real life critical thinking scenarios

41+ Critical Thinking Examples (Definition + Practices)

Critical thinking is an essential skill in our information-overloaded world, where figuring out what is fact and fiction has become increasingly challenging.

But why is critical thinking essential? Put, critical thinking empowers us to make better decisions, challenge and validate our beliefs and assumptions, and understand and interact with the world more effectively and meaningfully.

Critical thinking is like using your brain's "superpowers" to make smart choices. Whether it's picking the right insurance, deciding what to do in a job, or discussing topics in school, thinking deeply helps a lot. In the next parts, we'll share real-life examples of when this superpower comes in handy and give you some fun exercises to practice it.

Critical Thinking Process Outline

Critical thinking means thinking clearly and fairly without letting personal feelings get in the way. It's like being a detective, trying to solve a mystery by using clues and thinking hard about them.

It isn't always easy to think critically, as it can take a pretty smart person to see some of the questions that aren't being answered in a certain situation. But, we can train our brains to think more like puzzle solvers, which can help develop our critical thinking skills.

Here's what it looks like step by step:

Spotting the Problem: It's like discovering a puzzle to solve. You see that there's something you need to figure out or decide.

Collecting Clues: Now, you need to gather information. Maybe you read about it, watch a video, talk to people, or do some research. It's like getting all the pieces to solve your puzzle.

Breaking It Down: This is where you look at all your clues and try to see how they fit together. You're asking questions like: Why did this happen? What could happen next?

Checking Your Clues: You want to make sure your information is good. This means seeing if what you found out is true and if you can trust where it came from.

Making a Guess: After looking at all your clues, you think about what they mean and come up with an answer. This answer is like your best guess based on what you know.

Explaining Your Thoughts: Now, you tell others how you solved the puzzle. You explain how you thought about it and how you answered. 

Checking Your Work: This is like looking back and seeing if you missed anything. Did you make any mistakes? Did you let any personal feelings get in the way? This step helps make sure your thinking is clear and fair.

And remember, you might sometimes need to go back and redo some steps if you discover something new. If you realize you missed an important clue, you might have to go back and collect more information.

Critical Thinking Methods

Just like doing push-ups or running helps our bodies get stronger, there are special exercises that help our brains think better. These brain workouts push us to think harder, look at things closely, and ask many questions.

It's not always about finding the "right" answer. Instead, it's about the journey of thinking and asking "why" or "how." Doing these exercises often helps us become better thinkers and makes us curious to know more about the world.

Now, let's look at some brain workouts to help us think better:

1. "What If" Scenarios

Imagine crazy things happening, like, "What if there was no internet for a month? What would we do?" These games help us think of new and different ideas.

Pick a hot topic. Argue one side of it and then try arguing the opposite. This makes us see different viewpoints and think deeply about a topic.

3. Analyze Visual Data

Check out charts or pictures with lots of numbers and info but no explanations. What story are they telling? This helps us get better at understanding information just by looking at it.

4. Mind Mapping

Write an idea in the center and then draw lines to related ideas. It's like making a map of your thoughts. This helps us see how everything is connected.

There's lots of mind-mapping software , but it's also nice to do this by hand.

5. Weekly Diary

Every week, write about what happened, the choices you made, and what you learned. Writing helps us think about our actions and how we can do better.

6. Evaluating Information Sources

Collect stories or articles about one topic from newspapers or blogs. Which ones are trustworthy? Which ones might be a little biased? This teaches us to be smart about where we get our info.

There are many resources to help you determine if information sources are factual or not.

7. Socratic Questioning

This way of thinking is called the Socrates Method, named after an old-time thinker from Greece. It's about asking lots of questions to understand a topic. You can do this by yourself or chat with a friend.

Start with a Big Question:

"What does 'success' mean?"

Dive Deeper with More Questions:

"Why do you think of success that way?" "Do TV shows, friends, or family make you think that?" "Does everyone think about success the same way?"

"Can someone be a winner even if they aren't rich or famous?" "Can someone feel like they didn't succeed, even if everyone else thinks they did?"

Look for Real-life Examples:

"Who is someone you think is successful? Why?" "Was there a time you felt like a winner? What happened?"

Think About Other People's Views:

"How might a person from another country think about success?" "Does the idea of success change as we grow up or as our life changes?"

Think About What It Means:

"How does your idea of success shape what you want in life?" "Are there problems with only wanting to be rich or famous?"

Look Back and Think:

"After talking about this, did your idea of success change? How?" "Did you learn something new about what success means?"

8. Six Thinking Hats 

Edward de Bono came up with a cool way to solve problems by thinking in six different ways, like wearing different colored hats. You can do this independently, but it might be more effective in a group so everyone can have a different hat color. Each color has its way of thinking:

White Hat (Facts): Just the facts! Ask, "What do we know? What do we need to find out?"

Red Hat (Feelings): Talk about feelings. Ask, "How do I feel about this?"

Black Hat (Careful Thinking): Be cautious. Ask, "What could go wrong?"

Yellow Hat (Positive Thinking): Look on the bright side. Ask, "What's good about this?"

Green Hat (Creative Thinking): Think of new ideas. Ask, "What's another way to look at this?"

Blue Hat (Planning): Organize the talk. Ask, "What should we do next?"

When using this method with a group:

• Explain all the hats.
• Decide which hat to wear first.
• Make sure everyone switches hats at the same time.
• Finish with the Blue Hat to plan the next steps.

9. SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis is like a game plan for businesses to know where they stand and where they should go. "SWOT" stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

There are a lot of SWOT templates out there for how to do this visually, but you can also think it through. It doesn't just apply to businesses but can be a good way to decide if a project you're working on is working.

Strengths: What's working well? Ask, "What are we good at?"

Weaknesses: Where can we do better? Ask, "Where can we improve?"

Opportunities: What good things might come our way? Ask, "What chances can we grab?"

Threats: What challenges might we face? Ask, "What might make things tough for us?"

Steps to do a SWOT Analysis:

• Goal: Decide what you want to find out.
• Research: Learn about your business and the world around it.
• Brainstorm: Get a group and think together. Talk about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Pick the Most Important Points: Some things might be more urgent or important than others.
• Make a Plan: Decide what to do based on your SWOT list.
• Check Again Later: Things change, so look at your SWOT again after a while to update it.

Now that you have a few tools for thinking critically, let’s get into some specific examples.

Everyday Examples

Life is a series of decisions. From the moment we wake up, we're faced with choices – some trivial, like choosing a breakfast cereal, and some more significant, like buying a home or confronting an ethical dilemma at work. While it might seem that these decisions are disparate, they all benefit from the application of critical thinking.

10. Deciding to buy something

Imagine you want a new phone. Don't just buy it because the ad looks cool. Think about what you need in a phone. Look up different phones and see what people say about them. Choose the one that's the best deal for what you want.

11. Deciding what is true

There's a lot of news everywhere. Don't believe everything right away. Think about why someone might be telling you this. Check if what you're reading or watching is true. Make up your mind after you've looked into it.

12. Deciding when you’re wrong

Sometimes, friends can have disagreements. Don't just get mad right away. Try to see where they're coming from. Talk about what's going on. Find a way to fix the problem that's fair for everyone.

13. Deciding what to eat

There's always a new diet or exercise that's popular. Don't just follow it because it's trendy. Find out if it's good for you. Ask someone who knows, like a doctor. Make choices that make you feel good and stay healthy.

14. Deciding what to do today

Everyone is busy with school, chores, and hobbies. Make a list of things you need to do. Decide which ones are most important. Plan your day so you can get things done and still have fun.

15. Making Tough Choices

Sometimes, it's hard to know what's right. Think about how each choice will affect you and others. Talk to people you trust about it. Choose what feels right in your heart and is fair to others.

16. Planning for the Future

Big decisions, like where to go to school, can be tricky. Think about what you want in the future. Look at the good and bad of each choice. Talk to people who know about it. Pick what feels best for your dreams and goals.

Job Examples

17. solving problems.

Workers brainstorm ways to fix a machine quickly without making things worse when a machine breaks at a factory.

18. Decision Making

A store manager decides which products to order more of based on what's selling best.

19. Setting Goals

A team leader helps their team decide what tasks are most important to finish this month and which can wait.

20. Evaluating Ideas

At a team meeting, everyone shares ideas for a new project. The group discusses each idea's pros and cons before picking one.

21. Handling Conflict

Two workers disagree on how to do a job. Instead of arguing, they talk calmly, listen to each other, and find a solution they both like.

22. Improving Processes

A cashier thinks of a faster way to ring up items so customers don't have to wait as long.

23. Asking Questions

Before starting a big task, an employee asks for clear instructions and checks if they have the necessary tools.

24. Checking Facts

Before presenting a report, someone double-checks all their information to make sure there are no mistakes.

25. Planning for the Future

A business owner thinks about what might happen in the next few years, like new competitors or changes in what customers want, and makes plans based on those thoughts.

26. Understanding Perspectives

A team is designing a new toy. They think about what kids and parents would both like instead of just what they think is fun.

School Examples

27. researching a topic.

For a history project, a student looks up different sources to understand an event from multiple viewpoints.

28. Debating an Issue

In a class discussion, students pick sides on a topic, like school uniforms, and share reasons to support their views.

29. Evaluating Sources

While writing an essay, a student checks if the information from a website is trustworthy or might be biased.

30. Problem Solving in Math

When stuck on a tricky math problem, a student tries different methods to find the answer instead of giving up.

31. Analyzing Literature

In English class, students discuss why a character in a book made certain choices and what those decisions reveal about them.

32. Testing a Hypothesis

For a science experiment, students guess what will happen and then conduct tests to see if they're right or wrong.

33. Giving Peer Feedback

After reading a classmate's essay, a student offers suggestions for improving it.

34. Questioning Assumptions

In a geography lesson, students consider why certain countries are called "developed" and what that label means.

35. Designing a Study

For a psychology project, students plan an experiment to understand how people's memories work and think of ways to ensure accurate results.

36. Interpreting Data

In a science class, students look at charts and graphs from a study, then discuss what the information tells them and if there are any patterns.

Critical Thinking Puzzles

Not all scenarios will have a single correct answer that can be figured out by thinking critically. Sometimes we have to think critically about ethical choices or moral behaviors. 

Here are some mind games and scenarios you can solve using critical thinking. You can see the solution(s) at the end of the post.

