Category: critical thinking

Self-regulation is a personal skill that refers to an individuals ability to assess and manage his reactions to feelings, strong emotions, such as excitement, frustration, embarrassment, or anger, and environmental factors for behavior control.

System-1 refers to quick, reactive, instinctive, and holistic thinking that relies on salient memories and situational cues for time-sensitive decision-making and confident judgment, especially in the case of familiar situations. An example of system-1s use in my personal life is the detection of a persons sadness based on his or her voice. In this case, my efficient judgment (a person is sad) is based on situational cues (a voices tone) and salient memory (this tone indicated sadness in the past).

System-2 refers to analytical, reflective, procedural, and deliberative thinking used for planning and the analysis of abstract concepts, especially in an unfamiliar situation. An example of system-2s use in my work life is answering politely to an irritated customer trying to figure out the rationale of his complaint. While a natural reaction may be aggression in return, efficient outcomes require the analysis of the whole situation, reflection, and the prediction of another responses consequences, such as job termination.

Heuristics is an individuals general cognitive shortcuts used daily for decision-making based on either reactive or reflective thinking depending on the situation which frequently leads to biases. There are seventeen types of cognitive heuristics, including satisfying, temporizing, affect, simulation, availability, representation, association, stereotyping, us vs them, power differential, anchoring with adjustment, the illusion of control, optimistic bias, hindsight bias, elimination by aspect, loss and risk aversion, and all or nothing (Facione & Gittens, 2016). An example of heuristics from my personal life is making judgments related to unfamiliar people based on features associated with others. For instance, once I had a highly negative attitude toward a woman I had never seen before and met for the first time. The reason was that she had the same perfume used by my ex-friend who had betrayed me. Thus, I made a wrong judgment based on an association without knowing a person.

Dominance structuring is the psychological process or a strategy of decision-making in which a person attains confidence in his or her choice by assessing the merits of every option and excluding less beneficial ones. In general, dominance may be regarded as a positive attribute of critical thinking as it allows one to make the most appropriate decision. First of all, this decision is made not spontaneously but based on critical thinking, analysis of the current situation, and previous experience. In this case, dominance structuring allows one to assess risks and avoid errors.

A cognitive bias refers to a systematic error that occurs in thinking based on an illogical and continuous misinterpretation of information along with ignorance of its important aspects. System 1 allows a person to think faster, however, it does not presuppose the analysis of available data for reasonable decision-making. In this case, the cognitive bias appears when new information is associated with an already existing and perceived one without paying attention to the context that may provide a unique experience. In addition, in system-1, cognitive bias occurs due to the ignorance of information that does not support a hypothesis or validate a reasoning mode. Thus, to avoid bias, facts and all aspects of information should be considered.

Reference

Facione, P., & Gittens, C. A. (2016). Think critically (3^rd ed.). Pearson Education.

I enjoyed Critical Thinking and Number Sense since they sharpened my basic counting and number skills to solve problems. Critical Thinking and Number Sense was the most interesting topic since it is applicable in decision-making, analysis, reasoning, and communicating mathematical knowledge. After the lesson, I felt empowered in using my critical numeracy skills in daily judgment and actions. Even though I did not have a proper understanding of sets and how they are represented on Venn diagrams, I felt useful in my organizations (Yates, 2020). For instance, the clothes I wear, from a cap to shoes, are sets. Such correlation to real-life experiences made it one of the most interesting topics that directly apply to my life. Using sets, I could make logical relations between groups or categorize items. In careers, Venn diagrams can be used by human resource managers in demonstrating the characteristics of different jobs.

Besides, I am convinced that Public Policy and Simpsons Paradox will be useful for me in the future. It offered me the skills of determining correlations in aggregate data sets before they are reversed. Such mathematical skillsets can assist in developing policies to govern tax evasions. Through such capabilities, I will be eager to help the government in securing funds that could be lost or solving social issues through reversals. In such a regard, Simpsons paradox should be avoided by establishing effective public policies while dealing with different data groups (Yates, 2020). Besides, I agree that the topic covered during the past five weeks is beneficial in honing my mathematical skills for present and future anticipations. Therefore, I recommend that every individual should have a better understanding of all the issues discussed for both academic and career growth.

Reference

Yates, K. (2020). The math of life and death: 7 mathematical principles that shape our lives. Scribner.

