Critical Thinking

What is Critical Thinking

• The kind of thinking which seeks to explore
questions about existing knowledge for issues
which are not clearly defined and for which
there are no clear-cut answers.
• It is the objective analysis and evaluation of an
issue in order to form judgment.
What are attributes of Critical Thinker?
A Critical thinker
• asks pertinent questions
• assesses statements and arguments
• is able to admit a lack of understanding or information
• has a sense of curiosity (a strong desire to know learn
something) /scepticism (doubt as to the truth of
something)-(not just to accept without question)
• is interested in finding new solutions
…A critical thinker
• is willing to examine beliefs, assumptions, and
opinions and weigh them against facts.
• listens carefully to others and is able to give
feedback.
• suspends judgment until all facts have been
gathered and considered.
Types of Critical questions
• Why?
• How far?
• How often?
• To what extent?
• How do we know this is true?
… Critical questions
• How reliable is this source?
• What could be going on below the surface?
• What do we not know about this?
• Which is preferable?
• For what reasons?
In summary, critical thinkers ask for
• Clarity, e.g. Could you elaborate further?
• Accuracy, e.g. How could we check on that?
• Precision e.g. Could you be more specific?
• Relevance e.g. How does that help us with the issue?
• Depth, e.g. What are some of the difficulties we need to
deal with
• Breadth, e.g. Do we need to look at this from another
angle?
• Logic e.g. Does what you say follow from the evidence?
• Significance, e.g. Is this the central idea to focus on?
• Fairness, e.g. Am I sympathetically representing the
viewpoints of others?
 Barriers to critical thinking
What are the factors that prevent people from to thinking critically?
Here are some of the reasons:
1. Egocentric Thinking: This is self-centered thinking. Egocentric thinking results
from the unfortunate fact that humans do not naturally consider the rights and
needs of others. Egocentrism is the inability to take the perspective of another
person.
• Humans do not naturally appreciate the point of view of others nor the limitations
in our own point of view.
• Example of egocentric thinking: “It’s true because i believe it.” In this case you
assume that what you believe is true even though you have never questioned the
basis for many of your beliefs.
2. Sociocentrism: this refers to group/society/cultural-centered
thinking.
• Sociocentricim is a human tendency to see the world from a
narrow and biased group-centered perspective, to operate
within the world through partial group beliefs, group influences,
group rules, group thinking, group interests.
• Example of sociocentrism: “It’s true because we believe it.”
“Everyone is talking about it,”. “I saw it on What’sApp,
everyone knows about it.”
• In this case you assume that the dominant beliefs of the groups
to which you belong are true even though you have never
questioned the basis for those beliefs.
3. Reacting in self-defence – fear of personal attack – believing one’s ideas and
beliefs are an extension of one’s self and must be defended at all costs, even
when you know it is flawed. For example, the belief that “my actions should
not be questioned and I owe no body an explanation-even when others need
an explanation”. You defend that belief even when you know that it is flawed,
and you have always demanded an explanation yourself, sometimes. You
defend it because you feel that you are being attacked as a person and not that
the idea.
4. Fear of change or an unwillingness to change. For example, fear of building
an iron roofed house because you are afraid of being bewitched. Fear of using
mosquito net because of the rumour that sleeping under a mosquito net
makes you barren. This happens usually without searching for evidence.
• Another example would be the unwillingness to change the mode of learning
recently among students to migrate to online via Moodle. Most students are
unwilling to change from WhatsApp because they have a fear that Moodle
consumes more data bundle, yet they do so without trying Moodle and
comparing with WhatsApp on the same activity/time of access.
5. Peer pressure. Sometimes we may find ourselves
behaving in a particular way due to peer pressure without
questioning the implications of our behaviour.
• For example dressing in a particular way and not your own
comfort or indulging in harmful behaviours to please
friends, yet you know deep down what you are doing is
not right and can affect your career, education, etc.
6. Greed. Greed can be a barrier to critical thinking.
• Example 1: One asks to deposit K100 million in your account
and promises to give you K50 million. You know the individual
works in the does not earn much, and you do not bother
asking the source of funds or the consequences of withdrawing
huge amounts of money, or why you should be compensated.
You blindly accept. All this is because of greed.
• Example 2: Jackpot games: you have K100,000 and K50,000
that you can win. One of these amounts is in your box, but you
do not know which one. The banker offers to buy your box at K
75,000. You are sure you will win K25,000 above the lower
price offered. But because of greed you go for “no deal”
hoping to get K100,000. Then you end up taking K50,0000
which was in your box.