Critical Thinking Skills: Definition, Way to Think Critically & The Characteristics

In this article, I will explain about critical thinking skills. First at all, I will talked about the definition of Critical Thinking. Critical thinking in general, is one that can think systematically, logically, and objectively. Critical thinking is very beneficial for life and at work, but not everyone can think critically. According to Bayer:1985, critical thinking is the ability to establish the credibility of a source, distinguish which are relevant and which are irrelevant, can distinguish facts and judgments, identify and evaluate implied assumptions, identify biases, evaluate the evidence offered to support recognition, and examine points of view. Because not everyone can think critically, in this article I will discuss how to think critically

Refers to the Latih Logika’s video, there is a way to think critically, the first one by asking about the definition and context being talked about and drawing up a debatable argument. Reputable arguments are not included in the argument. Statements that are not included are facts and descriptions.

In drawing up arguments there are 2 reasoning, namely deductive and inductive. Deductive reasoning is a common thought but with special aspects, and inductive reasoning (generalization) is a general draw of conclusions. To make an argument must be based on clear and logical facts, and to support our arguments, it is usually necessary to use the words of figures or experts who are experts in the field being talked about.

In the article Using Writing to Develop And Assess Critical Thinking. Teaching of Psychology, Wade explained that there are 8 characteristics in critical thinking, such as:

1. Among others are activities in formulating problems
2. Limiting problems
3. Testing the data obtained
4. Analyzing various opinions and biases
5. Avoiding highly emotional considerations
6. Avoiding excessive simplification
7. Considering various interpretations
8. Tolerating ambiguity

Hopefully, after reading this article, you will become a critical thinker.

Sources and References:

Berpikir kritis — Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas

Berpikir Kritis: Pengertian, Teknik, Unsur dan Contoh (pintarnesia.com)