The 3 types of linear thinking

These are the different variants of linear thinking (or vertical thinking).

When we reason about a problem, we tend to use a simple and useful scheme most of the time. This way of thinking is known as linear thinking.

In the following we will see the details of this mental process to learn about the characteristics and types of linear thinkingand to know when we usually resort to this model.

What is linear thinking?

Linear thinking, also called vertical thinking, is a problem-solving method that uses the a method of problem solving used by the human mind on a regular basis.. This way of dealing with intellectual challenge requires several conditions.

First, of course, we must select the stimulus we are going to reason about. In addition, we will be analytical with respect to the variables of the problem at hand. Finally, another of the fundamental characteristics of linear thinking is that it is sequential. This scheme is based on the conscious and rational approach to the stimulus on which we are working.

The term linear or vertical thinking was coined by the psychologist Edward de Bono, in 1970, when he wrote about what it would be like to think in a linear way.when he wrote about what would be the counterpoint to this concept, lateral thinking. We will talk about it later. In his publications, de Bono distinguishes between linear and critical thinking because, although they have similarities, linear thinking implies that the person uses the method to find a solution to the problem.

When we apply this way of reasoning, we automatically select the relevant information for the resolution process, ignoring everything that is not useful to us. The object is to find the answer that fits most satisfactorily, once the sequence of thought has been carried out and the problem analyzed.

What is the practical application of linear thinking? As many as we can imagine. It is evident that the possibilities of human thought are infinite, therefore, the application of one of its methods will also be infinite, by definition.

How to learn to use linear thinking

Author Paul Sloane developed a famous method for children to develop and optimize their linear thinking.. This system is that of situational puzzles. It is a series of exercises in which a problem is always posed and then a series of solutions.

The point is that some of these solutions will be impossible, others will be possible and one in particular will be the most correct of all. The child is shown all of them and must decide which one to choose. This exercise has a dual function. On the one hand, the participant is developing the skill, not only in linear thinking but also in lateral thinking..

But also, the evaluator, who can be the teacher or another professional, can check in a graphic and simple way what is the predominant type of thinking in the child. These tests are designed to be used with children from 4 years of age, since this is the age when they discover that not all thoughts are always true and when they begin to use induction in their reasoning.

Therefore, it is then when they are enabled to perform a sequential thinking process, as required for linear thinking. According to Sloane, applying these types of exercises from an early age helps to mature thinking methods, brings emotional and social stability to the child, helps to reduce his aggressiveness and has a positive impact on his academic life..

Types of linear thinking (and their characteristics)

We already know the characteristics of this mental process and how it can be stimulated. Now we will try to discover the differences between the different types of linear thinking we can find.

We have seen that all linear thinking requires a process of analysis to then establish a series of steps in the procedure in which no mistake can be made. But within this framework, we find the following types.

1. Natural thinking

The first type of linear thinking that we are going to know is natural thinking. This way of reasoning is characterized by the fact that it appears spontaneously.. It is an impulsive way of thinking and therefore no type of operation is used during it.

2. Logical thinking

The next mode we encounter is logical thinking. This form of linear thinking establishes a sequence of reasoning in which a sequence of reasoning in which the individual faces disjunctive questions, in which he has to answer affirmatively or negatively to each question that arises, with the objective of finding a solution to the problem.The objective is to find a logical solution to the problem that has been posed.

3. Mathematical thinking

Finally, we have mathematical thinking. This is a more complex form of linear thinking and, in contrast to natural thinking, it bases all its functioning on the use of mathematical elements such as rules, symbols and even different algorithms.

How to measure linear thinking

All the types of linear thinking we have seen are developed in human beings during the school stage, continuously, since this is the time when people learn to reason logically. Now then... how do you do research on these kinds of psychological processes?

Of course, not all people make the same use of linear thinking.. We have already mentioned the existence of other modes of reasoning, such as lateral thinking, for example. In order to evaluate the degree to which a person makes use of this way of thinking. Let us review some of the tests that have been designed for this purpose.

1. Myers-Briggs type indicator

The Myers-Briggs test, or MBTI, studies the way in which an individual receives stimuli from his or her environment and makes decisions accordingly.. To achieve this objective, it uses four axes that are then combined with each other, giving rise to a grid with different possibilities that indicate in which of them exactly the subject who has taken the test is located.

The axes used by the MBTI and through which we can infer the degree to which the subject uses linear thinking are, firstly, extraversion and introversion, then intuition and sensation, thirdly, feeling and thinking, and finally, perceiving or judging. The axis that would carry the most weight for the question at hand is intuition-sensation. Subjects scoring higher on sensation would be more likely to use vertical thinking.

2. Learning and thinking styles

Another very useful tool for assessing the strength with which a person uses linear thinking is the learning and thinking styles tool, also called SO-LAT. Through the results of such a test, the evaluator can obtain information about whether the processes used by the subject are of a holistic type or, on the contrary, of an analytical type..

It would be, in fact, those of the analytical type that would allow us to infer that the individual is more likely to use linear thought processes than other modalities.

3. Linear and non-linear thinking style profile

The tests we have seen so far are useful to intuit to some extent the use of linear thinking, but they are not tools designed specifically for this task. For this reason, a group of researchers, led by Charles Vance, decided in 2007 to create a test that would evaluate exactly this question. This is how they designed the LNTSP, or Linear or Nonlinear Thinking Style Profile.

This tool is a Likert scale questionnaire made up of 74 itemsThanks to these, evaluators can obtain results that indicate the degree to which the subject is more inclined to make use of linear thinking or if, on the contrary, he/she has a greater tendency to take advantage of the resources offered by non-linear thinking, such as lateral thinking.

Linear vs. lateral thinking

We have mentioned several times lateral thinking, which would be a way of reasoning different from that which characterizes linear thinking. Lateral thinking, on the contrary, introduces into the reasoning system a creative component that breaks with the rigidity of the linear scheme.. It is a way of thinking that is not always based on logic, but requires imagination and the creation of mental scenarios in search of a solution.

The term lateral thinking, like linear thinking, comes from the publications of the aforementioned author, Edward de Bono. It is a concept that has gained enormous popularity, although it has also received some criticism. Some of the detractors of this approach claim that it is not a scientific concept, but a pseudoscientific one.

In any case, it would be the other end of the continuum between linear and nonlinear thinking, an axis on which all human beings move, although each one has a greater tendency to place himself or herself habitually at a particular point on this continuum.

Bibliographical references:

• De Bono, E., Zimbalist, E. (1970). Lateral thinking. Penguin Books.
• Sloane, P. (2010). How to be a brilliant thinker: exercise your mind and find creative solutions. KoganPage.
• Vance, C.M., Groves, K.S., Paik, Y., Kindler, H. (2007). Understanding and measuring linear–nonlinear thinking style for enhanced management education and professional practice. Academy of Management Learning & Education.