Thought style is defined by Fleck in 1979 as the readiness for directed perception, with corresponding mental and objective assimilation of what has been so perceived (p.99). However, in 2008, Marie defined “Thought style” as a way of thinking that constrains the thoughts and perceptions of individuals’, without really being aware of its existence. The thoughts that make an individual consider a problem as explorable and what is recognized as having a legitimate solution will be constrained. (p.153). Based on these studies, my perception is that people’s thoughts are restricted and hence make them analyze the targeted data or the encountered problem in a certain way that may characterize their personality and way of thinking. According to Zhang, (2002) the thinking pattern of people vary depending on the demands of a given situation and are partially socialized, suggesting that they can be modified (p.180).With the development of environment and as Knowledge of people increased, their style and pattern of thinking changed which created new facts and discoveries. (Fleck 1979).In my opinion people should not only interpret the findings of the past, but also increase their knowledge and direct their perception toward improving their outlook of the world.
In addition, Fleck determined that the thought style is the special characteristics for the historical development of any field of thought, as well as for the accumulation of knowledge and level of culture (p.159, 1979). It can be clearly seen that peoples’ thoughts are influenced by different aspects, such as their culture and cognition abilities, which can reflect their comprehension and interpretation. Negahi, Nouri, and Khoram stated that thinking styles are related to problem-solving, decision-making, academic achievement, etc. Other variables such as culture, gender, age, field of study, record of service, parents' styles, etc., also affect the thinking styles of individuals (p. 1723, 2015). The important factors that influence the style of thought are the quality and quantity of their experiences and observations. Fleck stated that if a person wants to know something, he will observe or experiment about it. (1979, P.84). Fox agreed with this opinion because he determined that observation would assist researchers to receive reliable and valid data as well as understand the targeted problem in a comprehensible way (1998). It is crucial that people have sufficient experience, and keen observation abilities that could successfully shape their styles of thought and develop their outlook of the world.
References
Fleck, L. (1979). Genesis and development of a scientific fact. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Fox
, N. (1998). Trent focus for research and development in primary health care: How to use observations in a research project.
Marie, J. (2008). Postgraduate science research skills: the role of creativity, tacit knowledge, thought styles and language, London Review of Education, 6(2), 149-158
Negahi, M., Nouri, N., & Khoram, A. (2015). The Study of learning styles, thinking styles, and English language academic self-efficacy among the students of Islamic Azad University of Behbahan considering their field of study and gender, Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(8), 1722-1729
Zhang, L. (2002). Thinking styles and cognitive development, The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 163(2), 179–195
