[MUSIC] When we talk about critical thinking, there's a tendency to see it exclusively as a difficult higher order form of thought. Some people might understand critical thinking as a set of exclusive thinking tools which only a few can access. However, many critical thinking theorists see as more than just a form of thought. They write that critical thinking is as much about habits of thoughts and personality dispositions, as it is about special ways of thinking. In this lesson, we'll look at what some of the habits of mind are that make a critical thinker. As many of these are traits that are already part of you, we believe these habits and traits are a good place to start when improving your critical thinking. Firstly, let's look at what is probably the key habit of mind when it comes to critical thinking, and that is metacognition. Metacognition means thinking about thinking, and means maintaining an awareness of your thought and any possible biases. Metacognition includes such things as formulating questions for inquiry, self-assessing your own thinking for biases, justifying opinions, as well as reflecting on that process. Throughout this course, we'd urge you to stay aware of your thinking, how exactly you understand things, and any possible flaws or distortions that might be taking place. It is this ongoing attention to your own thought, that is one of the best ways to improve critical thinking. Let's move on now to look at key dispositions for critical thinking. Why disposition? What we mean is just a tendency to do something. There have been a number of critical theorists over the years who listed what they see as the crucial dispositions of a critical thinker. In this lesson, we'll be drawing on a paper by Facione, Sanchez, Facione and Gainen, as their list of dispositions was the result of a two-year research project conducted with experts across the USA. The result of this research, was a list of seven overall dispositions, each of which contains a number of smaller personality tendencies. Before we go through this list of dispositions, it's important to remember that there is some crossover between each of the items. The first personality disposition that Facione et al lists is that of inquisitiveness. Inquisitiveness includes a desire for learning for its own sake, even when the application for the learning is not readily apparent. This knowledge becomes a basis against which we can compare any new information we might encounter. Inquisitiveness also includes a curiosity about one's own field, too, which as Facione et al point out, Is important not just at university but in our professional lives where we need to constantly maintain our knowledge in our field. Another important disposition listed is being systematic in your inquiry. While Facione, et al don't privilege any particular form of inquiry, this disposition means being focused, orderly, and diligent in one's inquiry. This organization often takes discipline specific forms, such as the way in which a doctor diagnoses a patient. But nonetheless, they believe this systematic approach to inquiry is a trait of all critical thinkers. Truth-seeking is yet another disposition cited, and this can take on many related forms. Truth-seeking can mean being honest about pursuing your inquiry, even when the findings don't support your original opinions, or if the findings require you to change your mind. It can also mean being courageous about asking questions, and continually evaluating any new information on a subject. Finally, truth-seeking covers being motivated to seek out and find the best knowledge on any particular subject. Self-confidence is another disposition Facione, et al attributed to critical thinkers. This self-confidence comes a little later than other dispositions, perhaps after some training when critical thinking occurs. Self-confidence refers to confidence in resolving issues, along with confidence in the judgments you make. This self-confidence must, of course, be balanced, as too much self-confidence might lead to hasty decisions. A lack of self-confidence, however, would mean that no critical thinking occurs at all. Being analytical is described by Facione, et al, as a core disposition for the inquiring mind. Being analytic includes such traits as valuing the use of reason and evidence to resolve issues. It also includes connecting observations and inquiries in existing knowledge base, being alert to any need for intervention, and anticipating any conceptual difficulties or consequences. The second to last disposition in this list, but one of the most important, is being open-minded. This includes such things as being aware of your own biases, when engaging in inquiry, as this can lead to pre-formed conclusions. Being open-minded can also manifest itself as a willingness to engage with other points of view, and being tolerant and accepting of divergent points of view. Their final disposition is that of maturity, which might seem like an odd term, but overall is described as being judicious with one's decision-making. Maturity, in this case, means understanding that some problems and issues may be poorly structured, which may have implications for your inquiry. Maturity here also means understanding that certainty of conclusions is not always guaranteed, and accommodating this uncertainty into any conclusions. It finally means that some situations might have more than one right answer. We believe that Facione, et al, list of critical thinking dispositions, inquisitiveness, being systematic, truth-seeking, self-confidence, being analytic, open-mindedness, and maturity is the most comprehensive and accommodating. We also believe that these dispositions are not just the preserve of a few, but are latent in everyone, and simply need to be cultivated. So please don't look at this list and think, I'm not inquisitive, or I need to be mature. Everyone has these qualities, it's simply a matter of realizing them. [MUSIC]
