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Developing Critical Thinking

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Section 1 - Be able to critically assess own beliefs, attitudes and value systems

1.1 Explain the difference between beliefs, attitudes and values

A belief is an internal feeling that something is true even though that belief may be unproven or irrational. A belief can come from different sources, such as a person’s own experiences, the acceptance of cultural and societal norms e.g. religion, or what other people say e.g. education.

Once a person accepts a belief as a truth they are willing to defend, it forms part of their belief system.

Beliefs lead into a person’s values which are stable, long standing beliefs about what is important to that person. They become standards by which people order and prioritise their lives and how they make choices. A belief will develop into a value when a person’s commitment to it grows and they see it as being important.

Examples of values could be happiness, wealth, career success or family.

In order to be able to make clear, rational, responsible and consistent decisions people need to be able to articulate their values.

Attitudes are the mental dispositions people have towards others and the current circumstances before making decisions that result in behaviour. People primarily form their attitudes from underlying values and beliefs.

However, factors that may not have been internalised as beliefs and values can still influence a person’s attitude at the point of decision making. Typically influences include the desire to please, political correctness, convenience, peer pressure and psychological stresses.

The potential for the influences above to sway attitudes is greater if the person has not thought through their beliefs and values. People may have conflicts with reconciling, or prioritising competing values.

A lack of self-awareness, or critical insight, or uncertainty about values can lead to

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