Who needs critical thinking skills?

People dont always use critical thinking skills

It

is not uncommon for people to say

Poor decision-makers tend to lack reasoning skills

I thought it was no big deal. I just wasnt thinking How was I supposed to know? I cant think of everything! My bad

People who bounce checks monthly, spend the rent at the racetrack, get their car impounded, etc. tend to have poor reasoning skills (Wenner, 2007) There is a scientific link between people who are their own worst enemies and critical thinking ability.

Critical thinking defined

Norris (1985) who stated that thinking critically can be defined as rationally deciding what to do or believe (p. 40). A survey corporate executives revealed that the top three characteristics they were looking for in college graduates were teamwork skills, critical thinking and analytic reasoning skills, and oral/written communication skills (Vance, 2007, p. 30).

Good decisions require critical thinking skills

Consciously reflect on the choices you are making Habitual versus reflective thinking Resist intuition and your gut responseat least initially Clearly define the issue or decision (what is your goal or objective?) Identify criteria for making the decision. Consider all the options Weigh pros and cons Use a reality check: ask what might go wrong? Let emotion play a role, but not the role in making the decision.

noteworthy absences in critical thinking

examples from government, public institutions

examples involving celebrities, politicians

FBI and September 11 attack CIA intelligence on Iraqs alleged WMDs Michael Vick, Michael Richards, Mel Gibson, Bill Clinton police pursuits suspects on Cops guests on Jerry Springer and Judge Judy sub-prime home loans

examples involving ordinary people

faux hate crime

(October 24, 2008) Ashley Todd, a McCain supporter from Texas, claimed she was assaulted by a 64 African-American male at an ATM. She alleged the attacker beat her and carved a B on her cheek because she had a McCainPalin bumper sticker on her car. The B was backwards, however, suggesting she had carved it herself while looking in a mirror. She later confessed the whole story was a hoax and was charged with filing a false police report

lapses in critical thinking by the FBI and CIA

Prior to Sept. 11, the FBI failed to connect the dots The August 2001 memo, titled "Bin Laden Determined To Strike in U.S. stated that Bin Laden hoped to bring the fight to America. Kenneth Williams Phoenix memo of July 10 2001, warned that Bin Laden might be using flight schools in the U.S. to train for terrorist attacks.

dont try this at home

Jackass wannabees try to copy Johnny Knoxvilles stunts

MTVs Jackass show, and the two spin-off movies, feature Knoxville and his pals performing dangerous stunts that often result in injury. A number viewers, mainly teen males, have tried to imitate the stunts and were seriously injured. One boy in Connecticut suffered serious burns after trying to copy a stunt called the human barbecue. Another boy in Kentucky was run over by a car while attempting to jump it.

When good clowns go bad

Spunky the clown was arrested for attempting to smuggle marijuana to an inmate at the Greensville Correctional Institute Kooki the clown was arrested for defrauding a 90 yr old woman out of $500,000 Trim Trim the clown was sentenced to 12 years in prison for molesting a 12 and 14 year old girl

MDs and critical thinking

Doctor Is Suspended Over Errand BostonA Boston orthopedic surgeon has been suspended from practice after disclosures that he abandoned a patient midway through back surgery so he could go to the bank to deposit his paycheck. (Source: Los Angeles Times, August 9, 2002)

Doctor Loses License Over Carved Initials New York state has taken away the license of an obstetrician who carved his initials in a womans abdomen immediately after she gave birth. (Source: Times Wire Reports)

prayer at the pump

Rocky Twyman and his followers held a pray-in to ask God to lower gas prices. God is the only one we can turn to at this point, said Twyman. The prices keep soaring and soaring. When the prayer vigil began at 4 p.m. Friday, a gallon of Texaco unleaded gas cost $3.92. But even before the praying stopped, the price dropped three cents! "Prayer works fast," said Rocky Twyman

Women wearing jeans cant be raped?

1999: The Supreme Court of Appeal in Rome overturned a 1998 rape conviction, proclaiming the alleged victim must have agreed to sex because her jeans could not have been removed without her consent. The court said the alleged victim, an 18-year-old student, was wearing tight jeans, which could not have been removed without her consent. The accused rapist, a 45-yearold driving instructor, has been released.

female ministers of the Italian parliament say they will protest until the ruling is overturned

Cultural insensitivity Massachusetts style

Earlier this week, police officers in the otherwise enlightened community, home of Harvard university, shared their theories on pepper spray with a local reporter. Pepper spray doesnt work well on Mexican American suspects, the officers said. Why? Because Mexicans grow up eating too much spicy food, and because they spend so much time picking hot peppers in the fields.

Massachusetts department says officers were wrong to say defense weapon doesnt work as well on Mexican American suspects.

Cultural insensitivity Inland Empire style

(October 2008) Diane Fedele resigned from the Chaffey Community Republican Womens group, after mailing flyers depicting Barack Obama on food stamps. She explained the coupon was intended as satire after Obama claimed during the campaign that he doesnt look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.

Televangupidity?

Sep 13, 2001: Jerry Falwell blamed the ACLU, feminists, and gays for Sept. 11th, stating, the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle.I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'

Lucky lotto retirement strategy

Most Americans think their odds of becoming wealthy are better with the lottery than with savings and investments

(Coombs, Jan 13, 2006), ABC news reported that "one-quarter of Americans believe their best chance to build wealth for retirement is by playing the lottery, not by patiently saving and investing Among low income households the belief jumped to 40% Many families spend $2050 per week on gambling and lottery tickets. But the odds of winning the lottery are approximately 1 in 20 million. if a family saved $25 per week for 40 years at a 10 percent return, they would have a nest egg of nearly $500,000.

Decision-making task
You were in a horrendous accident. Only your brain survived. It is sitting in a jar waiting to be transplanted. The doctors have three bodies available to you and you must choose one of the options . 1. You can be placed in a stunningly attractive body. Heads will turn as you walk by. 2. You can be placed into a somewhat unattractive body, but it is the body of a multi-millionaire. The millionaire's estate will recognize you as the true millionaire, giving you ownership of all assets. 3. You can be put into the body of a rather unattractive person. In the process, however, for this body only, it is possible for the doctors to increase your intelligence level to 180 (genius).

Thinking critically about what you really want

In a survey conducted by the PEW Research Center in 2007, asking 18-25 year olds what their most important life goal was:
81% percent said getting rich is their generation's most important or second-most-important life goal 51% said being famous was their number one goal in life. "Society raised us where money is glamorous, and everybody wants to be glamorous," says Jason Head, an aspiring actor who turned 26 just before Thanksgiving.