Associative thinking is a process in which various images appear in a person's head associated with a specific situation or symbol. This type of thinking was considered by various psychologists and psychoanalysts, and Sigmund Freud even applied it in his methods of psychotherapy.
Instructions
Step 1
With associative thinking, various images appear in a person's memory, each of which is to some extent individual: it is generated by the subconscious and experience. That is why the images entail each other, and the chain of them turns out to be unique for each person, even if at first there are several standard stereotypical associations.
Step 2
It is associative thinking that is the basis of the creative process that takes place in a person's head. This thinking is characteristic of everyone, regardless of age, gender, nationality, beliefs, and so on. Children have no problem using associative thinking. An example of this can easily be the child's ability to play with any object, endowing it with fictional properties. Children's imagination creates much more interesting and unusual toys than any factory producing them.
Step 3
Since the social structure, which is human society, is based on some stereotypical behaviors, in the process of growing up a person assimilates them. This happens, starting from the earliest childhood, but is not limited to it. Thanks to such processes, associative thinking in people begins to be based not only on their own experience, but also on what they have learned, that is, a certain set of associations common to all people appears. They are called stereotypes. Despite the widespread negative attitude towards stereotypes, without their existence it would be impossible to imagine human society.
Step 4
Associative thinking is very important for the work of the brain, since it is on this ability that memory and the ability to generate ideas are based, including for the formation of one's own life. Creativity is not only the creation of any work of art, successful or not, the whole life of a person is based on creativity. We can say that life is the main creative process for a person. That is why various knowledge that can help form new images and ideas helps people to arrange their lives in the best possible way.
Step 5
The peculiarity of associative thinking is that it can be continuously developed and improved, which allows you to expand your potential. Working on this is especially important for representatives of the creative professions, but it won't hurt everyone else either. Various exercises contribute to the development of associative thinking. For example, the simplest thing is to create chains of associations. You just take any word or situation, and then have time to write down what associations will pop up in your head. Another good exercise is finding an association path. You need to take two words and write a path from associations between them. Any exercise that involves working with associations will help develop this type of thinking.
