6 barriers to critical thinking

6 barriers to critical thinking

Barriers to Critical Thinking

1. Lack of self-awareness

Individuals who are unaware of their thoughts and actions often fall into this category. People who are overly optimistic, and those who are excessively pessimistic, can both miss the point. The first, because they do not believe there is a problem, and the second, because they think the problem is unsolvable. If one has a vested interest in solving a problem, she will be more likely to identify the assumptions that are making it difficult and the inferences that are leading to a particular solution. Persons who are indifferent to a situation have nothing at stake, and will therefore not engage in thinking about it. Ignorance is perhaps the most difficult obstacle to overcome. If a person is unaware of the limits of her knowledge on a subject, she will not recognize when to consider that the information she has is insufficient to solve the problem, and it is likely that she will resort to using whatever information is easiest to access. This can lead to using information that is biased or based on a stereotype, delivered from a source that is less than credible, or it may simply be an oversimplification of a much more complex issue. The last barrier, self-deception, is especially damaging. When an individual deceives himself, he is actually creating an obstacle to solving a problem that he thinks can be solved. He will not evaluate the thinking he is using to come to a solution, because he does not see anything wrong with it. Nonetheless, the thinker in this case is misled by his thinking and a poor solution is likely to be implemented, and possibly later regretted. Failed problem solutions can be attributed to a myriad of factors, but regardless of the factors if the solution is a bad one the thinker has failed to solve the problem. The best way to combat these barriers is first, to be willing to be wrong and to admit it. A person must recognize that their thinking is not going to be perfect and it is highly probable that they have made a mistake. Once this is done, it will be easier to evaluate the current situation and the information used to come to it. This can be done by continually asking oneself questions about the inferences and assumptions made on information, as well as routinely asking for feedback from others on their thinking. Being aware of the problems at hand and their complexities, as well as learning to identify the limits of one’s own knowledge will make it easier to engage in the type of thinking that solves problems.

2. Prejudice and bias

Prejudice and bias can be seen as another direct barrier to critical thinking. People are often creatures of habit and that can be reflected in many cases where one would find it easier to use a previously adopted opinion rather than think a problem through and come up with a new solution. Using opinions we have been conditioned to adopt. Simpson and Weiner (1989) define prejudice as a negative prejudgment having to do with a group and its individual members. Prejudice is indoctrinated into most people from a very young age. Whether it is from parents, peers or even the media, it is difficult to avoid the influences that are in some cases subtle and in others cases a more overt indoctrination of what to think. Using the label gnostic prejudice, Perkins (1995) says the measure is not of what people know, but what they are sure they know. This is a dangerous state of mind for anyone to enter because when one starts to believe they have all the answers to something they will cease in their efforts to learn more. Prejudgments can keep us from thinking objectively; that is considering all the options and implications to come to a decision or a solution. An indirect form of prejudices is the confirmation bias where attention is selective and skewed towards information that confirms one’s prior beliefs. Gilovich and Savitsky’s (2002) research has shown how it can lead to a limiting of creativity to available confirmations and discouraging systematic processing of information. In all cases, using opinions we have been conditioned to adopt, whether prejudices are formed personally or cultivated from an external source, there is a negative influence on the thinking process to think beyond what we already know or think we know.

3. Emotional reasoning

Emotional reasoning is a very powerful motivator, which is described as the illogical and irrational reliance on our emotions to guide our thoughts and actions. We have all experienced strong emotions that lead to poor decision making usually in the heat of the moment. Afterwards, we are left wondering what made us act the way we did. Often times, those actions can be traced back to a single strong feeling. This feeling then became deeply entrenched in our thoughts and therefore became a primary motivator. At this point in time, the emotion that instigated the thought is so strong that it begins to shape the way we see the world. Because at any given point in time we have an abundance of emotions that are linked to previous experiences, an event or thought could have a number of different emotional meanings. This influences the way we perceive things due to the fact that we are more likely to act in a way that is congruent with the emotion we are currently feeling. In turn, this clouds our judgment and leaves us with what we often would not have done had we been thinking rationally. Because acting in emotion can sometimes lead to a good outcome, we are reinforced to act in that way the next time we encounter that situation. Then a habit is formed with a way of thinking. The end result of all of this is a cycle of illogical thoughts and emotional responses which can be detrimental to us. Although emotion is a necessary and powerful tool, it is something that we must learn to control if we are to think critically.

4. Social conformity

The dangers of social conformity Conformity is defined as the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms. The normative influence of conformity is an extremely powerful thing, making the individual feel as if he is an accepted and pleasing member of a group, replacing the need for high self-esteem. Groups often discourage independent action and are quick to criticize those who act independently of the collective. As humans, we are swayed by the herd mentality: the instinct to fit in and adopt the same thinking and actions of those in the group, while shedding our own true beliefs and views. The pressure of conformity is immense; simply knowing what other people believe to be true changes our perception of what is actually true. And the potential to be ostracized from the collective leaves a great fear in the hearts of those who might question the credibility or believability of what the entire group holds to be true. All of these things are very dangerous to the formation of good and sound critical thinking, as they involve giving up one’s own intellectual and reasoning abilities to adopt the beliefs of others. It is truly a case of accepting the easy answer or the popular answer and failing to search for the truth or the best answer.

5. Lack of information literacy

Information literacy includes the ability to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. One of the reasons that people are so easily swayed by irrational arguments is that they lack adequate information literacy. They do not know what the issues are or what the available alternatives may be. They are easily suggestible because they have no information to the contrary. Sometimes they are simply ignorant of the need to look for information. We live in a society awash with information, but much of it is tailored to the perspective of the special interest groups that sponsor it. In assessing information, one needs to consider the source and possible vested interests behind the information. Without basic information literacy, people will not learn to ask the relevant questions on an issue or to seek the information that may be essential to resolving a problem. Information literacy is a far cry from what is often called “education in the information environment,” a mishmash of hotly promoted but poorly substantiated theories about teaching computer use in the schools. In a more general sense, it is a basic requirement for critical thinking in any subject domain. If critical thinking is to be fostered, and we are to have a thinking population, we need to assure that people have the opportunity to acquire information literacy at all levels of education and in the community at large. For any given subject, there are certain key concepts and principles, and a body of information that is essential for explaining the issues and evaluating possible solutions. To assume that people will think critically about the subject without a fairly detailed knowledge of these things is naive. Yet much of schooling both at the K-12 level and in higher education, including education for the professions, has aimed to foster basic thinking skills without the necessary subject-matter foundation. A major weakness of the recent trends in critical thinking education has been inadequate recognition of the importance of subject-matter knowledge as a precondition for higher-level thinking. This is not to say that one should postpone development of critical thinking skills till subject-matter learning is well under way, for these skills can and should be taught in conjunction with learning the content of any subject. But the aim should be to interweave development of critical thinking abilities with learning of subject matter, such that students will emerge with some basic critical thinking abilities along with a sound foundation of information and a good understanding of the subject.