Knowing the Barriers to Critical Thinking to Overcome Them
1. Misunderstanding what is meant by criticism (Cottrell, 2005 p.10)
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Criticism does not just mean making negative comments (Cottrell, 2005, p.10).
Critical evaluation means identifying positive and negative aspects, what works and
what does not work and weighing and considering the information available. Critical
evaluation is active, thoughtful examination of what you read, hear and see to
determine if the information is accurate and reliable.
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Constructive criticism can clarify a situation and help a person excel. Everyone
needs feedback on how they can improve (Cottrell, 2005, p.10).
Example: In response to your English essay, your professor may write the following:
“What
I liked most about your essay was the way you described the characters in the
novel. One way you could improve the essay is by discussing the significance of each
character’s role in the novel. One of your greatest strengths is your imaginative and
creative writing so this should assist you in conveying your ideas about the
character’s roles to the readers of your essay."
2. Overestimating your reasoning abilities (Cottrell, 2005, p.10)
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We often use automatic thinking, which makes us more efficient in our everyday
lives.
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Winning arguments does not necessarily mean you have the best case or good
reasoning abilities. It may mean that your opponents didn’t recognize a poor
argument or chose to yield the point to avoid conflict (Cottrell, 2005, p.10).
3. Lack of methods, strategies or practice
4. Reluctance to critique experts (Cottrell, 2005, p.11)
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Researchers and professors expect students to question and challenge material
(Cottrell, 2005, p.11). It is a typical and expected activity in an academic
environment.
5. Affective reasons (Cottrell, 2005, p.11)
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Letting emotions take the place of the reasoning and evidence that could convince
others can undermine an argument (Cottrell, 2005, p.11). For example, if you feel
strongly about the issue of child abuse, then you might let your feelings about this
issue overrule evidence that supports arguments contrary to your beliefs.
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Critical thinkers acknowledge their emotions and understand how they can influence
decisions. They take control of whether emotions should become part of the
reasoning process (Learning Express, 2010a, p.85).
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Critical thinking does not mean that you must abandon beliefs that you feel strongly
about (Cottrell, 2005, p.11); it means that you must be willing to critically evaluate
and challenge deeply held beliefs and assumptions. When you avoid making
assumptions, you get all the information you need before deciding anything.
6. Mistaking information for understanding (Cottrell, 2005, p.12)
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Memorizing facts and answers is not a skill that helps you to make critical thinking
judgments for yourself. Critical evaluation is a process that involves developing
understanding and insight about the facts and answers you learn.
7. Insufficient focus and attention to detail (Cottrell, 2005, p.12)
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“Critical thinking requires focus on the exact task at hand, rather than becoming
distracted by other interesting tangents” (Cottrell, 2005, p.12).
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It’s important to focus on details more than a general overview of the subject matter
in order to use critical evaluation.
Sources
Cottrell, S. (2005). Critical thinking skills: Developing effective analysis and argument. NY:
Palgrave McMillan.
Learning Express (2010a). Critical thinking skills success in 20 minutes a day (2nd ed.). NY:
Learning Express.
This document was compiled by Shirley “Mandy” Sexton, Ph.D.