Study Skills Learning to Think Critically Hospira May 3rd

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Study SkillsLearning to Think
CriticallyHospiraMay 3rd
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Learning to Think Critically

• We have an irrational veneration for the media.
  If we read something in a book or newspaper, or
  hear it on the radio, or see it on TV, we assume
  it must be true unless we have personal
  experience to the contrary (Lee, 1996 p.16)
• So one question we should be asking ourselves is
  have our thinking habits declined as a result of
  the amount of information which assails us every
  day?
• But what do you think is the best approach to
  follow?

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Thinking The skill of making sense of things

• Every day, we are faced with a number of complex
  controversial issues/questions. E.g. should
  certain drugs be legalised? Were the U.S.
  Britain correct to go to war with Iraq?
• However, weighing up all the evidence on these
  questions is hard work, therefore it is not
  surprising that we take shortcuts sometimes by
  accepting other peoples opinions on these
  matters
• In this state we are like sponges soaking up
  information knowledge indiscriminately
  (randomly) without really processing what it
  means.

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What is critical thinking?

• This blunting of our questioning judging skills
  is exacerbated by certain flaws in our mind
• our short term memory is brief fragile
• However, a good way to over come this is to use
  questions which get to the heart of the matter,
  see handout
• So by using questions like those from the
  handout, it promotes a mental sharpness which
  underlies all forms of critical thinking

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What is critical thinking?

• Critical thinking may be defined as a form of
  intelligent criticism which helps people reach
  independent justifiable conclusions about their
  own experiences
• Wade Tavis (1987) explained that critical
  thinking is the ability willingness to assess
  claims make objective judgements on the basis
  of well supported reasons
• What makes this form of thinking especially
  valuable is that it is based on active reflection
  (i.e. working things out for yourself) rather
  than just passive reproduction of other peoples
  ideas.

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What is critical thinking?

• Critical thinking is characterised by a rational
  evaluation of available evidence. Accordingly,
  it involves 2 key components
• A sceptical attitude
• A toolbox of reasoning skills
• The attitudinal part of critical thinking
  consists of a willingness to question what you
  learn. E.g. what evidence to do offer in support
  of your conclusions? Is this evidence valid
  relevant
• Questions like the above stem from adopting a
  sceptical attitude towards any claims which we
  are requested to believe

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What is critical thinking?

• Using the example, the astrological proposition
  that our star sign influences our behaviour in
  predictable ways, how many of you take this at
  face value?
• This sceptical attitude contrasts sharply with
  the mindlessness passivity which characterises
  some of our every day actions (turning to the
  newspapers for our star signs for advice on our
  lives!!)
• However, questioning on its own does not sharpen
  our thinking, we need to be able to spot errors
  inconsistencies in the evidence arguments which
  underlie what we are asked to believe

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Developing your ability to think critically

• In this section we will go through some questions
  techniques which should help to improve your
  ability to think critically
• Although the ability to think for yourself has
  long being valued as a major goal of higher
  education, little or no concern has been devoted
  to practical ways of producing this skills
• However, a more direct approach of teaching
  thinking skills has emerged, in which people are
  being taught to ask certain types of questions in
  order to analyse evaluate relevant evidence

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Developing your ability to think critically

• By asking such questions people become
  systemically inquisitive or sceptical, which is
  that it at the heart of critical thinking.
• The following checklist of questions are proposed
  by Browne Keeley (1994) Roediger et al (1995)
• What exactly is the claim or conclusion that I am
  asked to believe?
• Who/what is the source of the claim

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Developing your ability to think critically

• What evidence is used to support the main
  argument or central claims?
• How valid is the evidence cited? Becoming an
  efficient consumer of research information
• Are there alternative explanations for the
  evidence provided? If so, how plausible are these
  rival theories?

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What exactly is the claim or conclusion that I am
asked to believe?

