Is your thinking process a part of the problem?

1. Is your thinking process a part of the problem?

2. Why Critical ThinkingRichard Paul (2003) • Everyone thinks, it is our nature to do critical thinking. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or prejudiced. • The quality of our work and personal lives depend precisely on the quality of our thought. • Shoddy thinking can be very costly, both in money, problem solving and in effective planning for organizations.

3. What is Critical Thinking? • Critical thinking is a complex combination of skills. • Among the main characteristics are: • Rationality • Self-awareness • Honesty • Open-mindedness • Discipline • Judgment Dan Kurland's Model (1995)

4. Rationality We think critically when we: • rely on reason rather than emotion • require evidence, ignore non-factual opinions, and follow evidence where it leads • are concerned more with finding the best explanation than analyzing apparent confusion and only asking questions

5. Self-awareness We think critically when we: • weigh the influences of motives and bias • recognize our own assumptions, prejudices, biases, and/or point of view

6. Honesty We think critically when we: • recognize emotional impulses, • selfish motives, • nefarious purposes, or • other modes of self-deception.

7. Open-mindedness We think critically when we: • evaluate all reasonable inferences • consider many possible viewpoints or perspectives • remain open to alternative interpretations • accept a new explanation, model, or paradigm because it explains the evidence better, is simpler, has fewer inconsistencies or covers more data • accept new priorities in response to a reevaluation of the evidence or reassessment of our real interests, and • do not reject unpopular views out of hand

8. Discipline We think critically when we: • are precise, meticulous, comprehensive, and exhaustive • resist manipulation and irrational appeals • avoid quick judgments

9. Judgment We think critically when we: • recognize the relevance and/or merit of alternative assumptions and perspectives • recognize the extent and weight of evidence

10. Summary of critical thinking Critical thinkers: • are, by nature, skeptical • approach texts with the same skepticism and suspicion as they approach spoken remarks • are active, not passive • ask questions and analyze • apply tactics and strategies to uncover meaning or assure their understanding

11. Summary of non-critical thinking Non-critical thinkers: • see things in black and white, as either-or, rather than recognizing a variety of options • see questions as yes or no with no subtleties • fail to see linkages and complexities • fail to recognize related elements • take their facts as the only relevant ones • take their own perspective as the only sensible one • take their goal as the only valid one

12. Critical thinking enables us to: • recognize a wide range of subjective analyses of otherwise objective data • evaluate how well each analysis might meet our needs • Make decisions based on all options and all opportunities