Abstract
Abstract reasoning is no doubt the most advanced of the cognitive abilities. While animals may be capable of problem-solving, only humans can abstract. Thus, abstraction and problem-solving are not synonymous, and problems can be solved without abstraction. However, formation of an abstract concept is often the most elegant way of solving a problem. The word abstraction connotes abstracting some unifying idea or principle on the basis of observation of diverse material. It is therefore an activity that is removed from direct sensory experience, and constitutes a representation of such experience. The term abstraction is often contrasted to concreteness, the latter term indicating cognitive activity associated with direct experience, and without such representation. Concreteness is direct interaction with the “real world” without additional processing.
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Goldstein, G. (1998). Neuropsychological Assessment of Abstract Reasoning. In: Goldstein, G., Nussbaum, P.D., Beers, S.R. (eds) Neuropsychology. Human Brain Function. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1950-2_15
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