• The first step in critical thinking is to
  identify the claim or conclusion that you are
  being asked to believe. E.g. Emotional
  Intelligence why it can matter more than IQ
• However, there are times when it is not so clear,
  we must gather it from the text. This process of
  inferring (gathering/understanding) the claim can
  be hazardous
• If you were told that 9 out of 10 doctors
  recommend the pain relieving ingredient in
  Hangover tablets, should you conclude these
  tables are effective?

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Who/what is the source of the claim

• When assessing a claim or an argument, it is
  important to establish the credibility of the
  source of this information. What do you think is
  the reason for this?
• You should be cautious about accepting the claims
  of people who do not have any special expertise
  in a specific field or who appear to be endorsing
  a particular view purely for personal gain
• E.g. Tabacco companies announcing that they have
  discovered that there are no risks of cancer from
  smoking cigarettes.

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Who/what is the source of the claim

• One must also be aware of the problem of
  over-reliance on second hand information. A
  number of biases distortions can occur when the
  facts of a story are dependent on secondary
  sources.
• Do you believe all the urban myths you hear??
• Gilovich (1991) recommends that our scepticism
  should be in direct proportion to the remoteness
  of the source of the claim in question.
• In other words, the more distant the source, the
  less credible is the source which stems from it

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Who/what is the source of the claim

• Accordingly, whenever possible, you should
  consult primary sources (the original book or
  article) to backup the claims encountered in
  secondary sources

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What evidence is used to support the main
argument or central claims?

• The information which bombards us everyday comes
  from a variety of sources which range from
  intuitive hunches (a first impression) to more
  objective data (controlled laboratory
  experiments.
• What problems might there be with insights
  yielded by intuitive impressions (or gut
  reactions)?

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What evidence is used to support the main
argument or central claims?

• Sources of evidence cited in arguments
• Intuition (gut feeling)
• A private feeling or hunch which may be used
  both to make justify judgements decisions
• Appeal to authority
• Ascribing a claim (e.g. a quotation) or argument
  to an apparently prestigious source (the expert)
  in an effort to enhance its credibility or
  persuasive appeal
• Anecdotal evidence includes reference to
  personal experiences such as case
  studies/observations/egs.

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What evidence is used to support the main
argument or central claims?

• Research evidence
• Comprises data obtained through systematic,
  objective repeatable procedures (e.g. a
  controlled lab experiment)

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How valid is the evidence cited? Becoming an
efficient consumer of research information

• It is important that you become adept at making
  quick judgements about the validity reliability
  of the information cited in support of persuasive
  appeals to which you will be subjected.
• This task is manageable if you have been trained
  to identify potential flaws inconsistencies in
  arguments. Here are 4 points to note
• First, a claim may be based on inaccurate
  information. E.g. Spinach is rich in iron? The
  lesson here is that many of our cherished beliefs
  have not been subjected to critical scrutiny!

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How valid is the evidence cited? Becoming an
efficient consumer of research information

• A second common flaw afflicting arguments occurs
  when authors use invalid reasoning process.
• A third weakness of many arguments concerns shaky
  foundations or questionable assumptions
• A fourth way in which arguments can be misleading
  occur when claims are made which, regardless or
  their truth, have no bearing on the central point

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Are there alternative explanations for the
evidence provided? If so, how plausible are these
rival theories?

• There is always going to be alternative ways of
  interpreting anything. Take our legal system,
  the possibility of identifying rival explanations
  for an agreed set of circumstances is the
  cornerstone of it.
• If a defence counsel can prove that there is at
  least a reasonable doubt about his/her clients
  involvement in a crime, then the case against
  this person may be dismissed
• Therefore, if you can establish an interpretation
  of evidence which is at least plausible as that
  favoured

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Are there alternative explanations for the
evidence provided?

• By the theorist, then you have shown a capacity
  to think for yourself. How many alternatives
  might there be of the Outer Body Experience?
• The final step in learning to think critically is
  to make sure that you check your assumptions
  before drawing any conclusions. All too often we
  ignore this advice and make hasty unwarranted
  judgements as a result!

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Managing Your Own Learning at University A
practice guide. (Moran, P.,1997)