Critical Thinking

Question?

Why do YOU study

for a Degree?
Do You Agree With This Statement?

“Some people study all their life

and at their death they have
learned everything except to
THINK”
THINK
– Francois Domergue

Why?
Do You Agree?

Why is
Imagination
so Important?
I Need input
from you!
Why you have this course?

To help you improve your Thinking

Skills 

HOW TO THINK!
 Introduction to Critical Thinking

1. What is Thinking? 3. What is

2. Types of Thinking
Critical Thinking?

7. Characteristics of
a Critical Thinker 4. Critical Thinking
Standards

6. Barriers to 5. Benefits of
Critical Thinking Critical Thinking
1.1 What is Thinking?

Why doesn’t SHE like me?

Why doesn’t HE like me?

As you start asking questions and seek answers, you are in fact thinking.
1.1 What is Thinking?

Thinking is a purposeful, organized

cognitive process that we use to
make sense of our world.
Thinking and feelings
Feelings: subjective, represents emotions sentiments, desires.
Happens spontaneously and not conscious mental act.
Feelings: are important to keep us committed and enthusiastic.
But generally unreliable.
In contrast to feeling, thinking is a conscious mental process
performed to solve a problem, make a decision, or gain
understanding.*
Whereas feeling has no purpose beyond expressing itself,
thinking aims beyond itself to knowledge or action.
Thinking and feelings
the relationship between feeling and thinking, feelings need
to be tested before being trusted, and thinking is the most
reasonable and reliable way to test them.

This is not to say that thinking is infallible;

Types of Thinking

• Analyzing
• Evaluating Problem
ProblemSolving
Solving
• Reasoning Decision
DecisionMaking
Making
New
Ideas

Critical Left Right Creative

Thinking Thinking
1.3 What is Critical Thinking?
WARNING: THIS MAN IS NOT THINKING CRITICALLY!!

Source: http://profmulder.home.att.net/introwhatis.htm
Critical thinking
The essence of critical thinking is evaluation.
critical thinking is the general term given to a wide range of
cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to
effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and
truth claims; to discover and
overcome personal preconceptions and biases; to
formulate and present convincing reasons in support of
conclusions; and to make reasonable, intelligent decisions
about what to believe and what to do.
What is Critical Thinking?

“Critical thinking consists of a mental process of analyzing or evaluating

information, particularly statements or propositions that people have
offered as true. It forms a process of reflecting upon the meaning of
statements, examining the offered evidence and reasoning, and
forming judgments about the facts.”
– Wikipedia

“Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and

skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation,
experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to
belief and action. “
- Michael Scriven & Richard Paul
What is Critical Thinking?
Don’t need to
• Analyzing memorize
• Evaluating Problem
Problem Solving
Solving definitions! Just
understand and
• Reasoning Decision
Decision Making
Making practice the core
critical thinking
skills emphasized
in this course.

Critical Left Right

Thinking
What is Critical Thinking?

Reasoning

Analyzing CRITICAL Evaluating

THINKING
SKILLS

Decision Making Problem Solving

1.4 Critical Thinking Standards (CTS)
The most significant critical (intellectual) thinking standards:

Clarity
Accuracy
Precision
Relevance
Depth
Breadth
Logic
Fairness
CTS – Fairness

Critical thinking demands that our thinking be fair.

Open-minded
Impartial
Free of distorting biases and preconceptions

Difficult to
achieve, but
you must try!

Fair-mindedness is an essential
attribute of a Critical Thinker.
Source: http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/tresources/content/Ruland-CriticalThinkingStandards.pdf
Barriers to Critical Thinking

If Critical Thinking is so important, why is it that

uncritical thinking is so common?

Why is that so many people including many

highly educated and intelligent people find
critical thinking so difficult?
Barriers to Critical Thinking

Common Barriers
Lack of relevant background Distrust of reason
information Stereotyping
Poor reading skills Unwarranted assumptions and
Poor listening skills stereotypes
Bias Relativistic thinking
Prejudice Scapegoating
Superstition Rationalization
Egocentrism Wishful thinking
Socio-centrism Short-term thinking
Peer pressure Selective perception / attention
Mindless Conformism Selective memory
Mindless non-conformism Overpowering emotions
Provincialism Self-deception
Narrow-mindedness Face-saving
Closed-mindedness Fear of change
Barriers to Critical Thinking
Five Powerful Barriers to Critical Thinking:
I am probably
Self-centered thinking
the greatest
self-interested thinking
Egocentrism self-serving bias
thinker since
Socrates!

Group-centered thinking
Sociocentrism Group bias
Conformism
Beliefs that are presumed to be true
without adequate evidence or
Unwarranted justification
Assumptions Assumption
Stereotyping

Wishful Believing that something is true because

one wishes it were true.
Thinking
The truth is “just a matter of opinion”
Relativism
Relativistic  Subjectivism
Thinking  Cultural relativism
EGOCENTRISM
Egocentrism: Seeing reality
as centered on oneself

Self-interested thinking:
Accepting and defending
beliefs that harmonize with
one’s own self-interest
 Example: “A rising tide
raises all boats.”

