“Knowledge” is a term that has different meanings depending on the context, but has something to do with the concepts of meaning, information, education, communication, representation, learning and mental stimulation.
Knowledge, in fact, takes various forms, and it would be reducing to identify it in a single definition: in this Psychology-Online article we will discover together What are the 16 types of knowledge that exist and their characteristics?with description, examples and a concept map.
Direct knowledge
We are faced with direct knowledge when a cognitive subject knows someone or something: requires having been or being in direct contact with someone or something. It is a fairly common type of knowledge: we have personal and direct experience of the people and objects in the world, of our thoughts and our sensations, so that we can have direct knowledge of our friends, our house, our city, our loves, our pains, our beliefs, our desires…
Competency knowledge
Also called skill knowledge, implies having a certain capacity or competence. It’s about knowing how to do certain things, like speaking Spanish, riding a bike, playing the violin, etc. It can be either “automatic” know-how, as in the case of knowing how to breathe, or acquired knowledge, as in the case of knowing how to play basketball.
Propositional knowledge
It is specified in knowing that a proposition is true. Its radius is very wide, just think about the knowledge we think we have. For example, I might feel like I know that: the anaconda is a buoy, the bar downstairs is open until two at night, the computer screen is in front of me, Lucia is my friend, etc. Having propositional knowledge, but it does not necessarily imply having competency knowledge.: we can, for example, know all the propositions relating to skiing technique because we learned them from a manual and yet not know how to ski.
Explicit knowledge
It is that form of knowledge that in some way can be represented, or better, that can be transferred from one individual to another through a physical medium, such as a book or a movie, or directly through a conversation or a lesson. A documentary, a manual, a course, an encyclopedia… are all containers of explicit knowledge.
Tacit knowledge
It is the form of knowledge that is most typical to us, that is, what we know, although sometimes we are not able to explain it. Not all tacit knowledge is, in fact, explicit, and when it is, it is not clear that it can be completely so. He “know to do” something is tacit knowledge, as well as that particular form of knowledge to which we call “intuition.” And it is nothing more than the ability to unconsciously use your own experience to solve even very complex problems in an apparently magical and inexplicable way. Most of the knowledge of an individual or a group of individuals is tacit and cannot be explained in whole or in part. In a knowledge system, therefore, human beings are not simple users, but an integral part of the system.
Embodied knowledge
It is that form of knowledge that, although explicit, is not immediately reusable, but in turn requires knowledge to be extracted. For example, a process is born from the formalization of an experience, but even if we are aware of what the steps are to execute it, we can ignore why they should be executed in that way. Only those who have a certain experience can understand why that process was defined that way. An object may have knowledge embedded in the ergonomics of the design, or in the realization of its functionalities.
Theoretical knowledge
Theoretical knowledge is based on a interpretation of reality from references taken by others, or from direct experience, and depends on the communication we have with the environment. Examples of this type of knowledge are found in scientific research, philosophical knowledge, and religious beliefs.
Empirical knowledge
Empirical knowledge It mainly depends on experience: can only be achieved by coming into contact with the world and actively participating in it. It builds a framework of basic rules that help to better understand how it works, and an example of empirical knowledge is knowledge linked to perceptions such as spatial and abstract perception.
Scientific knowledge
Scientific knowledge is perhaps the most recognized, for the use of repetition of experiments, and is distinguished from the other categories because it involves verifiable and objective information. It also maintains a rational perspective and draws universal conclusions.
Practical knowledge
Practical knowledge is obtained by performing actions that help model behavior; In other words, it depends entirely on the performance of technical exercises. Examples of this type are political and ethical knowledge.
Formal knowledge
The main characteristic of formal knowledge is that it consists of information from a specific content: it is material or specialized information on a specific topic. An example is the discovery of various drugs and vaccines.
Philosophical knowledge
Philosophical knowledge is based on formulation of ideas and conclusions that try to explain the human being and his environment. Reflective, deductive and, above all, critical methods are used; one could say that it is a type of knowledge that is not content with just obtaining data; Its objective is to demonstrate the existence of those same data. An example is Platonic thought, which affirms the existence of two opposite worlds: that of ideas and that of the sensible.
religious knowledge
Religious knowledge is that which refers to the beliefs and values of a company or a person. Use the information normally obtained passing it on by traditionlike the origin of the human being through the story of Adam and Eve.
intuitive knowledge
Intuitive knowledge depends on perception, because in this way one can obtain instant information about the environment. It is possible to generate different reactions to the same stimulus, factors such as feelings and personal needs intervene. Therefore, in this case reason does not prevail. An example is the explanation of how fire burns when it comes into contact with the cells of the body. In this article we talk about.
Logical knowledge
Logical knowledge tries to understand ideas according to how they work, but also the way in which they relate to each other. He human reasoning process It consists of a complex scheme of connections, and this is how everyday problems are solved, because ideas are compared and classified. An example of this are the experiments that are carried out to solve everyday problems, such as verifying that water can moisten or deteriorate certain materials.
Mathematical knowledge
Mathematical knowledge has a rational and coherent character, in turn is linked to the perception of the environment. This knowledge creates a thought that shows exact representations of a reality, based on numerical values and therefore is complex. An example is the Pythagorean Theorem, which deals with the relationships of the sides of a triangle.
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Bibliography
- Antonella (2020). Concetto, tipi, simplest and characteristic. Recovered from: https://tuttopsicologia.com/concetto-tipi-esempi-e-caratteristiche/
- Vassallo, N. (2003). Theory of knowledge. Bari: Editori Laterza.