{"id":88508,"date":"2023-01-15T15:12:46","date_gmt":"2023-01-15T19:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=88508"},"modified":"2023-01-19T16:38:43","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T20:38:43","slug":"critical-thinking-in-psychology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/critical-thinking-in-psychology\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Critical Thinking in Psychology? "},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is critical thinking in psychology? What are some things you can do to improve your critical thinking skills?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In psychology, critical thinking is an active process of thinking that involves understanding and applying the various levels of cognition to enhance one\u2019s understanding. Specifically, critical thinking involves evaluating information<\/a> for weaknesses, drawbacks, and inconsistencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, we\u2019ll explore what critical thinking is, what happens when it\u2019s lacking, and why modern culture discourages it. Then, we\u2019ll provide a few suggestions for developing your critical thinking skills.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Dangers of a Lack of Critical Thinking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When reasoning, we naturally defer to conventional thinking and our intuition, which is our ability to reason subconsciously. However, conventional thinking and intuition are shaped by inflexible assumptions, which means they can be rigid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, the practice of bloodletting\u2013withdrawing someone\u2019s blood for medicinal purposes\u2013was part of conventional medical practice because it fit neatly with Humorism<\/a>, the theory that we\u2019re composed of four humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile). Since Humorism was an entrenched assumption, it led to a rigid belief in the efficacy of bloodletting for roughly 3,000 years until the practice was largely discredited<\/a> in the late 1800s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of this rigidity, conventional thinking and intuition can mislead us in situations where they\u2019re inappropriate. For instance, in the case of bloodletting, the conventional assumptions of Humorism misled physicians into harming their patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While something like that won\u2019t happen in the modern day, this example illustrates what happens when we rely on conventional thinking and intuition instead of critical thinking: We believe things we shouldn\u2019t and that could be dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the modern day, lack of critical thinking skills makes people make harmful pseudoscientific claims. <\/strong>Many people believe there are aliens among us, or that crystals hold some form of cosmic energy that can be harnessed, and that somewhere in the depths of the ocean lies the lost city of Atlantis. Such beliefs appeal to our emotions\u2014they can instill in us a sense of wonder<\/a>, a departure from the mundanity of our everyday lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, such supernatural and pseudoscientific beliefs can cause considerable harm. As they become more widespread, so does our sense of credulity\u2014our propensity to believe in things without proof. A credulous society will be less critical and <\/em>less open-minded, because most of us will simply believe what we want to believe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Commercial Culture Discourages Critical Thinking<\/strong>

Commercial culture erodes our critical faculties in order to make money. Skepticism doesn\u2019t sell. For one, you are much more likely to encounter false or misleading claims through the various sources of media (television, radio, newspapers) than you are actual science. Exaggerated headlines and pseudosciences appeal to our emotions, engender more attention, and thus, generate more profits.

For this reason, you’re likely to encounter many false or misleading claims through various sources of media (television, radio, newspapers, and online sources): Furthermore, consumer culture regularly deceives and misdirects its customers in order to sell products. We\u2019re constantly encouraged to buy things without thinking too much about what we\u2019re buying<\/strong>, or if the claims about the efficacy of the product are even valid. Even \u201creal scientists\u201d promote products for personal gain, at the expense of the consumer and science alike. Commercial culture cultivates a general sense of credulity amongst the population, which is then used to feed you more baloney and extract more of your money. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\nTITLE: The Demon-Haunted World
\nAUTHOR: Carl Sagan
\nTIME: 17
\nREADS: 20.6
\nIMG_URL: https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/the-demon-haunted-world-cover.png
\nBOOK_SUMMARYURL: the-demon-haunted-world-summary-carl-sagan
\nAMZN_ID: XYZ
\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So, how can you improve your critical thinking skills so you don\u2019t fall prey to harmful pseudoscientific claims and lies of the media?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In psychology, critical thinking is the mode of thinking<\/a> where you evaluate an argument for its deficiencies and weak points. To reveal them, you should ask yourself these questions: <\/p>\n\n\n\n