Five Distinct Thinking Styles
A thinking style is a characteristic way of processing information. It involves how one acquires knowledge, organizes thoughts, forms views and opinions, applies personal values, solves problems, makes decisions, plans, and expresses oneself to others. Researchers have identified five distinct styles of thinking.
Thinking styles are positive habits that contribute to better critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making. While no one thinking style is better than another, a balance of the various types results in better decision-making.
ABDUCTIVE THINKING
With abductive reasoning, also called abduction, abductive inference or retroduction, unlike deductive reasoning, the premises do not guarantee the conclusion. Abductive reasoning can be understood as “inference to the best explanation”. Abductive reasoning typically begins with an incomplete set of observations and proceeds to the likeliest possible explanation for the set. It’s goal is to explore what could possibly be true.
DEDUCTIVE THINKING
Deductive thinking, also called deductive logic, is the process of reasoning from one or more general statements (premises) to reach a logically certain conclusion. Deductive reasoning is one of the two basic forms of valid reasoning. It begins with a general hypothesis or known fact and creates a specific conclusion from that generalization.
INDUCTIVE THINKING
Inductive thinking is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates general propositions that are derived from specific examples. Inductive reasoning contrasts deductive reasoning, in which specific examples are derived from general propositions.
CRITICAL THINKING
The process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion. Disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded and informed by evidence, willingness to integrate new or revised perspectives into our ways of thinking and acting. The objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.
Critical Thinking is an important element of all professional fields and academic disciplines.
DESIGN THINKING
Design Thinking is a formal method of practical, creative resolution of problems and creation of solutions, with the intent of an improved future result. In this regard it is a form of solution-based or solution-focused thinking.
Design thinking is to architecture what the scientific method is to scientific experimentation. The scientific method consists of asking a question, gathering background information about the question, forming a hypothesis based on the background information, testing the hypothesis by carrying out a controlled experiment in which a small number of variables are manipulated, and then reaching a conclusion based on analysis of the data. The design thinking revolves around a solution, unlike the scientific method, which revolves around a question, also called a problem. Whereas the scientific method revolves around analysis, design thinking revolves around synthesis.
