotion regulation strategy also depends on the specific goals of interaction between people. When the main goal of the interaction is to help others, focusing on their feelings and minimizing (in certain situations) the manifestation of their own emotional states is considered a winning strategy.

3. Application of knowledge based on emotions. Meyer and Salovey note that emotions and moods influence problem-solving processes. The features of this influence depend both on the type of emotions and on the type of tasks being solved. The emotion of happiness promotes creative and inductive decisions, while sadness promotes deductive decisions and consideration of many possible options. An inappropriate mood can undermine effective decision making. It is also assumed that a person with a developed emotional intelligence has an intuitive ability to assess which cognitive tasks can be solved more easily (with less stress) in a particular emotional state. The authors point out that the emotion of happiness increases the effectiveness of categorization, for example, when classifying phenomena that are not related to the problem being solved or are not related to it. Effective categorization of this kind helps in finding creative solutions. Happy people are more confident in themselves and show more perseverance in trying to find a solution to a problem.

Sense theory of thinking
The semantic theory of thinking (Tikhomirov, 1984), which has been developed since the mid-1960s, is designed to explain the semantic regulation of specific mental activity. The main concept in this theory is the concept of a dynamic semantic system (DSS), first introduced by L.S. Vygotsky (1982). It seems to us productive to consider DSS as a functional system of regulation that unfolds in the course of mental activity (the most developed idea of ​​a functional system belongs to P. K. Anokhin).

The semantic theory of thinking is based on the position of L.S. Vygotsky on the relationship between intelligence and affect. “... A deterministic analysis of thinking necessarily involves the discovery of the driving motives of thought, needs and interests, motives and tendencies that direct the movement of thought in one direction or another” (Vygotsky, 1982). There is also a reverse influence of thinking on the affective, volitional side of mental life. An analysis that divides a complex whole into units shows that “there is a dynamic semantic system, which is a unity of affective and intellectual processes. It shows that every idea contains in a revised form the affective relation of a person to the reality represented in this idea.

In the works of A.N. Leontiev's thinking is considered as an activity that has "affective regulation, directly expressing its partiality" (Leontiev, 1967). “Like practical activity, internal activity also meets certain needs and, accordingly, experiences the regulating effect of emotions” (Leontiev, 1964). As part of the activity approach, a concept has been developed according to which “actually, activity is based on” a functional system of integrated and cognitive processes, that thanks to this system, emotions become “intelligent” in a person, and intellectual processes acquire an emotional-figurative character, become semantic. VK Vilyunas (1976) notes that emotions violate the equivalence of landmarks in a situation of choice, highlighting only some of them. Thus, emotions contribute to the selection of goals.

In the theory under consideration, the solution of mental problems is understood as the formation, development and interaction of various operational semantic formations. The concept of DSS allows one to adequately describe the most important aspects of the thought process: the development of the meanings of the final goal, intermediate goal and subgoals, the emergence of ideas, as well as the formation of the meanings of the elements and the meaning of the situation as a whole. At the same time, it is emphasized that these processes are carried out in the unity and interaction of the cognitive and emotional aspects.

The central structural formation of the DSS for the regulation of activity in solving problems is the meaning of the ultimate goal, which goes through a number of stages of formation and formation. Under the influence of the meaning of the final goal, the meaning of the situation develops, mediated by the development of the operational meanings of the elements of the situation. The meaning of the final goal simultaneously determines the formation of the meanings of intermediate goals (which determine the selectivity and regulation of activity at the stage of finding a solution), and ultimately the formation and development of the operational meaning of the situation (in the direction of its narrowing).

The very development of meanings proceeds under the regulatory influence of the process of goal formation. The goal mediates the movement of meanings in activity, and the fate of meaning in activity depends to a decisive extent on it. Goal formation is interpreted as a process of constant development of the meaning of the goal by concretizing and enriching it by identifying new subject connections and relationships. Goal formation, understood in this way, is mediated by the development of the meanings of various kinds of formations: elements and actions with them, the situation as a whole, attempts and re-examinations of the situation. The thought process is a unity of the processes of goal and meaning formation.

