What is abstract reasoning and how to train it?

Abstract reasoning is possibly what allows human beings to be as we know them today. Language, the ability to make plans and many other skills have to do with this facet of our mind.

In this article we will see what exactly is abstract reasoning, what are the areas of the brain most directly involved in it, and how to train it.

• Related article: "The 9 types of thought and their characteristics"

What is abstract reasoning?

A definition of what abstract reasoning is could be the following. It is the set of cognitive operations based on the reorganization of abstract concepts, carried out in order to produce new information in the form of a conclusion.

Thus, it is a type of private behavior (it is not easily observable by another person without the appropriate measurement instruments) in which the concepts with which one works are highly abstract. However… What exactly does it mean that a concept is abstract? Let's see it.

abstract concepts

Although we normally associate the idea of ​​"concept" with the use of language, the truth is that non-human animals deprived of the ability to use language also think using as raw material the concepts. A concept is, ultimately, a more or less simple memory based on a past experience, which leaves in 

brain a kind of information that can be used to explain other situations.

For example, a baby is able to recognize by touch an object that she had only seen before, not touched, since that her memory of his image serves to create a mental representation of her shape in three dimensions. That representation of the object, which arrives through the visual sensory modality but which serves to generate other types of representations, is a concept.

Something similar happens with the learning mode of animals. For example, what happens when a predator smells a certain type of prey has to do with concepts: in this case, the representation is an organism with several characteristics, among which is that certain smell and possibly the taste of its meat. Similarly, many living things are capable of think from the concept of quantity, knowing that the unit is less than the pair, etc.

However, neither the concepts with which babies think nor those used by the vast majority of animals are themselves abstract concepts. Because? Because they are not based on abstract properties of objects, landscapes and living beings that have been perceived through the senses.

Such simple concepts give information about sensory characteristics easily. verifiable, such as shape, color, texture or danger to oneself, but they do not inform about aspects less tied to the earthly, such as attitudes, the genus to which a species belongs, etc. In short, it is not based on subtle properties that can be indirectly attributed to other things.

Different degrees of cognitive complexity

There are concepts that are more abstract than others, and for this very reason, there are abstract reasonings that are also more abstract than others.

For example, the concept of border is abstract because it does not tell us much about the physical properties of an object or living being, but the platonic love it is even more abstract, because it cannot even be represented by a shape (in the case of the border, that shape could be a line) without many compromises. Thus, reasoning from the idea of ​​what a border is is not the same as using the ideas of the famous Greek philosopher.

Definitely, abstraction is a relative property. Basically, the abstract is that which in itself we do not perceive directly, but which time we can see "incarnated" in what surrounds us: sympathy, minimalism, coarseness, etc

The utility of abstract reasoning

A greater capacity for abstract reasoning gives us a greater number of options by which we adapt to changes. After all, it is an aptitude closely related to the intelligence.

Creating new information from sensory data is a task that is largely handled by abstract reasoning. Consider, for example, the process by which a new business idea is discovered.

First of all, an unmet need is discovered in a certain type of environment, or a personal or organizational strength is discovered that allows the development of a new line of products or services. In addition, you have to think about the logistics that will be used for it, and see if it will be viable.

Later you think about the type of skills that are necessary to make this initiative prosper and recruit the right people to work on it. In later phases, the details related to marketing are finalized, and it is necessary to create an image that transmits both the sensations that must be expressed by what is offered as well as the philosophy of company.

All of these steps require detailed future planning, and use language carefully and the concepts linked to mathematics to be able to create strategies and coordinate several people who will need to work in unison. In short, from a simple intuition, or a quick review of the type of products available on the market, we imagine a situation that we could reach and we begin to mentally build the type of situations that should occur in order to reach the goal. aim.

Its neurological bases

Abstract reasoning relies on all kinds of mental processes, since being so complex requires the participation of many areas of the brainespecially the cerebral cortex. However, there are some brain structures that are more related to this type of operation than to others.

The main parts of the brain involved in abstract reasoning are the frontal lobes of the two cerebral hemispheres, on the one hand, and the associative cortex for the other.

The frontal lobe is a region of the nervous system that is responsible for planning and the establishment of goals in the medium and long term, something necessary to go beyond the impulses of the moment and therefore begin to think about future situations, for which abstract concepts are indispensable.

Second, the associative cortex is what allows abstract concepts to exist. Its main function is to make the different impressions left by external stimuli (be they visual, auditory or any other sensory modality) create the mental representation of qualities that we can attribute to several of these stimuli but that at the same time are not the stimulus itself. In short, abstract concepts are concepts of other concepts.

Together, these brain structures explain much of what has made humans distinguishable from other animals. However, it must not be forgotten that abstract reasoning does not simply emanate from the brain, but rather depends on learning. Exposing ourselves to stimulating situations is essential to improve our chances of adapting to change.

How to train it?

Here are some helpful activities to get used to using abstract reasoning:

• Participate in discussions.
• Detect logical fallacies.
• Practice mental calculation.
• train in philosophy.
• Find script holes in series or movies.