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Critical Thinking Application Paper

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Critical Thinking Application Paper
Augie Ruyle
MGT/350 Critical Thinking: Strategies in Decision Making
Matthew Swanson
University of Phoenix
June 6, 2011

This Critical Thinking Application Paper that you are about to read will include a few descriptions of critical thinking, along with a few of the importance and benefits of critical thinking in the decision-making processes, and examples of a personal experience in applying critical thinking to a work related decision. Thank you and enjoy the reading.

From the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, is a well known psychological test of critical thinking ability. The authors of this test define critical thinking as: …a composite of attitudes, knowledge, and skills. This composite includes: (1). attitudes of inquiry that involves an ability to recognize the existence of problems and an acceptance of the general need for evidence in support of what is asserted to be true; (2). Knowledge of the nature of valid inferences, abstractions, and generalizations in which the weight or accuracy of different kinds of evidence are logically determined; and (3). Skills in employing and applying the above attitudes and knowledge.
Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally. It includes the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. Someone with critical thinking skills will be able to: understand the logical connection between ideas, identify, construct and evaluate arguments, detect inconsistencies and common mistakes in reasoning, solve problems systematically, identify the relevance and the importance of ideas, and reflect on the justification of one’s own beliefs and values.
Critical thinking is not a matter of gathering information. Someone with a good memory and knows a lot of facts, does not make them good at critical thinking. A good critical thinker can deduce

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