critical thinking psychology

critical thinking psychology

The Importance of Critical Thinking in Psychology

1. Introduction

This paper explores the importance of thinking critically in the field of psychology. One reason to think critically is so that we don’t simply accept whatever it is we hear or read, no matter how well-reasoned or reasonable it may seem. A good case in point is research and the findings that are published. No research is perfect and it is always subject to error, although we try to minimize it. Unfortunately, psychology has a long history of not being able to replicate findings. Sometimes the findings are confounded by some extraneous variable that was not identified at the time. Sometimes the findings were simply Type I errors and are in fact false positives. Advertising has had a history of using consumers’ data from psychology against them in efforts to make them purchase things which will lead to long-term financial and psychological harm for the consumer. Opportunity costs – what might have been had the consumer not been influenced to purchase that item? – are rarely measured in advertising, yet critical thinking could determine that it has a huge impact on the consumer’s life. An individual who is able to think critically would be skeptical about accepting the findings in many research reports and would consider alternative explanations to the findings. The ability to think critically will lead to making informed and thus optimal decisions.

2. Understanding Critical Thinking in Psychology

A. Scientific versus Ordinary Reasoning B. Twelve Defining Characteristics C. Critical thinkers question everything. They are never content with a given answer and will use their imagination, experience, and knowledge to construct a deeper understanding. For example, a child who sees his mother holding her stomach and grimacing may infer that she is hurt. A critical thinker will not accept this at face value and will try to imagine other possible reasons for this appearance and look for evidence of what is really wrong. A scientist who comes up with a hypothesis will not just assume the hypothesis is true, but rather will use it as a starting off point from which to conduct further investigation. In psychology, as in most other sciences, you are encouraged to become a skeptical thinker. This approach often involves numerous questions such as, “How do we know this?” “Has this evidence been interpreted correctly?” and “Are there alternative possibilities in this case?” A critical thinker will search for definitive answers to these questions, although the questioning process may lead to the conclusion that no definite answers exist. This is a healthy outcome as the individual has made an informed choice. D. Critical thinking is systematic and organized. This is not to say that it is mechanical and rote; rather, it is more fluid and open to considering various options. Systematicity is a mental habit that decides on a plan or strategy before acting. In critical thinking, this strategy often involves making a decision to think in such a way that solves a problem or answers a question in the most intelligent and informed manner. In reasoning through the question or problem, the thinker is then likely to become more focused, staying on the track and not getting lost in irrelevant tangents. Organization often results in a more efficient form of critical thinking. This is essential for students, as well as psychologists, who through the analysis of complex issues, may otherwise be overwhelmed or confused.

3. Benefits of Applying Critical Thinking in Psychological Research

Additionally, critical thinking has several benefits, as Crooks (1988) has pointed out. Some of the most obvious and significant include an increased ability to sift through masses of information and separate fact from opinion or strong belief, an increased ability to understand and relate to abstract ideas, and an increased ability to determine the credibility of a source. All of these abilities are, of course, an integral part of research. The first of these, separating fact from opinion, is crucial to finding the answers to many psychological problems. Many theories within psychology have been developed by mere speculation and arrived at through inductive or irrational methods. Critical thinkers are clear as to the purpose at hand and the question to which they are trying to be resolved. They are also clear as to the result and thus will not waste time considering information that is not relevant to getting to the bottom of a problem. In doing so, critical thinkers understand the difference between the various theories and which is relevant to what they are specifically investigating. Determining the credibility of a source is imperative when it comes to the construction of knowledge and understanding of a particular area in psychology. Whether it be through examining previously done research to aid in the development of a current research project or by gaining an understanding of the ideas and claims of a particular theorist.

4. Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Psychology

At the simplest level, critical thinking involves making clear, reasoned judgments. The more informal definition of critical thinking is the application of logic and reasoning to other things. When thinking is correct, it tends to adhere to logic and reasoning. That is why many psychologists have studied the applications of critical thinking to their respective fields. A lovely, generic definition of critical thinking is that it is an active, persistent, careful consideration of a belief or form of knowledge. Drawing a conclusion based on evidence is applying critical thinking to an issue. If one takes the new SARS virus, for example, a critical thinker would isolate themselves or take measures to avoid the virus if presented with evidence that the virus is in their hometown. This individual is making a judgment based on evidence. The clear part of critical thinking is ensuring that conclusions are logically made. A person who falsely assumes that they have a deadly disease because they have a runny nose is not thinking critically. Clearly, a runny nose is not a symptom of Graves’ disease, so it would be illogical to assume such a thing. That’s why a clear judgment based on solid evidence is the epitome of critical thinking. With the importance of the applications of critical thinking to psychology, the forms in which critical thinking can be applied to the testing of ideas solving problems is what will be discussed in the subsequent paragraphs. In order to think critically, a person must have a certain degree of knowledge regarding an idea, normally formed in the shape of further previous learning in the subject. Critical thinking changes a mere belief into an attitude. When a person develops a theory about anything, that theory is a belief. One could test an idea to see if that belief is beneficial under certain circumstances. Now the theory has become a bad theory or a good theory depending on the outcome of the test. This individual will think critically to reach a suitable answer as to why the idea was beneficial or not. The gauging of an answer is comparing it to some standard, and taking an appropriate action depending on the answer is solving a problem. Coming back to the individual that tested the idea, their action would be to keep or change the idea depending on the answer. This sets up a system in which many ideas can be tested and many problems can be solved, which can further the knowledge of the subject. This is the application of critical thinking to the testing of ideas and the solving of problems, and is what every experimental method boils down to. A psychologist by the name of E.L. Chissom has mapped out all types of problem-solving and decision-making with a thinking flow chart with quite complex logic. His CDTM or concept, determination, time, and monitoring framework serves to aid complex decisions and is a prime example of the application of critical thinking to solve problems. The logic needed in order to think critically is what separates a good decision from a poor one, and an effective problem solver from an ineffective one. New advances in psychology, such as the previous E.L. Chissom example, are the reasons why there are calls for increased teaching of critical thinking in psychology.

5. Conclusion

For all kinds of students, in every field, a capacity to think critically is an essential skill. But, for students who are studying psychology, the importance of critical thinking is obvious. Psychology is the science of behaviour and mind, including conscious and unconscious phenomena, as well as feeling and thought. Although it may be a science of experimentation the aim of the science is to understand, predict and control behaviour. If this is the aim, then the method which best achieves this is the most scientific one. An advanced behaviour which may seem mystifying to the observer is always an outcome of a cause. Often human behaviour is put down to personality, or an assumption is made that it’s just the way the person is. But the science of causation tells us that, there is an influencing factor or a motivation which causes a certain behaviour. This cause can always be traced back to an environmental or internal event preceding the behaviour. Successful prediction and control of behaviour are best achieved through an understanding of what the cause is. Prediction attempts to specify a behaviour that will occur in certain conditions and determining the cause implies that changing the cause will also change the said behaviour. Understanding and changing causes to achieve desired outcomes is best done through, identifying the problem, making an inference and finally reflecting. It is a thinking process. But is this thinking of the cause and effect of a behaviour not a case of critical thinking? To think scientifically and to think critically are the same thing.

This chapter aimed to clarify the meaning of critical thinking in psychology. It is evident from the discussion that critical thinking is an important tool for problem solving in everyday life as well as in professional training. Critical thinking provides the tools for this process of self-evaluation. Good critical thinking is the foundation of science and a liberal democratic society. Science requires the critical use of reason in experimentation and theory confirmation. The health of a democratic society may depend on citizens being able to evaluate social and political issues. The ideal of critical thinking is a central one in the educational process, even if at times it is not always at the forefront of educational initiatives.