AnnaMarie Houlis
If you’re someone who tends to consider the hard facts, you’re probably a concrete thinker. You make assumptions, conclusions and calls based on the information you have at hand.
That information can come from your five senses. What you see, hear, touch, smell or taste can help you reason. That’s why concrete thinking is often called literal thinking.
Here’s what to know about concrete thinking compared to other types of thinking and how it develops.
Concrete vs. Abstract Thinking
What is concrete thinking vs. abstract thinking? They’re opposites.
While a concrete thinker absorbs information exactly as it’s presented to them, an abstract thinker will look outside the box.
An abstract thinker may consider concepts that are more philosophical in nature, or they make more generalizations. They can take the information from those senses—what they see, hear, feel and more—and make greater connections to the wider world.
You need to be able to think concretely before you can think abstractly. After all, you cannot dive deeper into a thought before first taking it for what it is. Only then can you unpack it. That’s why abstract thinking is considered a more sophisticated reasoning skill that requires more time and effort for some people than for others.
Abstract thinking can be helpful when you need to be creative, think critically, solve problems, analyze situations, formulate theories, understand bigger pictures and put things in perspective.
Examples of Concrete Thinking
Here are three examples of concrete thinking.
Concrete Thinking Example 1
An example of concrete thinking is taking figurative language literally. A child in school might ask their teacher if they can use the bathroom, and the teacher might tell them that they can “quickly run to the bathroom” before the next exercise. If that student is a concrete thinker (or just a class clown), they might literally get up and run to the bathroom.
Concrete Thinking Example 2
Another example of concrete thinking is considering hard facts about something, but nothing beyond those facts. You might look at flowers in a garden—say, carnations and tulips—and concretely think to yourself that all of the flowers have pink petals. While that’s correct, you don’t necessarily dig deeper than that. You neglect to note other commonalities that aren’t so ostensibly clear—like that those two particular flowers are spring-specific blooms. That’s because you only absorb the information that’s directly in front of you: They’re pink.
Concrete Thinking Example 3
A third example of concrete thinking is making a list of everything you have to do in a day. You are looking at the needs of the day, and writing them down. Abstract thinking, on the other hand, might entail prioritizing those needs because you’re able to consider why they’re important and how doing one task before another, or vice versa, might impact your overall day.
How Concrete Thinking Develops
Concrete thinking develops over time.
Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget, has largely looked into the ways in which children’s thinking abilities change as the years pass. Here’s how Piaget says our thinking breaks down—from childhood to adulthood.
Ages 1 to 5
Piaget believes that, from birth until about the age of two, babies and toddlers think concretely. They use just their five senses and their basic motor skills to navigate the newness all around them.
From about two to seven, kids start developing the ability to think symbolically. While they cannot quite think abstractly just yet, they learn that some things can be representative of other things. For example, the sound of a siren no longer simply sounds loud; now, the sound of a siren can symbolize a fire or something hazardous.
Ages 7 to 12
By the age of about seven, until the age of about 11, kids start to develop their logical reasoning skills. Around the time that they turn 12, they start to expand into abstract thinking, but that takes time.
Teenage Years
Throughout teenage years is when abstract thinking really starts to kick in—and that’s, in part, due to education. In school, students are often tasked with assignments that require them to use and strengthen their abstract thinking skills.
For example, many math problems are abstract. Similarly, learning languages requires abstract thinking as you have to make generalizations about grammar rules and learn figurative speech. Meanwhile, subjects like history and philosophy demand abstract thinking about social issues and patterns of human behavior. And science is a lot about hypothesizing and theorizing.
Adulthood
It’s in adulthood that our abstract thinking skills are the strongest. That’s because we have real-world experiences to draw on to make judgements and think deeper.
Conditions that Can Affect Abstract Thinking
While abstract thinking generally develops as we age, some people live with conditions that can affect their abstract thinking skills. For example, some conditions that impact thinking include the following:
- Autism – Researchers have found that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder may struggle with conceptual reasoning and problem solving.
- Schizophrenia – Studies have found that “abnormal abstract thinking is a major cause of social dysfunction” in patients with schizophrenia.
- Brain traumas – Injuries to the brain and prenatal exposure to drugs and alcohol may also impact various areas of the brain that control the way we think.
- Dementia – People who live with dementia may have tougher times understanding certain concepts—like what numbers are and how to use them.
Pros and Cons of Abstract Thinking
There are obvious benefits to abstract thinking. It can lead to increases in the following:
- Creativity
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to assess and analyze situations
- Empathy
- Improvision
But too much abstract thinking can also take a toll on one’s mental health. For example, abstract thinking can cause you to overanalyze and/or overgeneralize, which lead to the following:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Indecision
- Inability to detach
10 Ways to Improve Your Abstract Thinking
While there are pros and cons to abstract thinking, it’s an invaluable skill that can help you both personally and professionally. And, even if it doesn’t come easy to you, there are ways to improve it.
- Use art to explore your imagination.
- Incorporate metaphors, similes and analogies in your language.
- Reframe problems in new ways.
- Continue to ask “why.”
- Look for patterns or themes that could create a bigger picture.
- Talk to other people to stimulate creativity and share diverse thoughts.
- Practice writing poetry to help you explain topics in more colorful language.
- Journal regularly to help your creativity flow easier.
- Read the works of abstract thinkers like existentialist philosophers and writers.
- Notice when you’re thinking concretely, and try to consciously reframe your thoughts more abstractly.
One surefire way to improve abstract thinking is by improving your memory. The Dorothy memory app can help you better understand (and remember!) new information, so you can start to consider it in new ways over time.