52
Chapter 2 Your Growth and Development
Thinking Abstractly
The development of thinking skills proceeds
through stages. Early thinking follows concrete
patterns. Concrete thinking is related to specific
objects that can be seen and touched. The school-
age child can think about a cup of water. If the
water is heated, rising steam can be seen by the
child. Thinking about water turning into steam is
an example of concrete thinking.
During the teen years, thinking patterns
involve more abstract ideas. Abstract ideas refer
to thoughts of something you cannot see, touch,
taste, smell, or hear. Love is an example of an
abstract idea. You cannot touch or taste it. You
cannot take it apart and examine it, but you can
think about it and experience it. Topics such as
love, happiness, friendship, loyalty, and bravery
are all abstract ideas.
Developing Logic
As young people mature, they begin to use
abstract ideas in a logical manner. This process
includes connecting several abstract ideas to
support a decision or build a viewpoint. For
instance, Doug wonders if he is in love. He likes
Erika and enjoys talking to her. He thinks she is
friendly and cute. He feels happy when she is
around and likes being with her. He concludes
that these feelings could be the beginning signs of
love. Doug has connected several thoughts about
love into a logical conclusion.
Developing Judgment
Maturity also brings an increase in the young
person’s ability to judge if a viewpoint is strong
or weak. New information may cause a change
in position. For instance, Doug gains some new
information about himself when Melissa stops by
his locker to talk. He learns that he likes talking
with her, too. She is friendly and interesting, like
Erika. After talking to Melissa, he begins to question
his first conclusion about his feelings for Erika.
Visualizing the Future
Thinking about the future and your place in
it is also part of formal thinking. Doug can think
about his future relationship with Erika. He can
consider his feelings for her now and how these
feelings may change over time. He can even
visualize Erika as his wife.
As you mature and develop, you learn to
organize and think about your ideas logically.
Your skill in visualizing your future will increase.
Your ability to predict the consequences of a
decision will improve. You will be able to make
judgments based on your past experiences by
using your maturing thought processes. This is
all part of growing.
What factors in your environment make it
hard to use mature thinking skills?
Link to Your Life
Reaching Intellectual
Maturity
Remember the use-it-or-lose-it principle of
brain development? The teen years are the time
to expand your knowledge base. You can do this
by reading more. Think about new ideas and
connect them to what you have already learned.
Expose yourself to developing as many new skills
as possible.
By learning and developing new skills, you
make use of your intelligence. This can help
you grow to intellectual maturity. There are
eight different types of intelligences, 2-5. Most
people possess all eight intelligences in varying
degrees. However, some will perform better than
others in certain areas. For instance, people with
more musical intelligence may excel in playing
instruments or writing music. Those with more
interpersonal intelligence may interact well with
all types of people. By seeking ways to use all
eight intelligences, you can reach your maximum
intellectual potential.
Examine the eight multiple intelligences
and then analyze your own preferences for
learning. What type of intelligence do you
think influences you the most?
Link to Your Life