The laws of semantic dynamics in the course of regulation of the solution of mental problems show a single process of development of meanings. This process can take place at different levels, which continuously interact with each other.

Unlike most of the approaches discussed above, according to which emotions have only a negative impact on cognition2, distorting the reflection of reality, positive functions of emotions are also developed in this theory. In particular, a special kind of emotions, called "intellectual", is specially distinguished and analyzed.

Intellectual emotions are anticipatory and heuristic; they signal the generation of semantic new formations in mental activity and perform an integrative function, uniting these new formations into wholes of a higher level. They also carry out a fine regulation of mental activity and influence its structure in accordance with semantic development. This function of emotions is based on the fact that emotional development is an aspect of semantic development. Emotions "set the task of meaning", are "sensual tissue of meaning".

Efficient mental activity is based on DSS - a functional system of integrated cognitive and emotional processes, in which emotions become "smart", since they are estimates of semantic neoplasms obtained in the course of a holistic-intuitive processing of subject content. This processing has an emotional-figurative character and is semantic in its essence. DSS goes through a number of stages in its formation along with the deployment of activities. At the stage of initiation, there is an emotional anticipation and selection of the object of mental activity, which is a gnostic contradiction. At the goal-formation stage, a general project for transforming the problem situation is emotionally anticipated and highlighted. This moment of “emotional solution” of the problem is preceded by the processes of shifting emotional zones and emotional cumulation. The emotional zone is a search area containing emotionally colored components. Cumulation of emotions - an increase in the emotional coloring of a component during the transition from one emotional zone to another. The general project is developed with the help of concretization and is reduced to the form of an acceptor of the results of the action. The concretization process also includes intellectual emotions that evaluate the intermediate products of this process. At the stage of implementation, emotions are involved in the detection and support of specific actions corresponding to the acceptor of results.

The specific mechanisms by which the influence of intellectual emotions on mental activity is carried out are emotional reinforcement, emotional guidance and emotional correction.

The first mechanism ensures the consolidation of some components of mental activity (such as an element, a method of acting with it, a decision principle, an intermediate result), which, in the course of the search, acquire meaning and emotional coloring for the subject. These emotionally colored components determine the meaning of some areas of search, are used in solving this problem and are subsequently transferred to solving other problems.

The second mechanism ensures the return of the search to the previously emotionally colored components, isolated as a result of the functioning of the mechanism of emotional fixation. The return is carried out according to semantic connections, and intellectual emotion is a signal of an “adequate” return. Emotional induction is based on the comparison of semantic regulators of different levels (personal and operational meanings), which occurs through holistic-intuitive processes of subject content processing.

The third mechanism (emotional correction) provides a change in the nature of search actions under the influence of an intellectual emotion that has arisen (for example, choosing a direction and fixing the search area, reducing the volume of the search area, the emergence of a new goal-setting tactic). In a more general sense, emotional correction of behavior is understood as bringing the general direction and dynamics of behavior in line with the meaning of this situation and the actions performed in it for the subject, to satisfy his needs and interests, to realize his value orientations. With regard to mental activity, a change in the nature of search actions means that intellectual emotions perform not only a signal (presenting), but also an incentive function. They encourage the subject to search for new ways to transform the problem situation, to recall from memory, and in the absence of it, to create new means of transforming the problem situation.

So, in modern psychological literature, two main points of view have been developed regarding the degree of representation and the role of emotions in various classifications of mental activity. On the one hand, the negative role of emotional processes, their ability to have a devastating effect on mental activity, is emphasized. On the other hand, the principles of the regulatory approach that arose in antiquity and have taken shape at the present time are based on the ability to control emotional processes by intellectual processes.

Both directions are characterized by insufficient consideration of the specific role of emotional processes that have arisen in mental activity and are generated by motives brought to life by internal motivation, i.e. those contradictions that arise within the cognitive field. Limiting themselves to stating the phenomena of "maintenance of control" over emotions, both considered directions do not attempt to penetrate into the real mental mechanisms and determinants of the participation of emotions in mental activity. It is impossible to speak about the possible complementarity of the two research traditions: each of them, in fact, denies the opposite.