37. The Farmer, Fox, Chicken, and Grain Problem

A farmer is at a riverbank with a fox, a chicken, and a grain bag. He needs to get all three items across the river. However, his boat can only carry himself and one of the three items at a time. 

Here's the challenge:

• If the fox is left alone with the chicken, the fox will eat the chicken.
• If the chicken is left alone with the grain, the chicken will eat the grain.

How can the farmer get all three items across the river without any item being eaten? 

38. The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem

You are in a room with two long ropes hanging from the ceiling. Each rope is just out of arm's reach from the other, so you can't hold onto one rope and reach the other simultaneously. 

Your task is to tie the two rope ends together, but you can't move the position where they hang from the ceiling.

You are given a jar full of pebbles. How do you complete the task?

39. The Two Guards Problem

Imagine there are two doors. One door leads to certain doom, and the other leads to freedom. You don't know which is which.

In front of each door stands a guard. One guard always tells the truth. The other guard always lies. You don't know which guard is which.

You can ask only one question to one of the guards. What question should you ask to find the door that leads to freedom?

40. The Hourglass Problem

You have two hourglasses. One measures 7 minutes when turned over, and the other measures 4 minutes. Using just these hourglasses, how can you time exactly 9 minutes?

41. The Lifeboat Dilemma

Imagine you're on a ship that's sinking. You get on a lifeboat, but it's already too full and might flip over. 

Nearby in the water, five people are struggling: a scientist close to finding a cure for a sickness, an old couple who've been together for a long time, a mom with three kids waiting at home, and a tired teenager who helped save others but is now in danger. 

You can only save one person without making the boat flip. Who would you choose?

42. The Tech Dilemma

You work at a tech company and help make a computer program to help small businesses. You're almost ready to share it with everyone, but you find out there might be a small chance it has a problem that could show users' private info. 

If you decide to fix it, you must wait two more months before sharing it. But your bosses want you to share it now. What would you do?

43. The History Mystery

Dr. Amelia is a history expert. She's studying where a group of people traveled long ago. She reads old letters and documents to learn about it. But she finds some letters that tell a different story than what most people believe. 

If she says this new story is true, it could change what people learn in school and what they think about history. What should she do?

The Role of Bias in Critical Thinking

Have you ever decided you don’t like someone before you even know them? Or maybe someone shared an idea with you that you immediately loved without even knowing all the details. 

This experience is called bias, which occurs when you like or dislike something or someone without a good reason or knowing why. It can also take shape in certain reactions to situations, like a habit or instinct. 

Bias comes from our own experiences, what friends or family tell us, or even things we are born believing. Sometimes, bias can help us stay safe, but other times it stops us from seeing the truth.

Not all bias is bad. Bias can be a mechanism for assessing our potential safety in a new situation. If we are biased to think that anything long, thin, and curled up is a snake, we might assume the rope is something to be afraid of before we know it is just a rope.

While bias might serve us in some situations (like jumping out of the way of an actual snake before we have time to process that we need to be jumping out of the way), it often harms our ability to think critically.

How Bias Gets in the Way of Good Thinking

Selective Perception: We only notice things that match our ideas and ignore the rest. 

It's like only picking red candies from a mixed bowl because you think they taste the best, but they taste the same as every other candy in the bowl. It could also be when we see all the signs that our partner is cheating on us but choose to ignore them because we are happy the way we are (or at least, we think we are).

Agreeing with Yourself: This is called “ confirmation bias ” when we only listen to ideas that match our own and seek, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms what we already think we know or believe. 

An example is when someone wants to know if it is safe to vaccinate their children but already believes that vaccines are not safe, so they only look for information supporting the idea that vaccines are bad.

Thinking We Know It All: Similar to confirmation bias, this is called “overconfidence bias.” Sometimes we think our ideas are the best and don't listen to others. This can stop us from learning.

Have you ever met someone who you consider a “know it”? Probably, they have a lot of overconfidence bias because while they may know many things accurately, they can’t know everything. Still, if they act like they do, they show overconfidence bias.

There's a weird kind of bias similar to this called the Dunning Kruger Effect, and that is when someone is bad at what they do, but they believe and act like they are the best .

Following the Crowd: This is formally called “groupthink”. It's hard to speak up with a different idea if everyone agrees. But this can lead to mistakes.

An example of this we’ve all likely seen is the cool clique in primary school. There is usually one person that is the head of the group, the “coolest kid in school”, and everyone listens to them and does what they want, even if they don’t think it’s a good idea.

How to Overcome Biases

Here are a few ways to learn to think better, free from our biases (or at least aware of them!).

Know Your Biases: Realize that everyone has biases. If we know about them, we can think better.

Listen to Different People: Talking to different kinds of people can give us new ideas.

Ask Why: Always ask yourself why you believe something. Is it true, or is it just a bias?

Understand Others: Try to think about how others feel. It helps you see things in new ways.

Keep Learning: Always be curious and open to new information.

In today's world, everything changes fast, and there's so much information everywhere. This makes critical thinking super important. It helps us distinguish between what's real and what's made up. It also helps us make good choices. But thinking this way can be tough sometimes because of biases. These are like sneaky thoughts that can trick us. The good news is we can learn to see them and think better.

There are cool tools and ways we've talked about, like the "Socratic Questioning" method and the "Six Thinking Hats." These tools help us get better at thinking. These thinking skills can also help us in school, work, and everyday life.

We’ve also looked at specific scenarios where critical thinking would be helpful, such as deciding what diet to follow and checking facts.

Thinking isn't just a skill—it's a special talent we improve over time. Working on it lets us see things more clearly and understand the world better. So, keep practicing and asking questions! It'll make you a smarter thinker and help you see the world differently.

Critical Thinking Puzzles (Solutions)

The farmer, fox, chicken, and grain problem.

• The farmer first takes the chicken across the river and leaves it on the other side.
• He returns to the original side and takes the fox across the river.
• After leaving the fox on the other side, he returns the chicken to the starting side.
• He leaves the chicken on the starting side and takes the grain bag across the river.
• He leaves the grain with the fox on the other side and returns to get the chicken.
• The farmer takes the chicken across, and now all three items -- the fox, the chicken, and the grain -- are safely on the other side of the river.

The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem

• Take one rope and tie the jar of pebbles to its end.
• Swing the rope with the jar in a pendulum motion.
• While the rope is swinging, grab the other rope and wait.
• As the swinging rope comes back within reach due to its pendulum motion, grab it.
• With both ropes within reach, untie the jar and tie the rope ends together.

The Two Guards Problem

The question is, "What would the other guard say is the door to doom?" Then choose the opposite door.

The Hourglass Problem

• Start both hourglasses. 
• When the 4-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over.
• When the 7-minute hourglass runs out, the 4-minute hourglass will have been running for 3 minutes. Turn the 7-minute hourglass over. 
• When the 4-minute hourglass runs out for the second time (a total of 8 minutes have passed), the 7-minute hourglass will run for 1 minute. Turn the 7-minute hourglass again for 1 minute to empty the hourglass (a total of 9 minutes passed).

The Boat and Weights Problem

Take the cat over first and leave it on the other side. Then, return and take the fish across next. When you get there, take the cat back with you. Leave the cat on the starting side and take the cat food across. Lastly, return to get the cat and bring it to the other side.

The Lifeboat Dilemma

There isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:

• Moral Principles: What values guide your decision? Is it the potential greater good for humanity (the scientist)? What is the value of long-standing love and commitment (the elderly couple)? What is the future of young children who depend on their mothers? Or the selfless bravery of the teenager?
• Future Implications: Consider the future consequences of each choice. Saving the scientist might benefit millions in the future, but what moral message does it send about the value of individual lives?
• Emotional vs. Logical Thinking: While it's essential to engage empathy, it's also crucial not to let emotions cloud judgment entirely. For instance, while the teenager's bravery is commendable, does it make him more deserving of a spot on the boat than the others?
• Acknowledging Uncertainty: The scientist claims to be close to a significant breakthrough, but there's no certainty. How does this uncertainty factor into your decision?
• Personal Bias: Recognize and challenge any personal biases, such as biases towards age, profession, or familial status.

The Tech Dilemma

Again, there isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:

• Evaluate the Risk: How severe is the potential vulnerability? Can it be easily exploited, or would it require significant expertise? Even if the circumstances are rare, what would be the consequences if the vulnerability were exploited?
• Stakeholder Considerations: Different stakeholders will have different priorities. Upper management might prioritize financial projections, the marketing team might be concerned about the product's reputation, and customers might prioritize the security of their data. How do you balance these competing interests?
• Short-Term vs. Long-Term Implications: While launching on time could meet immediate financial goals, consider the potential long-term damage to the company's reputation if the vulnerability is exploited. Would the short-term gains be worth the potential long-term costs?
• Ethical Implications : Beyond the financial and reputational aspects, there's an ethical dimension to consider. Is it right to release a product with a known vulnerability, even if the chances of it being exploited are low?
• Seek External Input: Consulting with cybersecurity experts outside your company might be beneficial. They could provide a more objective risk assessment and potential mitigation strategies.
• Communication: How will you communicate the decision, whatever it may be, both internally to your team and upper management and externally to your customers and potential users?

The History Mystery

Dr. Amelia should take the following steps:

• Verify the Letters: Before making any claims, she should check if the letters are actual and not fake. She can do this by seeing when and where they were written and if they match with other things from that time.
• Get a Second Opinion: It's always good to have someone else look at what you've found. Dr. Amelia could show the letters to other history experts and see their thoughts.
• Research More: Maybe there are more documents or letters out there that support this new story. Dr. Amelia should keep looking to see if she can find more evidence.
• Share the Findings: If Dr. Amelia believes the letters are true after all her checks, she should tell others. This can be through books, talks, or articles.
• Stay Open to Feedback: Some people might agree with Dr. Amelia, and others might not. She should listen to everyone and be ready to learn more or change her mind if new information arises.

Ultimately, Dr. Amelia's job is to find out the truth about history and share it. It's okay if this new truth differs from what people used to believe. History is about learning from the past, no matter the story.

Related posts:

• Experimenter Bias (Definition + Examples)
• Hasty Generalization Fallacy (31 Examples + Similar Names)
• Ad Hoc Fallacy (29 Examples + Other Names)
• Confirmation Bias (Examples + Definition)
• Equivocation Fallacy (26 Examples + Description)

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16 Critical Thinking Examples in Real Life

What is critical thinking.

