CRITICAL THINKING

CRITICAL
THINKIN
G
Definition
Critical thinking is reasonable,
reflective thinking that is focused on
deciding what to believe or do. --
Robert Ennis
Definition
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined
process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing,
applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or
evaluating information gathered from, or
generated by, observation, experience,
reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a
guide to belief and action.
(National Council for Excellence in Critical
Thinking)
Levels of Critical
Thinking 2.
Bloom identified 1. Knowledge Comprehensio
six thinking (knowing n
levels: things) (understandin
g things)
3. Application
5. Synthesis
(being able to 4. Analysis
(ability to see
apply (ability to pull
through the
knowledge in things apart
clutter to the
the real intellectually)
core issues)
world)
6. Evaluation
(the ability to
make good
judgments)
PROCESS OF CRITICAL
THINKING
( WOLCOTT AND LYNCH )
Step 1: Identify the problem, the relevant information, and
all uncertainties about the problem. (low cognitive
complexity)
Step 2: Explore interpretations and connections. This

includes recognize one's own bias, articulating the
reasoning associated with alternative points of view,
and organizing information in meaningful ways.
(moderate cognitive complexity
Step 3: Prioritize alternatives and communicate
conclusions. This includes thorough analysis,
developing the guidelines, and defending the
solution option chosen. (high cognitive complexity
Step 4: Integrate, monitor, and refine strategies for re-
addressing the problem. This includes
acknowledging limitations of chosen solution and
developing an ongoing process for generating and
using new information. (highest cognitive
Components of the Critical
Thinking
1. Perception
2. Assumption
3. Emotion
4. Language
5. Argument
6. Fallacy
7. Logic
8. Problem Solving
Perception
 Perception refers to the way we receive and
translate our experiences.
 Eg: In the workplace, one employee will

perceive a co-worker to be a constructive
decision-maker, while at the same time,
another sees the same employee as an
adversarial roadblock to progress.
Assumptions:
 Trying to identify the assumptions

that underlie the ideas, beliefs,
values, and actions is central to
critical thinking.
Emotion
 They are part of everything we do and

everything we think.
 Emotions can affect and inspire thought,
stated William James, but they can also destroy
it.
 We all have personal barriers enculturation,
ego defences, self-concept, biases, etc.—shaped
by our exposure to culture and genetic forces.
 Critical thinkers don‘t ignore or deny
emotions; as with other forces of influence on
our thinking, they accept and manage them.
Language
Thinking cannot be separated

from language.
Thinking itself is expressed
through language ,it carries the
content and structures the form
of the entire thinking process.
Argument:
 In the context of critical thinking , an
argument is simply a claim, used to persuade
others, that something is (or is not) true and
should (or should not) be done.
 When someone gives reasons for believing

something hoping that another person will
come to the same conclusion by considering
those reasons the discourse is geared toward
persuasion.
 An argument contains three basic elements:

an issue, one or more reasons called
premises in logic, and one or more
conclusions.
Contd…
 Arguments can be valid or invalid, based
on how they are structured.
 Arguments are not true or false only
premises and conclusions are true or
false.
 The goal of a critical thinker is to develop
sound arguments that have both validity
(are structured properly) and true
premises.
Fallacy
 Since we use language for the three primary

purposes of informing, explaining, and persuading,
we must be careful how we use it.
 To be sound, reasoning must satisfy three
conditions:
1. it must be valid (structured properly);
2. the premises must be true; and
3. all relevant information must be included.
 If the reasoning fails to satisfy any of these three criteria,

it is said to be fallacious.
LOGIC
Induction
LOGIC
Deduction
Logic:
 In logic, moving from observations to

conclusions is called induction.
 Moving from conclusions to predictions is called

deduction.
Models of critical
thinking
Benjamin Bloom's Model of Critical Thinking
Benjamin Bloom's Model of
Critical Thinking
 knowledge : Remembering of previously

learned material. Knowledge, according to
Benjamin Bloom, represents the lowest level
of learning outcomes in the cognitive
domain.
 Comprehension: the ability to grasp the
meaning of material and goes just beyond
the knowledge level.
 Comprehension is the lowest level of
understanding.
Critical Thinking
 Application: is the ability to use learned material

in new and concrete principles and theories.
Application requires a higher level of
understanding than comprehension.
Critical Thinking
 Aanalysis: The learning outcomes require an
understanding of both the content and the
structural form of material.
 Synthesis: Refers to the ability to put parts
together to form a new whole.
Learning outcomes at this level stress
creative behaviours with a major emphasis
on the formulation of new patterns or
structures
Critical Thinking
 Evaluation: Evaluation is concerned with the ability to
judge the value of material for a given purpose.
 Learning outcomes in this area are the highest in the
cognitive hierarchy.
 They contain conscious value judgments based on
clearly defined criteria.
 The activity of inventing encourages the four highest
levels of learning--application, analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation--in addition to knowledge and comprehension
Structural model Jeffrey
Ellis
 This model illustrates the structural
relationships between major
components of critical thinking.
 It is based on defining critical
thinking as a set of four sets: CT = {
{S}, {H}, {V}, {R} }
 where {S} is a set of cognitive skills,
{H} is a set of characteristic habits
or attitudes, {V} is a set of
values/commitments, and {R} is a
set of relationships among the
Techniques of critical
thinking
16 basic techniques of critical
thinking
1. Clarify.
2. Be accurate.
3. Be precise.
4. Be relevant.
5. Know your purpose.
6. Identify assumptions.
Techniques of critical
thinking
7. Check your emotions.
8. Empathize.
9. Know your own ignorance.
10. Be independent.
11. Think through implications.
12. Know your own biases.
13. Suspend judgment.
14. Consider the opposition.
15. Recognize cultural assumptions.
16. Be fair, not selfish.
Thanx

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CRITICAL

Step 2: Explore interpretations and connections. This

 Eg: In the workplace, one employee will

 Trying to identify the assumptions

 They are part of everything we do and

Thinking cannot be separated

 When someone gives reasons for believing

 An argument contains three basic elements:

 Since we use language for the three primary

 If the reasoning fails to satisfy any of these three criteria,

 In logic, moving from observations to

 Moving from conclusions to predictions is called

 knowledge : Remembering of previously

 Application: is the ability to use learned material

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