It seems to us (and the experience of considering the relationship between emotional and mental processes in the history of psychology confirms this) that the solution of the complex problem posed can be achieved only by analyzing the psychological mechanisms of regulation of real mental activity. It is on this theoretical and experimental basis that the question of the expediency and necessity of singling out "emotional thinking" as an independent type of mental activity can be resolved. Numerous studies have shown that the conceptual apparatus developed within the framework of the semantic theory of thinking (and, above all, the concept of DSS) makes it possible to describe not only the phenomenology of the mutual influence of emotional and mental processes, but also the specific mechanisms by which emotions affect mental activity.

Human life, from birth to death, consists of decision making. During the day, each of us makes hundreds, and throughout life - thousands and hundreds of thousands of different decisions. At the same time, when making decisions, a person is constantly faced with the problem of choosing between several ways of behavior.

Decisions range from the choice of a life partner or place of work, as well as minor choices, such as choosing a movie (excellent motivational films about success) for viewing or clothing for work. We make some decisions automatically at a subconscious level, others are given to us with difficulty and become the subject of long painful reflection, choosing one of the possible options.

Develops with experience. Nevertheless, Master of Neurology Columbia University John Lehrer outlines several general decision-making principles that, when properly considered and applied, will help us make the best decision in a particular situation.

Decision-making methods based on rational and emotional thinking

EVEN SIMPLE PROBLEMS NEED TO BE THOUGHT

For the human brain, there is no exact boundary that separates complex questions from simple ones. Some scientists believe that any task with more than five separate variables forces our brains to work hard. Others believe that a person can freely process up to nine pieces of information at any time. With experience and practice, this range can be slightly expanded. But in general, the prefrontal cortex (the most developed part of the brain) is a strictly limited mechanism. If our emotional thinking is a sophisticated computer consisting of microprocessors working in parallel, then our rational thinking is an old calculator.

But, despite the fact that the calculator is an old-fashioned thing, it can still be very useful to us. One of the shortcomings of emotional thinking is that it is guided by somewhat outdated instincts that are no longer suitable for making decisions in conditions modern life. Therefore, we easily succumb to the temptation of advertising, credit cards or slot machines. The only sure way to protect yourself from these shortcomings is to train your reason and test your feelings with the help of simple arithmetic calculations.

Of course, it is not always possible to find the easiest solution. For example, choosing a variety of raspberry jam may seem like a simple task, but in reality it is surprisingly difficult, especially when there are dozens of varieties of this product in the store window. How to accept rational solution? The best way is to ask yourself, - " Can this solution be formulated using numbers?? For example, most varieties of jam are similar in taste, so we are unlikely to lose much by sorting them by price. In this case, other things being equal, the cheapest jam may be the best choice. Let the rational brain take over (the emotional brain can be easily fooled by some minor detail, like stylish packaging). The same decision method can be used in any area where product details are not particularly important.

When we are talking about more important decisions concerning difficult things - for example, an apartment, a car or furniture - classification by only one price will exclude a lot of important and useful information. Maybe the cheapest chair is really poor quality, or maybe you don't like it. appearance. And is it really worth choosing a car or an apartment based on just one variable, be it horsepower or monthly rent? When you ask the prefrontal cortex to make these kinds of decisions, it is bound to be wrong. As a result, you find yourself with an ugly chair in an unsuitable apartment.

Think less about things that you care a lot about, it may seem strange to you, but it makes scientific sense. Don't be afraid to let your emotions make the choice.

NEW PROBLEMS REQUIRE THOUGHT

Before trusting decision making process about a new problem to your emotional thinking, you need to ask yourself: how will my life experience help me solve this problem? Where does the decision come from, from previous experience or is it just an unthinking emotional outburst?

Emotions will not save you if this problem is unfamiliar to you. The only way out of unprecedented trouble is to find creativity in the decision-making process. These insights require highly trained neurons in the prefrontal cortex.

However, this does not mean that our emotional thinking has nothing to do with it at all. Psychologist Mark Jung-Beeman, who studies the neuroscience of intuition, has shown that people with positive mood are much better at solving complex problems that require the use of intuition than people who are upset or annoyed with something.

