CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS SUCCESS

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS SUCCESS is about changing the way you think about the way
you think. Sound complicated? It’s not, especially when you learn how, lesson by 20-minute
lesson. A critical thinker approaches problems and complicated situations aware of his or
her thoughts, beliefs, and viewpoints. Then, he or she can direct those thoughts, beliefs, and viewpoints to
be more rational and accurate. A critical thinker is willing to explore, question, and search out answers and
solutions. These skills not only mean greater success at school and at work, but they are the basis of better
decisions and problem solving at home, too.
Critical thinking has been specifically identified by colleges and universities, as well as by many employers,
as a measure of how well an individual will perform at school and on the job. In fact, if you are applying
to college or graduate school, or for a job, chances are your critical thinking skills will be tested.
Standardized exams, such as the SAT and ACT, have sections on critical thinking. Employers such as federal
and state governments, and many Fortune 500 companies, routinely test job applicants with exams such
as the California Critical Thinking Test or the Cornell Critical Thinking Test.

Generally, critical thinking involves both problem
solving and reasoning. In fact, these terms are often
used interchangeably. But specifically,what are critical
thinking skills? They include the ability to:
■ make observations
■ be curious, asking relevant questions and finding
the resources you need
■ challenge and examine beliefs, assumptions,
and opinions against facts
■ recognize and define problems
■ assess the validity of statements and arguments
■ make wise decisions and find valid solutions
■ understand logic and logical argument
You may already be competent in some of these
areas. Or, you may feel you need to learn or improve on
all of them. This book is designed to help you either way.
The pretest will pinpoint those critical thinking skills you
need help with, and even direct you to the lessons in the
book that teach those skills. The lessons themselves not
only present the material you need to learn, but give you
opportunities to immediately practice using that material.
In Lessons 1 and 2, you will learn how to recognize
and define the problems you face. You will practice
prioritizing problems, and distinguishing between
actual problems and their symptoms or consequences.
Lesson 3 shows you how to be a better observer.
When you are aware of the situations and contexts
around you, you will make good inferences, a key to
critical thinking skills success.
In Lessons 4 and 5, you will learn how to use
graphic organizers such as charts, outlines, and diagrams
to organize your thinking and to set goals. These
visual tools help to clearly define brainstorming
options and lead you from problems to solutions.
Lesson 6 is about troubleshooting.This skill helps
you to anticipate and recognize problems that interfere
with your goals. Effective troubleshooting removes setbacks
and keeps you on task.
Lessons 7 and 8 explain how to find the information
you need to make sound decisions, and how to
evaluate that information so you don’t end up relying
on facts and figures that aren’t accurate.You will specifically
learn how to judge the content of websites, which
are increasingly used for research, but can be biased,
misleading, and simply incorrect.
In Lesson 9, you will get a lesson in the art of persuasion.
Not only will you be able to recognize when it
is being used against you, but you will find out how to
implement persuasion techniques effectively yourself.
Lesson 10 is about numbers, and how they are
manipulated. Surveys, studies, and statistics can look
important and truthful when in fact they are meaningless.
You will learn what makes a valid survey
or study and how to watch out for their invalid
counterparts.
In Lesson 11, the topic of emotion, and its effect
on critical thinking, is explored. You can’t think reasonably
and rationally if you allow yourself to be
affected by bias, stereotyping, stress, or your ego. Learning
how to keep these emotional responses in check is
one of the best ways to improve critical thinking.
Lessons 12 and 13 explain deductive reasoning,
one of the two forms of logical argument covered in
this book. You will learn about deduction and how to
tell the difference between valid and invalid deductive
arguments. Logical fallacies such as slippery slope and
false dilemma are explored.
Lessons 14 and 15 are about inductive reasoning.
You will learn how to construct a valid inductive argument,
and how induction is misused to create logical
fallacies such as confusing cause and effect, and making
hasty generalizations.
Lesson 16 shows you other ways in which logical
arguments are misused intentionally to distract

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