Operational Definition: Critical Thinking

[Myron Tribus <mtribus@mail.earthlink.net>]

Professor R. L. Abrahamson, in a private communication, commented 
that the definition of critical thinking which I had posted on the 
DEN was not a proper OPERATIONAL definition, for it did not describe 
how someone would be able to test if a sample of thinking was or was 
not critical.  What I wrote was:

>Critical thinking is an ability to analyze the processes used to
>acquire information, to process that information and relate the
>output conclusions of the processing to underlying principles of
       rationality.

In view of Professor Abrahamson's comments, I would like to modify my 
definition.

	All thinking involves three phases: Intake of information,
	processing of the information and output (presentation) of
	the conclusion

	Critical thinking involves careful consideration of all the
	available input information, contrasting and comparing it
	with whatever else is known, including an assessment of the
	reliability of the source, an ability to explain how the
	conclusions logically follow from the input information
	and an ability to present the conclusions in a manner which
	conveys the essence to another person.

Professor Abrahamson used as a example a student reading a newspaper
article and taking into account the purposes of the writer, the
way the writer chose the words, the intentions of the publisher,
the logic of the argument presented in the newspaper.  I would add
that the student should be able to explain his or her own prejudices
in the matter.

I thank Professor Abrahmason for this correction.

Myron Tribus,  350 Britto Terrace,  Fremont, CA 94539
Ph:510 651 3641  Fax: 510 656 9875   e-mail: mtribus@earthlink.net
Intelligence is what you use when you do not know what to do.  It is 
what you use to organize the way your brain approaches an unfamiliar 
challenge.
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