ABSTRACT:
Human cognition enhances the close interaction of all cognitive processes: perception, thinking and memory. The central notion for this interaction is individual intelligence. Individual intelligence is treated as a cognitive ability for all forms of psychic reflection and mental representations: intuitive, rational, and creative. The main descriptive category for individual intelligence is introduced by IQ, which doesn't allow revealing the procedural peculiarities of human cognition.
The main descriptive category of human cognition, notably individual intelligence, is represented by the category of meaning in our research. Meaning is considered as a specific form of psychic reflection of the world and the construction of mental representations. Following L. Vygotsky, all meanings can be divided into life and scientific notions. Scientific notions express abstract thinking ability, life notions denote concrete thinking ability.
In our research, life notions are investigated through associative, situational and connotative meanings. Associative and connotative meanings are identified with creative psychic reflection, whereas concrete meaning is identified with concrete psychic reflection. Concepts are treated as a descriptive category of intelligence and affect interaction, which defines the main trajectory of individual cognitive activity.
The results of experimental research allow revealing three types of concepts, which characterize human cognition: scientific, pragmatic and creative concepts. The predominance of a certain type defines the trajectory of cognitive activity and the peculiarities of individual cognition.
