Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsExamplesHow It DevelopsUsesImpactTips

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Examples

How It Develops

Uses

Impact

Tips

Close

Abstract thinking, also known as abstract reasoning, involves the ability to understand and think about complex concepts that, while real, are not tied to concrete experiences, objects, people, or situations.

Abstract thinking is considered a type of higher-order thinking, usually about ideas and principles that are often symbolic or hypothetical. This type of thinking is more complex than the type of thinking that is centered on memorizing and recalling information and facts.

Examples of Abstract Thinking

Examples of abstract concepts include ideas such as:

While these things are real, they aren’t concrete, physical things that people can experience directly via their traditional senses.

You likely encounter examples of abstract thinking every day. Stand-up comedians use abstract thinking when they observe absurd or illogical behavior in our world and come up with theories as to why people act the way they do.

You use abstract thinking when you’re in a philosophy class or when you’re contemplating what would be the most ethical way to conduct your business. If you write a poem or an essay, you’re also using abstract thinking.

With all of these examples, concepts that are theoretical and intangible are being translated into a joke, a decision, or a piece of art. (You’ll notice that creativity and abstract thinking go hand in hand.)

Abstract Thinking vs. Concrete Thinking

One way of understanding abstract thinking is to compare it with concrete thinking. Concrete thinking, also called concrete reasoning, is tied to specific experiences or objects that can be observed directly.

Research suggests that concrete thinkers tend to focus more on the procedures involved in how a task should be performed, while abstract thinkers are more focused on the reasons why a task should be performed.

It is important to remember that you need both concrete and abstract thinking skills tosolve problemsin day-to-day life. In many cases, you utilize aspects of both types of thinking to come up with solutions.

Problem-Solving Strategies and Obstacles

Other Types of Thinking

Depending on the type of problem we face, we draw from a number of different styles of thinking, such as:

How Abstract Thinking Develops

While abstract thinking is an essential skill, it isn’t something that people are born with. Instead, this cognitive ability develops throughout the course of childhood as children gain new abilities, knowledge, and experiences.

The psychologistJean Piagetdescribed a theory of cognitive development that outlined this process from birth through adolescence and early adulthood. According to his theory, children go through four distinct stages of intellectual development:

This period of cognitive development when abstract thinking becomes more apparent typically begins around age 12. It is at this age that children become more skilled at thinking about things from the perspective of another person. They are also better able to mentally manipulate abstract ideas as well as notice patterns and relationships between these concepts.

Uses of Abstract Thinking

Abstract thinking is a skill that is essential for the ability to think critically and solve problems. This type of thinking is also related to what is known asfluid intelligence, or the ability to reason and solve problems in unique ways.

Fluid intelligence involves thinking abstractly about problems without relying solely on existing knowledge.

Abstract thinking is used in a number of ways in different aspects of your daily life. Some examples of times you might use this type of thinking:

Research also suggests that abstract thinking plays a role in the actions people take. Abstract thinkers have been found to be more likely to engage in risky behaviors, where concrete thinkers are more likely to avoid risks.

Impact of Abstract Thinking

People who have strong abstract thinking skills tend to score well on intelligence tests. Because this type of thinking is associated with creativity, abstract thinkers also tend to excel in areas that require creativity such as art, writing, and other areas that benefit from divergent thinking abilities.

Abstract thinking can have both positive and negative effects. It can be used as a tool to promote innovative problem-solving, but it can also lead to problems in some cases:

Conditions That Impact Abstract Thinking

The presence of learning disabilities and mental health conditions can affect abstract thinking abilities. Conditions that are linked to impaired abstract thinking skills include:

The natural aging process can also have an impact on abstract thinking skills. Research suggests that the thinking skills associated with fluid intelligence peak around the ages of 30 or 40 and begin to decline with age.

Tips for Reasoning Abstractly

Some strategies that you might use to help improve your abstract thinking skills:

How Cognitive Reframing Works

Abstract thinking allows people to think about complex relationships, recognize patterns, solve problems, and utilize creativity. While some people tend to be naturally better at this type of reasoning, it is a skill that you can learn to utilize and strengthen with practice.

It is important to remember that both concrete and abstract thinking are skills that you need to solve problems and function successfully.

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gilead M, Liberman N, Maril A.From mind to matter: neural correlates of abstract and concrete mindsets.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2014;9(5):638-45. doi: 10.1093/scan/nst031American Psychological Association.Creative thinking.American Psychological Association.Convergent thinking.American Psychological Association.Critical thinking.American Psychological Association.Divergent thinking.Lermer E, Streicher B, Sachs R, Raue M, Frey D.The effect of abstract and concrete thinking on risk-taking behavior in women and men.SAGE Open. 2016;6(3):215824401666612. doi:10.1177/2158244016666127Namkoong J-E, Henderson MD.Responding to causal uncertainty through abstract thinking.Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2019;28(6):547-551. doi:10.1177/0963721419859346White R, Wild J.“Why” or “How”: the effect of concrete versus abstract processing on intrusive memories following analogue trauma.Behav Ther. 2016;47(3):404-415. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2016.02.004Williams DL, Mazefsky CA, Walker JD, Minshew NJ, Goldstein G.Associations between conceptual reasoning, problem solving, and adaptive ability in high-functioning autism.J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Nov;44(11):2908-20. doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2190-yOh J, Chun JW, Joon Jo H, Kim E, Park HJ, Lee B, Kim JJ.The neural basis of a deficit in abstract thinking in patients with schizophrenia.Psychiatry Res. 2015;234(1):66-73. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.08.007Hartshorne JK, Germine LT.When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span.Psychol Sci.2015;26(4):433-43. doi:10.1177/0956797614567339