Critical Thinking

Nietzsches Apollonian and Dionysian have some differences which individuals can analyze. One of the differences is that factors that are explored in Apollonian include stillness and thinking, while movement and distinct and shared trance are involved in Dionysian. Additionally, dancing is another aspect of Dionysian, which makes it distinctive from Apollonian. Another difference is that Apollonian attributes are harmony, culture, and restraint, while Dionysian characteristics are excess, lack of discipline, and irrationality. These aspects relate to figurations and literalists since they involve critical thinking. For instance, many people are influenced by their culture when making decisions, while others are impacted by discipline during judgments. Figurations and literalists relate to the theme of critical thinking in different ways. The former use diverse experiences when thinking and are likely to utilize metaphors and cite examples to prove their argument. The latter, however, may not use critical thinking and are likely not to have evidence to support their claims.

Critical thinking can be defined as the process which involves analyzing and evaluating a particular issue before making judgments. According to Espey, working as a team improves the critical thinking abilities of an individual since one can learn from other members (15). For instance, scholars should ensure that they develop their critical thinking skills to improve their performance. Being thoughtful has been promoted since it is a core academic skill that helps learners reflect on their knowledge when presented with information (Espey 16). Therefore, being attentive is also an essential aspect of the study of humanities.

Some steps are involved in critical thinking and can help an individual make valid conclusions. One of such steps consists in organizing the information, where individuals locate data and ensure that it is selected and arranged appropriately. The second step is structure reasoning, which encourages individuals to support their responses and note different peoples opinions. This step uses color conventions to show logic, where green is for reasons, red  is for objections, and orange  is for rebuttals. The third step involves considering the evidence and the strength of the proof acquired. Thus, this step requires individuals to have adequate confirmation to support their arguments.

The fourth step in critical thinking is the identification of assumptions in the argument. Consequently, people can look at the logical structure of the idea to ensure it is well-formed. Another essential step is evaluating statements, whereby a rationale provides a visual guide for analyzing the suggestion and claims. The final step is communicating a conclusion, where individuals are required to present their ideas orally or in writing. Therefore, focusing on the six steps is encouraged when making decisions to develop valid conclusions. Moreover, each step is vital since it ensures that individuals provide evidence to support their opinions and help other people understand the reason for their ideas. The steps relate to critical thinking since they guide a person when analyzing a particular issue. They also help to focus on the consequences of making a specific decision.

Still I Rise Choice Analysis

The poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou encourages the audience to focus on their goals despite being criticized by others. Angelou provides valid information regarding different problems faced by people in the community. For instance, individuals are trolled in society due to various aspects such as skin color and origin. Thus, Angelou motivates readers to rise and ensure that they achieve their objectives. The poem has also focused on how people have negative attitudes towards others. In this case, Angelou talks about how others would like to see someone being broken and with lowered eyes. In essence, the poem is fascinating and inspires the audience to believe in themselves.

The choice was made based on the impact the poem has on the readers. The central theme was analyzed to ensure that the message is conveyed efficiently. Angelou has used the concept of having faith in ones capabilities to present the idea to the audience. Many people have failed to achieve their goals due to the disapproval of society. The negative attitude of people towards others, which is common in many communities, has also been addressed. Consequently, the poem Still I Rise was chosen since it motivates people to focus on their goals despite the circumstances.

Reference

Espey, Molly. Enhancing critical thinking using team-based learning. Higher Education Research & Development, vol. 37, no. 1, 2018, pp. 15-29. Web.

Introduction: Phases of Critical Thinking in Nursing

Critical thinking in nursing practice is a reasoning process that enables the nurses to generate and implement approaches for dealing with patients. Critical thinking should be applied to all phases of the nursing process.

Critical Thinking in Nursing Process: Assessment Phase

During the assessment phase of the nursing process, the nurses obtain, verifies, and analyzes clients data before communicating it to the relevant departments. The nurses should apply critical thinking aspects such as scientific knowledge base, experience, skills, and standards when collecting and analyzing the data from patients. The nurses should use their skills to collect relevant information from the patient (Wilkinson, 1996). Information that will lead to a better understanding of the patients condition should be collected. The experience of the nurses and scientific knowledge base should enable them to understand how to proceed with the patients case.

