Jj is for Jottings 142.  Critical Thinking.

I was thinking the other day about how the world would be much better if more people applied critical thinking skills in their daily lives.  Also about how we can introduce critical thinking to children.  Funnily enough, the very next morning I read an article in the newspaper citing the results of a study into conspiracy theorists and critical thinking skills.  More of that later.  I took that as a sign to write this article.

As far as I can ascertain, “clear thinking” and “critical thinking” are interchangeable terms.  But since there are multiple definitions of each, it is not all that easy to pin down.  I referred to critical thinking skills in a previous article on sequencing, but now we will go into it further.

WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas.  It could be described as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking.

In essence, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is not the accumulation of facts and knowledge.  Nor is it something that you can learn once and then use in that form forever, such as times tables.

Critical thinkers question ideas and assumptions rather than accept them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture, and are open to finding that they don’t.  They identify, analyse and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct.  This helps them to recognise phenomena such as fake news.

If You Have Critical Thinking Skills You Can:

• Understand the links between ideas.
• Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.
• Recognise, build and evaluate arguments.
• Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.
• Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.
• Reflect on the justification of your own assumptions, beliefs and values.

(Ref: Life skills website Skills You Need)

As a current example, a secondary student might read a news article on climate change.  They can apply critical thinking skills to reflect on the different arguments and come to a reasoned conclusion. And thereby sift out the fake news.

The Skills You Need To Master.

The skills that we need to be able to think critically include observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making.

In a little more depth, the critical thinking process has several steps:

• Observation, trying to avoid seeing things through the subjective lens of emotion or beliefs.
• Analysis – thinking about a topic or issue objectively and critically. This could start with clarifying the issue. For example, the issue of climate change is about sustainability and future generations.
• Interpretation/reflection – by identifying and reflecting on the different arguments relating to an issue. In our example, this involves the arguments presented by the man-made climate change advocates and those supporting ‘natural’ climate change.
• Evaluation – critically evaluating how strong and valid are different points of view. This includes any weaknesses or negative aspects in the evidence or argument.
• Inference – considering the implications there might be behind a statement or argument. For example, considering the ramifications a decision will have for yourself and others.
• Explanation – being able to clearly explain your thinking on the topic.
• Problem solving and decision making – giving structured reasoning and support for your choice.

Different Skills For Different Subjects.

The critical thinking skills required for literary criticism are very different from those for mathematics. Different domains, such as science and history, have different definitions of what it means to “know” something.

For example, in history, students need to learn the skills for evaluating documents. They must consider their historical context, intended purpose and audience, and how they compare with other documents. This approach would be pointless in science, where we apply critical thinking by conducting experiments and following the scientific method.

WE USE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS EVERY DAY.

This is usually to solve a problem or to reach a decision.  We use these skills for problem solving every day almost from infancy – to solve puzzles, for example, and work out how to stack blocks into a tower. An example of an early decision-making tasks requiring critical thinking is choosing to wear warm clothes when it’s cold.  Or not to hit out when we’re provoked. Clear thinking enables us to make wise, rational decisions rather than reactive ones.

Critical thinkers are usually instinctual problem solvers and therefore tend to be creative.  Studies indicate that critical thinking skills are among the most highly valued attributes which employers are seeking in job candidates. They want staff who can solve problems, make decisions and take appropriate action.

Research also indicates that critical thinkers experience few negative life events, such as racking up credit card debt or getting arrested for drink driving.

CRITICAL THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE.

There are critical thinking tests, and they are different from testing of the 8 types of intelligence.   Although critical thinking is involved to some degree in logical mathematical intelligence, intelligence and critical thinking are basically two different things.  I’m sure we have all come across highly intelligent people who make terrible choices.

Now we can return to the study about conspiracy theorists and critical thinking skills mentioned in the opening paragraph.  Briefly, a current study confirms that the more people believe in conspiracy theories, the worse they perform on critical thinking tests.  (Actually, that’s perfectly obvious to me, but it’s good to have scientific proof.  Then it becomes fact rather than opinion.)

This doesn’t mean that conspiracy theorists are necessarily lacking intelligence, but rather that they lack the skills to objectively analyse and evaluate a situation.  There is a lot more to how and why conspiracy theorists function, including the need to feel special.  But the lack of critical thinking skills is what is relevant here.

There are clear advantages to being intelligent, such as the ability to get good grades and be successful at school and work. However, intelligence doesn’t predict other important life outcomes, such as wellbeing or life satisfaction.

Critical thinking, however, has been linked with wellness and longevity. Studies indicate that clear thinking more strongly predicted life events than intelligence. This is good news, because while intelligence is significantly determined by genetics, critical thinking can be taught. So even if your child is far from being a straight-A student, they can learn the skills to think through problems and make wise decisions.

NEUROPLASTICITY AND CRITICAL THINKING.

We must also remember the effects of neuroplasticity.  The more we apply critical thinking skills, the more we are able to think critically.

The article on neuroplasticity and power ties in beautifully with critical thinkers experiencing fewer negative life events mentioned above.

CHILDREN AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.

Two areas of  thinking we can easily begin to teach children are inferences and discriminating fact versus opinion.

Inferences.

We define inference as any step in logic that allows someone to reach a conclusion based on evidence or reasoning. It’s an informed assumption and is similar to a conclusion or a deduction.

With very young children, we can begin with pictures of common objects with one part missing.  The child has to identify the missing part.

The next step is to show a simple sequence of 3 pictures, and ask the child what happened first, what happened next, and what happened last.  Then show them sequences with one picture missing.  The child has to work out what should be in the picture.  After that, you can move on to a single sentence with a piece of missing information.  The child must work out (infer) what the missing information is from the context.  Eg. “Sally wrapped a present, put on her favourite dress and left the house.  Where was she going?”  Further steps involve longer and more complex scenarios.

Fact or Opinion?

Another simple exercise is to make a statement and ask the child to decide whether it was fact or opinion.  This would be aimed at mid to late primary aged children.  Some examples:

The sun is shining. (F)

It’s a beautiful day. (O)

Jack’s new car is really cool. (O)

Jack has a new car. (F)

This skill alone would go a long way to creating a more rational and smoothly functioning society.

 

In a more general sense, we can look for opportunities to foster critical thinking skills in our children.  Just as in developing good language skills, we can seize opportunities as they present themselves in daily life.  Believe me, it’s worth it.

 

 

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