Re: Operational Definition: Critical Thinking

["Anton Tolman" <atolma@state.wy.us>]

Myron, I've been pondering your post snipped below.  I think, a while
back, I may have sent you an email on operational definitions also
emphasizing the "testability" or utility of the definition.  I agree
that this is a critical issue for without it, one cannot be certain one
really is in agreement or not with what is defined.  

What has snagged me this time is that I got caught up in thinking about
whether psychotic thinking involves "intake of information".  At first
it seemed to me that it does not....psychosis is by definition the
product of one's own internal brain processes rather than the INtake of
information.  By extension, delusional thinking and even the
quasi-delusional thinking that we all engage in is similarly deficient. 
However, as I thought about it some more, I decided that
psychotic/delusional thinking probably does have elements of intake of
information.  However, the information that is processed is internally
generated.  Nevertheless, I guess I am saying that even psychotic
thinking does process information even though that information would be
considered by others to be invalid.  

I'd appreciate your thoughts on that issue.  

Anton Tolman, Ph.D., CPHQ
Wyoming State Hospital, POBox 177,
Evanston, WY  82931  
(307) 789-3464 x675
"Profit to a business is like breathing to a human."
-- Russell Ackoff
======================================================================