Detailed discussion on what involves critical and creative thinking.

1. Unit 4:
Thinking Skills
Meaning and Type
Dr Debaleena Dutta
BSH Department, PSIT Kanpur

2. Thinking Skills: Definition
• Thinking Skills refer to a person’s capacity for both:
i. Critical Thinking ii. Creative Thinking.
• Critical Thinking is used to take decisions. It involves :
Ability to separate facts from claims
Detect the assumptions behind claims
Detect whether there is hidden bias in those assumptions.
• Creative Thinking is used in problem-solving approaches.

3. Thinking Skills: 2 types
Critical Thinking Creative Thinking
Checking validity of facts and claims:
validity of logos, ethos and pathos
Problem
Sensitivity
Idea
Fluency
Originality Flexibility

4. Critical Thinking

5. Checking the validity of facts and arguments
A claim uses logos, ethos and pathos to persuade the audience.
• Logos is the hardcore logical, factual-information part. Eg. Technical
specifications; ingredients; methods used, etc.
• Ethos is the credibility part. i.e. customer reviews; qualification of the
speaker; approval by agencies that set standards, like FDA, FSSAI, etc.
• Pathos is the part of pure emotional appeal. Eg. Ad films using catchy texts
to appeal to our desires or fears.

6. Finding the validity of Logos, Ethos and Pathos
• Logos: Cross-check the given website links and references for updated information.
• Ethos: Check whether the person / agency endorsing a product or claim is technically
qualified to do so. Eg.: FDA issues standards for drugs; FSSAI for food.
• Pathos: Be alert to the propaganda that sells fear psychosis or miracle cures. Fear
psychosis threatens you with a disaster (if you do not choose to buy / vote). Miracle cure
promises you with one solution to all problems.

7. Creative Thinking

8. Problem Sensitivity
Problem sensitivity is the ability to paraphrase a complex situation into a specific problem.
It is about paying attention to the most important variable that needs to be solved first, in
order to untangle the others. Once the problem is identified, steps to solve it can be found.
Eg.: Shortage of funds for a startup. It can be viewed at multiple levels—from convincing
investors to promoting word of mouth to approaching important connections for help. In
case of an college student, the third variable should be tackled first, as the chances of
success may prove faster that way. In case of an unemployed person who has few or no
connections to leverage, second variable should be targeted.

9. Idea Fluency
• It means piling up a large number of alternative solutions to a given
problem in a given time, and assess their Pros and Cons.
• The more ideas you have, the greater chances you have to find a
customized solution.
Eg: for a student trying to approach important connections in college: getting
appointment with the director to present the idea; taking help of a member
of the institute’s incubation cell; etc.

10. Originality
Finding a customized approach to solve your problem, that suits your
situation specifically, is originality. In other words, having a Plan B ready
instantly, if Plan A does not work.
Eg.: A student may get the chance to present her startup idea to the director.
But, during the presentation, there might be a contingency, and she may be
asked to present her idea as a pitch, within 1 minute. The student has to
make a short statement of the problem, the solution and the promise of
returns, on the spot. This is originality.

11. Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability to digest any criticism or setback as a
constructive feedback. If one is flexible, one can learn from her
mistakes fast, and launch alternative strategies.
Eg.: If a student fails to get approval from one connection for her
project, she should either work on the shortcomings thus pointed out,
or find better sales technique to present her idea to the same person,
or look for another connection to leverage upon.