CRITICAL THINKING

WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?

• Critical thinking is a higher order of thinking: it is the practice of using a number of different advanced thinking
skills in a variety of complex ways.
• Critical thinking focuses on thought: it looks at how facts are proven, arguments are formed, conclusions are
reached, not just what the facts, argument or conclusion may be.
• Critical thinking is self-reflexive: it involves reflecting on, questioning and testing your own thinking processes.
• Critical thinking is discipline-specific: it engages in particular forms of reasoning, such as mathematical reasoning,
historical analysis or literary interpretation, which are specific to a particular discipline.

HOW IS CRITICAL THINKING DIFFERENT FROM THINKING?

THINKING CRITICAL THINKING
FOCUS On information: data, facts, examples On ideas: assumptions, biases, flaws in reasoning, point
On ideas: opinions, positions of view, context, implications

ACTIVITY Organizing and making connections
between pieces of information or ideas,
sometimes making basic inferences
GOAL To form an opinion about what you are
thinking about
Deeply and broadly questioning and testing the ways in
which an idea is formed as well as how you have been
interpreting and examining the idea. Thinking about your
own thinking while you are thinking about the thinking of
others.
To apply criteria in forming a conclusion or evaluation
about what you have been thinking about and how you
have been thinking about it.

WHAT IS GOOD CRITICAL THINKING?

Good critical thinking meets the criteria of these intellectual values:

• Clarity • Sound Evidence

• Accuracy • Good Reasons
• Precision • Depth
• Consistency • Breadth
• Relevance • Fairness

HOW DO WE THINK CRITICALLY?

1. We Begin With the Right Approach

Reason: We base our thinking in logic, not feelings.

Self-Awareness: We pay attention to our own and others’ assumptions, biases and perspectives.
Integrity: We care about doing our intellectual work honestly and accurately rather than about being right.
Discipline: We put effort into doing our work comprehensively and precisely.
Open-mindedness: We consider alternatives and other points of view.

2. We Look Deeper and Farther

There are countless ways in which we look deeper and farther when thinking critically. For example, we look deeper
when we make inferences about an argument’s hidden assumptions and values. We look farther when we connect a
study to theories in our discipline. We always think about the implications and importance of what we find.

3. We Ask Complex Questions

We develop and pose questions that help us look deeper and more broadly and that require a variety of thinking
processes to answer. We generate specific, complex questions based on what exactly we are thinking about, starting
with basic critical inquiry:
 • Who is the implied audience?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of this?
• What are the different possible solutions to this problem and which seems most effective?
• What is the nature of the relationship between this and that?
• What exactly is the logical flaw in this reasoning?
• Is this really relevant to that? If not, where does the connection break down?
• What are the underlying assumptions and values?

4. We Answer Questions Using a Variety of Thinking Processes

Analysis: breaking something into parts to better understand the parts and the whole (identifying, classifying,
categorizing, comparing)

Synthesis: making connections between the parts and the whole to see the pattern of relationships (organizing,
connecting, designing, predicting)

Interpretation: examining the connection (s) between the parts and the whole to make inferences about the implications
and meanings of the pattern(s) (associating, inferring, decoding)

Evaluation: forming judgments about meanings, qualities and values (justifying, critiquing, verifying, deciding)

5. We Reflect on How We Are Answering the Questions

Throughout the process, we ask ourselves questions such as:

Is that clear or is there still some confusion I need to clarify?
Is that really true?
Do I need to be more specific or detailed?
How is that connected to the central focus?
Am I thinking about this in a complex enough way or should I go deeper and further in my thinking?
Do I need to consider a bigger framework or a different point of view?

WHAT MIGHT BE AN EXAMPLE OF CRITICAL THINKING?

As critical thinking is a highly complex operation, the following examples are mere sketches of what is involved.