A cheerful and cheerful person solves 20% more puzzles than a sad and sad person. Jung-Beeman suggested that the reason for this is that the areas of the brain responsible for supreme control are not busy managing the emotional life of a person. They do not worry, and therefore they can calmly solve the task assigned to them. As a result, the rational brain can focus on finding solutions to the unique situations you find yourself in.

USE UNCERTAINTY TO YOUR FAVOR

Complex problems rarely have simple solutions. Simplifying the situation, making it trifling in our own eyes, we run the risk of finding ourselves in a trap of confidence: we are so confident in our rightness and infallibility that we do not pay any attention to the facts that contradict the conclusion being made. Of course, there is not always time for long internal debates. But, if possible, it is necessary to stretch decision making process. Short-sighted decisions are made when we cut off our internal debates and reflections, when, with the help of quick agreement, a neural argument is artificially ended.

There are a couple of easy ways to keep false confidence from getting in the way of our opinion. First, always consider competing conclusions and hypotheses. Force yourself to look at the situation from a different angle, evaluate the facts from a different position. In this way, you may discover that your beliefs are wrong and based on a fragile foundation.

Second, constantly remind yourself of what you don't know. We can get into trouble when we forget that our knowledge is incomplete and there are gaps in it.

YOU KNOW MORE THAN YOU THINK

The paradox of the human brain lies in its not very good knowledge of itself. The conscious brain is unaware of its own fundamentals and is blind to all neural and emotional activity. Human emotions - internal representations of information that we process, but do not perceive - this is the wisdom of the unconscious.

The importance of emotions was underestimated for many years because they were difficult to interpret and analyze. As Nietzsche once remarked, what is closest to us is what we least know. Now, with the tools of modern neuroscience, we can see that emotions have their own logic.

Emotional thinking especially useful in the process of making difficult decisions. Its processing power (the ability to process millions of pieces of information simultaneously) ensures that when evaluating different options, you yourself can analyze all the relevant data. Complex tasks are broken down into simpler elements that are much easier to operate, and then they are translated into practical feelings.

These emotions are so reasonable because we have learned to learn from our mistakes. You constantly benefit from your experience, even if you don't consciously realize it. And no matter what you specialize in, the brain absolutely always learns in the same way, accumulating wisdom through mistakes.

This rather painstaking process cannot be shortened: it takes a lot of time and practice to become an expert. However, as soon as you have gained experience in any of the areas, making mistakes and stuffing bumps, you should start to trust in decision-making process(in that area) to your emotions. These subtle signals that we receive from the brain say that our brain has learned to understand this situation. He has learned to analyze the practical aspects of the world around you in such a way that you understand what needs to be done. By over-analyzing all these expert decisions, you paralyze your ability to take any action.

This does not mean that emotional thinking should always be trusted. Sometimes it is myopic and impulsive, overly sensitive to stereotypes and patterns (which is why so many people lose so much money in gambling). However, it is useful to always take into account your emotions: you should think about why you feel the way you feel.

THINK ABOUT THINKING

Whatever decision you make, you must always be aware of what type of thinking it belongs to and what kind of thought process it requires. It doesn't matter whether you're choosing between presidential candidates, raspberry jam on the supermarket shelf, or playing cards. The best way to make sure you are using your brain properly is to try to understand how it works by listening to the arguments that come up in your head.

Why is it important to think about your thoughts? Because it helps us not to do stupid things. You will be able to make a more far-sighted decision if you remember that the brain treats winning and losing in completely different ways. You will also buy yourself a better apartment, if you remember that the amount of time spent thinking is not a guarantee that you will choose the best option. The mind is full of faults, but it is possible to suppress them. There is no secret in the recipe for making better decisions, there is only caution and a desire to protect yourself from those mistakes that can be avoided.

Of course, even reasonably intelligent and considerate people can make mistakes. However, people who take best solutions, do not allow these imperfections to paralyze their activity. Instead, they learn from their mistakes and are always ready to learn from failure. They think about what they could have done differently in similar situations so that next time their neurons know what to do. This is the most striking feature of the human brain: it is capable of self-development and self-improvement.

P.S. akin to intuition, both processes occur at a subconscious level. About, how to develop intuition you can find out on the blog pages.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.