Critical Thinking in Nursing Process: Diagnosis Phase

According to Wilkinson (1996), the diagnosis phase of the nursing process is aimed at identifying the real problem of the patient. The scientific knowledge base and clinical experience aspects of critical thinking are important in understanding the kind of illness that the patient is suffering from. Professional standards guide the nurses in making a judgment about the treatment criteria of the problem. The nurse is supposed to individualize care at this stage. The strengths of the client should be identified because they play a crucial role in developing an efficient nursing plan. The actual and potential problems identified are used in the planning stage of the nursing process.

Critical Thinking in Nursing Process: Planning Phase

This stage focuses on determining the immediate priorities, establish expected results, identify interventions, and recording an individualized plan of care. The nurses should use their clinical experience and scientific knowledge base to determine the immediate priorities. The professional standards will help the nurses understand the nursing interventions needed to achieve the expected outcomes (Tucker and Flannery, 1996). Nursing care plans are written guidelines for patients care. The plans should be organized carefully to help nurses identify actions to be delivered quickly. A nursing care plan that is prepared according to nursing professional standards ensures that resources for care are well coordinated. A nurse handling several clients in a day will not be confused when there is a definite plan of action.

Critical Thinking in Nursing Process: Implementation Phase

Implementation of nursing actions should be a thoughtful process. The nurse should use their competencies and experience to determine the patients current status before implementing any action. The nurses should check if there are any new problems that would necessitate an adjustment of care plan. In some cases, the condition of the patient may worsen or improve before the care plan is implemented (Wilkinson, 1996). The nurses should use the professional standards, experience, competence, and scientific knowledge base to assess if there is any development that would warrant an immediate change in the care plan.

Critical Thinking in Nursing Process: Evaluation Phase

The response of the patient to nursing actions is measured at this stage. The nurses should use the aspects of critical thinking towards determining if the nursing practices used are effective in achieving the expected outcomes. The data on patients progress should be collected on a continual basis. The effectiveness of nursing practice is assessed using the data collected on an on-going basis. The nurses use critical thinking to adjust the care plans based on the patients progress. The priorities could be redefined at this stage. According to Yildirim (2011), at the evaluation stage, the nurses determine whether the desired outcomes have been achieved, whether the interventions were effective and whether changes need to be made (p. 5).

Conclusion: Nursing Process and Critical Thinking

The nursing profession relies on of the aspects of critical thinking when addressing the patients problems. The nurses should not attend to a client without following the nursing process.

Reference List

Tucker, D., & Flannery, J. (1996). The student process for success: The nursing care plan. Nurse Educator, 21 (3), 47-50.

Wilkinson. J. M. (1996). Nursing process: A critical thinking approach. Menlo Park. CA: Addision-Wesley.

Yildirim, B. (2011). Critical Thinking in Nursing Process and Education. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(13), 257-262.

Critical thinking is useful for any person because of providing possibilities to analyze the situations and facts appropriately and find effective solutions to problems. Thus, it is necessary and useful for students to add critical thinking to the curriculum in the elementary school.

However, this idea can be discussed as a problem because of the aspects of its development and realization. The discussion of critical thinking course as the part of the curriculum is a problem because its solution can influence the lives of many people with references to changes in the curriculum, and this problem cannot be resolved immediately. To find an effective solution, it is necessary to develop a detailed plan in which the interests of all the parties are met (Choy, 2012).

To produce ideas to resolve the problem of adding the critical thinking principles to the curriculum, it is possible to use such methods as the collection of the necessary information, its interpretation and evaluation, and the process of concluding.

The collection of the facts and evidence on the usefulness of the critical thinking course is important to support the main idea; its evaluation provides the necessary information on the appropriateness of the facts for the concrete situation. The process of concluding is the most important stage which is directly connected with resolving the problem (Han, 2013). Any proposed ideas should be based on the realization of these three stages of critical thinking.

The effective resolution of the problem depends on overcoming the perceptual blocks. Thus, the problem of adding critical thinking to the curriculum can be resolved inadequately if the wrong assumptions are discussed. It is necessary to focus on the advantages of the process and analyze the possible disadvantages in detail to receive the complex picture of the problem (Paul & Elder, 2008).

Furthermore, it is useful to avoid inaccurate information on the problem, which can influence the perception of the idea. For instance, the inappropriate definition of the ideas advantages can affect the discussion of the problem negatively, and critical thinking would not be discussed as an important course in elementary school.

While resolving the problem and analyzing the definite associated information, the researcher should detect bias and avoid it as the subjective vision of the problem which prevents from the complex discussion of all the aspects connected with the question.

