Critical thinking involves carefully analyzing and evaluating evidence to guide decision making. It requires being open-minded, skeptical of claims, and willing to consider alternative perspectives. The document outlines characteristics of critical thinkers such as paying attention to claims, having an independent judgment, and being aware of one's own cognitive biases. It also provides tips for thinking critically such as questioning assumptions, looking for meaningful statements, and considering what information may be omitted.

1. The Chazin Group. © 2011. www.TheChazinGroup.com
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TheThe POWERPOWER of Thinkingof Thinking
CRITICALLYCRITICALLY
The Chazin Group

2. Special ThanksSpecial Thanks

3. In the next 3 hours…In the next 3 hours…

4. This Morning’s Agenda
 What Is It?
 Characteristics of Critical
Thinkers
 Characteristics of Non-Critical
Thinkers
 Famous Quotes
 How to Think Critically


5. What Is Critical Thinking?What Is Critical Thinking?

6. What Is It?

7. “Critical thinking is the identification and
evaluation of evidence to guide decision
making. A critical thinker uses broad
in-depth analysis of evidence to make
decisions and communicate her/
his beliefs clearly and accurately.”
The CriticalThe Critical
Thinking Co.Thinking Co.
What Is It?

8. What Is It?

9. ““Life is a tragedy for thoseLife is a tragedy for those
who feel, and a comedy forwho feel, and a comedy for
those who think."those who think."
Jean de
la Bruyere

10. “Thought is great and swift
and free, the light of the world,
and the chief glory of man.”
Principles of Social Reconstruction.
Bertrand
Russell

11. “Many people would die
sooner than think; in fact,
they do.”
Bertrand
Russell

12. ““Most people don't take the time
to think. I made an international
reputation for myself by deciding
to think twice a week."."
George Bernard Shaw

13. ““Think, think, think. It will
hurt like hell at first, but you'll
get used to it.""
Barbara Castle

14. ““just the facts, ma’am."just the facts, ma’am."

15. ““Always questionAlways question
authority.“authority.“
Why?

16. Critical Thinking IsCritical Thinking Is NOTNOT
Clinical ReasoningClinical Reasoning

17. It’s NOT Clinical Reasoning
www.chinesenursing.org/openAccess/sn331/html/doc/cyber-www.chinesenursing.org/openAccess/sn331/html/doc/cyber-
M1_students.pdfM1_students.pdf

18. It’s NOT Clinical Reasoning

19. It’s NOT Clinical Reasoning

20. Hierarchy of Knowledge
• Knowledge: What is
the most common
cause of...?
• Understand: If you
see this, what must
you consider…?
• Application: In this
patient, what is
causing…?
• Analysis, synthesis,
evaluation: critical
thinking?
Bloom’s Taxonomy, 1956

21. The KSA Model
• Are there specific:
– KnowledgeKnowledge/factsfacts
– SkillsSkills
– Attitudes
…that must be
acquired, in order
for the learner to
become a critical
thinker?

22. • Content learned in a conceptual framework:
– How do the facts fit together?
– What are the underlying mechanisms?
– What do you do when the patterns break down?
• Judge the credibility of the sources:
– From primary sources (Google it…)
– Primary sources:
• Study design
• Appropriate population
• Statistics
• Secondary sources:
– Textbooks
– Review articles
• Evidence-based medicine
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupKnowledge

23. • Bias and cognitive dispositions to
respond:
– Availability bias - probability assigned based on
ease of recall of specific examples; and
– Confirmation bias - selectively accepting or
ignoring data.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupKnowledge

24. • Formulate hypotheses
• Make logical connections between ideas
• Utilize of data
• Identify assumptions
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin Group Skills

25. • Have an open mind - willingness to
consider alternative explanations
• Be aware of your own cognitive
processes: what type of reasoning was I
using? (meta-cognition)
• Reflection - how did we go wrong? Where
did we make a mistake?
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin Group Attitude

26. Importance to Medicine
““…few physicians spend much time thinking
about such a fundamental medical activity
as thinking. Logic is as important to
physicians as water is to fish. It surrounds
us all and we swim in it every day.""
Suzanne Fletcher
Professor of Ambulatory Care & Prevention
Harvard Medical School &
Harvard Pilgrim Medical Care

27. Characteristics of CriticalCharacteristics of Critical
ThinkersThinkers

28. • AnalysisAnalysis: Critical thinking can be defined as an
approach to ideas from the standpoint of
deliberate consideration. (from VirutalSalt.com)
• AttentionAttention: Pay attention to the claims made all
around you.
• AwarenessAwareness: have the ability to look around
and consider all the thoughts provided, rather
than remaining fixed on your own limited
views.
• Independent JudgmentIndependent Judgment: the ability to form
independent judgments, based on good
evidence.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupWhat Makes a Critical Thinker?

29. • Critical thinkers are by nature SKEPTICAL.
They approach text with the same skepticism
and suspicion as spoken comments.
• Critical thinkers are ACTIVE, not passive. They
ask questions & analyze. They consciously
apply tactics and strategies to uncover
meanings and confirm understanding.
• Critical thinkers don’t take an egotistical view of
the world. They’re OPEN to new ideas/
perspectives. They’re willing to challenge their
beliefs and consider competing evidence.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupWhat Makes a Critical Thinker?

