Some Basic Processes in

Thinking
AnAlytical skills and creative thinking
Fokhruz Zaman, ZUMS, 3rd April, 2022

1
 Basic processes
1. Broad/specific
2. Projection
3. Attention directing
4. Recognition and fit
5. Movement and Alternatives

2
Basic Process in
**STeps** 6 Thinking Hats
Thinking
Broad & TO WHITE
Specific
RED
LO
Projection
BLACK
Attention
PO
directing YELLOW
SO
Recognition
and fit GREEN
GO
Movement & BLUE
Alternatives
3
01 Broad & specific
concept
4
5
 ● 2 hawks. One has
clear vision, other is
short sighted
● Prey: Frog, mice and
lizard
● One focuses only on
frog
SCENARIO 1: ● Other focuses on any
small change

6
 ● Completing the
circuit.
● 97% can’t complete
due to lack of wire.
● 3% completed the
circuit a connector.

SCENARIO 2:

7
● Move from the detail by focusing on the general aspects and again go
back.
● This ability to move from the detail to the general is sometimes called
abstraction.
● Consider broad terms while looking for the solution to a problem at
first.
● Then proceed to narrow down the broad to something specific.

8
02 Projection
Imagining and Visioning Thinking
Skill

9
 ● Projection means
running something
forward in your mind.
● Projection means
imagining.
● Projection means
visualizing.
What is Projection?

10
 ‘What would happen if all public transport were to be free?’

‘What would happen if a block of ice floating in a glass of water

melted? Would the level of water in the glass go up, go down or
remain the same?’

- What you project might be wrong. Thus you should be willing to

accept that wrong and remain open to feedback and criticism.

11
03 Attention
Directing
A very useful explicit Thought
Focusing Process

12
 ● Explorer reports on a
smoking volcano and
a bird that could not
fly
● He was sent back
with N-S-E-W
instruction
● What is N-S-E-W
Attention Directing instruction?

13
 Attention flow occurs 1. What catches our
in three ways: interest or emotional
involvement at the
moment.
2. Habits of attention
established through
experience and
practice.
3. A more or less
Attention Directing
haphazard drift from
one point to another.
14
Cognitive Research 1. Most practical
thinking takes place
Trust Thinking is a skill in the perception
that can be developed. stage.
2. Other People’s Views
(OPV): Asks the
thinker to direct their
attention to the views
CoRT Thinking
of the other people
Programme involved.

15
All inquiries serve as attention-getting strategies. We might easily exclude
the word "questions" and instead invite them to focus their attention on
certain topics.

The important process of analysis is an ‘attention-directing instruction’.

- ‘Direct your attention to the component parts making up this situation.’

- ‘Direct your attention to the parts making up a skateboard.’
- ‘Direct your attention to the various factors involved in the effectiveness
of a police operation.’

16
Comparison is another fundamental ‘attention-directing instruction’.

- ‘Direct your attention to the points of similarity between these two

proposals.’
- ‘Direct your attention to the points of similarity and the points of
difference between the two types of packaging.’
- ‘Compare these two microwave ovens. Direct your attention to how they
compare on price, capacity, reputation of maker, service, etc.’
- ‘Direct your attention to the relative advantages and disadvantages of
these two routes to the seaside.’

17
 Another form of ‘attention-directing’ is the request to focus on some
aspect of a situation.

- ‘I want you to focus on the political effect of raising the tax on diesel oil.’
- ‘I want you to focus on the security arrangements at the banquet.’
- ‘I want you to focus on who is going to exercise this dog you want to buy.’
- ‘I want you to focus on the benefits of going to a technical college.’

18
The focusing in 6THT is 1. Indicates a
singular attention on
obtained by an external the values and
framework. benefits of the
scenario under
review.
2. Suggests a
singular emphasis on
Six Thinking Hats
the risks, issues,
framework downsides, and
warning signs.
19
04 Recognition and
Fit
Pattern Recognition - the Brain’s
“SWOT” Tool …
20
 A child’s activity toy is a
box or board with various
shaped holes in it. The
child must place different
shaped blocks or pieces
into the various shaped
holes. Some fit, while
Recognition & Fit others do not.
Case 1:

21
 The brain organizes
experience self into patterns.
That is why we are able to
dress in the morning.
Otherwise, we'd have to look
into the 39,816,800 different
methods to get dressed with
only 11 pieces of clothes. We
Recognition & Fit couldn't accomplish anything
Case 2: meaningful at work if we
didn't have patterns.

22
 Someone is approaching you
from a distance. You have no
reason to anticipate a
specific person. As the
person approaches, you
begin to suspect that you
may recognize her. When she
draws close, you know:
Recognition & Fit recognition ‘clicks,’ and there
Case 3: is a ‘fit.’

23
 Human Brain is superb 1. We seek to fit things
in pattern recognition! into the appropriate
pattern.
2. We seek to use the
boxes and definitions
derived from
experience.
3. And when something
matches our
Recognition & Fit
recognition, it “clicks”.

24
 1. But, when we trap our
recognition in the
wrong box- it is
dangerous.
2. So it’s important to
note the value — or
danger — of that
recognition.
Recognition and Fit

25
05 Movement and
Alternatives
Water Logic - flowing with ideas;
movement creates value
26
In a provocation, we can ‘Movement’ simply
put up something means “How do you
completely outside of our move forward from a
experience, and even certain position?’
contradictory to our
experience. In its most extreme form
movement is used along
with provocation as one
Movement and of the basic techniques
Alternatives… of lateral (creative)
thinking.
27
 As an example, we could
state, ‘Cars should have
square wheels.’ Judgement
would tell us that this is
nonsense: it is structurally
unstable; it would consume
more fuel; it would shake to
bits; speed would be severely
Movement and restricted; huge power would
be required; the ride would
Alternatives… be quite uncomfortable, and
so on.
28
 Judgement is concerned
with past experience
whereas creativity is
concerned with future
possibility.

So we should move on by
imagining the square wheel
rolling (the projection
process).
Continued… This leads to the idea of
‘active’ or ‘intelligent
suspension’,
29
 Movement can include association. We move from one idea to an
association.

Movement can include drift or day-dreaming, in which ideas just follow

one another.

The importance of exploring additional options is self-evident.

The first option is not always the best option.

A variety of options helps us to compare and evaluate them before

deciding on the best one.

Movement is a very broad process and overlaps with other processes.

30
 In water logic, we notice
the natural flow from
one concept to the next.
The more deliberate
method of movement
seeks to bring about
movement from one
Movement and thought to another.

Alternatives:
Water Logic
31
The whole of thinking is an effort to get ‘movement’ in a useful direction.

We use many devices for that purpose.

‘Where do we go to from here?’

‘What alternatives are there?’

‘How do we get movement from this provocation?’

‘What follows?’

‘What idea comes to mind?’

32
 ‘Movement’ may be directed by an instruction or attention-directing
request.

We may instruct ourselves to direct attention to ‘other members of the

same class’.

So we move to these other members.

Movement is a very broad process and overlaps with other processes.

It could be said that the whole of thinking is an effort to get ‘movement’

in a useful direction.

We use many devices for that purpose.

33