8 Basic Guidelines to Critical Thinking in Psychology Mrs. Whittemore Westford Academy

Ask Questions  Think creatively  Be curious about human behavior  Wonder why people act as they do  Question received explanations and search for new ones

Define the Problem Use clear and concrete terms Be careful how you word questions

Examine the evidence 1. Is it reliable? Is it valid? 2. Is it personal speculation or scientific? 3. Does it come from a few narrow studies or repeated research? 4. Can one check the reliability of the evidence?

Analyze biases and assumptions Examine your own personal prejudice or deeply held values that might affect evaluation of data Be willing to consider evidence that contradicts your own beliefs Examine the biases of others and their motives

Avoid emotional reasoning Emotion and passion have a place in motivating us to defend unpopular ideas or to think boldly BUT Feeling should not substitute for careful appraisal of arguments and evidence Avoid thinking: “If I feel this way it must be true”

Do NOT oversimplify Look beyond the obvious Watch out for logical contradictions Be wary of arguments backed up by anecdote Avoid either-or thinking

Consider other interpretations Examine other hypotheses to explain the problem before leaping to a conclusion Find the explanation that accounts for the MOST evidence with the fewest assumptions Don’t draw premature conclusions about cause and effect

Tolerate uncertainty This is the hardest step Be willing to give up old ideas and beliefs when NEW information calls these ideas into question

NOW GO OUT AND THINK LIKE A PSYCHOLOGIST!