Critical Thinking

Khoiruddin Bashori
irut@hotmail.com / 0811267078
 Thinking Critically Means…
• Examining different viewpoints
• Learn to think from different perspectives.
• View those opinions which differ from
yours.
• Examine the assumptions, metaphors, &
analogies of your own viewpoints & of
others.
• Avoid automatic responses.
 General Working Definition of Critical
Thinking

• A process that evaluates ideas through the

testing of statements (accuracy) and the
soundness of reasoning behind them.
 Discussion Question
• Why is critical thinking important?
• Is there a difference between thinking and
critically thinking?
• Can we train ourselves to think differently?
• How do we prepare ourselves to new patterns
of thought?
 Critical Thinking
• Someone with Critical Thinking skills is able
to:
– Understand the logical connections
between ideas.
– Detect inconsistencies and common
mistakes in reasoning.
– Solve problems systematically.
– Reflect on the justification of one’s own
beliefs and values.
 Thoughts to Ponder
• Education means development of the mind
from within so it will help one to take
problems apart and put them to work based
upon sound judgment.
• What if you choose to read no new books for
the next ten years?
– Would your mind be different?
 Critical Thinking Quotes
• We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of
thinking we used when we created them.
Albert Einstein
• Discovery is seeing what everybody else has seen,
and thinking what nobody else has thought.
Unknown
• The human mind once stretched by a new idea never
goes back to its original dimensions.
Oliver Wendell Homes
Characteristics of Critical Thinkers:

• Strive for understanding

• Are honest with themselves
• Base judgment on evidence
• Are interested in other people’s ideas
• Control their feelings/emotions
• Recognize that extreme views are seldom
correct.
 Characteristics of Critical Thinkers
• Keep an open mind
• They are very observant
• Identify key issues and raise questions
• Obtain relevant facts
• Evaluate the findings and form judgments
What does the absence of critical thinking
look like?
• We blindly accept at face value all
justifications given by organizations and
political leaders.
• We blindly believe TV commercials.
• We blindly continue to hold on to old beliefs.
 Discussion Question

• Do you agree or disagree with the following

statement and why?

• Not only do we tend to think about the world

according to what we want to see and what we
need to see, we tend to think of it in terms of
what we expect to see.
 Follow-up Discussion

• Are we reluctant to change our perceptions

and ideas to accommodate the facts, or is it
easier to maintain the status quo based upon
our prior experiences?

– Do stereotypes effect our thinking?

 Should You Believe
Everything You See?

• Perception is learned from both our own

experience and through interaction with
others.
• Is perception reality?
 Perception
• We often see and hear what we want to see and
hear, based upon our past experiences, interests,
motives, expectations; to stay within our comfort
zone.
Young girl? Or
old women?
Man playing
horn? Or a
women’s
silhouette?
A face of a
native
American? Or
an Eskimo’s
back?
Terms of Critical Thinking
• Ambiguity
• Assumptions
• Values
• Emotions
• Language
• Argument
• Fallacy
• Thinking Barriers
 Ambiguity
Ambiguity – the existence of multiple possible
meanings for a word or phrase.

• Words and language is everything.

• Words often have multiple meaning.
• Abstract – less and less specific of a definition.
• Arguments can have different meanings… anti-
war vs. support our troops
• Words can also be emotionally based.
 Hints for Dealing with Ambiguity
• Try to understand the meaning of the ambiguous
terms.
• Try to understand the context.
• Ask what the author means.
• Be aware of the emotional impact of certain words.
• Ask the speaker to rephrase.
• Rephrase your understanding of what they said in
your response. “Do you mean…” “I understood your
comment to mean…”
 Assumptions

• Unstated beliefs that support specific

reasoning.

• Something taken to be true without

proof or demonstration.
Webster’s Dictionary
 Assumptions Can Be . . .

• Can be hidden or unstated.

• Taken for granted.
• Influential in determining the conclusion
• Sometimes necessary, if the reasoning is to
make sense.
• Potentially deceptive.
 Tips for Locating Assumptions:

• Look for ideas that support the reason.

• Identify with the author or speaker, walk in
their shoes, understand their role
• Play devil’s advocate or role-reversal
• Creatively think about other possibilities.
 Values
• Importance of certain ideas or beliefs.
• Does our values influences behavior?
• Ideas that people see as worthwhile.
• Provide standards of conduct by which we
measure quality of human behavior.
 Emotion
• “Leave emotion out of it!” is impossible.
• Part of everything we do and think
• Critical thinkers don’t ignore or deny
emotions; accept and manage them.
• Question
– Do we make sound decision in a highly charged
emotional state?
 EMOTIONS

• Recognize feelings

• Respect those that

are the result of
careful thought and
reflection
 Language
• The landscape of the mind.
• The software of the brain.
• The limits of my language are the limits of
my life to this point.
 Language

• How is language used in decision making?

 Language
• How is language used in decision making?
– To inform
– To explain
– To persuade
 Language

• Words can have two kinds of meaning:

–Denotative
–Connotative

• What does each mean?

 Language
• Denotative:
–Dictionary meaning
 Language
• Denotative:
–Dictionary meaning:
What is an apple?
• The firm, edible, usually rounded
fruit of this tree.
 Language
• Connotative:
–Overtones or suggestions beyond
the dictionary meanings.
 What do you think of when you
hear the word apple?
 Language

• Food, Pie, Macintosh, a computer, Adam &

Eve, keeps the doctor away, applesauce, an
orchard, etc.
 Argument
• A claim used to persuade others as to whether
something is true or false or if something
should or should not be done.
– Consists of:
• Issue
• One or more reasons
• Conclusion
 Fallacy
• An incorrect pattern of reasoning
– Many fallacy’s exist
– Example:
• Common belief fallacy: We assume a statement is true
based on the evidence that others believe it.

• A statement or argument based upon a false

or invalid conclusion. Webster’s Dictionary
 Thinking Barriers

– Emotions
• Anger
• Passion
• Depression
– Stress
– Bias (values and beliefs)
 Personal Barriers to thinking
(Ego Defenses)

• Denial
– Refuse to accept reality.
• Projection
– We see in others what is really happening to us.
• Rationalization
– Lying to ourselves about the real reasons for our
behaviors and feelings.
 Thinking Errors
• Personalization
– Thinking in which the world revolves
around an individual
• Polarized Thinking
– There is only black or white – no gray
• Catastrophizing
– Always consider the worst possible
outcome (all the time)
 Thinking Errors (Continued)
• Selective abstraction
– Focusing on one detail of a situation and
ignoring the larger picture
• Overgeneralization
– Drawing broad conclusions on the basis of a
single incident.
 Five Phases of Critical Thinking
• Phase 1: Trigger Event
– Usually an unexpected event that causes some
kind of inner discomfort or confusion.
• Phase 2: Appraisal
– A period of reflection and the need to find
another approach to deal with the issue.
• Phase 3: Exploration
– People start asking questions and gathering more
information.
 Five Phases of Critical Thinking
• Phase 4: Finding Alternatives
– Also called the transition stage when old ideas are
either left behind and a new way of thinking
begins.
• Phase 5: Integration
– Involves fitting new ideas and information into
everyday usage.
 Problem Solving Procedure

• Define the problem (not the symptom)

• Remove thinking barriers (bias and logical)
• Gather all relevant facts
• Generate solutions (brainstorming, creative
thinking)
• Select a solution (pro’s and con’s) and have a
back up plan
• Implement and evaluate
 Characteristics of Critical Thinking &
Decision Making
• University of Phoenix Model
– Framing the question
– Making the decision
– Evaluating the decision