Introduction to Critical Thinking GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills

What is critical thinking? Cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to effectively: Identify, analyze and evaluate arguments and truth claims Discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases Formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions To make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what is true

Cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to effectively:

Identify, analyze and evaluate arguments and truth claims

Discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases

Formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions

To make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what is true

What does not thinking critically look like? Blindly reproducing old learned reactions Blindly accepting face value all justifications of organizations & political leaders Blindly believe TV commercials Blindly trust political commercials Blindly accept and say that if the textbook says it, it must be so Blindly accept and say that if the organization does it, it must be right

Blindly reproducing old learned reactions

Blindly accepting face value all justifications of organizations & political leaders

Blindly believe TV commercials

Blindly trust political commercials

Blindly accept and say that if the textbook says it, it must be so

Blindly accept and say that if the organization does it, it must be right

What does Critical Thinking Look Like? Contextual sensitivity - being sensitive to stereotypes about people of particular group & accept others at face value unconditionally Perspective thinking - trying to get into other person's head, or walk in other’s shoes to see the world way that person sees it Tolerance for ambiguity - ability to accept multiple interpretations of same situation

Contextual sensitivity - being sensitive to stereotypes about people of particular group & accept others at face value unconditionally

Perspective thinking - trying to get into other person's head, or walk in other’s shoes to see the world way that person sees it

Tolerance for ambiguity - ability to accept multiple interpretations of same situation

What are the Major Concepts in Critical Thinking? Perception Assumptions Emotion Language Argument Fallacy Logic Problem Solving You will learn all these major concepts throughout the course

Perception

Assumptions

Emotion

Language

Argument

Fallacy

Logic

Problem Solving

Something else is needed More to Critical Thinking than just cognitive skills Human beings are more than just thinking machines

More to Critical Thinking than just cognitive skills

Human beings are more than just thinking machines

Need “the Critical Spirit” (affective dispositions) A probing inquisitiveness A keenness of mind A zealous dedication to reason A hunger or eagerness for reliable information

A probing inquisitiveness

A keenness of mind

A zealous dedication to reason

A hunger or eagerness for reliable information

Critical thinkers strive for these intellectual standards Clarity Precision Accuracy Relevance Consistency Logical correctness Completeness Fairness

Clarity

Precision

Accuracy

Relevance

Consistency

Logical correctness

Completeness

Fairness

Why is Critical Thinking of Value? You can answer—why of value to you? What’s value of cognitive skills? What’s value of the critical spirit? Would these mean more success at what you do? Would it mean better grades for students?

You can answer—why of value to you?

What’s value of cognitive skills?

What’s value of the critical spirit?

Would these mean more success at what you do?

Would it mean better grades for students?

Grades – Yes! 1,100 college students Significant correlation between CT scores & college GPA Critical Thinking skills can be learned Significant correlation between Critical Thinking and Reading Comprehension

1,100 college students

Significant correlation between CT scores & college GPA

Critical Thinking skills can be learned

Significant correlation between Critical Thinking and Reading Comprehension

Main Purpose of College Experience Achievement of liberal (liberated) education. It’s about Learning to learn Learning to think for one’s self Leads away from naïve acceptance of authority Leads above self-defeating relativism Beyond ambiguous contextualism Culminates in principled, reflective judgment

Achievement of liberal (liberated) education. It’s about

Learning to learn

Learning to think for one’s self

Leads away from naïve acceptance of authority

Leads above self-defeating relativism

Beyond ambiguous contextualism

Culminates in principled, reflective judgment

So..the benefits of critical thinking In the classroom…. Understand materials you are studying Critically evaluate what you are learning Develop your own arguments on particular issues In the workplace…. Problem-solving Analyze information, draw appropriate conclusions In Life… Avoid making foolish decisions Help to free us from unexamined assumptions, dogmas & prejudices

In the classroom….

Understand materials you are studying

Critically evaluate what you are learning

Develop your own arguments on particular issues

In the workplace….

Problem-solving

Analyze information, draw appropriate conclusions

In Life…

Avoid making foolish decisions

Help to free us from unexamined assumptions, dogmas & prejudices

If critical thinking is so important, why is that uncritical thinking is so common?

