Introduction to

Critical Thinking
Question?

Why do YOU study

for a Degree?
 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.
1.2 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? (1)

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.
Make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe
and what to do.
1.3 What is Critical Thinking? (2)
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
1.3 What is Critical Thinking? (3)

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
Logic
Fairness
1.4 CTS – Good Thinking is…

CLEAR……….....rather
CLEAR than........UNCLEAR
ACCURATE…....rather
ACCURATE than…….INACCURATE
PRECISE……....rather
PRECISE than…….VAGUE
RELEVANT…….rather
RELEVANT than…….IRELEVANT
CONSISTENT….rather
CONSISTENT than……INCONSISTENT
LOGICAL……….rather
LOGICAL than……ILLOGICAL
COMPLETE……rather
COMPLETE than……INCOMPLETE
FAIR…………….rather
FAIR than…....BIASED
Source: http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/tresources/content/Ruland-CriticalThinkingStandards.pdf
1.5 Benefits of Critical Thinking
Examples:

Academic Performance
 understand the arguments and beliefs of others
 Critically evaluating those arguments and beliefs
 Develop and defend one's own well-supported arguments and beliefs.

Workplace
 Helps us to reflect and get a deeper understanding of our own and others’ decisions
 Encourage open-mindedness to change
 Aid us in being more analytical in solving problems

Daily life
 Helps us to avoid making foolish personal decisions.
 Promotes an informed and concerned citizenry capable of making good decisions
on important social, political and economic issues.
 Aids in the development of autonomous thinkers capable of examining their
assumptions, dogmas, and prejudices.
1.6 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?
1.6 Barriers to Critical Thinking
Five Powerful Barriers to Critical Thinking:

Self-centered thinking
I am
probably the
self-interested thinking
Egocentrism self-serving bias
greatest
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
1.6 Mini Quiz – Question 1

Aditya: My friend Aayush is a 1st year student at Christ

university. He is cool, loves hanging out, and has a very laid-
back personality.

Saurav: I bet he’s from Delhi.

Which critical thinking barrier does Saurav exhibit?

A) Self-interested thinking
B) Stereotyping
C) Group bias
D) Conformism
1.6 Mini Quiz – Question 2

In a 1989 international study of 13-year-olds, Indian

finished first in mathematics and Americans finished
last. Yet when asked whether they thought they were
"good at mathematics," only 23 percent of Indian said
"yes," compared to 68 percent of Americans.

Which critical thinking barrier do the American students

exhibit:

A) Self-interested thinking
B) Group bias
C) Self-serving bias
D) Conformism
1.6 Mini Quiz – Question 3

Vishal [speaking in Bangalore, India]: "There's no country

as great as the smallest city in America. I mean [here in Bangalor
you can't have clean air. The water won't even run right.
The toilets won't flush. The roads, the cars- there's nothing as
great as America."

Which critical thinking barrier does Ali display in this passage?

A) Self-interested thinking
B) Group bias
C) Self-serving bias
D) Conformism
 1.6 Mini Quiz – Question 4

Ankita: I can't believe I got a B- on this marketing paper. My friend Aditi

turned in this same paper in a different marketing class last semester,
and she got an A.

Anubhav : Don't you realize it's wrong to plagiarize someone else's work?

Ankita: That's your opinion. What's wrong for one person isn't necessarily
wrong for another, and I say there's nothing wrong with plagiarism-
as long as you don't get caught.
Which critical thinking barrier does Ankita exhibit?
A) Stereotyping
B) Self-interested thinking
C) Wishful thinking
D) Relativistic thinking
1.7 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?

 Summary
1. What is Thinking? Thinking is a purposeful, organized cognitive process that
we use to make sense of our world.

2. Types of Thinking Creative & Critical Thinking

3. What is 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.

4. Critical Thinking Standards Clarity, Accuracy, Precision, Relevance, Depth, Breadth,

Logic and Fairness

5. Benefits of Critical Thinking Academic performance, workplace and daily life.

6. Barriers to Critical Thinking Examples include Egocentrism, Sociocentrism,
Unwarranted Assumptions, Wishful Thinking, and
Relativistic Thinking
7. Characteristics of a Critical Open-mindedness, independent thinking, self-aware,
Thinker passionate, insightful, honest and intellectual humility,
intellectual courage, and welcome criticism, etc.