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would also conclude that it would bite strangers. A concept thus, is a mental representation of a category. It refers to a class of objects, ideas or events that share common properties. Why do we need to form concepts? Concept formation helps us in organising our knowledge so that whenever we need to access our knowledge, we can do it with less time and effort. It is something similar to what we do to organise our things at home. Children who are very systematic and organised, put their things such as books, note books, pen, pencil, and other accessories in specific places in their cupboard, so that in the morning, they don’t have to struggle to Fig.7.2b : A Blank Map Up Side Down find a particular book or the geometry box. animal, and so on. When we see a new object, In the library too you have seen books we try to look for its characteristics, match organised as per subject areas and labelled them with characteristics of an existing so that you would be able to find them quickly with less effort. Thus, for making our thought category, and if matching is perfect we give it process quick and efficient, we form concepts the name of that category. For example, while walking on the road you come across an and categorise objects and events. unfamiliar quadruped of a very small size, with a face like a dog, wagging its tail and barking T HE P ROCESSES OFT HINKING at strangers. You would no doubt identify it as a dog and probably think that it is of a new So far we have been discussing what we mean breed, which you have never seen before. You by thinking and what is the nature of thinking. Box 7.1 Culture and Thinking Our beliefs, values, and social practices influencect separately which is called “analytical thinking”. the way we think. In a study conducted on Asian people (Japanese, Chinese, Koreans) think more American and Asian students, pictures like the about the relationship between objects and following (underwater scene) were used. The backgrounds, which is called “holistic thinking”. subjects were asked to have a look at the scene for a brief period and then were asked to describe what they saw. The American students focussed on the biggest, brightest, and most outstanding features (for example, “the large fish swimming to the right”). In contrast, the Japanese students focussed on the background (for example, “the bottom was rocky” or “the water was green”). Based on these kinds of findings, researchers concluded that Americans usually analyse each 112 Psychology Reprint 2026-27