To detect bias in the research on the necessity of adding critical thinking to the school curriculum, it is necessary to ask complete questions about all the proposed assumptions and discuss the problem from different perspectives, even if these perspectives are not shared by the researcher. The evaluation of the information should be based on the principles of accuracy, consistency, depth, and clarity (Paul & Elder, 2008).

The discussion of the critical thinking course as the part of the curriculum requires asking a range of open-ended questions which are oriented to presenting the information on the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions to the problem, on the effectiveness of the chosen solution, on the relevance of the discussed evidence, values, and assumptions.

The questions should not be vague to receive the concrete information on the topic. In spite of the fact that the questions should be clear and precise, the complexity of the proposed question also depends on the complexity of the topic discussed (Ruggiero, 2012). That is why it is relevant to determine sub-questions in the complex questions to receive complete information on the topic.

Focusing on the arguments in the research, it is important to evaluate their effectiveness in resolving a certain problem. There are several approaches to evaluate the arguments.

Thus, the researcher can justify the effectiveness of the argument with the help of credible evidences, to criticize the argument because of the lack of the effective facts to support it, to verify the argument with references to the authorities visions and opinions, and to decide about the relevance of the argument in relation to the concrete situation (Cotter & Tally, 2009). To evaluate the arguments on adding the critical thinking course to the curriculum, all the above-mentioned strategies are useful.

The main assumptions which are proposed while discussing the problem are associated with the effectiveness of the critical thinking course for developing the students thinking abilities and problem-solving skills. The effectiveness of the course is discussed with references to the sound evidence related to the topic.

Thus, the development of critical thinking is necessary for students, and it stimulates the improvement of general academic performance (Ruggiero, 2012). Nevertheless, there can be assumptions which are not supported with further investigation, for instance, assumptions about the educators and sociologists vision of the problem. Thus, only justifiable assumptions can be related to the research.

To present the idea of adding the critical thinking course to the curriculum and persuade the audience to share this idea, it is necessary to identify the audience clearly and prepare the arguments according to the knowledge and interests of the audience (Cotter & Tally, 2009). Furthermore, it is important to demonstrate the credibility of the facts and ideas provided with references to the sound evidence.

It is also important to remember about the situation that the audience can reject the idea that is why it is important to prepare a range of arguments which emphasize the advantages of the discussed idea or project. The researcher can rely only on credible information and facts which are accurately analyzed and presented to the public.

To communicate the ideas effectively means to receive the positive feedback to the presented information and persuade the audience to follow the plan proposed in the speech. Thus, all the key ideas should be presented clearly and precisely to be understandable for the audience.

As a result, it is important to use the language appropriate for the situation and audience. The ideas should be supported with credible facts and evidence. Moreover, the specific details about the plan of actions to realize the idea should be proposed with references to authorities opinions and other researches on the topic. The discussion of critical thinking as part of the curriculum in the elementary school also involves the emotional factor along with the logical argumentation and evidence (Han, 2013).

The problem of teaching critical thinking at school can be discussed with references to adding the specific course to the curriculum. In this case, it is important to focus on the advantages and disadvantages of the idea. The conclusion about the relevance of the idea should be based on the evaluation of the collected information on the topic (Cotter & Tally, 2009).

The next approach is the proposal of reforming the current methods of teaching critical thinking at school with accentuating the necessity to expand and improve methods used by teachers about critical thinking. From this point, the research is based on avoiding errors in reasoning.

References

Choy, S. (2012). Reflective thinking and teaching practices: A precursor for incorporating critical thinking into the classroom? International Journal of Instruction, 5(1), 167-182.

Cotter, E. M., & Tally, C. S. (2009). Do critical thinking exercises improve critical thinking skills? Educational Research Quarterly, 33(2), 3-14.

Han, H. (2013). Effects of critical thinking intervention for early childhood teacher candidates. Teacher Educator, 48(2), 110-127.

Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2008). How to detect media bias and propaganda. Web.

Ruggiero, V. R. (2012). The art of thinking: A guide to critical and creative thought. New York, NY: Pearson Longman.

