Thinking

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Overview | Understanding thinking  | Cognitive processes (4) | Types of thinking (4) | Design guidance (2) | Pop. stats. (2)

Cognitive processes

Introduction | Perceiving | Working memory | Long-term memory

The brain serves many functions, a complete description of which are beyond the scope of this website. For understanding product interaction, the following are most significant

  • Perceiving involves processing to convert low-level senses, such as light, shade and colour into high-level perceptions such as objects, faces, and an overall understanding of the environment
  • Working memory describes the temporary storage used to process and rearrange all information with reference to perceptions of the current environment and long-term stored memories
  • Long-term memory describes the processes through which information encountered repeatedly in working memory can be learnt, stored indefinitely, and retrieved
  • Thinking includes attention, which refers to the function of working memory; visual thinking, which refers to the understanding and mental manipulation of visual information in the current environment; and verbal thinking, which refers to the conversion of speech, words and symbols into language, and the use of language to store and categorise memories
  • Acting involves processing to convert general intentions and movements into specific actions, in the form of sequenced instructions to muscles
Diagram linking perception of a product to memory, thinking, intentions and actions.

A schematic that depicts how the different processes involved with thinking relate to each other and to a product in the world