Abstract
Critical thinking is an essential skill in education and daily decision making. Research shows, however, that human brains are not designed to engage in complex cognitive processes such as critical thinking. Social intuition theorists propose that most people make fast and intuitive judgment for a given situation, then conduct post-hoc reasoning to support one's intuitive decision. Very few people engage in reasoned judgment and reflection, which are key elements of critical thinking. The chapter will examine what critical thinking is, its key features, a closely-related concept information literacy, and challenges of teaching critical thinking skills through the lens of social intuition theory. Advances in cognitive psychology are reviewed to help understand how the brain works, the challenges of engaging in critical thinking, and identify relevant strategies accordingly. The chapter will also include suggested strategies in education to improve critical thinking skills.
TopIntroduction
We are exposed to millions of pieces of news and information on the internet, social media, newspaper and magazines every day. How to select and choose valid information, and distinguish between real and fake news? Critical thinking, the capability of evaluating, assessing information based on existing evidence and logical thinking (Willingham, 2009) turns out to be invaluable in this aspect. In the chapter, the authors first reviews main definitions and components of critical thinking and information literacy, a concept that is closely related, and involves skills to successfully identify and validate the accuracy of information such as news. After that, the chapter focuses on introducing a metaphor to illustrate how the brain works: the dual model, according to which the brain includes three memory stores: sensory register, working- and long-term memory. Each store’s storage capacity and duration of information is reported, with key cognitive processes such as attention, perception, and meaningful encoding explained. The well-known Gorilla in Our Midst study is discussed, to illustrate cognitive limitations, and our ignorance about our mind and what cognitive capacities. The chapter also includes a section about a few relatively new topics in the field of cognitive science, such as embodiment, hot and cold cognition. Social intuition theory, a model in moral judgement and decision making is introduced, as the authors believe that it provides a theoretical framework as well as potential ways to address the challenges of teaching essential critical thinking skills. The chapter continues with a fictitious two system model, which is helpful to further understand social intuition theory, and how our mind works. The chapter concludes with suggested strategies for teaching and instilling the habits of critical thinking.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Dual Model: A metaphor of how human brain works. It highlights the distinctions between a working and long-term memory.
Critical Thinking: The ability to analyze, assess, evaluate information from various sources, to make informed judgements and decisions.
Embodiment: Various parts of the body can be involved into thinking process.
Hot Cognition: Cognitions that are immersed with emotions.
System 1: A fictitious system proposed by Daniel Kahneman (2011) . The system is fast and automatic, and deals with familiar tasks and mundane affairs. It generates impressions, intuitions, and emotions to feed on System 2.
Social Intuition Theory: A theory proposed by Haidt (2001 , 2012 ) that individuals make moral judgments and decisions based on their intuitions, then engage in post-hoc reasoning to confirm and justify their conclusions.
Information Literacy: The ability to collect, select, analyze, and evaluate information.
Sensory Register: The first storage of the dual model. It has unlimited capacity with short duration (1-2 seconds), for unprocessed stimuli storage.
Working Memory: A storage place in the dual model. It is the conscious part of the brain with limited capacity (5-9 units of information), and short duration of information storage (about 30 seconds).
Perception: A cognitive process during information processing and encoding from sensory register to working memory. It is a subjective experience as all stimuli are interpreted by individuals according to their previous knowledge, experience, beliefs, worldviews, and expectations.
Two Systems: Two fictitious systems proposed by Daniel Kahneman (2011) in his book, Thinking: Fast and Slow , to illustrate how our mind works.
Long-Term Memory: The final destination of information in the dual model. It has unlimited capacity and long duration of information storage (permanent).
System 2: A fictitious system proposed by Daniel Kahneman (2011) . The system is slow and effortful, and is responsible for complex reasoning and computations. It controls and oversees thoughts and ideas from System 1 through endorsement or suppression.
Cold Cognition: Cognitions that are emotion-free.