While making your academic assignments or thesis, you are required to do some research and analyze various things, or for making a career decision or any other decision you are required to think of all pros and cons of that decision. Well, the most important thing that helps us to effectively take these decisions is what we call critical thinking. Critical thinking is very important in both personal and professional life. The process of critical thinking involves the analysis of the various facts and figures in a particular situation before straightaway acting on that situation. Critical thinking demands keen observation, creativity, problem-solving skills, which helps the individual to thoroughly evaluate the gathered information and then use this available information as a guide to making accurate decisions. From doing academic works or regular activities to solving various large scale problems, critical thinking is required in everyday life. In this article, we will learn about some real-life examples where critical thinking plays an important role.

Critical Thinking Examples in Real Life

1. critical thinking in problem solving.

Suppose your manager asks you to find an effective solution to a problem that is affecting the business. What would be your first step? Like most people, you may also start looking for potential solutions to deal with that situation. Well, one requires the use of critical thinking here. Before looking for the solution one needs to take a step back and try to understand the cause of the problem first. One should ask for the opinions of the other people that how does this particular problem impact them and the overall business. If you arrive at a solution, you should not only just rely on one solution, instead, you should always have various backup plans in case the first solution does not work as expected. Most people feel that they are great at problem-solving, but if one is not following all these above discussed steps before making a final judgement, he/she is not a critical thinker. Critical thinking allows people to find the best possible solution to any problem. Critical thinking is an important factor of problem-solving skills, one needs to look at any situation from multiple perspectives because in some cases, your decisions not only impact you but also the people in your surrounding.

2. Critical Thinking in Analysing Risks

Risk assessment is another important factor, which requires the use of critical thinking. Risk assessment is required in various sectors, from children analysing the impact of eating junk food on their health to large businesses in analysing the impact of certain policies on the growth of the company. Let us understand the implication of critical thinking in analysing the risks with some examples.

3. Critical Thinking in Data Analysis

Whether analysing the performance of the children in the schools or analysing the business growth of a multi-national company, the skill of data analysis is very crucial. In today’s era, almost every sector demands experts that can accurately evaluate the available data or information and draw out effective conclusions from it. With the rise in technology, the various tasks of the data analysis such as finding profit and loss, creating balance sheets, and issuing invoices are done with the help of various software, but it does not mean that human skill is not required. Various kinds of software can just convert a large amount of data into some simpler and readable format, but it is the critical thinking of the humans that is required to effectively interpret the data and apply the obtained insight for the benefits. The data analysis can even help us to estimate the future trends and potential risks of taking any decisions.

4. Critical Thinking in Hiring Employees

The ability to objectively view any situation without getting influenced by your personal beliefs or thoughts is one of the important characteristics of critical thinking. In business, the hiring managers require critical thinking to evaluate a large number of resume’s to choose the suitable candidates for the required position. Critical thinking here enables the hiring managers not to hire a candidate on the basis of various factors like gender, age, religion or country, these factors may influence the hiring managers unconsciously. The hiring manager may tend to choose the candidate on his/her subjective beliefs if he/she does not use critical thinking. Hence, critical thinking can help HR’s to hire the best employees that may eventually lead to the growth of the company.

5. Promoting the Teamwork

In a team, every individual is unique and has his/her different ideas to tackle the proposed problem. It is the responsibility of the team leader to understand the perspective of each member and encourage them to work collectively to solve the common problem. You may find the opinion of the other members of your team as ineffective, but instead of straightway denying their opinions one should logically analyse their suggestions and try to put your point of view regarding the problem in an effective and calm manner. If the team leader does not use critical thinking, instead, he/she boost his/her opinions on others, the team is sure to collapse.

6. Critical Thinking in Self-Evaluation

Critical thinking plays a major role in self-evaluation. The knowledge of critical thinking skills allows you to accurately analyse your performance by controlling various subjective biases. People should always evaluate their reactions towards any situation and the way they think, this may help them to get a deep insight into their thought processes, hence improving their thinking abilities to take accurate decisions. Self-evaluation is very important in professional life too. Suppose your manager has set a new target for the company. Every employee is thus required to analyse his/her contribution to the company and try to accomplish the set target. If you know your contribution to the company, it will help you to analyse your performance, and you can try to improve your performance in the areas where you lag.

7. Critical Thinking in Choosing the Career

Almost all of us face various dilemmas in our lives such as choosing the stream, the type of job, choosing between the regular college degree or the online programme. Whatever you choose, every option has its pros and cons. However, critical thinking allows us to accurately weigh the positives and negatives of each option and choose the one that offers more benefits than drawbacks. The best way to do this is to make a list of the pros and the cons and then analyse. Well, this is not just limited to choosing the career path, it can be used in other situations also such as professionally, and financially. One can list the pros and cons of selecting to work in a specific company or choosing the right insurance plan. It is often seen that our choices are greatly influenced by the choices of our friends or known, but one should understand that every individual’s beliefs, desires, and ambitions are different so, if the particular carrear or job is best for the others it does not mean that it would be the best option for you also. Hence, to choose the right carrear path, one requires critical thinking.

8. Critical Thinking in Time Management

Time is the most valuable asset that we have, hence utilizing it appropriately is very crucial. Critical thinking in time management helps you to wisely plan your schedule according to the importance of the particular task or the activity. For example, if the task to which you devote most of your time, is not giving you much return then you need to reconsider your schedule and should devote more time to the tasks that give you high returns.

9. Critical Thinking in Analysing the Fake News

Suppose, one of your friends shares a piece of news with you. Do you bother to analyse that whether this piece of news is real or not? Many of us just believe in the news and shares this with others too without thinking that this can be fake news too. A study conducted by Stanford University showed that around 82 per cent of the teenagers failed to distinguish between the real news and the advertisement with the ‘sponsored content’ label. This problem arises because the standard education curriculum does not emphasise much on critical thinking skills much because of the assumption that critical thinking is inbuilt in every person. By introducing certain lessons or activities that may help to increase the knowledge or overall thinking skills, the critical thinking of the children can be improved. Well, it is also seen that not only children, but adults also fall for these fake news and articles that circulate on various social media platforms. Before believing any piece of information, one should think of various questions like the source of the publication, the intention of the article, the author of the article, and the agenda behind the article. Critical thinking helps us to precisely evaluate any information before straightway believing it.

10. Critical Thinking in Distinguishing between Right and Wrong

Most people, especially teenagers are very much conscious about what their friends or relatives think of their behaviour. You may have had been through the situation, wherein if your friends think that certain behaviour is cool then you start acting in that way to fit in your friend’s circle without even considering that what you are doing is good or bad, and is your actions are related to your beliefs or not? One should understand that if a certain behaviour seems cool to some people, it may also seem bad to some others. One should not change his/her actions depending upon the approval of certain people, rather one should look at the broader aspect and should deeply analyse that whether their actions are morally right or wrong.

11. Critical Thinking in Decoding Fashion Trends

Nowadays, some people are so crazy about following the latest fashion trends, they start following every trend that some popular actor, actress, or fashion influencer suggest. If you are a critical thinker you may have had thought of the questions like why the particular trend that was so popular a few years back seems foolish now? why does a particular trend that does not even look good is so popular? Do the particular fashion trend that suits the other person suits yourself or not? Critical thinking helps people from falling victim to the bandwagon fallacy; it is fallacy in which people starts believing a particular thing or idea as good or bad if the majority of the population thinks so. Fashion trends are a common example of bandwagon fallacy.

12. Critical Thinking in Choosing the Suitable Diet and Exercise

You must have heard of various types of diets such as the Keto diet, Whole 30 diet, Gluten-free diet, Vegan diet and so on. It seems complex to choose the diet that is best for you. What people usually do is that they search online, go through several videos and choose the diet that showed the best results to the person in the video. Well, this is not the right approach, choosing the best diet for yourself requires critical thinking. People who use critical thinking evaluate the pros and cons of the particular diet on their own body, they generally ask about the suitable diet from professional dieticians rather than just following the advice of a random person online. Like choosing a suitable diet, choosing a suitable exercise also demands critical thinking. For example, What are your goals? How can you achieve this? At what time you can do exercise? Do you have any injuries that may get affected by the particular exercise? People who use critical thinking tend to ask all these questions, and then by utilizing the knowledge they have and the following routine for a few weeks, and by analyzing the results they are getting from it, they finally plan a proper schedule for them.

13. Critical Thinking in Online Shopping

In today’s digital era, online shopping is preferred by most people. However, there are various tactics and psychological tricks such as the anchoring effect , Stroop effect , and Serial position effect that are used by the various e-commerce websites, which makes the customers buy more things or things that they don’t even need. Critical thinking can help people to smartly buy items without falling victim to all these effects or tactics. While making the purchase you should focus on the price that you are paying for the particular item rather than the discount you are getting on that item because the chances are that the price that you are paying for that item is not worth paying even after the discount.

14. Critical Thinking in Job Search

Critical thinking plays an important role in the Job search. If you are applying for a job, you may consider the following points to get the desired job.

Use of Keywords in Resume: One should always understand the job post and its requirements before straightaway applying for the job. It is important to update your resume according to the job and add some keywords (mentioned in the job requirements) into your resume to get the job. If you possess some critical thinking skills such as problem-solving, analytical, communication, or creativity skills, it is better to put that in your resume. However, one should always restrain from adding any random critical thinking skills that you do not possess.

Cover Letter: Hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes daily, hence the chances that they will read every resume are quite less. Well, you can make your resume different from others by adding a good cover letter. You can add some of the critical skills that you have to your resume, it is better to explain a little about the tasks or activities where you showed these skills in your previous jobs or work experiences rather than just simply writing the skill. This assures the recruiter that you are not randomly writing the skills and you possess these qualities.

Interviews: Nowadays, some interviewers present the interviewees with hypothetical stories to check their critical thinking skills. You may be asked to explain what you think of the given situation or your first reaction after looking at the given image. You are required to solve any random problem, and then you have to explain to the recruiter about your thought processes. The interviewer here is more focused on the way you reach the conclusion rather than the conclusion itself. Your thought process helps the interviewer to analyse and evaluate the way you approach various problems

15. Critical Thinking While Driving

Imagine you are driving on a busy road and your phone starts ringing. It’s an urgent call that you have to pick. What would you do? Would you pick up the call and risk yourself into an accident or stop your car on the roadside to take the call. Critical thinking helps you to make accurate decisions while driving, it includes finding the right place to park your car, analysing whether you can pass the car through that narrow street or not, or how to handle if any animal suddenly comes in front of your car. Hence, critical thinking is must require skill in driving.