This paper discusses the significance of critical thinking for managers and leaders and especially a view of critical thinking as a set of skills rather than one element. Yet, as critical thinking is essential for tasks such as planning, it is also vital for effective human resource management in the workplace. As it is described in the simple-open system model, every organization is subject to considerable external effects which influence all of its aspects (Uhl-Bien et al., 2020). At the same time, according to organizational behavior studies, each organization consists of components, the most important of which are the personnel. Subsequently, as part of the organization, all employees are subject to external forces in their own way, which may cause certain issues. Therefore, the role of every leader is to employ their critical thinking skills to make the personnel work in harmony and collaborate effectively to deliver positive results.

In such cases, leaders need to rely on their knowledge of the key variables affecting workers, such as job satisfaction, job involvement, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship. Essentially, they have to use their critical thinking skills to maximize all of the aforementioned variables for each employee to make the organization work better (Bush, 2020). For instance, leaders can identify the external factors which affect their employees job satisfaction the most. It is possible that employees may feel more satisfied with their work when they are financially motivated. Thus, the leader will need to utilize their critical thinking to devise a system of motivational rewards and bonuses for employees. In other words, by engaging in such activities, leaders will be able to minimize the negative effects of the external environment and maximize the positive ones on their organizations and employees.

References

Bush, T. (2020). Theories of educational leadership and management (5th ed.). SAGE.

Uhl-Bien, M., Piccolo, R., &, Schermerhorn, Jr., J. (2020). Organizational behavior (2nd ed.). Wiley.

Contingency plans are essential for the majority of organizations. They allow the company to have a course of action even when the original plans become obsolete due to an unforeseen problem. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, sabotage, technical errors, and a great number of other issues may cause a company to engage its contingency plan (Dou et al., 2014; Harvey, Dabic, Kiessling, Maley, & Moeller, 2017; Meher & Solanki, 2017).

If it is done successfully, the majority of the issues caused by panic can be avoided, and normal operation may resume a lot faster. To gain a better understanding of how contingency plans are formulated, an interview with a manager of an airline company was conducted. Over the course of eight questions, he provided valuable insight into contingency planning that deserves examination. This paper will provide an overview of the interview, as well as explore some of its points in greater detail.

Information Discovered During the Interview

The interviewed manager had worked at the company for the last 15 years and witnessed multiple cases when contingency plans had to be engaged to deal with unexpected issues. Those issues included loss of supplies required for intercontinental flights, fires on the tarmac caused by technical malfunctions, loss of a branch office building due to a natural disaster, and even a crash landing. He pointed out that the decision-making process during crisis situations may be the defining factor for the success or failure of contingency plans.

There is always a period of panic between the crisis and the engagement of contingency plans, and it is crucial to keep yourself in control to successfully transition the team into the crisis resolution mode. The most difficult contingency plan to perform was during the previously mentioned crash landing. A massive passenger plane lost control of its landing gear due to a mechanical failure and had to crash land at the nearby airport.

This was the first instance of such a dangerous malfunction for the majority of the crisis management crew, so it took a great effort to resolve the issue. Fortunately, the pilot, control tower crew, and the airport emergency services were performed professionally, and no passengers or the crew were killed or seriously injured. The company then promptly provided free medical assistance to all the passengers, as well as monetary compensation for their tickets and psychological shock that was caused during the landing. Major scandals were avoided, and the reputation of the company was preserved despite the malfunction.

Creativity in Contingency Planning

While some elements of contingency planning may be obvious, others require a more creative and critical approach. During the interview, the manager described how on multiple occasions, the presented instructions were not fully applicable to the situations they were designed to address. These issues were found before the contingency plans had to be executed, and the management team was able to correct or expand the plans as it was needed.

For example, the plan for dealing with an unprofessional employee during a flight did not include instructions about how they need to be separated from the passengers before the plane lands. The original contingency plan only included instructions for after the landing of the plane. However, unprofessional behavior during the flight may have a highly detrimental effect on the companys image, and in worst cases, can bring harm to the passengers. By analyzing the situation from a more creative point of view, procedures for ensuring that the unprofessional crewmember does not disturb the passengers were established (Hamann, 2017). Such critical thinking can be essential for contingency plans and, by finding creative solutions, may resolve issues that were previously overlooked.

After listening to a person who has extensive experience in contingency planning, I understood that creativity is highly valued in this process. In the future, when I am tasked with performing contingency planning, I will make sure to use creativity as one of the primary tools. Every possible outcome should be considered and covered by the contingency plans. For instance, there may be multiple issues happening at the same time, which would require additional input from the manager.

