Critical thinking constitutes a type of complex thinking that allows the individual to reflect on unresolved issues or on others already established, with the aim of generating new responses. This type of thinking requires processes of analysis, inference, evaluation and deduction whose purpose is to recognize what is fair and true. It is, after all, the thinking of a rational human being.
In the following Psychology-Online article we will analyze in greater depth What is critical thinking, its characteristics, what it is for and how to acquire it. Finally, we will detail how to develop critical thinking in adults and children.
What is critical thinking: definition and examples
He critical thinking It is such a complex skill that a definition that covers the entire process is not easy to achieve. According to Paul, R. and Elder L., authors of “The mini-guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools”critical thinking is “that way of thinking – about any topic, content or problem – in which the thinker improves the quality of his thinking by seizing the inherent structures of the act of thinking and subjecting them to intellectual standards.
It’s about a rational, reflective and self-directed thinking that occurs when solving problems. Its main function is not so much to generate ideas as to review, analyze and evaluate them from a critical and objective perspective, generating contrasted and accurate responses.
Some formulation examples that are carried out from critical thinking, based on the elements that compose it (which we will detail in the next section), could be:
- What is my purpose and why?
- What question(s) sums it up?
- What assumptions am I based on?
- From what perspective do I start?
- Is the information collected clear, precise and relevant?
- Are the key concepts well defined?
- What conclusions do I draw from the evidence obtained?
- What consequences and implications does my reasoning have?
In this article you will find the different ones.
Characteristics of critical thinking
According to Paul, R. and Elder L., critical thinking is made up of 8 elements:
- Purpose of thought: goal or objective.
- Problem or issue to be resolved.
- Assumptions from which it is based.
- Point of view or perspective from which one starts.
- Information collected to carry out the analysis: data, facts, observations, experiences, etc.
- Concepts and ideas that shape the information collected.
- Inferences and interpretations concluded.
- Implications and consequences of these conclusions.
Critical thinkers are people who routinely apply the following intellectual standards to these elements of the thinking process: clarity, accuracy, relevance, logic, comprehensiveness, precision, importance, completeness, impartiality and depth.
What is critical thinking for and how important is it?
Critical thinking has many advantages. In general, it helps to promote reflective thinking and metacognitive thinking or knowledge about one’s own cognitive processes and the properties of learning and information. Here you will find . That is, the practice of this type of information processing contributes to:
- Expand thinking skills
- Clarify understanding
- Obtain feedback about teaching/learning
- Provide tools to correct strategies
- Create links between different ideas
- Promote curiosity and creativity
- Provide challenges
The consequence of applying this mode of analysis to the critical thinking process is the development of more complex intellectual characteristics such as:
- Modesty: is aware of the limits of his knowledge.
- Autonomy: Master your own mental and reasoning process.
- Integrity: be honest and humble, recognizing the need to use intellectual standards in your reasoning process.
- Fortitude: courage to abandon stereotypes and unfounded beliefs and accept contrasted truths even though we did not originally share them.
- Perseverancedespite the difficulties, obstacles and frustrations
- Trust in reasonas something that will benefit the entire society by establishing fair and accurate truths
- Empathy, to put yourself in other people’s shoes and understand their approaches. Here you will find .
- Impartiality: adhere to intellectual standards despite personal interests.
Compared to content learning, which is still the majority learning in most schools, critical thinking is important because promotes students learning to learn. Internalizing this way of perceiving the world and processing information will allow us to become more humble, tolerant and reflective people, which will fuel much more efficient responses to the conflicts that arise in our daily lives.
How to acquire critical thinking
He development of critical thinking It occurs through several phases:
- thoughtless thinker: In this first phase, people are not aware that there are problems in our thinking, we do not perceive inconsistencies within ourselves.
- Challenged thinker: At this moment, we become aware that there are divergences in our thinking.
- beginning thinker: based on this awareness, we try to correct the inconsistencies but only sporadically.
- Practicing thinker: We recognize the need to practice this way of processing information and we get to it.
- Advanced thinker: As we practice critical thinking we advance in our skills and in the development of our thinking.
- master thinker: It is from the constant and lasting practice of this thought that we end up internalizing it and applying it in each and every one of our facets of life.
To develop mastery of critical thinking, it is very positive to be surrounded by favorable educational environments that encourage this way of processing information. Therefore, it is so important that teachers incorporate this way of working in their daily lives so that, by verifying the advantages of this procedure, they encourage their students to act in this way.
How to develop critical thinking in adults: 10 tips
The practice of critical thinking is precisely necessary today. We are in the information age thanks to which we have immediate access to all types of information and data. Adopting critical thinking as adults and teaching it to our sons and daughters will allow us differentiate between false and true informationsomething very important to rule out misleading information that also circulates on the internet.
Simultaneously, it will allow us to become aware of our thoughts to analyze and interpret them effectively. Important aspect to act honestly with respect to our thinking and feeling in our relationship with ourselves and with others.
In relation to this, we describe below 10 tips that will allow adults to develop critical thinking:
- Become aware of the importance of being and always staying informed.
- Dedicate specific time to “thinking about thinking”: observe our thinkingwhat we think, how we do it, what conjectures we arrive at, etc.
- Foster curiosity: from those moments of observation of thought, pay attention to those things that attract our attention the most
- Trust the process of rational inquiry and in one’s own reasoning abilities.
- Show us open and flexible to perceive and attend to points of view that differ from one’s own.
- be honest in the recognition of one’s own stereotypes and prejudices.
- Work with discipline to advance the development of critical thinking.
- To persist despite the difficulties.
- Be thorough in the search and processing of information.
- Act impartially during all phases of critical processing.
10 strategies to develop critical thinking in boys and girls
In most classrooms, content learning is encouraged through the teaching of basic school subjects, despite the few benefits that such learning generates in the long term. In contrast to this method, critical thinking presents as an option the training of critical students, who become aware of or question their social reality and participate in their role as social actors.
From this approach, it is important to work on those strategies that allow develop children’s critical thinking in classrooms (and, why not, also in the family environment). How to promote critical thinking? Below we list 10 practical strategies that will promote this cognitive development in children:
- The teacher will adopt the role of mediator and inquirer, rather than a transmitter of knowledge.
- Create an environment that encourages critical thinking promote the truthopen-mindedness, empathy, rationality, autonomy and self-criticism.
- Encourage students to believe in their own mental processes.
- Raise problems higher level and request elaborate responses.
- May the environment created allow children discover your own thoughts and beliefs, express their feelings and opinions and reinforce them when they present different points of view on the same topic.
- Adopt the pace of work that allows children to develop their thinking.
- Promote debate and the exchange of ideas.
- Favor the scientific procedures.
- Stimulate the teamwork.
- Extrapolate this procedure from problem analysis of everyday life.
Promoting critical thinking will encourage our children and students to have a self-critical attitude towards life that will allow them to manage themselves more efficiently when solving the problems that arise in their lives. This is why it is so important to keep critical thinking in mind in education. It is worth investing time in organizing and planning this type of learning at school and in the family by carrying out activities to develop critical thinking.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- López Aymes, G. (2012). Critical thinking in the classroom.
- Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2003). The mini-guide to critical thinking, concepts and tools. California: Foundation for Critical Thinking.
- Aika, Journal of Innovation and Technology. (2016). How to develop critical thinking? Tips to know where to start. Recovered from http://www.aikaeducacion.com/consejos/8-consejos-desarrollar-pensamiento-critico/