16. Critical Thinking in Business

Critical thinking is one of the most important things that the owner of the business needs to possess. One has to make several important decisions, effectively communicate with the clients, hire suitable employees, take certain risks, and deal with several ups and downs in the business, and much more; all these things require critical thinking.

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Great post! I’ve been trying to apply critical thinking to my life, and these examples are a great way to start.

critical thinking is what anyone of us should have in spoiled world

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Examples Of Critical Thinking At The Workplace & In Real Life

Work from home (WFH) has created many problems for people such as long working hours, neck and back pain, and…

Work from home (WFH) has created many problems for people such as long working hours, neck and back pain, and even having multiple cups of coffee every day. Now that organizations are prioritizing fully remote or blended working models, such scenarios are impossible to ignore.

An extremely unhealthy habit that is a product of working at home is the high consumption of coffee. Studies suggest that several coffee aficionados use the beverage as a substitute for breakfast.  Drinking coffee may seem harmless but search the internet and you will find a long list of its disadvantages—from restlessness and insomnia to weight gain, anxiety and risk of heart attacks in young adults. But then you will find as many links listing the advantages of drinking coffee (if it’s within a certain limit).

Does that sound confusing? Which source should you trust then? By thinking critically, you can come to a conclusion that is logical.

This is just one of the examples of critical thinking in everyday life and its importance. We face many more small and big critical thinking examples in real life.

If you think it may not always be possible to apply critical thinking, you can follow the Ladder of Inference framework from Harappa Education’s Thinking Critically course. It is a four-step approach to understand how you can process information. The course covers several examples of critical thinking to explain it in detail.

To understand this better, let’s see some examples of critical thinking:

Critical thinking examples in the workplace.

Here are some common examples of critical thinking that will help you understand why it’s an essential skill in professional life:

Promoting a teamwork approach to problem-solving

As a team leader, the job of encouraging your team to work towards solving a problem falls on your shoulders. But every individual in a team may come up with different inputs and points of view.

You must logically analyze team members’ inputs. And then offer constructive criticism while sharing your own opinion on the situation. This is one of the common critical thinking examples in the workplace.

Self-evaluating your contributions

Imagine that your chief operating officer creates a new target for the organization. Now it’s your right and responsibility to use critical thinking skills examples and evaluate your contribution to reach the target.

Knowing how your contribution is important will help you discover ways to improve your performance. The result will show the impact your work has made, whether it’s solving a critical bug or coming up with a creative way to approach possible clients. Studying a few critical thinking skills examples will help you analyze your situation better.

This is among the most common critical thinker examples you can find and follow in every organization.

It’s evident from these examples of critical thinking that it’s a valuable skill every employee should strengthen. From efficient decision-making to navigating conflicts, thinking critically help you evaluate situations better instead of jumping to hasty and half-baked conclusions.

Examples of Critical Thinking in Real Life

Choosing a Career Path

Should I go for a full-time college or enroll in an online course? Which stream do I choose? Should I try to get a job in a private organization, work as a consultant, or move towards opening a start-up? We all face such dilemmas in our lives at some point or the other. But every option comes with its pros and cons and, therefore, it’s important to choose carefully.

Such critical thinking examples in everyday life highlight the importance of this process. Choosing the right career path certainly takes time. So as a critical thinker, you weigh the pros and cons of every option.

Also, consider the professional, financial and social context in the form of some critical thinking examples in real life. Know your interest and skill set. Answer questions such as “What is important for me?” and “Why is this important for me?”

Don’t go ahead right after making a choice. If you look at some critical thinker examples, you will understand the impact your chosen path will have in the next one, five and 10 years. Accordingly, you may like to rethink your career path. To be able to do this, some critical thinking will be required.

Evaluating Online Information

There are other examples of critical thinking in everyday life as well. There are hundreds of fake news items that we come across every day on the internet or social media. How do we find the truth among so much noise? Critical thinking can come to your aid.

We come across these and many more critical thinking skills examples in the digital world. With the exchange of information increasing by the minute, the need for critical thinking skills is only increasing.

But asking certain questions will help you process such information.

Who published the article?

What are their sources of information?

What are their intentions?

Are they representing themselves or someone else?

Don’t you think if most social media users ask themselves these questions, social media wars will reduce?

Critical thinker examples and applications can be found inside as well as outside classrooms and meeting rooms. So start working on your critical thinking skills now. Join Harappa Education’s Thinking Critically course, which explains the essential techniques with the help of a few great critical thinker examples. Empower yourself to make qualified decisions.

Explore topics such as Critical Thinking , How to Improve Critical Thinking & Ladder of Inference from our Harappa Diaries blog section and develop your strategic thinking skills .

50 Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Examples

Critical thinking and problem solving are essential skills for success in the 21st century. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information, evaluate evidence, and draw logical conclusions. Problem solving is the ability to apply critical thinking to find effective solutions to various challenges. Both skills require creativity, curiosity, and persistence. Developing critical thinking and problem solving skills can help students improve their academic performance, enhance their career prospects, and become more informed and engaged citizens.

Sanju Pradeepa

In today’s complex and fast-paced world, the ability to think critically and solve problems effectively has become a vital skill for success in all areas of life. Whether it’s navigating professional challenges, making sound decisions, or finding innovative solutions, critical thinking and problem-solving are key to overcoming obstacles and achieving desired outcomes. In this blog post, we will explore problem-solving and critical thinking examples.

Table of Contents

Developing the skills needed for critical thinking and problem solving.

It is not enough to simply recognize an issue; we must use the right tools and techniques to address it. To do this, we must learn how to define and identify the problem or task at hand, gather relevant information from reliable sources, analyze and compare data to draw conclusions, make logical connections between different ideas, generate a solution or action plan, and make a recommendation.

The first step in developing these skills is understanding what the problem or task is that needs to be addressed. This requires careful consideration of all available information in order to form an accurate picture of what needs to be done. Once the issue has been identified, gathering reliable sources of data can help further your understanding of it. Sources could include interviews with customers or stakeholders, surveys, industry reports, and analysis of customer feedback.

After collecting relevant information from reliable sources, it’s important to analyze and compare the data in order to draw meaningful conclusions about the situation at hand. This helps us better understand our options for addressing an issue by providing context for decision-making. Once you have analyzed the data you collected, making logical connections between different ideas can help you form a more complete picture of the situation and inform your potential solutions.

Once you have analyzed your options for addressing an issue based on all available data points, it’s time to generate a solution or action plan that takes into account considerations such as cost-effectiveness and feasibility. It’s also important to consider the risk factors associated with any proposed solutions in order to ensure that they are responsible before moving forward with implementation. Finally, once all the analysis has been completed, it is time to make a recommendation based on your findings, which should take into account any objectives set out by stakeholders at the beginning of this process as well as any other pertinent factors discovered throughout the analysis stage.

By following these steps carefully when faced with complex issues, one can effectively use critical thinking and problem-solving skills in order to achieve desired outcomes more efficiently than would otherwise be possible without them, while also taking responsibility for decisions made along the way.

What Does Critical Thinking Involve: 5 Essential Skill

Problem-solving and critical thinking examples.

Problem-solving and critical thinking are key skills that are highly valued in any professional setting. These skills enable individuals to analyze complex situations, make informed decisions, and find innovative solutions. Here, we present 25 examples of problem-solving and critical thinking. problem-solving scenarios to help you cultivate and enhance these skills.

Ethical dilemma: A company faces a situation where a client asks for a product that does not meet quality standards. The team must decide how to address the client’s request without compromising the company’s credibility or values.

Brainstorming session: A team needs to come up with new ideas for a marketing campaign targeting a specific demographic. Through an organized brainstorming session, they explore various approaches and analyze their potential impact.

Troubleshooting technical issues : An IT professional receives a ticket indicating a network outage. They analyze the issue, assess potential causes (hardware, software, or connectivity), and solve the problem efficiently.

Negotiation : During contract negotiations, representatives from two companies must find common ground to strike a mutually beneficial agreement, considering the needs and limitations of both parties.

Project management: A project manager identifies potential risks and develops contingency plans to address unforeseen obstacles, ensuring the project stays on track.

Decision-making under pressure: In a high-stakes situation, a medical professional must make a critical decision regarding a patient’s treatment, weighing all available information and considering potential risks.

Conflict resolution: A team encounters conflicts due to differing opinions or approaches. The team leader facilitates a discussion to reach a consensus while considering everyone’s perspectives.

Data analysis: A data scientist is presented with a large dataset and is tasked with extracting valuable insights. They apply analytical techniques to identify trends, correlations, and patterns that can inform decision-making.

Customer service: A customer service representative encounters a challenging customer complaint and must employ active listening and problem-solving skills to address the issue and provide a satisfactory resolution.

Market research : A business seeks to expand into a new market. They conduct thorough market research, analyzing consumer behavior, competitor strategies, and economic factors to make informed market-entry decisions.

Creative problem-solvin g: An engineer faces a design challenge and must think outside the box to come up with a unique and innovative solution that meets project requirements.

Change management: During a company-wide transition, managers must effectively communicate the change, address employees’ concerns, and facilitate a smooth transition process.

Crisis management: When a company faces a public relations crisis, effective critical thinking is necessary to analyze the situation, develop a response strategy, and minimize potential damage to the company’s reputation.

Cost optimization : A financial analyst identifies areas where expenses can be reduced while maintaining operational efficiency, presenting recommendations for cost savings.

Time management : An employee has multiple deadlines to meet. They assess the priority of each task, develop a plan, and allocate time accordingly to achieve optimal productivity.

Quality control: A production manager detects an increase in product defects and investigates the root causes, implementing corrective actions to enhance product quality.

Strategic planning: An executive team engages in strategic planning to define long-term goals, assess market trends, and identify growth opportunities.

Cross-functional collaboration: Multiple teams with different areas of expertise must collaborate to develop a comprehensive solution, combining their knowledge and skills.

Training and development : A manager identifies skill gaps in their team and designs training programs to enhance critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

Risk assessment : A risk management professional evaluates potential risks associated with a new business venture, weighing their potential impact and developing strategies to mitigate them.

