2.1.1 Characterizing Thinking

The term "thinking" will be taken as referring to a set of processes whereby people assemble, use and revise internal symbolic models. These models may be intended to represent reality (as in science) or conceivable reality (as in fiction) or even be quite abstract with no particular interpretation intended (as in music or pure mathematics). Here, we will be mainly concerned with the first case, which is typical in problem ‑solving. Thinking directed toward problem‑solving may be regarded as exploring a symbolic model of the task to determine a course of action that should be the best (or at least be satisfactory). A symbolic model often enables the thinker to go far beyond the perceptually available information and to anticipate the outcomes of alternative actions without costly overt trial and error.