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Is Harris a better candidate than Trump?

What is critical thinking? In 1997, Halpern stated that critical thinking usually requires us to consider general issues that cut across several domains. These problems are frequently ill-defined and have many possible solutions, or even maybe unsolvable.  Consider some issues we must weigh when choosing a president: how to eliminate or at least reduce the national debt, the constitutionality of abortion and immigration, and whether financial aid should be offered to formally hostile foreign nations.  

Most critical thinking is directed towards one’s internal states (Butler, 2024), using the example of politics again, how does one consider a political affiliation? This requires that we first need. To clarify and evaluate our beliefs and expectations about each of the parties and candidates, So one definition of critical thinking is reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do in a particular context (Ennis, 1987). 

Critical thinking is better thinking (Perkins, 2001). This view suggests that learning to think critically improves our ability to gather, interpret, evaluate, and select information for the purpose of making informed choices. Many suspect we suspect that this is a definition most teachers and parents have in mind when they say students need to think critically about their lives (Bruning et al., 2004). In other words, considering how the decisions we make today will affect our future. 

Nickerson (1987) proposed that critical thinking is directed at adopting versus clarifying a goal. This view emphasizes critical thinking as a means to an end, i.e., reaching a decision, versus the view that emphasizes a process one uses to reach a decision. I believe that both sides of the process are important. Halpern (2014) expands this line of thought when she implies that the use of critical thinking skills increase the probability of a desirable outcome. It is used to describe thinking that is purposeful, reasoned, and goal directed—the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihoods, and making decisions.

At this point, you might ask yourself how I can improve my critical thinking.  This means changing the way you evaluate contrasting positions or the clarity of ideas. The process of critical thinking involves many essential skills. Halpern (1998) Distinguishes between two major classes of critical thinking: dispositions and abilities. The former refers to effective and dispositional traits that each person brings to a thinking task, such as open-mindedness, the attempt to be well-informed, and sensitivity to others’ beliefs and feelings. The latter refers to the actual cognitive abilities necessary to think critically, including focusing and judging. Over the next week, see how you can use your critical thinking skills to improve your daily outcomes. Practice some new critical thinking skills and let me know what you find out.

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Who should I vote for?

Developing critical thinking skills is essential because they are skills that we can use in all parts of our lives. Planning at work, negotiating with your teenage children, and choosing a new vehicle are all circumstances where critical thinking skills can influence your outcomes. Deciding on which political candidate to vote for involves a range of critical thinking skills to ensure a well-rounded and informed decision. I recommend evaluating the candidates’ policies, statements, and actions critically. Question the candidate’s assumptions, seek evidence, and consider different perspectives before making your decision. Here are some critical thinking skills required to select a political candidate. 

  1. Analytical Thinking: Break down complex issues into smaller, understandable parts. Compare and contrast candidates’ platforms on various issues like the economy, healthcare, foreign policy, etc.
  2. Research Skills: Gather information from reliable sources. Look into candidates’ backgrounds, voting records, public statements, and endorsements.
  3. Decision-Making: Weigh the pros and cons of each candidate. Consider how their policies align with your values and the needs of the country.
  4. Problem-Solving: Identify the key issues facing the country and assess which candidate has the best plan to address them.
  5. Empathy: Understand the impact of candidates’ policies on different groups within the population. Consider the needs and perspectives of people from various backgrounds.
  6. Logical Reasoning: Make connections between the candidates’ proposed policies and their potential outcomes. Assess whether their arguments are sound and supported by evidence.
  7. Future Orientation: Consider the long-term implications of each candidate’s policies. Think about how their leadership might shape the country’s future.
  8. Ethical Reasoning: Evaluate the candidates’ character, integrity, and ethical standards. Consider the ethical implications of their policies and behavior.
  9. Open-Mindedness: Be willing to consider new information and alternative viewpoints. Avoid confirmation bias by actively seeking diverse opinions.
  10. Communication Skills: Engage in discussions with others to test your ideas and hear different perspectives. This can help refine your thinking and clarify your views.

By utilizing these critical thinking skills, you can make a more informed and thoughtful decision when choosing a political candidate who will represent your interests. This year, we need to address many important issues like abortion, immigration, health care, taxes, judges, the Supreme Court, artificial intelligence, fiscal policy, and inflation.  Use your critical thinking skills to determine who will best represent you, your community, and our country.  

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Do you need better critical thinking skills?

The purpose of the next few posts is to examine conceptual models and use them to develop critical thinking skills that one can use in their everyday life. The first model is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model, also known as the Ecological Systems Theory, provides a framework for understanding how various environmental systems influence human development.  This model can be linked to the development of critical thinking skills in several ways.  First, we define the model.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model

Bronfenbrenner’s model consists of five interrelated systems that shape an individual’s development:

  1. Microsystem: Immediate environments such as family, school, and peers.
  2. Mesosystem: Interactions between different microsystems (e.g., relationships between family and school).
  3. Exosystem: External environments that indirectly influence development (e.g., parents’ workplaces).
  4. Macrosystem: Broader cultural and societal influences.
  5. Chronosystem: Changes over time that affect development (e.g., life transitions, historical events).

