William Buskist & Jessica G. Irons
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2001; Fisher, 2001; Halpern, 2003, Levy, 1997), and other parts of it focus on under-
standing critical thinking as it relates specifically to psychology (e.g., Bensley, 1998; Smith,
2002; Stanovich, 2007). Interestingly, as large as the field of critical thinking has become,
the literature seems to agree generally about what critical thinking is and the kinds of
qualities possessed by people said to be “effective” critical thinkers.
Critical Thinking Defined
Halpern (2003), in the latest edition of her widely read book, Thought and Knowledge: An
Introduction to Critical Thinking, defines critical thinking as “the use of those cognitive
skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome ... thinking that is
purposeful, reasoned, and goal directed” (p. 6). Compare this definition with three other
common definitions of critical thinking:
●
“reflective thinking involving the evaluation of evidence relevant to a claim so thata sound conclusion can be drawn from the evidence” (Bensley, 1998, p. 5)
● “the use of specific criteria to evaluate reasoning and make decisions” (Diestler,
2001, p. 2)
●
“an active and systematic cognitive strategy to examine, evaluate, understand events,solve problems, and make decisions on the basis of sound reasoning and valid evi-
dence” (Levy, 1997, p. 236).
All these definitions highlight both process and outcome. Clearly, the end goal for teach-
ing critical thinking is to assist students in making correct judgments based on a careful
weighing of available evidence. However, critical thinking is a complex endeavor. It
requires students to learn several subtasks along the way that include, among other things,
(a) developing a skeptical approach to problem solving and decision making; (b) breaking
down problems into their simplest components; (c) searching for evidence that both sup-
ports and refutes a given conclusion; and (d) maintaining a vigilant attitude toward their
personal biases, assumptions, and values that may interfere with making an objective
decision.
To be sure, teachers wishing to teach their students how to develop their critical think-
ing skills face no easy task, especially within the confines of a single academic term. How-
ever, we have found it useful with our students to start our teaching of critical thinking
with the end in mind—the qualities or characteristics that reflect critical thinking. What
attitudes and behaviors do we want our students to possess as a result of teaching them
about thinking critically?
Qualities of Critical Thinkers
Would you know a critical thinker if you ran into one? After all, critical thinkers do not
have “CT” tattooed on their foreheads, they do not wear t-shirts that announce “I’m a