By thinking about this type of situation beforehand, a more flexible plan may be created, which would account for multiple issues at the same time. It may not be viable to write a separate contingency plan for every combination of events, but if each plan is constructed in a way that does not prevent others from being engaged, then they may be seamlessly combined. This approach could result in a variety of positive outcomes that could save lives, prevent disasters, and avoid negative publicity for the company.

Aside from the value of creativity in contingency planning, I learned about its effect on the decision-making process. Ideally, when examining a possible new strategy or another element that involves the decision-making process, a person should approach it creatively.

A hospital that has to order specific medical supplies may do so directly through the usual channels, but they are likely to receive a markup on the price of their shipment. Thinking creatively allows for more options to be available for the team. The same hospital may seek partnerships with medical supplies companies, instead, to purchase their product at a reduced price (Hamann, 2017). This is just one of the many possible examples where creativity provides a benefit to the decision-making process.

Key Steps That Require a Contingency Plan

Some elements are more likely to require a contingency plan than others. Evaluation of which steps of the main plan are more likely to fail is needed. The steps may vary between different types of organizations. Some are more universal, however. When a company introduces a new product to the market, it may need to create a contingency plan for situations in which it proves to be unsuccessful or encounters a manufacturing issue that prevents the use of usual factories.

Contingencies for deaths of key executive and creative staff can be relevant to most companies. In addition, when examining the safety of the new product, management should create a contingency plan for a situation where a previously unforeseen issue with the product causes harm to the customer. When a step might cause harm to people or the company, it should always have a contingency plan attached to it.

Conclusion

The creation of contingency plans is one of the most important activities for companies. A variety of issues may affect a business plan; therefore, to minimize the damage, a contingency plan should be developed. Creativity and critical thinking are both required to find all the possible ways of resolving unforeseen issues.

References

Dou, M., Chen, J., Chen, D., Chen, X., Deng, Z., Zhang, X., & Wang, J. (2014). Modeling and simulation for natural disaster contingency planning driven by high-resolution remote sensing images. Future Generation Computer Systems, 37, 367377. 

Hamann, P. M. (2017). Towards a contingency theory of corporate planning: A systematic literature review. Management Review Quarterly, 67(4), 227289. 

Harvey, M., Dabic, M., Kiessling, T., Maley, J., & Moeller, M. (2017). Engaging in the duty of care: Towards a terrorism preparedness plan. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 28, 126. Web.

Meher, S. K., & Solanki, V. K. (2017). Contingency planning for the downtime of the hospital information system: An implemented approach. International Journal of Telemedicine and Clinical Practices, 2(2), 140. Web.

Critical thinking is a biased study of a subject or a problem that is utilized to analyze situations or issues with the formulation of valid conclusions, assessment, and interpretations and correctly apply the results to the cases and topics.

First, critical thinking might be understood as consisting of two components. The first one is a set of information and belief generating and processing skills (Defining Critical Thinking, n.d., para. 5) while the second one is determined as a behavioral habit. Therefore, critical thinking might be reflective by nature and relate to the communication and psychology of the individual. Second, critical thinking is self-managing, self-evaluating, and self-correcting thinking. It implies an agreement with strict standards that entails effective communication and problem-solving. It is associated not only with the cognitive but also with the motivational sphere, precisely speaking with self-consciousness. The third takeaway I have learned from the given articles is that it is necessary to stick to the single topic of critical thinking (Becoming a Critic Of Your Thinking, n.d.)). It is necessary to adhere to the one thought that would permeate the entire study and arrange ideas in order of importance from least important to the most one. However, one can stick to the effect of the inverted pyramid, but it is significant to accent appropriately.

In my opinion, critical thinking plays a considerable role in the development of my final research paper. From the articles, it seems apparent that to be a person with critical thinking, one needs to have some basic knowledge of the subject. It is clear that if a person does not know anything about urban planning, for example, it would be rather difficult to evaluate research about urban planning critically. This simple observation suggests that most people cannot think critically, even if they want to. Fortunately, this conclusion is true only partially, because I believe that critical thinking is not only the result of discrete but also rather of a continuum of knowledge. Even though the knowledge of the subject allows a person to think objectively, there is always a minimal set of questions that could be asked. For instance, there is a controversial topic, and someone makes some important statement about this. Even if one does not know about it, he or she might ask several questions. Is the one who makes a statement an expert on this issue or not? Whether the statement comes from a reliable source? Why the author takes that particular side in the debate, and not the other one? Are there other alternative approaches to the issue? The answers to these questions would contribute to a sound judgment or conclusion and research paper in general.

