Guidelines For Guidelines For Critical Decision Critical Decision

MakingMakingby Wade & Travis, Psychology, 7by Wade & Travis, Psychology, 7thth Edition. Edition.

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

-Ask Questions; Be Willing to Wonder.-Ask Questions; Be Willing to Wonder.-Define the Problem.-Define the Problem.-What Evidence Supports or Refutes This -What Evidence Supports or Refutes This

Argument and its Opposition?Argument and its Opposition?-Analyze Assumptions and Biases.-Analyze Assumptions and Biases.-Control Emotional Reasoning.-Control Emotional Reasoning.-Don’t Oversimplify.-Don’t Oversimplify.-Consider Other Interpretations-Consider Other Interpretations-Tolerate Uncertainty.-Tolerate Uncertainty.

Ask Questions; Be Willing Ask Questions; Be Willing to Wonder…to Wonder…

Being a critical thinker Being a critical thinker is all about asking is all about asking questions and questions and wondering “What’s wondering “What’s wrong here?” or “Why wrong here?” or “Why is this the way it is, is this the way it is, and how did it come to and how did it come to be that way?” It is be that way?” It is important to always important to always be on the lookout for be on the lookout for questions that have questions that have never been answered. never been answered.

Define the Problem.Define the Problem.

Ask questions that Ask questions that don’t presuppose don’t presuppose the answer. A poor the answer. A poor formulation of formulation of questions can lead questions can lead to incomplete to incomplete answers.answers.

What Evidence Supports or What Evidence Supports or Refutes This Argument and Refutes This Argument and

its Opposition?its Opposition?

Just because many Just because many people agree with people agree with one thing, one thing, including experts, including experts, doesn’t mean it is doesn’t mean it is the accurate the accurate evidence.evidence.

Analyze Assumptions Analyze Assumptions and Biasesand Biases

Evaluating the Evaluating the assumptions and assumptions and biases are both key biases are both key ways to finding out ways to finding out what lies behind what lies behind arguments, even arguments, even your own. Everyone your own. Everyone is entitled to biases, is entitled to biases, that is beliefs that that is beliefs that prevent us from prevent us from being fair.being fair.

Control Emotional Control Emotional ReasoningReasoning

Being passionate about what you feel Being passionate about what you feel can motivate you to think boldly can motivate you to think boldly without fear, but by using “gut without fear, but by using “gut feelings” the results can be feelings” the results can be unfortunate.unfortunate.

Don’t OversimplifyDon’t Oversimplify

Always look Always look beyond the beyond the obvious, rest easy obvious, rest easy generalizations, generalizations, and reject the and reject the either/or thinking. either/or thinking. Don’t argue by Don’t argue by anecdote.anecdote.

Consider Other Consider Other InterpretationsInterpretations

Create hypotheses, or educated Create hypotheses, or educated guesses, that offer explanations of guesses, that offer explanations of characteristics, behavior, and events.characteristics, behavior, and events.

Tolerate UncertaintyTolerate Uncertainty

Never be afraid to Never be afraid to say “I don’t know.” say “I don’t know.” Demanding the Demanding the answer isn’t the answer isn’t the best choice. best choice. Sometimes the Sometimes the evidence allows us evidence allows us to draw unsure to draw unsure conclusions.conclusions.

Conclusion/SummaryConclusion/Summary

A Critical thinker should…A Critical thinker should…-Be on the lookout for questions.-Be on the lookout for questions.-Ask questions that don’t presuppose answers.-Ask questions that don’t presuppose answers.-Find evidence and not believe just because -Find evidence and not believe just because

experts believe.experts believe.-Analyze assumptions and biases.-Analyze assumptions and biases.-Be passionate about what they think.-Be passionate about what they think.-Look beyond the obvious.-Look beyond the obvious.-Make hypotheses.-Make hypotheses.-Never be afraid to say “I don’t know.” -Never be afraid to say “I don’t know.”

Created By:Created By:

Angelica BoyrazyanAngelica Boyrazyan