1.2 Critical Thinking

Throughout the text, important concepts are boldfaced. As you study, you can roll over these terms and their definitions will pop up. They can also be found in the Glossary at the end of the book.

critical thinking thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

The scientific attitude prepares us to think smarter. Critical thinking examines assumptions, appraises the source, discerns hidden biases, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions. Whether reading online commentary or listening to a conversation, critical thinkers ask questions: How do they know that? What is this person’s agenda? Is the conclusion based on a personal story and gut feelings, or on evidence? Does the evidence justify a cause-effect conclusion? What alternative explanations are possible?

From a Twitter feed:

“The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you never know if they’re true.”

Abraham Lincoln

Critical inquiry can lead us to surprising findings. Some examples from psychological science: Massive losses of brain tissue early in life may have minimal long-term effects. Within days, newborns can recognize their mother’s odor. After brain damage, a person may be able to learn new skills yet be unaware of such learning. Diverse groups—men and women, old and young, rich and middle class, those with disabilities and without—report roughly comparable levels of personal happiness.

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Critical inquiry sometimes also debunks popular presumptions, as we will see in ensuing modules. Evidence indicates that sleepwalkers are not acting out their dreams. Our past experiences are not all recorded verbatim in our brains; with brain stimulation or hypnosis, one cannot simply “hit the replay button” and relive long-buried or repressed memories. Most people do not suffer from unrealistically low self-esteem, and high self-esteem is not all good. Opposites do not generally attract. In each of these instances and many others, what scientists have learned is not what is widely believed.

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Life after studying psychology The study of psychology, and its critical thinking strategies, have helped prepare people for varied occupations, as illustrated by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (who studied psychology and computer science at Harvard) and satirist Jon Stewart (a psych major at William and Mary).
Paul Sakuma, File/AP Photo / Brad Barket/AP Photo

Psychology’s critical inquiry can also identify effective policies. To deter crime, should we invest money in lengthening prison sentences or increase the likelihood of arrest? To help people recover from a trauma, should counselors help them relive it, or not? To increase voting, should we tell people about the low turnout problem, or emphasize that their peers are voting? When put to critical thinking’s test—and contrary to common practice—the second option in each case wins (Shafir, 2013).

Throughout the book, information sources are cited in parentheses, with researchers’ names and the date the research was published. Every citation can be found in the end-of-book References section, with complete documentation that follows American Psychological Association (APA) style.

Study Tip: Memory research reveals a testing effect: We retain information much better if we actively retrieve it by self-testing and rehearsing. To bolster your learning and memory, take advantage of the Retrieve It opportunities you’ll find throughout this text.

RETRIEVE IT

Question

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ANSWER: Many ideas and questions may be scrutinized scientifically, and the bad ones end up discarded as a result. Scientific thinking combines (1) curiosity about the world around us, (2) skepticism about unproven claims and ideas, and (3) humility about one's own understanding. This process leads us to evaluate evidence, assess conclusions, and examine our own assumptions, which are essential parts of critical thinking.