Besides, critical thinking influences both my professional and personal life. The ability to think critically allows a person to identify and resist attempts to manipulate, teaches to keep thoughts clear and structured, and interpret information correctly. I consider that critical thinking is one of the main skills that are necessary for everyone in everyday life. After all, with the help of critical thinking persons can solve problems and build strong relationships with other people, bring their ideas to life, and develop them successfully at work as well as in personal life.

I would like to address the following question to my classmates: is it important to be creative for critical thinking? Explain your position.

In conclusion, the suggested articles were useful to comprehend the notion of critical thinking and apply it in my final research paper.

References

Becoming a Critic Of Your Thinking. (n.d.). The Critical Thinking Community.

Defining Critical Thinking. (n.d.). The Critical Thinking Community.

What is Critical Thinking? How important is it in today’s higher education system? These are very frequently asked questions. Floods of false and incorrect information are increasing in parallel with the rise of the influence of the internet. This affects the overall quality of students’ work. Many of them tend to study without any primal selection of the information, do not separate main facts from irrelevant information, and lack any internal motivation for thinking. Therefore, the ability to think critically becomes essential today. Not only is it one of the most important factors for successful learning, it is also a prerequisite for the development of a mature, independent personality, which would be able to adapt to a wide range of social circumstances in the future.

Critical thinking is the fundamental ability to examine information. The term has its inventor – the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. He noted that people are reluctant to check information if it is presented by someone who presents himself as an expert or authority. Socrates began to test the ideas expressed by authority: asking deep questions, demanding evidence, checking how authority perceives various concepts. This way he could see if the interlocutor’s information was clear and reasoned. Most of the time, following these procedures, it became clear that people are not experts – they have little knowledge and simply rephrase other people’s opinions. In other words, their information is unreliable. Like Socrates, we use critical thinking to understand and objectively evaluate information. Therefore, such thinking requires carefulness and precision.

The school still does not prepare students for critical thinking. The pattern of lessons is that children need to hear, absorb and replicate the knowledge in situations that do not require creative or adaptive thinking. In the article “Take note as another learning discipline slides away” Tara Brabazon states that there is no point for students to twist their minds when everything said in class is uploaded to the virtual learning environment and printed out for the students to revise anyway. And here I am not just talking about learning mathematical formulas and solving problems. Even in literary subjects, one has to learn the traits of an author’s creative work and then apply them while reading some poem or prose piece. Those new students who went beyond the revision standard at school really succeed. Those who have attended sports, art clubs, academies for young scientists, participated in youth political organizations have a different perception of teamwork, leadership, public speaking, their level of curiosity, self-confidence and initiative is different.

In the past, it seemed to be enough for a person to be a professional, have a good education and knowledge to succeed. But how is it possible to be a good journalist, business consultant, or data analyst without critical thinking? Or how can it be possible to do some work if you are in conflict with the team and are unable to plan your time? According to a lecturer at Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Sciences dr. Vilnius Bartninkas, when we work, we use two tools. The first is the specialized knowledge that we have acquired while studying at school, building up work experience. The second is all of the remaining competencies upon which success in our work depends: teamwork skills, communication skills, time management, stress management, discipline, adaptability to change, motivation, creativity, and many more skills. These skills are crucial to succeed in this fast-changing society.

You can’t always believe in the things you hear and see. Can’t be convinced that a person presenting himself as an expert always speaks the truth. Even Socrates taught us to question and check the information, which can be learned through study. Higher education tries to develop skills and critical thinking which was not properly taught in school. Skills that are not about the profession but about the ability to seek answers to emerging questions and solve problems today – while studying and in the future – when entering the work market.

Problem Solving is the primary key to have a successful life. Cause life has a lot of difficulties and if you aren’t able to deal with any situations will negatively affect all your life. This skill is considered a basic strategy is to stimulate analysis, thinking, linking, hypotheses, prediction, and using scientific research methods to prove their validity. The minds are raised about the existence of a specific problem that needs to be resolved and then asked to develop a solution. The method develops students to deal with difficulties in a self-reliant manner, and reduces their dependency on others, and produces a generation capable of thinking, correcting, and evaluating, We are in dire need of the skills of thinking, under the rule of old educational systems that are no longer suited to the information and technological revolution in our world. This is what stands between us and developed countries that have made great strides in the field of modern education methods and produced innovative creative generations. Critical thinking and problem solving by focusing on the starting and ending points of each. Critical thinking begins with a conclusion or information. The question is What is the value or validity of the thing? While problem-solving begins with a question: How to solve it? It’s not a strategy as it is for problem-solving or makes decisions because it consists not of processes and methods. Life is a tragedy for those who live with their feelings, but it is like comedy for thinkers’. This quote to Jean de la Prober is somewhat radical, and according to the assumptions of cognitive psychology, our views reflect our feelings.

