Concrete Thinking
Concrete Thinking - Related Videos
08:31
Effects of Thinking Abstractly or Concretely on Self-control
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2023
Source: Diego Reinero & Jay Van Bavel—New York University Whether it's refraining from having a second serving of ice cream, studying instead of attending a fun party, or deciding to put money away in a savings account, sacrificing short-term outcomes in favor of long-term outcomes (i.e., delaying gratification) is a central tenant of self-control. When people apply self control, they engage numerous psychological processes to help them achieve their goal. These self-regulatory processes...
08:34
Thinking Too Much Impairs Decision-Making
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2023
Source: Peter Mende-Siedlecki & Jay Van Bavel—New York University When we are considering a tough choice between two or more attractive options, we often end up actively weighing the pros and cons of each alternative. By reflecting on their advantages and disadvantages, we attempt to fit a complex, subjective decision into an orderly set of criteria. However, research in psychology suggests that this sort of introspective approach might not always yield the most optimal outcomes.1 In other...
11:23
Tests on Fresh Concrete
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2017
Source: Roberto Leon, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Concrete consists of two phases, a cement paste phase comprised of cement, water, and air, and an aggregate phase comprised of coarse and fine aggregates. There are two key considerations when designing a concrete mix. First, the concrete must be workable and easy to cast in the forms in its fresh condition, even when the forms are packed with steel reinforcement. In this condition, it is the...
10:09
Tests of Hardened Concrete in Tension
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2023
Source: Roberto Leon, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA In a previous laboratory focused on concrete in compression, we observed that concrete can withstand very large stresses under uniaxial compressive forces. However, the failures observed were not compressive failures but failures along shear planes where maximum tensile forces occur. Thus, it is important to understand the behavior of concrete in tension and particularly its maximum strength...
06:45
Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
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2017
This protocol was designed to test the activation and pursuit of cognitive goals (e.g., an abstract thinking goal) using the task interruption and resumption paradigm. The protocol is suitable for cognitive goals that are automatically pursued once activated, as the distraction procedure prevents goal pursuit during the interruption period.
FAQs
Concrete thinking prioritizes information that can be directly observed or experienced, so interpretation stays close to the immediate situation. This emphasis can make specific examples easier to understand than statements requiring inference, metaphor, or hypothetical reasoning. In psychological analysis, that pattern helps clarify how a person is processing information, rather than treating all reasoning as a single ability.
Abstract reasoning links ideas beyond what is immediately present, whereas concrete thinking relies on literal meanings and observable facts. Consequently, a metaphor, broad generalization, or hypothetical relationship may require a different level of interpretation than a statement describing a tangible event. This contrast gives psychologists a way to examine qualitative differences in reasoning and communication.
Concrete thinking must be interpreted in relation to cognitive development. A pattern may reflect a normal developmental stage rather than a problem, while a change in reasoning may carry different significance in neuropsychological or clinical evaluation. Considering developmental context prevents psychologists from assigning the same meaning to similar responses across all people and situations.
Psychologists can consider concrete thinking when evaluating reasoning abilities in neuropsychological assessment. The relevant focus is how a person interprets language and events: whether responses remain tied to literal, observable information or extend toward inference and broader relationships. This perspective contributes to assessment of cognitive functioning, while interpretation still depends on developmental and clinical context.
Instruction can be tailored by emphasizing direct sensory information, tangible experiences, and specific examples when those forms of information are most accessible to a learner. This approach connects teaching with the learner’s processing style instead of relying only on abstraction. In psychology and education, such tailoring may support clearer communication and make expectations easier to interpret.
Clinical communication benefits from recognizing whether a person is interpreting language literally or drawing on metaphor and inference. Practitioners can adjust explanations toward observable situations and specific examples when needed, then use the person’s responses as part of a broader evaluation. The same pattern may also help distinguish an established developmental characteristic from a change requiring further clinical attention.
It provides a framework for studying how reasoning changes across cognitive development and how it appears in neuropsychological assessment and clinical practice. Researchers can examine the relationship between literal interpretation, observable information, and broader reasoning demands. This makes the concept useful for comparing developmental patterns with cognitive changes associated with neurological or psychiatric conditions.