Critical Thinking

Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers. You will be assessed on the depth of your reflection, so take this opportunity to inspire personal thought and ideas.

Reflecting on your thinking

Directions: Critically read the articles, "Becoming a Critic of Your Thinking" and "Critical Thinking in Everyday Life: 9 Strategies". Then, respond thoroughly and honestly to each prompt.

1. In your own words, describe what it means to be a "critic of your thinking."

2. Review the list, "Thinking gets us into trouble because we often." Reflect on this list and identify one that resonates most with you. Describe a situation or conflict where you demonstratedthis troublesome mode of thinking. What happened as a result?

3. Next, carefully review thefour key ideas described in the article (as a refresher, the key ideas are: Clarify your thinking, Stick to the point, Question questions, and Be reasonable). In considering the situation you just described, explain how you could have applied one of these key ideas to practice more skilled thinking.

4. Review the six developmental stages of critical thinking. Where do you most often fall in the process? How could further developing your thinking enrich one of your many roles (i.e., parent, employee, friend, spouse, etc.)?