Self-serving bias: Overrating

oneself
 Example: 90% of drivers
rate themselves as above
average
SOCIOCENTRISM
Sociocentrism: Group-
centered thinking
Group bias: Seeing One’s
own group, tribe, sect, sex as
better
 Example: “Girls are better
than boys.”
Conformism: Following the
crowd, conforming
uncritically to group standards
of conduct and belief
 Example: The lines
experiment
UNWARRANTED ASSUMPTIONS
Assumption: Something we take for
granted, something we believe to be true
without any proof or conclusive
evidence
We have to make assumptions (the floor
was there yesterday when I got out of
bed; it’ll be there today). This only
becomes pernicious when those
assumptions are unwarranted.
Stereotypes are unwarranted
assumptions.
Error: Hasty generalization – making a
generalization about a large class of
people from a small sample
Discussion: Identify assumptions you’ve
made since you got up this morning.
Were they warranted?
RELATIVISTIC THINKING
Relativism: “There is no objective
absolute standard of truth.”
Subjectivism: “Truth is a matter of
individual opinion.”
Exercise: List areas where truth
may be a matter of opinion.
Cultural relativism: “What is true
for person A is what person A’s
culture of society believes is true.”
Examples: drinking wine in
France/Iran; polygamy
MORAL RELATIVISM
Moral subjectivism: What is
morally right and good for an
individual A is what A
believes is morally right and
good.
Example:
Dowry is wrong for
some and right for
others
 PROBLEMS
Relativism makes it impossible to criticize others’ / our
own cultural practices, i.e., cannibalism / racism
It rules out the idea of moral progress, i.e., meaning of
equality
It can lead to conflicting moral duties:
 When an individual holds beliefs in conflict with those of her
society;
 When an individual belongs to two or more cultures.
Discussion: Are you bi-cultural in any sense (do you belong to
two or more groups that hold conflicting beliefs on a topic)?
WISHFUL THINKING
Wishful thinking: believing
something not because you
have good evidence for it, but
because you wish it were true.

Examples: “The wind will

pick up.” “He loves me.” “I
don’t have a 1-73 chance of
dying in a car accident.”
Characteristics of a Critical Thinker

Are you OPEN MINDED about other people’s view?

Are you HONEST to yourself (or others) when you are wrong?

Do you have the COURAGE and PASSION to take initiative and

confront problems and meet challenges?

Are you AWARE of your own biases and preconceptions?

The Force,
I sense is
Do you WELCOME CRITICISM from other people? with you.

Do you have INDEPENDENT opinions and are not afraid to disagree?

 Critical Thinkers
1.7 Characteristics of a Critical Thinker
Have a passionate drive for clarity, precision, accuracy,
relevance, consistency, logicalness, completeness, and
fairness.
Are sensitive to ways in which critical thinking can be
skewed by egocentrism, sociocentrism, wishful thinking,
etc.
Are intellectually honest with themselves, acknowledging
what they don’t know and recognizing their limitations.
Listen open-mindedly to opposing points of view and
welcome criticisms of beliefs and assumptions.
Base their beliefs on facts and evidence rather than on
personal preference or self-interest.
Are aware of the biases and preconceptions that shape
the way they perceive the world.
Think independently and are not afraid to disagree with
group opinion.
Are able to get to the heart of an issue or problem,
without being distracted by details.
Have the intellectual courage to face and assess fairly
ideas that challenge even their most basic beliefs.
Love truth and curious about a wide range of issues.
Have the intellectual perseverance to pursue insights or
truths, despite obstacles or difficulties.
Uncritical Thinkers
Often think in ways that are unclear, imprecise,
inaccurate, etc.
Often fall prey to egocentrism, sociocentrism,
wishful thinking, etc.
Pretend they know more than they do and ignore
their limitations.
Are close-minded and resist criticisms of beliefs and
assumptions.
Often base their beliefs on mere personal
preference or self interest.
Lack awareness of their own biases and
preconceptions.
Tend to engage in ‘group think’, uncritically following
the beliefs and values of the crowd.
Are easily distracted and lack the ability to zero in
on the essence of a problem or issue.
Fear and resist ideas that challenge their basic
beliefs.
Are often relatively indifferent to truth and lack of
curiosity.
Tend to preserve when they encounter intellectual
obstacles or difficulties.
Group Activity
Break into groups of 4-5, and then discuss, identify and rank the Top 10
characteristics/traits/behaviours of an EXCELLENT:
Dr. Yoda was an excellent
teacher, because he
1. LECTURER engaged our mind, had
activities, etc.
2. STUDENT

Choose one member of your group to take notes and be the group reporter.

10 min Brainstorm together and identify 10 characteristics for each item above.
(e.g. try to remember the best lecturer(s) you have ever had and then identify
their characteristics…). .
5 min Prioritize and rank the chosen characteristics of each item above according to
importance (e.g. Top 10).

15 min Group presentation & discussion

- The Group reporter must submit their findings in hard copy format after the
class (use template) or soft-copy format to the lecturer before next class.
 Summary
1. What is Thinking?
2. Types of Thinking
3. What is Critical Thinking?
4. Critical Thinking Standards
5. Barriers to Critical Thinking
6. Characteristics of a Critical
Thinker
Thinking is a purposeful, organized cognitive process that
we use to make sense of our world.
Creative & Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking is the general term given to a wide range of
cognitive and intellectual skills needed to: Effectively
identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments; Discover and
overcome personal prejudices and biases; Formulate and
present convincing reasons in support of conclusions; and
Make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe
and what to do. Critical thinking skills emphasized in this
course, include: Reasoning, Analyzing, Evaluating, Decision
Making and Problem solving.
Clarity, Accuracy, Precision, Relevance, Depth, Breadth,
Logic and Fairness
Examples include Egocentrism, Sociocentrism,
Unwarranted Assumptions, Wishful Thinking, and
Relativistic Thinking
Open-mindedness, independent thinking, self-aware,
passionate, insightful, honest and intellectual humility,
intellectual courage, and welcome criticism, etc.