Definition
Analytical Thinking
Analytical thinking is a mode of cognition that begins by decomposing a problem into parts and then reasoning about those parts in a stepwise way.
It uses explicit representations, categories, and rules. It is closely related to reasoning and symbolic reasoning.
Features
- It favours local detail over global structure.
- It separates a problem into components for inspection.
- It is useful for proof, debugging, and planning.
- It often produces an explicit verbal explanation.
Contrast
Analytical thinking contrasts with gestalt thinking, which starts from the whole and the relations between parts.