SUBJECT QUESTION ACTIVITY REFLECTION

Management What are the qualities of an
effective Manager?
English How does Hester’s child Pearl’s
Literature name in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s
The Scarlet Letter function as a
symbol?
Political What are some of the barriers to
Science instituting democracy in the
nations of the developing world?
Biology Is this study on the higher
disease rate of farmed Chinook
salmon credible?
© Jennifer Duncan. The Writing Centre, University of Toronto at Scarborough. See terms and conditions for use at
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~tlsweb/TWC/webresources/terms.htm
Analysis: breaking down the role of Have I included all relevant
the Manager into tasks and inferring tasks? Are there some
the qualities needed to complete each qualities a good Manager
task effectively. has that aren’t related to a
task?
Interpretation: examining the Can I really prove that the
implications of the pattern of symbolism of Pearl’s name
connections between a passage that functions as an assertion
uses a pearl as a metaphor, the that children born of sin are
cultural symbolism of pearls in the yet pure and valuable or
historical context of the novel, the have I gone too far?
circumstances of the child’s conception
and the value of the child to Hester.
Synthesis: making connections by Do I have a clear set of
establishing the similarities and classifications to
differences between a number of systematize my
developing world countries in terms of comparison?
problems preventing democratic
systems.
Evaluation: judging the scope, controls Should I look at studies that
and methodology of the study to support an opposing view
determine if the scientific method was to see if there is anything I
followed accurately. overlooked?
SEE ALSO: www.criticalthinking.org
Top Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking skills allow you to understand and address situations based on
all available facts and information. Typically, using critical thinking at work
involves processing and organizing facts, data and other information to define a
problem and develop effective solutions.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the act of analysing facts to understand a problem or topic

thoroughly. The critical thinking process typically includes steps such as
collecting information and data, asking thoughtful questions and analysing
possible solutions. For example, if you’re working in human resources and need
to resolve a conflict between two employees, you will use critical thinking to
understand the nature of the conflict and what action should be taken to resolve
the situation.

Top 5 critical thinking skills

Here are five common and impactful critical thinking skills you might consider
highlighting on your resume or in an interview:
 1. Observation:

Observational skills are the starting point for critical thinking. People who are
observant can quickly sense and identify a new problem. Those skilled in
observation are also capable of understanding why something might be a
problem. They may even be able to predict when a problem might occur before it
happens based on their experiences.

Improve your observation skills by slowing down your pace of processing

information and training yourself to pay closer attention to your surroundings.
You might practice mindfulness techniques, journaling or actively
listening during and outside of work to thoroughly examine what you’re hearing
or seeing. Then, consider if you notice trends in behaviour, transactions or data
that might be helpful for your team to address.

2. Analysis

Once a problem has been identified, analytical skills become essential. The ability
to analyse and effectively evaluate a situation involves knowing what facts, data
or information about the problem are important. This also often includes
gathering unbiased research, asking relevant questions about the data to ensure
its accurate and assessing the findings objectively.

Improve your analytical skills by taking on new experiences. For example, you
might read a book about a concept you’re unfamiliar with or take an online math
class to push yourself to think in new ways and consider new ideas. Doing so can
help you build the skills to interpret new information and make rational decisions
based on sound analysis.

3. Inference

Inference is a skill that involves drawing conclusions about the information you
collect and may require you to possess technical or industry-specific knowledge
or experience. When you make an inference, that means you are developing
answers based on limited information. For example, a car mechanic may need to
infer what is causing a car’s engine to stall at seemingly random times based on
the information available to them.

Improve your inference skills by placing focus on making educated guesses rather
than quickly drawing conclusions. This requires slowing down to carefully look
for and consider as many clues as possible—such as images, data or reports—
that might help you evaluate a situation.
4. Communication:

Communication skills are important when it comes time to explain and discuss
issues and their possible solutions with colleagues and other stakeholders.

within the context of critical thinking by engaging in difficult discussions, for

example, in situations when you and another participant may disagree about the
topic. Maintain good communication habits, such as active listening and respect,
to understand other points of view and to be able to explain your ideas in a calm,
rational manner. Doing so can help you evaluate solutions more effectively with
your colleagues.

5. Problem-solving:

After you’ve identified and analysed a problem and chosen a solution, the final
step is to execute your solution. Problem-solving often requires critical thinking
to implement the best solution and understand whether or not the solution is
working out

Why critical thinking is important

Critical thinking skills are essential in every industry at every career level, from
entry-level associates to top executives. Good critical thinkers can work both
independently and with others to solve problems.

Issues such as process inefficiencies, management or finances can be improved

by using critical thought. Because of this, employers value and seek out
candidates who demonstrate strong critical thinking skills.

How to think critically?

Here are steps you might take when using critical thinking for problem-solving
at work:

1. Identify a problem or issue.

2. Create inferences on why the problem exists and how it can be solved.
3. Collect information or data on the issue through research.
4. Organize and sort data and findings.
5. Analyse which solutions worked or didn’t work.
6. Identify ways to improve the solution.