What are the Qualities of a Critical Thinker? LSH2203 Critical Thinking

What’s the problem?

Have you seen any ‘news*’ on BBM recently? * Why is ‘news’ in quotations?

The Qualities of a Critical Thinker This means “the different parts that make a good…”

Don’t believe everything you hear, see or read.

Instead use knowledge and cognitive ability to find a reasonable answer. “Well Son, the lines are blue. A red crayon make red lines. A blue crayon makes blue lines so…

Six Qualities of a Good Critical Thinker

A good critical thinker should be accuratereasonablefairrelevantlogicalclear

Can you state what you mean? Can you give examples? noun for ‘Clear’ = clarity

It is important to clearly state your own opinions and ideas. This means giving specific examples and not just saying, “Because I said so.”

It can also be unclear if people don’t give details. What’s unclear about these sentences? “It is important to study English.” “It is bad to do that”. “It is good to have my own business.”

Can you think of some reasons people why people might be unclear or vague? People are unclear for many reasons.

Did you think of some of these? 0 They are trying to avoid the topic 0 They don’t want to answer the question 0 They are not able to be clear 0 They lack the information or knowledge to answer

Are you sure that what you are saying is true? noun for ‘accurate’ = accuracy

A good example of how misinformation can lead to problems was in the US during the s. At that time, doctors supported smoking. They were even used to sell cigarettes in advertisements.

Eventually, science proved that smoking caused lung cancer and the advertisements were removed.

How do you think people who had believed the doctors and advertising feel now?

Can you think of a time when you, or someone you know, were misinformed?

Is it related to what we are thinking about? noun for ‘relevant’ = relevance

Being relevant means being on the same topic. The information and ideas must be connected to the topic you are discussing

Sometimes politicians and other leaders are asked questions but talk about something completely different in order to not discuss the issues

For example, Sarah Palin was hoping to be the US Vice President. She was asked what specific skills in foreign policy experience she has.

Here is her answer:

What information was not relevant? Did she answer the question? Why might she have answered this way?

Have we thought through this problem thoroughly and with an open mind? noun for ‘reasonable’ = reason

Do you have an open mind?

It is important to find out the facts before you make a decision. Do you allow facts to change your opinion?

What facts would you need to change your mind about this statement? Men are better drivers than women.

Does it all fit together? noun for ‘logical’ = logic

To think logically is to use facts to come to well founded solutions. When we think, we bring a variety of thoughts together into some order. When a combination of thoughts make sense, the thinking is "logical.”

What’s the logical answer? A woman calls her dog to come in for dinner every night at 5pm. It doesn’t matter if she calls him: Buster, Custard, Mister, Sister, Woofie or Mr Dog. He comes quickly and wags his tail happily.

What’s the logical answer? “The dog knows that he always eats dinner at around 5pm and he will come no matter what she says.” “The dog really likes different names and he only comes if the names are different each day”

Another example, Miss Teen South Carolina was asked why 1/5 of Americans can’t locate the USA on a world map.

What illogical statements did she make? She was also not on topic. What information was not relevant? Did she answer the question? Why might she have answered this way?

Do I have a personal interest in this issue? Am I fairly representing the viewpoints of others? noun for ‘fair’ = fairness

What does mean to be fair? See what happens when scientists pay one monkey cucumber, instead of grapes, for doing the same job (giving a rock to the scientist).

It is not always easy to consider the rights and needs of others as important as our own rights and needs. People can often be selfish.

In the USA, politicians have the job of voting to raise their own salaries or keep the salaries the same. What’s the problem?

We must actively work to make sure we are applying the standard of fairness to our thinking.

So to sum up, try to be… A good critical thinker should be accuratereasonablefairrelevantlogicalclear