Barriers to critical thinking Lack of relevant background information Poor reading skills Bias Prejudice Superstition Peer pressure Face-saving Resistance to change Selective perception Rationalization Scapegoating

Lack of relevant background information

Poor reading skills

Bias

Prejudice

Superstition

Peer pressure

Face-saving

Resistance to change

Selective perception

Rationalization

Scapegoating

Cont…. (barriers to critical thinking) – THE MAJOR HINRANCES Egocentrism (self-centred thinking) Sociocentrism (group-centred thinking) Stereotyping Unwarranted assumptions Wishful thinking All these play a powerful role in hindering critical thinking

Egocentrism (self-centred thinking)

Sociocentrism (group-centred thinking)

Stereotyping

Unwarranted assumptions

Wishful thinking

All these play a powerful role in hindering critical thinking

EGOCENTRISM – the tendency to view one’s own interests, ideas and values as superior to everyone’s else SELF-INTERESTED THINKING – tendency to accept and defend beliefs that harmonize one’s own self-interest SELF-SERVING BIAS – tendency to overrate oneself

Are you overconfident in your belief? Activity 1: Make a low and high guess such that you are 90 percent sure the correct answer falls between the two. Your challenge is to be neither too narrow (I.e overconfident) nor too wide (underconfident) The number of Malaysia’s Internet users (90% confidence range) LOW - ? HIGH - ?

Activity 1: Make a low and high guess such that you are 90 percent sure the correct answer falls between the two. Your challenge is to be neither too narrow (I.e overconfident) nor too wide (underconfident)

The number of Malaysia’s Internet users

(90% confidence range)

LOW - ?

HIGH - ?

Sociocentrism: group-centred thinking Group bias – the tendency to see one’s own group as being inherently better than others Herd instinct (conformism) – the tendency to follow the crowd

Group bias – the tendency to see one’s own group as being inherently better than others

Herd instinct (conformism) – the tendency to follow the crowd

Unwarranted Assumptions & Stereotyping Assumption – something taken for granted, something we believe to be true without any proof or conclusive evidence Unwarranted assumption – something taken for granted without good reason Stereotyping – making a hasty generalization

Assumption – something taken for granted, something we believe to be true without any proof or conclusive evidence

Unwarranted assumption – something taken for granted without good reason

Stereotyping – making a hasty generalization

Wishful thinking Believing something not because you had good evidence for it but simply because you wished it were true. Believing something because it makes one feel good, not because there is good rational grounds for thinking it is true.

Believing something not because you had good evidence for it but simply because you wished it were true.

Believing something because it makes one feel good, not because there is good rational grounds for thinking it is true.

Activity 2 - Refer to the handout. Read the story and answer the questions that follow:

Answer the following Which one did you choose? Why? As you read, you probably imagined what the characters looked like. From the image you had of them, describe the following characters in a few sentences: The Captain Dr Brown Marie Brown Lieutenant Ashley Morganstern Letty Eagle-Eye Sam What is the relationship between Dr Brown and Marie Brown?

Which one did you choose? Why?

As you read, you probably imagined what the characters looked like. From the image you had of them, describe the following characters in a few sentences:

The Captain

Dr Brown

Marie Brown

Lieutenant Ashley Morganstern

Letty

Eagle-Eye Sam

What is the relationship between Dr Brown and Marie Brown?

Get into your group. Discuss the followings Compare your responses to Questions 1 & 3? Is there any consensus in the group? Look at your portrait of Dr Brown. How many assumptions did you make about the doctor’s gender, age, appearance, and profession? What evidence in the story supports your image of the doctor? Look at your portraits of the other characters. What similarities do you find among your group members?

Compare your responses to Questions 1 & 3? Is there any consensus in the group?

Look at your portrait of Dr Brown. How many assumptions did you make about the doctor’s gender, age, appearance, and profession? What evidence in the story supports your image of the doctor?

Look at your portraits of the other characters. What similarities do you find among your group members?

Read Bassham’s Critical thinking – Chapter 1 Critical thinkers exhibit a number of traits that distinguish them from uncritical thinkers

Read Bassham’s Critical thinking – Chapter 1