1.
Critical Thinking Press the arrows below to proceed through the show.

2.
Critical Thinking <ul><li>What critical thinking is NOT ! </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Being a Critic </li></ul></ul>

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<ul><li>What critical thinking is NOT ! </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Being a Critic </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>(This is not the same thing. Unfortunately they sound the same, but a critic typically means someone who is negative and who cuts people down. This is not critical thinking.) </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Boring </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>(Critical thinking takes effort and can stimulate heated debates and discussion.) </li></ul></ul></ul>

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Critical Thinking <ul><li>Defined: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>The use of cognitive skills and strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome </li></ul></ul>

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Critical Thinking <ul><li>Who doesn’t want better outcomes?!? </li></ul><ul><li>Psychologists study how we make decisions. </li></ul><ul><li>Critical thinking, in this course, involves learning the skills and strategies that TEND TO WORK! I hope you agree, this is probably a good thing. </li></ul>

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Components of Critical Thinking <ul><li>Cognitive Component – knowledge of the skills </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Yes, this part can be boring… </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Good news: you can learn the skills. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Better news: your text covers these skills in a way supported by research. If you try to learn these skills, you will probably learn to be a more critical thinker. </li></ul></ul><ul><li>Affective (emotional) – attitude or disposition </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Covered after the next slide </li></ul></ul>

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Cognitive Skills of Critical Thinking <ul><li>Verbal Reasoning </li></ul><ul><li>Scientific Method </li></ul><ul><li>Argument/Persuasion </li></ul><ul><li>Probability </li></ul><ul><li>Decision-Making / Problem-Solving </li></ul><ul><ul><li>We will cover all of these this semester </li></ul></ul>

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Attitude / Affective Component <ul><li>Most important part: </li></ul><ul><li>You must be willing to think! </li></ul>

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Attitude / Affective Component <ul><li>Critical thinking is: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Active not passive – it takes effort! If it leads to better decisions, the effort is probably worth it. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Flexible not rigid </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Critical thinkers typically doubt simple answers to questions. Rigid thinking tends to be un-critical, explores fewer alternatives, and settles on solutions. </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Skeptical not Cynical </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Skeptical – doubting certainty, questioning things – this is a critical thinker’s motto! </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Cynical – assuming negative explanations – this hurts critical thinking! </li></ul></ul></ul>

10.
Review Questions (vocabulary in bold) <ul><li>Define “ Critical Thinking ” </li></ul><ul><li>What are the two components to Critical Thinking? </li></ul><ul><li>Describe what it means to be active verses passive when thinking about a topic. </li></ul><ul><li>How is being rigid in your thinking the opposite of critical thinking? </li></ul><ul><li>Can a cynic be a critical thinker? Why or why not? </li></ul><ul><li>Which term refers to having a “questioning” approach to the world? Skeptical or cynical . </li></ul>