30. Characteristics ofCharacteristics of
Non-Critical ThinkersNon-Critical Thinkers

31. • Take a SIMPLISTICSIMPLISTIC view of the world.
• They see things in black and white, as
either-or, rather than recognizing a
variety of possible understanding.
• They see questions as YES/NO with no
subtleties.
• They fail to see linkages & complexities.
• They fail to recognize related items.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupPassive (Non-Critical) Thinkers

32. A Comparison
www.chinesenursing.org/openAccess/sn331/html/doc/cyber-www.chinesenursing.org/openAccess/sn331/html/doc/cyber-
M1_students.pdfM1_students.pdf

33. ““Shades of grey wherever I go.Shades of grey wherever I go.
The more I find out, the lessThe more I find out, the less
That I know.That I know.
Black and white is how itBlack and white is how it
should be.should be.
But shades of grey are theBut shades of grey are the
Colors I see.”Colors I see.”
Billy Joel

35. How to Think CRITICALLY

36. • Inferences Versus Assumptions:
– INFERENCE: A conclusion you come to, based
on something else that is true/you believe to be
true. (Ex. There will be layoffs in my dept.
because there were layoffs in another dept.)
– ASSUMPTION: Part of your belief system.
Something you don't question. Your mind takes
for granted that your assumption is true.
(Doctors think they know EVERYTHING.)
– Your beliefs (assumptions) cause you to come
to conclusions (inferences). Your inferences
then cause you to act accordingly.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupFind Assumptions

37. The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupFind Assumptions
•Question your assumptions as a path to
substantiating them.
•Most statements or assertions are based
on assumptions.
•Sometimes assumptions are implicit, so
they’re much harder to find.

38. • There are many different ways to measure
variables, so absolute figures may not be that
relevant.
• In science, it is the EXCEPTION that disproves
the RULE.
• The Scottish philosopher David Hulme noted:
"A wise man proportions his belief to the
evidence.”
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupTrends, Evidence, Exceptions

39. • Always ask: “Who is funding the project”
because EVERONE has an AGENDA.
• How are the questions worded/posed?
• How are those being questioned selected and
the context in which the questions are put to
them?
• How is the statistical analysis carried out and
the statistics interpreted?
• How are the findings presented/reported (or
misreported?)
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupBe Skeptical of Surveys

40. • Correlation does not necessarily mean
causation .
• Because two variables often occur together,
doesn’t mean that one actually causes the
other.
• The concept of causation is extremely complex.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupLook for CAUSE & EFFECT

41. • Albert Einstein once remarked: "Foolish faith
in authority is the worst enemy of truth."
• Study the evidence and make an independent
judgment, based on the balance of the
available evidence.
• Confirm the credibility of sources and
credentials of “experts.”
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupDON’T Defer to Authority

42. • The Emperor’s new clothes.
• You can be seduced by this esp. if you are a
member of a close-knit group of people where
there is a strong sense of loyalty to the group.
• The Independent Evaluation Office of the IMF
identified groupthink as a major factor in its
official report on why the IMF did not foresee
the international financial crisis of ‘07-’09.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupBeware of GROUP Think

43. • Trust your own intuition based on:
– your schooling;
– on-the-job training;
– Past work experience; and
– your certifications.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupTrust YOUR Instincts

44. • A situation occurs in experiments to test the
efficacy of drugs or medical treatments known
as 'the placebo response.' A placebo (sugar or a
'tonic' containing nothing medicinal) is used
with a control group of patients to compare
with another group taking the drug or
treatment being tested. Researchers have
found that frequently a placebo has a positive
effect because the person taking it believes it
will cure them.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupObserving Can Change a Situation

45. • Often politicians, businessmen, administrators
make statements which are meaningless:
– “I think that if we tried harder we could possibly do
somewhat better."
– "Some improvements in performance might be
expected in the fullness of time.”
– A much more meaningful sentence would be: "We
will reduce recorded crimes of violence by 10%
before the next election" or "If we increase our
capital expenditure by 5% annually for the next
three years, we should achieve a 25% increase in
revenues by the end of the decade".
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupFind Meaningful Statements

46. • In a paper or speech, look at the arguments,
the evidence, the structure, and the
presentation.
• In a novel, consider the plot, the
characterization and the language.
• In a film, think about the script, the acting, the
direction, the cinematography, and the music.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupDeconstruct Elements

47. • SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method
used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project
or situation.
• Strengths and weaknesses are internal to the
hospital.
• Opportunities and threats are external.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupUse a SWOT Analysis

48. •Specific
•Measurable
•Achievable
•Relevant
•Timed
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupCreate SMART Objectives

49. • A statistic without any content is
MEANINGLESS.
• Averages can be misleading.
• Medians and modes often work better than the
mean.
• Consider how the data points in a set are
distributed.
• The PARETO Principle.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupUse Statistics
1, 5, 5, 5, 13, 50, 74, 1001, 5, 5, 5, 13, 50, 74, 100

50. • When asked to respond to material most people
limit their comments to what is requested.
• What ISN’T there is just as important. You might
want to ask: “Why are certain arguments missing?”
“Why have certain sources not been used?
• What about patient medical histories, prior
treatments, allergies, past surgeries?
• A clinical trial or hospital annual report will put the
most favorable ‘spin' on activities and may not
mention the financial difficulties or threats.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupWhat’s NOT There?

51. "Problems cannot be solved by
thinking within the framework in
which they were created.”
Think OUTSIDE the Box

52. • Have someone take a position
on a controversial issue
(Euthanasia, evolutionEuthanasia, evolution)
• Have someone else ask a
question to make that person
explain themselves.
• Ask a follow up question to
exploit a potential weakness
of the answer to the first
question.
• Keep going to you either
establish or disprove the
person’s argument.
The Chazin GroupThe Chazin GroupThe Socratic Method