Continuous improvement: An operations manager analyzes existing processes, identifies inefficiencies, and introduces improvements to enhance productivity and customer satisfaction.

Customer needs analysis: A product development team conducts extensive research to understand customer needs and preferences, ensuring that the resulting product meets those requirements.

Crisis decision-making: A team dealing with a crisis must think quickly, assess the situation, and make timely decisions with limited information.

Marketing campaign analysis : A marketing team evaluates the success of a recent campaign, analyzing key performance indicators to understand its impact on sales and customer engagement.

Constructive feedback: A supervisor provides feedback to an employee, highlighting areas for improvement and offering constructive suggestions for growth.

Conflict resolution in a team project: Team members engaged in a project have conflicting ideas on the approach. They must engage in open dialogue, actively listen to each other’s perspectives, and reach a compromise that aligns with the project’s goals.

Crisis response in a natural disaster: Emergency responders must think critically and swiftly in responding to a natural disaster, coordinating rescue efforts, allocating resources effectively, and prioritizing the needs of affected individuals.

Product innovation : A product development team conducts market research, studies consumer trends, and uses critical thinking to create innovative products that address unmet customer needs.

Supply chain optimization: A logistics manager analyzes the supply chain to identify areas for efficiency improvement, such as reducing transportation costs, improving inventory management, or streamlining order fulfillment processes.

Business strategy formulation: A business executive assesses market dynamics, the competitive landscape, and internal capabilities to develop a robust business strategy that ensures sustainable growth and competitiveness.

Crisis communication: In the face of a public relations crisis, an organization’s spokesperson must think critically to develop and deliver a transparent, authentic, and effective communication strategy to rebuild trust and manage reputation.

Social problem-solving: A group of volunteers addresses a specific social issue, such as poverty or homelessness, by critically examining its root causes, collaborating with stakeholders, and implementing sustainable solutions for the affected population.

Problem-Solving Mindset: How to Achieve It (15 Ways)

Risk assessment in investment decision-making: An investment analyst evaluates various investment opportunities, conducting risk assessments based on market trends, financial indicators, and potential regulatory changes to make informed investment recommendations.

Environmental sustainability: An environmental scientist analyzes the impact of industrial processes on the environment, develops strategies to mitigate risks, and promotes sustainable practices within organizations and communities.

Adaptation to technological advancements : In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, professionals need critical thinking skills to adapt to new tools, software, and systems, ensuring they can effectively leverage these advancements to enhance productivity and efficiency.

Productivity improvement: An operations manager leverages critical thinking to identify productivity bottlenecks within a workflow and implement process improvements to optimize resource utilization, minimize waste, and increase overall efficiency.

Cost-benefit analysis: An organization considering a major investment or expansion opportunity conducts a thorough cost-benefit analysis, weighing potential costs against expected benefits to make an informed decision.

Human resources management : HR professionals utilize critical thinking to assess job applicants, identify skill gaps within the organization, and design training and development programs to enhance the workforce’s capabilities.

Root cause analysis: In response to a recurring problem or inefficiency, professionals apply critical thinking to identify the root cause of the issue, develop remedial actions, and prevent future occurrences.

Leadership development: Aspiring leaders undergo critical thinking exercises to enhance their decision-making abilities, develop strategic thinking skills, and foster a culture of innovation within their teams.

Brand positioning : Marketers conduct comprehensive market research and consumer behavior analysis to strategically position a brand, differentiating it from competitors and appealing to target audiences effectively.

Resource allocation: Non-profit organizations distribute limited resources efficiently, critically evaluating project proposals, considering social impact, and allocating resources to initiatives that align with their mission.

Innovating in a mature market: A company operating in a mature market seeks to innovate to maintain a competitive edge. They cultivate critical thinking skills to identify gaps, anticipate changing customer needs, and develop new strategies, products, or services accordingly.

Analyzing financial statements : Financial analysts critically assess financial statements, analyze key performance indicators, and derive insights to support financial decision-making, such as investment evaluations or budget planning.

Crisis intervention : Mental health professionals employ critical thinking and problem-solving to assess crises faced by individuals or communities, develop intervention plans, and provide support during challenging times.

Data privacy and cybersecurity : IT professionals critically evaluate existing cybersecurity measures, identify vulnerabilities, and develop strategies to protect sensitive data from threats, ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.

Process improvement : Professionals in manufacturing or service industries critically evaluate existing processes, identify inefficiencies, and implement improvements to optimize efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Multi-channel marketing strategy : Marketers employ critical thinking to design and execute effective marketing campaigns across various channels such as social media, web, print, and television, ensuring a cohesive brand experience for customers.

Peer review: Researchers critically analyze and review the work of their peers, providing constructive feedback and ensuring the accuracy, validity, and reliability of scientific studies.

Project coordination : A project manager must coordinate multiple teams and resources to ensure seamless collaboration, identify potential bottlenecks, and find solutions to keep the project on schedule.  

These examples highlight the various contexts in which problem-solving and critical-thinking skills are necessary for success. By understanding and practicing these skills, individuals can enhance their ability to navigate challenges and make sound decisions in both personal and professional endeavors.

Conclusion:

Critical thinking and problem-solving are indispensable skills that empower individuals to overcome challenges, make sound decisions, and find innovative solutions. By honing these skills, one can navigate through the complexities of modern life and achieve success in both personal and professional endeavors. Embrace the power of critical thinking and problem-solving, and unlock the door to endless possibilities and growth.

• Problem solving From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Critical thinking From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Importance of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills for Students (5 Minutes)

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Global Cognition

Critical thinking in everyday life.

by Winston Sieck updated September 19, 2021

Have you ever been listening to one of your teacher’s lessons and thought that it had no relevance to your own life?

You’re not alone. Just about every student has felt the same way.

Sure, you use critical thinking skills in the classroom to solve word problems in math, write essays in English, and create hypotheses in science.

But how will you use critical thinking in everyday life?

First, keep in mind that critical thinking is simply a “deliberate thought process.”

Basically, it means that you are using reason and logic to come to a conclusion about an issue or decision you are tangling with.

And clear, sound reasoning is something that will help you every day.

To help you make the leap from classroom to real world, here are 3 concrete examples of critical thinking in everyday life.

Fake News vs. Real News

Take a moment to reflect on your media skills. Do you think you have what it takes to sort out a real news source from a piece of clever advertising?

According to a recent study from Stanford University, a whopping 82% of the teens surveyed could not distinguish between an ad labeled “sponsored content” and a legitimate news story.

Part of the problem may come from schools cutting back on formal instruction of critical thinking skills and an assumption that today’s “digital native” teens can automatically tell the difference without practice or instruction.

You are good at lots of things. But, you know, you’ve practiced those things you’re good at. So, how can you practice telling fact from fiction?

One way (outside of school) is to chat with your family and friends about media sources. Find out how they stay informed, and why they choose those outlets. Ask each other routine questions for evaluating sources .

Do your Friends Know Everything?

It’s tempting to believe that the world begins and ends with your friends. Don’t get me wrong. Friends are definitely important. However, it pays to reflect a little on how a group influences our lives.

To practice critical thinking in everyday life, take a close look at your group of friends. Are there things that are “forbidden” in your social circle? Are you expected to act a certain way, dress a certain way?

Think a certain way?

It’s natural that when a group defines something as “cool”, all the people in the group work to fit into that definition. Regardless of what they individually believe.

The problem is that virtually every situation can be defined in multiple ways. What is “dumb” to one person may be “cool” to another.

Develop your ability to redefine the way you see the world around you. On your own terms.

Find a time when your friend group sees the negative in a situation. Is there a positive way to view it instead? Or at least a way that makes it seem not quite so bad?

You may not be ready to speak up with your independent view. And that’s ok. Just practice thinking differently from the group to strengthen your mind.

Critical Thinking in the Driver’s Seat

One of the core critical thinking skills you need every day is the ability to examine the implications and consequences of a belief or action. In its deepest form, this ability can help you form your own set of beliefs in everything from climate change to religion.

But this skill can also save your life (and your car insurance rate) behind the wheel.

Imagine you are cruising down the freeway when your phone alerts you to an incoming text message. The ability to examine your potential actions and their accompanying consequences will help you make the best choice for how to handle the situation.

Do you look at the text and risk getting into an accident? Do you wait and risk not responding to an urgent matter? Or do you pull over to look at the text and risk being late for your appointment?

The same skill can be applied when you are looking for a place to park, when to pull onto a busy street, or whether to run the yellow light.

Better yet, the more practiced you are at looking at the implications of your driving habits, the faster you can make split second decisions behind the wheel.

Why Critical Thinking in Everyday Life Matters

Literally everyone can benefit from critical thinking because the need for it is all around us.

In a philosophical paper , Peter Facione makes a strong case that critical thinking skills are needed by everyone, in all societies who value safety, justice, and a host of other positive values:

“Considered as a form of thoughtful judgment or reflective decision-making, in a very real sense critical thinking is pervasive. There is hardly a time or a place where it would not seem to be of potential value. As long as people have purposes in mind and wish to judge how to accomplish them, as long as people wonder what is true and what is not, what to believe and what to reject, strong critical thinking is going to be necessary.”

So, in other words, as long as you remain curious, purposeful, and ambitious, no matter what your interests, you’re going to need critical thinking to really own your life.

About Winston Sieck

Dr. Winston Sieck is a cognitive psychologist working to advance the development of thinking skills. He is founder and president of Global Cognition, and director of Thinker Academy .

Reader Interactions

July 27, 2019 at 7:20 am

Wonderful article.. Useful in daily life… I have never imagined the way critical thinking is useful to make judgments

December 9, 2020 at 9:38 pm

My name is Anthony Lambert I am student at miller Motte. Critical Thinking is one my classes. I thank you for giving me the skills of critical thinking.

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Critical Thinking Examples That Will Influence the World Around You

• January 10, 2020

If you’re working on improving your critical thinking, nothing will serve you better than a collection of critical thinking examples . And you’re in luck because we’re going to take things a step further.

In this article, we will answer the following questions:

• What is critical thinking?
• Critical thinking examples in questioning
• Critical thinking examples in everyday life
• Critical thinking examples in the workplace
• Critical thinking examples in the history of the world

Let’s begin!

