Examples of Analytical Thinking

The analytical thinking It is a type of reasoning focused on the deconstruction of information into smaller, more agile and easier to handle categories, in order to obtain conclusions or find solutions to problems that, at first glance, are very complex.

In that sense, it is a way of thinking linked to deductive and inductive logic, the language and the communication, research and data processing, as it allows us to create more manageable representations of a complicated reality. It is a form of reasoning very focused on the structure and internal and external organization. of things, useful for classifying, making decisions, solving problems or formulating hypothesis.

To a certain extent, analytical thinking is similar to what is understood by linear or vertical thinking, since it manifests itself in a sequential, orderly, decisive and problem-focused manner. However, for many authors, analytical thinking is a much more comprehensive concept, which takes place according to three well-defined steps or phases:

In school we are taught analytical thinking, only without using this name, and in fact it is a talent much needed for most professions and trades contemporaries. Thinking analytically is something that can be learned, but it requires, like many other forms of reasoning, practice for its consolidation.

Analytical Thinking Examples

Some examples of analytical thinking are as follows:

1. repairing a car. The mechanic must review the parts that make up the circuit in which the fault occurs and verify that each element works correctly, advancing sequentially until finding the defective element and for replace it. With the new part in place, the car should run fine.
2. Correcting a health defect through surgery. Physicians must first study the set of related parts of the body, until the cause of the discomfort is identified, and then design an action plan that This can be: remove the defective part (such as the appendix), replace it with a prosthesis or a donated organ, or reshape the structure to compensate for the flaw.
3. Cataloging of books in a library. The person in charge of the task must design or look for an adequate criterion to satisfy the particular needs of that specific library, placing a number of shelves in which will distribute the books according to a theme, first, and a name, second, establishing a logic that allows you to quickly find the title you need.
4. Improving the production of a factory. The employee must review the different departments that intervene in his production chain to ensure that they operate properly. This study of the flow of raw materials on their way to becoming manufactured products will eventually hit the "bottleneck" that slows down the process, and once identified, can be resolved through the redistribution of resources within the system of the factory.

References:

• "Analytical Thinking" by Linda Elder and Richard Paul at The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
• "What is analytical thinking?" in Crehana.
• “Analytical skill”in Wikipedia (in English).
• “Analytical Thinking”in Matter.
• “Analytical Thinking”in Chicago State University (USA).

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