Association with Critical Thinking Skills

The University of Louisville indicates that critical thinking involves analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information to make reasoned judgments. Here’s how each system in Bronfenbrenner’s model can contribute to the development of these skills:

  1. Microsystem:
    • Family: Parents and siblings can encourage questioning and problem-solving, fostering an environment where critical thinking is valued.
    • School: Teachers and peers play a crucial role in developing critical thinking through discussions, debates, and collaborative projects.
  2. Mesosystem:
    • Interconnections: Positive interactions between family and school can reinforce critical thinking skills. For example, parental involvement in school activities can enhance a child’s learning experiences and promote critical thinking.
  3. Exosystem:
    • Indirect Influences: Factors such as parents’ work environments can impact the resources and time available for fostering critical thinking at home. Supportive work policies can enable parents to be more involved in their children’s education.
  4. Macrosystem:
    • Cultural Values: Societal attitudes towards education and critical thinking can shape how these skills are taught and valued. Cultures that emphasize inquiry and open-mindedness are likely to promote stronger critical thinking skills.
  5. Chronosystem:
    • Temporal Changes: Life events and historical contexts can influence the development of critical thinking. For instance, exposure to diverse perspectives over time can enhance one’s ability to think critically.

Practical Implications

Understanding the association between Bronfenbrenner’s model and critical thinking can help educators, parents, and policymakers create environments that nurture these skills. For example:

  • Educators can design curricula that integrate critical thinking exercises across subjects.
  • Parents can engage in activities that promote questioning and exploration.
  • Policymakers can support educational reforms that emphasize critical thinking.
  • Citizens can choose policies that support their cultural values.

Tell me what you think when you get a chance!

Adrian

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Did you know that Trump practices positive thinking?

How can you make positive thinking work for you?

On one hand, Donald Trump is known for his rants of negativity on our public airwaves and of course on twitter. On the other hand, Donald Trump talks with a lot of confidence about what he has done, what he will do, and what is going to happen. In fact Donald Trump actually practices many of the positive thinking principles espoused by Norman Vincent Peale who is the rightmost figure in the next picture. These principles have inspired people to believe in their own capabilities and accomplish great things through significant planning and effort. While Peale emphasizes numerous positive thinking principles in his writings. Three of Peale’s principles are certainly transparent in Trump’s bombast.They are:

  1.   You get what You expect.

Trump believes that his attitude is more important than any problem he faces. He does not seem to think about defeat. According to Peale one should not build obstacles to success in their mind.  This belief gives Trump hope to accomplish improbable tasks; in other words you are overcome because of what you you think. This means self-fulfilling prophecies are powerful.

  1. What we say we experience.

Trump hardly talks about defeat even if he has just lost a major battle. For instance read how Trump describes what happened with the first version of his healthcare bill. He uses words such as victory and winning constantly. Peale stressed that there is a great deal of power in the words you use. Words affect your mood and outlook on things. Therefore, if you use words of pessimism you will create more negativity in your world. If you use optimistic and inspiring words, you will behave and react in a like manner.

  1. Learn only from your success.

Peale suggested that learning from errors would make an individual more inclined to make more errors. In a similar manner, Trumps actions indicate that he thinks it is more important to learn from successes than failures. The belief is such behavior will make it easier to repeat what you did to create the success. To increase your chance of future success take notes about your successful behaviors and practice them as time permits.

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Do you know why Trump flip-flops all the time?

Regardless of your political beliefs, anyone who has been actively listening to current events knows that President Trump has a habit of changing his position. This behavior pertains to a wide range of topics. For example he insisted that America would not have an active military presence in Syria. Nevertheless, he ordered the bombing of a Syrian airfield last week.  This is not new. President Trump had specified last year that witness immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony was equivalent to committing a crime. Since then he has also back-pedaled on that statement concerning Michael Flynn. This certainly was not the case concerning Hillary Clinton’s staff members last year.

Some may argue that President Trump changes his positions to gain negotiation advantage. Yet, there may there may be other reasons why many of President Trump’s statements are inconsistent with his past rhetoric – cognitive structures. Cognitive structures are mental processes that individuals use to process and understand information. They organize information for learning and recall. Cognitive structures are integral for comprehension and memory.

According to Sternberg (2009), there are three general categories of cognitive structures.

* The first are comparative thinking structures for memorization and classifying.

* The second is symbolic representation structures like math, gestures, dance, and music.

* The third is logical structures like reasoning, cause and effect, evaluation, and problem solving.

We develop cognitive structures  over time through our experiences. We use cognitive structures that support our goals and needs. I suggest that President Trump is using a dynamic evaluation process to maintain a positive self-image. This explains why President Trump stated that there were things in the healthcare bill that he did not particularly like; it was okay that the bill failed to pass.  In the same manner, he uses alternate facts to support bogus claims and denigrate his foes, both of which support his fragile self-image.

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What are the best brain foods? (Part 2)

Dietary manipulations is a viable strategy for enhancing cognitive abilities.  Researchers have uncovered some of the basic principles that are involved in the actions of certain foods and nutrients on the brain. Incorporating this knowledge into your daily meal planning will improve your cognitive ability or thinking power, now and in the future. Following are a list of nutrients and foods essential for brainpower for this holiday season and beyond.

  • Chlorine – helps maintain a healthy memory function – this nutrient is available in egg yolks, soy beef, chicken, veal, turkey liver, and lettuce.
  • The combination of vitamins C, E, and carotene – taken in an antioxidant vitamin form delays cognitive decline in the elderly available in citrus fruits, several plants and vegetables, calf and beef liver.
  • Calcium, zinc, selenium and high serum calcium – the lack of these nutrients are associated with lower cognitive function- calcium is found in milk. Zinc is available in oysters, in smaller amounts in beans, nuts, almonds, whole grains, and sunflower seeds. Selenium is available in nuts, cereals, meat, fish, and eggs.
  • Copper – low levels of this nutrient is associated with cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Copper is available from oysters, beef/lamb liver, Brazil nuts, blackstrap molasses, cocoa, and black pepper.
  • Iron – treatments of this nutrient normalizes cognitive function in young women. It is found in red meat, fish, poultry, lentils, and beans.