Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum: A Brief Edition of Thought & Knowledge

by Halpern; Diane F.

• ISBN13: 9780805827309
• ISBN10: 0805827307
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-09-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book, an abridged version of the author's best-selling text, Thought & Knowledge, will be useful as a companion in any course where critical thinking is emphasized or valued, or as a brief introduction to research and practice on critical thinking.<

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
1 Thinking: An Introduction The demands of our increasingly complex world make the ability to think clearly more necessary than ever before. Evidence that it is possible to enhance critical thinking skills is presented along with a framework for applying these skills. The attitude or disposition to think critically is an important as the skills.	1	(17)
2 Memory: The Acquisition, Retention, and Retrieval of Knowledge Practical guidelines for improving the ability to learn, retain, and recall information are presented along with several memory aids.	18	(28)
3 The Relationship Between Thought and Language When language is used appropriately, it can clarify muddy thinking, but when language is misused, it can mislead the thinking process. Persuasive appeals are used to sell products and ideologies by Manipulating how and what we think. Critical thinkers can recognize and defend against persuasive tactics. General procedures to help readers comprehend complex text are also presented in this chapter.	46	(34)
4 Reasoning: Drawing Deductively Valid Conclusions The rules for "if, then" and linear-reasoning problems are provided with realistic examples. These are helpful aids for improving the critical thinking process when dealing with contingencies and spatial reasoning problems.	80	(18)
5 Analyzing Arguments Arguments always have one or more reasons that support a conclusion. Techniques for judging the strength of an argument are presented along with techniques for resisting common fallacies. Rules for recognizing and presenting good good arguments are presented in this chapter.	98	(42)
6 Thinking as Hypothesis Testing Everyday thinking is similar to the scientific method used to test hypotheses. Issues of sample size, bias, and measurement are important in both settings, especially when causal inferences are being made.	140	(20)
7 Likelihood and Uncertainty: Understanding Problems Most events in life are probabilistic, so understanding and using the laws of likelihood and uncertainty will improve the likelihood of making good decisions. The rules of chance and common biases that occur when thinking probabilistically are presented.	160	(28)
8 Decision Making The ability to make sound decisions is often considered the hallmark of critical thinking. A worksheet procedure that utilizes multiple goals and alternatives is described to guide readers through the process.	188	(30)
9 Development of Problem-Solving Skills Well-defined problems, which have an objectively correct answer, are qualitatively different from ill-defined problems, which have many possible solutions, some of which are better than others. Multiple problem-solving strategies are presented to help problem solvers be successful with a wide variety of problems.	218	(24)
10 Creative Thinking A creative response is both unusual and good. Strategies that encourage creative thinking are suggested. Creative thinking requires skill, attitude, and perhaps some risk-taking. We can all learn to think more creatively.	242	(19)
11 The Last Word I'll bet you can guess what's in this chapter.	261	(1)
References	262	(9)
Author Index	271	(5)
Subject Index	276