Thinking is the cognitive process of mentally manipulating information, concepts, and representations to solve problems, make decisions, form judgments, and generate ideas. It encompasses a broad range of mental activities including reasoning, imagining, remembering, planning, and reflecting. Psychologists distinguish between different types of thinking such as convergent thinking, which narrows toward a single solution, and divergent thinking, which generates multiple creative possibilities. Thinking is also studied in relation to cognitive biases, heuristics, and the influence of emotion on reasoning. Understanding thinking processes is central to cognitive psychology, education, and therapeutic practice. For example, weighing the pros and cons of a major life decision involves deliberate, analytical thinking.
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