critical thinking

• Critical thinking


  The intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing synthesizing and evaluating information gathered from or generated by observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief or action
• Critical thinker


  • Effectively identify, analyze and evaluate arguments
  • Discover and overcome personal prejudices & biases
  • Formulate & present convincing reasons in support of conclusions
  • Make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do
• Three main kinds of thinkers

  • The naïve thinker
  • The selfish critical thinker
  • The fairminded critical thinker
• Critical thinking standards (CTS)


  • Clarity
  • Accuracy
  • Precision
  • Relevance
  • Depth
  • Breadth
  • Logic
  • Significance
  • Fairness
• Clarity


  1. Could you elaborate further on that point?

  2. Could you express that point in another way?

  3. Could you give me an illustration?

  4. Could you give me an example?
• Accuracy


  1. Is that really true?

  2. How could we check that?

  3. How could we find out if that is true?
• Precision


  1. Could you give more details?

  2. Could you be more specific?
• Relevance


  1. How is that connected to the question?

  2. How does that bear on that issue?
• Depth


  1. How does your answer address the complexities in the question?

  2. How are you taking into account the problem in the question?

  3. Is that dealing with the most significant factors?
• Breadth


  1. Do we need to consider another point of view

  2. Is there another way to look at this question?

  3. What would this look like from a conservative standpoint?
• Logic


  1. Does this really make sense?

  2. Does that follow form you said?

  3. How does that follow ?

  4. But before you implied this and now you are saying that; how can both be true
• Fairness


  • Be fair
  • Open minded
  • Impartial
  • Free of distorting biases and preconceptions
• Significance


  To what extent can I identify and focus on the most important aspects of the issue at hand?
• Intellectual traits


  • Integrity
  • Humility
  • Confidence in reason
  • Perseverance
  • Independence
  • Empathy
  • Courage
  • Fairminded
• Academic performance


  • Understand the arguments and belief of others
  • Critically evaluating those arguments and belief of others
  • Develop and defend one's own well supported arguments and belief
• Workplace


  • Help us to reflect and get a deeper understanding of our own and other's decisions
  • Encourage open – mindedness to change
  • Aid us in being more analytical in solving problems
• Daily life


  • Help us to avoid making foolish personal decisions
  • Making good decisions
  • Can distinguish between good and bad
• Barriers to critical thinking

  • Poor reading skills
  • Bias
  • Prejudices
  • Poor listening skills
  • Narrow mindedness
  • Closed mindedness
  • Stereotyping
  • Self deception
  • Short term thinking
  • Face saving
  • Fear of change
  • Rationalization
  • Selective memory
  • Peer pressure
  • Distrust of reason
  • Lack of relevant background information
• Five main barriers in critical thinking

  • Egocentrism
  • Sociocentrism
  • Unwarranted assumptions
  • Wishful thinking
  • Relativistic thinking
• Egocentrism


  Self centered thinking; the tendency to see reality as centered to oneself
• Sociocentrism


  Group centered thinking
• Unwarranted assumptions


  Belief that are presumed to be true without adequate evidence or justification
• Wishful thinking


  Believing what you want to be true (without evidence)
• Relativistic thinking


  The truth is just a matter of opinion