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gilead M, Liberman N, Maril A.From mind to matter: neural correlates of abstract and concrete mindsets.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2014;9(5):638-45. doi: 10.1093/scan/nst031American Psychological Association.Creative thinking.American Psychological Association.Convergent thinking.American Psychological Association.Critical thinking.American Psychological Association.Divergent thinking.Lermer E, Streicher B, Sachs R, Raue M, Frey D.The effect of abstract and concrete thinking on risk-taking behavior in women and men.SAGE Open. 2016;6(3):215824401666612. doi:10.1177/2158244016666127Namkoong J-E, Henderson MD.Responding to causal uncertainty through abstract thinking.Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2019;28(6):547-551. doi:10.1177/0963721419859346White R, Wild J.“Why” or “How”: the effect of concrete versus abstract processing on intrusive memories following analogue trauma.Behav Ther. 2016;47(3):404-415. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2016.02.004Williams DL, Mazefsky CA, Walker JD, Minshew NJ, Goldstein G.Associations between conceptual reasoning, problem solving, and adaptive ability in high-functioning autism.J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Nov;44(11):2908-20. doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2190-yOh J, Chun JW, Joon Jo H, Kim E, Park HJ, Lee B, Kim JJ.The neural basis of a deficit in abstract thinking in patients with schizophrenia.Psychiatry Res. 2015;234(1):66-73. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.08.007Hartshorne JK, Germine LT.When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span.Psychol Sci.2015;26(4):433-43. doi:10.1177/0956797614567339

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Gilead M, Liberman N, Maril A.From mind to matter: neural correlates of abstract and concrete mindsets.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2014;9(5):638-45. doi: 10.1093/scan/nst031American Psychological Association.Creative thinking.American Psychological Association.Convergent thinking.American Psychological Association.Critical thinking.American Psychological Association.Divergent thinking.Lermer E, Streicher B, Sachs R, Raue M, Frey D.The effect of abstract and concrete thinking on risk-taking behavior in women and men.SAGE Open. 2016;6(3):215824401666612. doi:10.1177/2158244016666127Namkoong J-E, Henderson MD.Responding to causal uncertainty through abstract thinking.Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2019;28(6):547-551. doi:10.1177/0963721419859346White R, Wild J.“Why” or “How”: the effect of concrete versus abstract processing on intrusive memories following analogue trauma.Behav Ther. 2016;47(3):404-415. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2016.02.004Williams DL, Mazefsky CA, Walker JD, Minshew NJ, Goldstein G.Associations between conceptual reasoning, problem solving, and adaptive ability in high-functioning autism.J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Nov;44(11):2908-20. doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2190-yOh J, Chun JW, Joon Jo H, Kim E, Park HJ, Lee B, Kim JJ.The neural basis of a deficit in abstract thinking in patients with schizophrenia.Psychiatry Res. 2015;234(1):66-73. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.08.007Hartshorne JK, Germine LT.When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span.Psychol Sci.2015;26(4):433-43. doi:10.1177/0956797614567339

Gilead M, Liberman N, Maril A.From mind to matter: neural correlates of abstract and concrete mindsets.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2014;9(5):638-45. doi: 10.1093/scan/nst031

American Psychological Association.Creative thinking.

American Psychological Association.Convergent thinking.

American Psychological Association.Critical thinking.

American Psychological Association.Divergent thinking.

Lermer E, Streicher B, Sachs R, Raue M, Frey D.The effect of abstract and concrete thinking on risk-taking behavior in women and men.SAGE Open. 2016;6(3):215824401666612. doi:10.1177/2158244016666127

Namkoong J-E, Henderson MD.Responding to causal uncertainty through abstract thinking.Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2019;28(6):547-551. doi:10.1177/0963721419859346

White R, Wild J.“Why” or “How”: the effect of concrete versus abstract processing on intrusive memories following analogue trauma.Behav Ther. 2016;47(3):404-415. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2016.02.004

Williams DL, Mazefsky CA, Walker JD, Minshew NJ, Goldstein G.Associations between conceptual reasoning, problem solving, and adaptive ability in high-functioning autism.J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Nov;44(11):2908-20. doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2190-y

Oh J, Chun JW, Joon Jo H, Kim E, Park HJ, Lee B, Kim JJ.The neural basis of a deficit in abstract thinking in patients with schizophrenia.Psychiatry Res. 2015;234(1):66-73. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.08.007

Hartshorne JK, Germine LT.When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span.Psychol Sci.2015;26(4):433-43. doi:10.1177/0956797614567339

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?