CJ100 UNIT #8 CRITICAL THINKING Jess Thornton

Final Project  Another reminder that the final project is due by the conclusion of Unit #9  Five pages, not including the title or reference pages  Double-spaced  12 point font  Don’t submit late or it may not be included in your final grade for the class

Question?  Have you ever completed a self- evaluation of issues in your life such as the one Todd did, described on pages ? If so, or even if not, what are the benefits of such an approach (don’t just say “no”)?

Self-Evaluation  Self-evaluation provides answer to:  Where you are now  Where you want to be  How to get there  Helpful in setting goals

Question?  How would you describe critical thinking?

CRITICAL THINKING IS… Thinking about something from many angles:  Searching, plotting, making associations, explaining, analyzing, probing for multiple perspectives, justifying, scrutinizing, making decisions, solving problems, investigating  Highly useful in blogs!

CRITICAL THINKING CAN HELP YOU…  With RELATIONSHIPS  With GOAL SETTING  With FINANCES  With DECISION MAKING  With PROBLEM SOLVING  With ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES  With CIVIC DUTIES

CHARACTERISTICS OF CRITICAL THINKERS  Open-minded and objective  Non-ethnocentric  Honest with themselves and others  Do not manipulate other people  Seek truth in all matters  Use credible sources

CHARACTERISTICS OF CRITICAL THINKERS  Question situations and assumptions  Not judgmental  Willing to change  Make their own decisions  Are creative  Use a variety of research for evaluation  Are skeptical

A PLAN FOR CRITICAL THINKING  Restraining emotions  Looking at things differently  Analyzing information  Asking questions  Solving problems  Distinguishing fact from opinion  Seeking truth in argument and persuasion

Question?  One step to aid in critical thinking is to restrain your emotions before responding. What types of topics would you admit difficulty in restraining your emotions about when discussing them? NOTE: Please be respectful of the opinions of others.

Controlling Emotional Response  Child abuse  Abortion  Politics  Spousal abuse  Driving while intoxicated  Etc.!  Controlled emotions lead to a more educated response; no need to alter your opinion, just control your response

STEPS TO EMOTIONAL RESTRAINT  Listen to all sides  Identify your emotions  Don’t let emotions turn you off  Don’t engage in “I’m right, you’re wrong”  Work to understand the other side  Notice physiological reactions to emotions  Control negative self-talk  Determine if emotions are irrational

Question?  Another step to aid in critical thinking is to look at things differently. What steps can you take to look at a certain issue differently?

Alternative Points of View  Research  Open mind  Listen; don’t judge

Question?  Describe how during the problem solving process you can evaluate your alternatives.

PROBLEM-SOLVING STEPS 1.Identify and narrow the problem 2.Research and develop alternatives 3.Evaluate the alternatives 4.Solve the problem

Evaluating Alternatives  Brainstorm  Write it down  Positives vs. negatives of each  Seek advice!

Question?  What are steps you can take to distinguish fact from opinion?

FACT AND OPINION (According to The American Heritage Dictionary)  FACT: Something that has been objectively verified; something having real, demonstrated existence.  OPINION: A belief held with confidence, but not sustained by positive knowledge or proof.

Fact vs. Opinion  Media may present opinion as fact  Opinion may become “fact” over time if repeated  Research and evaluate!  Critical thinking…

CHAPTER REFLECTION  Use only credible and reliable sources  Distinguish fact from opinion  Be flexible in your thinking  Use emotional restraint  Avoid generalizations  Avoid stereotyping and prejudging  Strive for objectivity  Reserve judgment  Do not assume  Ask questions  Seek truth

Unit #9 Seminar (Next Week!)  Our last!  We’ll discuss ethics  If no questions, you can depart…thank you for your participation!  , Virtual Office, or AIM if ?’s arise  REMEMBER THE FINAL PROJECT!

Contact Info   Jesse5339  with questions  Stay on task you’re too close now