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the process of skillfully conceptualizing, applying, and evaluating information gathered from observation, experience, reflection, or communication.

To summarize, critical thinking is the ongoing application of intellectual honesty in the examination of information.

The unexamined life is not worth living because they realize that many unexamined lives together result in an uncritical, unjust, dangerous world. – Linda Elder

Critical Thinking Examples in Questioning

The best way to apply critical thinking is to know what questions to ask in any area of life. Using the questioning techniques below will allow you to get more information and open up a better flow of communication.

The following are examples of critical thinking in the process of questioning:

1. Open-ended questions: provoking elaborated answers

• In the movie Titanic, why did Rose turn her back on a privileged life?
• What are your thoughts on the current state of the world’s ecology and how would you go about addressing it? 
• What is the most inspiring part of your work and what elements make this so inspiring?

2. Outcome-based questions: reveal personal traits

• How would you explain coding to a 5-year-old?
• If could you choose only 2 exercises to keep in shape what would they be and why?
• Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information? What did you do? 

3. Hypothetical questions: created scenarios

• If you found out that a friend was sleeping with another friend’s wife, how would you handle this information?
• If two employees under your management started arguing aggressively at the workplace, how would you handle this situation? What could be the possible backlashes?

4. Reflective questions: to reflect on the process

• What have you personally gained from this experience?
• Do you think there was a more effective way to accomplish what you accomplished and how would you utilize it in the future?
• How has this process made it easier for you to accomplish similar things in the future?

5. Structural questions: helps understand the process

• What are the key points to this subject?
• What order is the process executed in and why this order?
• Which elements of this subject would you find unnecessary?  

Critical Thinking Examples in Everyday Life

The process of becoming a better critical thinker also allows the process of personal growth to accelerate. When you start getting a better and more objective viewpoint, you start to see where you, yourself can improve and grow.

When the following examples are applied to your everyday life, you can begin to really think critically and discover the magic of questioning everything.

This video can help to show you the immense power of knowing how to question everything:

The following are examples of where critical thinking affects your everyday life:

1. Self-reflection: analyzing your personal shortcomings

• Researching an issue on racial differences and inequality, you start seeing things from other cultural perspectives and begin to see where you hold certain cultural biases.
• Reflecting on your behavior in a certain confrontation with a person, you see things from their perspective and realize that the way you have behaved isn’t to your liking.
• After completing a certain task, you reflect on what you have learned and how you could have improved and gained more experience from the situation.

2. Decision-making: more informed decision-making

• Reviewing a confrontation with a loved one you start seeing things from their point of view. This takes away your personal emotions and you begin to see the bigger picture. From here you can make a more conscious decision. 
• You are asked to advise on building a big factory in a small town near the town’s forest. You do research and play out scenarios with the benefits and drawbacks from the perspective of the people of the town, the ecological perspective of the forest, and the benefit of the company you are advising for. Once you see all perspectives you can make a more informed and rational decision.

3. Time utilization analysis: recognize the value you bring

• You review what actions you take in a day and how long you take to do them. You see that you waste way too much time watching silly shows on TV that don’t bring you that much joy. You decide to only watch one good show a day and use that time to learn a new language daily.
• Looking at your schedule you break down the impact of each task. You see who this task helps, how it helps, and to what extent. With this information, you start focusing and spending more time on the most impactful tasks.

Critical Thinking Examples in the Workplace

1. teamwork: promoting group problem-solving.

As the team leader in your department, you have to come up with a strategy to improve a specific product. You allow the entire team to list all concerns, recommend a solution, and openly yet constructively criticize other solutions.

All the while you have someone take notes. At a certain point, you stop the discussion and list all the notes on the board as perspectives and obstacles. You and your team can now create a solution based on all the information given by your team.  

2. Adding value: recognizing and improving your contribution

Your company has an aim to achieve a certain target by the end of the year. You analyze your position in the company and in what way you can contribute to this target.

Then, you list all the ways in which your actions help achieve this target and then attribute the impact of each action and to what person or area it is impacting. You think of ways you can do more of the most impacting action, increase the impact or do something else within your position to make more impact on reaching this target.

Critical Thinking Examples in the History of the World

1. albert einstein.

Albert Einstein was faced with great opposition when he questioned the current beliefs of certain scientific principles of his time.  Einstein used critical thinking to challenge and debunk these principles and create more useful ones of his own.

One of [Einstein’s] greatest intellectual gifts, in small matters as well as great, was to strip off the irrelevant frills from a problem. – C.P. Snow

2. Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin was able to come up with his theories by making connections between certain situations. He used a critical thinking mindset to link seemly unrelated parts of information.

His theory of evolution was a perfect case of questioning and connecting the aspects of his field of study to others.

3. Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. inspired millions with his speech “I have a dream”. He used the ability of critical thinking to structure his arguments and present his point of view.

4. Sir Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton researched, applied, revised, and tested everything he learned thoroughly. This sequence of learning is a great example of a critical thinking mindset.  

There are probably thousands of critical thinking examples in your life where you have applied critical thinking to either solving a problem, creating a new perspective, or presenting yourself in a clear and relevant way. 

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What Critical Thinking Looks Like: Real Examples

Critical thinking means being able to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. It’s about analyzing information, evaluating evidence, and making informed decisions. Let’s look at some everyday examples of critical thinking to see how it works in different situations. This will help us see how critical thinking can improve our decision-making in daily life.

The Significance of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking helps people make smart decisions. It allows them to analyze situations and make choices based on evidence and reasoning. For example, in problem-solving, critical thinkers can find the main causes, consider different options, and find effective solutions. In risk analysis, critical thinking helps assess potential outcomes, understand the impact of different actions, and make decisions to reduce risks.

In hiring, critical thinking helps assess candidates’ problem-solving skills, decision-making, and overall potential to contribute. Recruiters and hiring managers use critical thinking to evaluate if candidates can think analytically and independently for specific roles.

Outside of academics, critical thinking is also important. It helps people make informed choices as consumers, assess the reliability of online information, and solve everyday problems that require logic and creativity. These real-life examples show how critical thinking is useful in different parts of life.

Defining Critical Thinking in Action

Examples in problem-solving scenarios.

Critical thinking is essential in real-life problem-solving scenarios.

For example, when encountered with a complex task at work, individuals with strong critical thinking skills can break down the problem into manageable parts, identify possible solutions, and make informed decisions to resolve the issue effectively. In risk assessment , critical thinking plays a pivotal role in identifying potential drawbacks, analyzing the likelihood and impact of those risks, and developing proactive strategies to mitigate them. For instance, a project manager may use critical thinking to anticipate and address potential obstacles that could impact a project’s success. Furthermore, in data analysis, critical thinking helps individuals interpret information accurately and make informed decisions based on the available data.

For example, in marketing, professionals may use critical thinking skills to analyze consumer behavior data and develop strategic marketing campaigns. Therefore, critical thinking is a beneficial skill that can be applied in various aspects of professional life to enhance problem-solving, risk assessment, and decision-making processes.

Risk Analysis and Mitigation Instances

Risk analysis is important for businesses and organizations. It’s used in financial investment, project management, and cybersecurity. In financial investment, it helps assess risks and returns. In project management, it finds obstacles and creates plans to deal with them. In cybersecurity, it identifies digital threats and vulnerabilities.

To reduce risks, organizations can take preventive steps. These include backing up important data, improving security, and training staff on cybersecurity. For example, if phishing attacks are a big risk, companies can train employees to recognize and avoid them.

Various tools and methods can be used for risk analysis. Some include SWOT analysis , Monte Carlo simulation, and decision trees. These help identify risks and their impact, so effective strategies can be made. SWOT analysis, for instance, helps find strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. This helps make better decisions and manage risks.

Interpreting Data and Making Informed Decisions

Interpreting data to make decisions at work is important. For instance, a company can use customer feedback to improve products or marketing.

But there are pitfalls, like confirmation bias, where people focus on information that confirms their ideas.

It’s important to think critically when using data. This means evaluating its relevance and reliability, considering other perspectives, and potential unintended consequences.

Good critical thinking is important for making informed decisions at work.

Professionals can showcase their critical thinking skills by getting professional practice credentials like Deakin’s. This shows they can use data to make decisions.

The Application in Hiring and Evaluating Talent

Critical thinking is important for hiring and evaluating talent.

An example of this is assessing a candidate’s problem-solving skills. For example, a hiring manager may ask the interviewee to share specific examples of how they have solved problems in previous roles.

Additionally, critical thinking is important for data analysis in talent evaluation. Recruiters can use critical thinking to interpret data from sources like resumes, work samples, and interviews to make unbiased decisions.

These methods help organizations hire and evaluate talent based on their true potential, leading to more effective and successful team members.

How To Enhance Your Critical Thinking Capabilities

Validating your critical thinking prowess: credentials and practice.

Credentials and practice are important for showing how well someone can think critically at work. Getting professional practice credentials can prove that a person can think critically when solving problems, evaluating risks, analyzing data, and hiring talent. These credentials give real proof of a person’s critical thinking skills, which can be shown to potential employers.

In different work situations, critical thinking skills are used for tasks like analyzing market trends, finding new solutions to tough problems, and making smart decisions based on available data. To get better at critical thinking in their job, people can learn continuously, take part in solving problems, and ask for advice from coworkers and mentors. By actively using critical thinking in their jobs, people can improve their analytical skills and make better decisions based on evidence and logic.

FAQs on Critical Thinking: Addressing Common Inquiries

Exploring non-academic illustrations of critical thinking.

Critical thinking is important outside of school too. It involves analyzing situations, identifying key issues, and finding practical solutions. For instance, in a business, critical thinking helps employees understand customer needs, plan for growth, and solve operational problems. In risk analysis, people use critical thinking to evaluate threats, predict consequences, and create preventive measures. This is important in fields like emergency management.

Also, critical thinking is used to interpret data and make informed decisions. In public policy, analysts use it to interpret demographic and economic data for decision-making and resource allocation. These examples show how critical thinking goes beyond traditional education.

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Examples of Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

When students learn critical thinking skills in school, they can put those skills to use in aspects of everyday life..

Here’s some good news:

Americans now spend eleven hours every day with our closest friends.

The friends I’m referring to are our digital devices.

A 2018 post by Nielsen explains that 87% of American households currently own at least one smartphone, and those users spend an average of almost half a day with those devices.

