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Thinker's Attitudes
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Much of this material is drawn from
http://classweb.howardcc.edu/jbell/booklets/Ch1_Critical_Thinking_F01.pdf
which includes a good coverage of the literature on the attitudes of
effective thinkers. First here are a number of perspectives.
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Attitudes Necessary for Critical Thinking by D’Angelo (1971) , The
Teaching of Critical Thinking. Amsterdam: B. R. Gruner N. V. (1) Intellectual curiosity (2) Objectivity (3) Open-mindedness (4) Flexibility (5) Intellectual skepticism (6) Intellectual honesty (7) Being systematic (8) Persistence (9) Decisiveness (10) Respect for other viewpoints. (pp. 7-8) |
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Paul, R. W. (1992). Critical
thinking: What every person needs to survive in a rapidly changing
world. Rohnert Park, CA: The Center for Critical Thinking and Moral
Critique. S-5 developing intellectual
humility and suspending judgment |
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Attitudes of Effective Thinkers (Costa and Lowery, 1989,
Techniques for teaching thinking). quoted from Chapter 7 |
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The End Product of Education is the Inquiring Mind. (Paul, 1986, quoted
in Dimensions of thinking, 1988, by Marzano et al.) 1. A passionate drive for clarity, accuracy, and fair-mindedness 2. A fervor for getting to the bottom of things 3. Listening sympathetically to opposite points of view 4. A compelling drive to seek out evidence 5. An intense aversion to contradiction, sloppy thinking, and inconsistent application of standards 6. A devotion to truth as against self-interest. (p. 2) |
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Attitudes Essential For "Good Thinking" Burton et al, 1960,
Education for effective thinking. NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Quoted.
There is a newer edition of this book. |
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Selected Thinking Dispositions from Barry Beyer's Practical
Strategies for the Teaching of Thinking (1987), Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
quoted from p. 212. |
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Lendman, Christy. (1995). Core components of curricula which promote critical thinking in postsecondary education: Summary of results. Handout from the author. quoted. Core Dispositions are: Inquisitiveness Trusts in reason Independent of mind open mindedness fair mindedness flexibility willing to reconsider Persistence/Perseverance Precision Honesty |
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These lists may seem mind-bending initially, but it can be a very worthwhile activity as a staff to sort and group the different attitudes listed, and then extract your own set of core attitudes. The following is a set established by one of the schools I worked with in 2006. They established a set of 7 core attitudes that they would strive to model and to encourage in their students.
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Humility Recognise that their understanding may be limited or built on false premise, bias or assumptions. They are willing to suspend judgment when information is insufficient.
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Courage Willing to challenge and query, determined to understand and make sense of things.
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Integrity The determination to examine their own attitudes, beliefs and thoughts by the same standards they apply to others.
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Open-mindedness A willingness to review their own opinions, beliefs, thoughts and attitudes in the light of further information and input. |
Perseverance Willing to pursue questions, ideas and thoughts regardless of any difficulties and obstructions.
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Confident
Confident that the strategies and skills they are developing
will lead them to better decisions and solutions.
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Fairminded
Willing to consider validity of opposing points of view
Willing to examine something from a different base
Willing to accept the possibility of being wrong.
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