Modern approaches to understanding thinking in psychology

Abstract

The interest to studying thinking dates back to the ancient times. Depending on the era and its cultural and historical features, thinking occupied a special place in disputes and discussions of various philosophers and scientists. In various historical periods thinking could be considered with an emphasis on the development of science and the leading disciplines of that time. Two thousand years ago psychology was considered the science of the soul, where thinking could not be defined and, for example, was considered as the activity of the ‘rational soul’, according to Aristotle. Since the 17th century psychology began to develop as a science of consciousness, which included the ability to feel, think and desire, due to the development of natural sciences. The leading method of research was observation of one’s own behavior and recording facts. In the 19th century, psychology became an independent science and at the same time the first psychological institutes and organizations were founded. The first experimental psychological laboratory was opened by W. Wundt in 1879 in Leipzig, and in 1885 V.M. Bekhterev created a similar laboratory in Russia. In the 20th century, psychology became the science of behavior. Through conducting experiments and observing them, it was possible to see different human behavior, reactions and actions. In the modern world, special attention is paid to the study of professional thinking. Among specialists who work in the ‘person-to-person’ field, which includes specialists in helping professions (doctors, teachers, psychologists, etc.), professionally important qualities such as empathy, reflection, selfregulation and others are of particular interest. The emphasis is on both theoretical knowledge in the practical field and on the specialists’ knowledge of themselves — their values, principles, reactions, behavior with other people and the reasons why people act in a certain way. Therefore, special attention is paid to how people behave, think and feel in their profession, which is analyzed in the study of professional thinking.