So much exposure to information comes with both gifts and curses. Of course, we can connect with people from around the world, learn languages, skills, and fun facts, and have conversations with our own robotic personal assistants (my two-year-old son says, “Alexa, play Bruno Mars”).

But the downside is that the once-mundane decisions now require sifting through loads of information to ensure we’re making the best decisions, or coming to the right conclusions.

The only way to successfully navigate this flood of information is with a sharp set of critical thinking skills. This term, once regulated to the classroom, is now part of conversations in media, politics, and consumer culture, and for good reason. Here are some examples where the ability to decipher information, gather perspectives, and make an informed decision – in other words, to think critically – find us in everyday life.

Evaluating Online Information

Fake news, Twitter bots, altered images – how can we filter the noise and find truth? With increased access to information comes an increased need for critical thinking skills. As citizens, consumers, and workers, students need to answer questions like:

• Who published this?
• Why did they make it?
• What are their sources?
• What are their intentions?
• Are they representing themselves or another interest?

Even when we do find sources that we consider credible and reliable, the increasing popularity of “native advertising” or “sponsored content” can leave trusting readers tricked into reading a brand’s pitch as objective editorial content. (ThinkCERCA offers a useful checklist for distinguishing real news from sponsored articles.)

Making Purchase Decisions

Fifteen years ago, buying boots was easy. I went to the mall, looked at the mannequins, found a pair I liked, tried them on, and made the purchase. The boots lasted for a few years.

Last year, it was a bit different. I saw a Facebook post from a friend wearing nice boots, and messaged him to ask for the brand. Then, I searched Google for reviews, searched Amazon for more reviews, and decided to buy. These boots are made so well, they may last me for life.

This scenario captures the critical thinking now required for savvy consumers. Built into each purchase are questions like:

• Which review sites, forums, and blogs offer insight into the brands that provide the best value?
• Is it worth buying expensive products that are made of better material? How about budgeting money to justify a hefty purchase?
• And with all those reviews available, how do we sift through the positives and negatives to come to the best decision?

With so much information available online, it takes critical thinking to sort through it all.

Caring for Your Health

Have you ever searched for "Is ______ healthy?" The many available studies, often contradictory, are baffling. Online reading can leave us less certain about what to do than before we tried to inform ourselves.

As adults, every year it seems like a different diet becomes popular. Whether it's Whole 30, Keto, Gluten Free, or something else, choosing the diet that's best for your lifestyle requires critical thinking: weighing the benefits, cost, convenience, and drawbacks.

And exercise is certainly not easier. To begin, we need to ask ourselves about our goals. Which routine will help us achieve our goals? And then, after trying a system for few weeks, what are the results? We combine the information we knew going into the program with our current progress to make a decision about if and how to move forward with the plan. This looks a lot like critical thinking to me.

Choosing a Career Path

College or no college? Online courses from home? Part-time work? Startup, non-profit, or corporation? There are benefits and drawbacks to each of these options.

Choosing a career takes time. In a way, we must formulate an argument for each potential option. We must consider the context of financial, social, and professional life. We must ask ourselves: Why is  this the right option for me?

After settling on a choice, we must project the impact of that decision one, five, and ten years into the future.  And that's before we inevitably encounter a point where we may decide to adjust career paths. It all takes some critical thinking to make the right career choice.

When it comes to critical thinking, the applications of the skill extend far beyond use in the classroom. If we can help our students hone their critical thinking skills in school, we can empower them to make qualified decisions in the years to come.

Continue your learning with the webinar, "Deconstructing Critical Thinking," a panel discussion with the experts:

Gerard Dawson is a full-time high school English and Journalism teacher. He is the author of Hacking Literacy and publishes articles on literacy, technology, and life as an educator at his site www.GerardDawson.org. Gerard lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons.

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Best Critical Thinking Examples to Help You Improve Your Critical and Analytical Skills

Critical thinking has been studied since ancient times. Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato provided us with good critical thinking examples and the foundations for this field. Socrates is widely regarded as one of the fathers of critical thinking and deductive reasoning, a valuable skill in a world plagued with fake news and overwhelming amounts of information.

However, what is critical thinking? How can we use it in everyday life? In this article, we will explain what critical thinking is and why it is important, provide tips for improving your critical thinking skills, and offer the best examples of critical thinking.

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What is critical thinking.

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and logically about what to do or believe. To do so, you must establish logical connections between ideas, evaluate arguments, approach problems systematically, and reflect on your values and beliefs. Logical thinking and scientific thinking are types of thinking that depend on these skills.

Additionally, the critical thinking process involves challenging knowledge to discover the truth. It involves reviewing knowledge and information to make an informed decision. You can improve your critical thinking skills by becoming more adept at analyzing problems, identifying biases, practicing active listening and inductive reasoning, and avoiding emotional reasoning.

Where Is Critical Thinking Used?

• Progressive education
• Risk assessment
• Programming
• SAT standardized tests

Why Is Critical Thinking Important?

Critical thinking is important because it allows you to better synthesize, analyze and interpret information. Other critical thinking skills like problem-solving , observation, and communication, can help you advance in your career. All of these skills can enable you to understand yourself better and make better life decisions.

Many people believe they are critical thinkers. However, when drawing conclusions in real life most people rely on common sense and numerous fallacies. To avoid this, we must have critical thinking dispositions to gain more insight, learn to identify a weak argument, and make better decisions. Understanding critical thinking concepts is crucial if you want to understand your thoughts, emotions, or live a better life.

Real-World Examples of Critical Thinking

People live their lives based on the choices they make. As a result, they require critical thinking skills and a constructive approach to problem-solving to make their lives easier. For example, if you need to deliver to multiple locations, don’t just go there by chance.

To save time, determine which location is closest and devise an efficient pattern for the next locations you will need to visit. This is just one of many examples of critical thinking for the following section. Below are more critical thinking examples.

• Self-evaluation of your actions
• HR manager resolving conflict between staffs
• A military officer working on tactical plans
• Professor guiding students to fresh ideas with creative questioning
• Student defending a master’s thesis
• Basketball coach seeking out new tactics during a timeout
• Writer organizing content ideas
• Applicant preparing for a job interview
• Using a disciplined process to look for a job
• A detective using their observational ability to analyze a crime scene

10 Great Examples of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking example 1: self-evaluation of your actions.

Self-evaluation is essential for improving your overall performance. When you use reflective thinking or try to evaluate yourself, you analyze what went wrong and how you can improve in the future. You attempt to understand what happened and figure out what you need to change to get different results.

Many universities and schools use special questionnaires that test critical thinking abilities. For example, Cambridge, a school with over 20 years of experience in assessing critical thinking, uses a student self-assessment critical thinking questionnaire .

Critical Thinking Example 2: HR Manager Resolving Conflict Between Staffs

Employees have disagreements in every organization. In many cases, it is the HR manager who steps in to solve the problem. However, the HR manager must first listen to both sides, determine the source of the problem, assess the situation, and decide how to proceed. As a result, a soft skill such as problem-solving or management is essential for HR.

Critical Thinking Example 3: A Military Officer Working on Tactical Plans

A military officer working on tactical plans for extracting fellow soldiers in a dangerous military zone is another example. In this case, the military officer must find an effective way to get the soldiers out of the danger zone while minimizing casualties, which requires logical thinking.

Critical Thinking Example 4: Professor Guiding Students to Fresh Ideas With Creative Questioning

Creative questioning is an interesting process because it can promote critical thinking. By asking creative open-ended questions, the professor makes students think more deeply about a subject. Therefore, they need to discern what information to pick and share. Analysis of arguments is another way to foster analytical thinking among students.

Critical Thinking Example 5: Student Defending a Master’s Thesis

Writing a master’s thesis requires applying critical thinking. You seek and gather information, conduct research, perform calculations, analyze data, and draw conclusions. You also demonstrate what critical skills you used to create the thesis by explaining all of the steps and methodology you used in the research process.

Critical Thinking Example 6: Basketball Coach Seeking Out New Tactics During a Timeout

In some cases, if the match does not go well, the basketball coach may call a timeout to reassess the team’s strategy. During the timeout, a basketball coach looks for new tactics that reveal the vulnerabilities of the opposing team. The coach needs to find a way to assess the potential risks and provide a new strategy that will lead the team to victory.

Critical Thinking Example 7: Writer Organizing Content Ideas

When writing articles, writers must distinguish between good and bad information. They must also make the article flow. To accomplish this, writers must adhere to the core concept of writing format: title, introduction, body, and conclusion. This means that they have to choose certain information to insert in certain sections of the text.

Critical Thinking Example 8: Applicants Preparing for a Job Interview

If you apply for a job and go to the interview blindly, there is a high chance you will not be hired. It is preferable to arrive prepared and apply critical thinking to the interview. One tip for interview preparation is to ask yourself outcome-based questions about the job. Before going to the interview, practice answering questions and acting quickly.

Critical Thinking Example 9: Using a Disciplined Process to Look for a Job

It can be difficult to find a job. Some stats show that on average it takes 100 to 200 applications to get a job. To improve your chances, you should put your critical thinking cap on. Logical thinking can help you consider how you will approach employers, devote time to updating your resume, skills, and create an effective cover letter .

Critical Thinking Example 10: A Detective Using Their Observational Ability to Analyze a Crime Scene

As a police detective, you must have strong critical thinking skills as well as excellent observational abilities to analyze a crime scene. You need logical inquiry and deduction skills to analyze the evidence. A police detective must have probable cause to obtain a search warrant from a judge to search a suspect’s home, which is another example of critical thinking.

Pro Tips to Boost Your Critical Thinking Skills

• Analyze and Break It Down. Before forming an opinion, conduct extensive research and analysis. Once you have enough information, then you can try to break down all that information and analyze what it means. It is a good idea to break the problem down into smaller pieces so that you can see the bigger picture.
• Deal With Your Biases. Critical thinking requires constant work, as people have biases that they need to deal with throughout their lives. If a person is aware of their biases, they can be aware of their own thought process and make sure they’re not just thinking one way.
• Seek Advice. Develop a strong sense of acquiring knowledge. This means seeking advice when you are not sure about what you know. If you don’t know something, ask someone that knows. The more information you have, the better conclusion you can draw. Deal with the fact that you are not always right.

What Should Be the Next Step in My Critical Thinking Learning Journey?