Most people believe that our feelings are independent of our ideas and precede them. The truth is that they are the product of our ideas. This costs a great hardship for man because it makes him responsible for all his behaviors and actions, but at the same time liberates him and gives him the ability to choose his ideas and views. When we can choose and direct our ideas, we will realize and can control our living conditions, improve decision and making processes.

Man becomes a critical and mental thinker capable of dealing with problems when he relies on reason rather than passion, can evaluate a wide range of ideas and views, is open to all alternative interpretations, and is willing to accept any new results. it also willing to re-evaluate its information, able to avoid hasty judgments, deviate from all personal prejudices, and be ready to consider all reasonable possibilities. This does not mean in any way that we underestimate the importance of the feelings we feel but is just a simple way to balance them with our cognitive abilities.

The properties of Critical Thinking:

• Do not jump directly to results
• Discussion of opinions within an environment where the opinion and opinion of the other are accepted and based on dialogue.
• Objectivity and distance from bias and intolerance.
• Observation, examination, and scrutiny.
• Review of many of the views of the human mind on the issue studied.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses of information
• Based on a solid foundation of information and knowledge already existing in the person, as well as in-depth research on the issue studied by scientific research tools.

Steps:

• Identifying a problem is the first step in the way of critical thinking; sometimes one reaches a certain stage where it concludes that there is no problem, but it is just a misunderstanding. But in the event of a problem it must be precisely identified then, and consider all the positive and negative aspects involved
• Solve the problem and hope it from different angles. Once you identify the problem and analyze it through a different set of views, we will know whether it is solvable or not, and whether we can address it alone or need help from others. Sometimes we arrive at an immediate decision on the problem once it has been contemplated from many angles, and we may sometimes discover that we have a biased view, or a narrow horizon of view.
• Brainstorming and finding possible solutions. In this step, one contemplates several possible ideas for solving the problem, then sets it down to choose the best one later. Of course, the more options you have, the more likely you are to achieve the desired results.
• Choose the solution most appropriate to our situation and circumstances. In certain situations, the circumstances under which we are experiencing may require a solution. It is therefore necessary to spend some time choosing the right solution, as there is no magic solution suitable for all possible circumstances.
• Acting is the fifth and final step on the path. At this stage, man seeks to implement the solution he has envisaged, even if it involves acceptance of his present state and moving forward in his life. So instead of looking at the problems and challenges that face us as obstacles we cannot overcome, we can always consider them as opportunities to refine our critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Our confidence in ourselves and our abilities increases with every problem we can overcome. it not only helps us deal with the challenges ahead more skillfully, but also expands our thinking and gives us a different perspective to reflect on things. It requires judgment by the individual who practices it; skill in the use of rules of logic and inference of things; it involves a set of thinking skills that can be learned, trained, and refined; keep a memo to record creative ideas even if they seem far from the most logical solutions; keeping them can the individual to refer to them; practice logical puzzles, and some games that develop logical thinking, and stimulate mental activity.

What follows is that we have used critical thinking in our future lives? Raising awareness of the human being, possessing a comprehensive knowledge of what surrounds him, as well as enriching the mind through the processes of logical analysis of events, and the consequent full insight into thinking about all things in general. Increase the human ability to reach the optimal solution to the problems facing him in his life, whether related to personal life, or career, by looking at the root causes of problems, and giving the appropriate solution to them based on knowledge of the details surrounding the problems and all the relevant circumstances, Directly on their occurrence. Helping humans to build logical sequences of events, and to link real and past events. Logical thinking helps people avoid problems by looking at the facts that have happened in the past, linking these facts to existing ones, and taking advantage of previous lessons. The change of human personality positively, since the importance of critical thinking that it helps to have the objectivity in governance, and logic in the way in which the human thinking, and helps critical thinking human to walk in the logical sequence of events, and not neglect the particles that may be the key solution related to directly.