Your next step in your critical thinking learning journey should be to actively use it in your everyday life. In real life, people encounter many opportunities to solve problems. With critical and careful thinking, you can afford to lead a better life and make more accurate decisions.

Using analytical and objective reasoning are some of the intellectual virtues that critical thinking offers to get a better job. If you use it in self-evaluation you can become a better version of yourself.

Advancing this skill can improve your professional life, problem-solving, and improve in developing and executing solutions. If you want to have well-informed opinions and deal with your biases, advance your critical thinking skills.

Critical Thinking Examples FAQ

Yes, critical thinking is a skill. The interesting part is that critical thinking is a learned skill. If it can be learned then it can be taught. However, the problem is that in many cases an experienced instructor is needed to transfer the skill. It is also one of the 21st-century skills you need to add to your resume.

Developing your critical thinking skills is a gradual process that requires deliberate effort. Changing your thought patterns and practices is a long-term project that you should commit to for the rest of your life.

No, IQ tests don’t measure critical thinking. Intelligence and critical thinking are not the same. If you want to test your critical thinking ability, you need a specialized critical thinking test. One example is the Cornell critical thinking test .

The bandwagon fallacy is about creating an opinion based on what the majority thinks. If everyone says the same thing, then it must be true. The problem with this notion is that the opinion of the majority is not always valid or a real form of knowledge. To avoid the bandwagon fallacy, you need to have a critical thinking disposition.

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Critical Thinking and Real-World Outcomes

Predicting real-world outcomes of critical thinking.

Posted October 27, 2012

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Last year Reebok was forced to refund $25 million to customers who purchased their EasyTone toning shoes after research published by the American Council on Exercise found that the toning shoes were no better than regular sneakers at toning muscles or burning calories (Porcari, Greany, Tepper, Edmonson, Foster, & Anders, 2011). The incredible popularity of the toning shoes (even with no evidence of their effectiveness) illustrates the need for critical thinking among consumers who face an onslaught of marketing campaigns that seek to persuade them to purchase things that are ‘good’ for them. Consumers who can think critically about sensational product claims may have saved themselves the $100-$245 expense of purchasing these faux-fitness shoes. Critical thinkers should also make better decisions about other aspects of life, for example, in the context of important financial, legal, medical, and interpersonal decisions.

Over the last several decades, educators, employers, and organizations around the world have expressed concern about student preparedness for a 21st century world (e.g., Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2010; Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011; Galagan, 2010; Halpern, 2010b; Hunt, 1995). In response to these concerns an increased emphasis on the training of critical thinking skills has been incorporated into international education standards (European Higher Education Area, 2011; Redden, 2010; U.S. Department of Education, 2006).

Critical thinking has been defined in many differt ways (e.g., Halpern, 2003; Moseley et al. 2005; Sternberg, Roediger, & Halpern, 2007), but experts generally agree that critical thinking involves an attempt to achieve a desired outcome by thinking rationally and in a goal-oriented fashion. Recently, Stanovich argued that critical thinking is what intelligence tests fail to adequately measure (Stanovich, 2009; Stanovich & West, 2008). This idea echoes the general consensus among researchers that intelligence and critical thinking are separate constructs, but share at least one common attribute – they are difficult to adequately assess.

One relatively new test of critical thinking ability, the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA) moves beyond the limitations of previous multiple-choice tests by combining both open-ended and multiple-choice questions, and by assessing thinking in relation to daily, easy-to-relate-to situations (Ku, 2009). It is a standardized instrument that consists of 25 everyday scenarios that respondents analyze and critique. The scenarios involve thinking in various life domains including health, education, work, and social policy. The test is also coded for a variety of thinking skills, including (a) verbal reasoning skills, (b) argument analysis skills, (c) hypothesis testing skills, (d) likelihood and uncertainty judgment skills, and (e) decision making and problem solving skills.

A number of studies have established the reliability and validity of the HCTA (c.f. Halpern, 2010a) using a variety of methodologies (e.g., correlational, pretest-posttest experimental designs), with respondents that vary widely in education level (e.g., high school students, community college students, state university students, private liberal arts students, graduate students, community adults) and with participants from numerous countries (e.g., China, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, United States, Viet Nam, etc.). Consistent with other assessments of critical thinking, much of validity evidence for the HCTA is based on the prediction of academic achievement scores (e.g., grades, standardized test scores). However, critical thinking skills should predict more than academic outcomes. We make 100s of decisions each day that are likely to be influenced by our critical thinking ability. At the very least, we would expect critical thinkers to avoid certain negative life outcomes.

A series of recent studies have examined the relationship between critical thinking and real-world outcomes of critical thinking (Butler, in press; Butler et al., 2012) using an adapted version of an inventory of life events created by de Bruin, Parker, and Fischhoff (2007). This self-report inventory measures negative life outcomes from many domains (e.g., interpersonal, business, financial, interpersonal) that vary in severity from mildly negative (e.g., paying late fees for a movie rental) to severely negative (e.g., foreclosure on a home). The recent studies by Butler and colleagues sought to expand the validity of the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA) cross-nationally and to determine whether HCTA scores predicted real-world outcomes of critical thinking.

The findings were clear: In both the United States and the Republic of Ireland, those with higher critical thinking scores reported fewer negative life events than those with lower critical thinking scores. While this is bad news for people with lower critical thinking scores, the good news is that that critical thinking can be improved through instruction (see Chance, 1986; Halpern, 2003; Moseley et al., 2005; Nisbett, 1992). Future research could explore the causal link between critical thinking and real-world outcomes of critical thinking, with special emphasis on the role of education and behavioral outcomes.

In a world that is more complex and technical with each passing day, thinking critically about the information we consume is of the utmost importance. The evidence suggests that critical thinking scores can predict real-world outcomes and thus we need to appreciate that critical thinking is more than simply the new buzz word in education. Critical thinking is critical for life success. The good news is that there is a plethora of evidence that critical thinking skills can be taught and learned – critically important news coming at a critical time in history.

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Association of American Colleges & Universities. (2010). Raising the bar: Employers’ views on college learning in the wake of the economic downturn. Retrieved from the AAC&U website: http://www.aacu.org/leap

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010-2011). Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos021.htm

Butler, H. A. (2012). Halpern critical thinking assessment predicts real-world outcomes of critical thinking. Applied Cognitive Psychology. doi: 10.1002/acp.2851

Butler, H. A., Dwyer, C. P., Hogan, M. J., Franco, A., Rivas, S. F., Saiz, C., & Almeida, L. F. (2012). Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment and real-world outcomes: Cross-national applications. Thinking Skills and Creativity , 7, 112-121. doi: 10.1016/j.tsc.2012.04.001

Chance, P. (1986). Thinking in the classroom: A survey of programs. New York, NY: Teachers College, Columbia University.

de Bruin, W. B., Parker, A. M., & Fischhoff, B. (2007). Individual differences in adult decision-making competence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 938-956. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.938

European Higher Education Area (2011). The official Bologna Process website 2010-2012. Retrieved from the European Higher Education Area website: http://www.ehea.info/

Galagan, P. (2010, February). Bridging the skills gap: New factors compound the growing skills shortage. Retrieved from the American Society for Training and Development website: http://www.astd.org/TD/Archives/2010/Feb/Free/1002_BridgingSkillsGap.htm

Halpern, D. F. (2003). Thought and knowledge: An introduction to critical thinking (4th ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence.

Halpern, D. F. (2010a). Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment. Publisher: SCHUHFRIED (Vienna Test System). http://www.schuhfried.com/vienna-test-system-vts/all-tests-from-a-z/tes…

Halpern, D. F. (Ed). (2010b). Undergraduate education in psychology: A blueprint for the future of the discipline. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Hunt, E. (1995). Will we be smart enough? A cognitive analysis of the coming workforce. New York, NY, Russell Sage Foundation.

Ku, K. Y. L. (2009). Assessing students’ critical thinking performance: Urging for measurements using multi-response format. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 2, 70-76. doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2009.02.001

Moseley, D., Baumfield, V., Elliott, J., Gregson, M., Higgins, S., Miller, J., & Newton, D. P. (2005). Frameworks for thinking: A handbook for teaching and learning. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

Nisbett, R. E. (1992). Rules for reasoning. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Porcari, J., Greany, J., Tepper, S., Edmonson, B., Foster, C., & Anders, M. (2011). Will toning shoes really give you a better body? Retrieved from the American Council on Exercise website: http://www.acefitness.org/certifiednewsarticle/720/

Redden, E. (2010, June 7). Bologna beyond Europe. Retrieved from the Higher Education News website: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/06/07/bologna

Stanovich, K. E. (2009, November/December). Rational and irrational thought: The thinking that IQ tests miss. Scientific American Mind, 34-39. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/sciammind/

Stanovich, K. E., & West, R. F. (2008). On the relative independence of thinking biases and cognitive abilities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94, 672-695. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.94.4.672

Sternberg, R. J., Roediger, H. L., III., & Halpern, D. F. (Eds.). (2007). Critical thinking in psychology. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

U. S. Department of Education (2006). A test of leadership : Charting the future of U.S. Higher education (DOE Publication No. ED-06-C0-0013). Retrieved from http://ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/hiedfuture/reports/final-report.pdf

Michael Hogan, Ph.D. , is a lecturer in psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

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7 Critical Thinking Examples That Will “Bulletproof” Your Mind

Anthony Metivier | July 21, 2023 | Thinking

The kind you can practically copy and paste into your life based on the success of others.

After all, the most successful people always stand on the shoulders of giants. And so should you.

Rather than just list out thinking skills like observation, analysis and induction, on this page we’re going to dig deep.

To do that, we’re going to explore actual examples of critical thinking you can use to benefit your life.

In fact, you’re about to maximize every angle involved in coming to the best possible conclusion. Every time. 

So let’s get started.

Why Critical Thinking Is… Critical

Whereas the majority of people brush off the benefits of critical thinking , smart individuals like yourself seek to improve.

Not just as a one-off deal.

Critical thinkers know they need to make sharpening their minds a marathon that lasts for life. 

Because elevated intelligence involves embracing a simple fact:

We don’t know what we don’t know.

There are always blank spots. We need to seek them, fill them in and acknowledge that the more we know, the more there is to know.

Why will there always be unknowns?

Because each new book we read will refer to other books, just as each new conversation will reveal details we’ve never encountered before.

Critical thinking also helps us avoid traps, such as being a know-it-all when the only thing we know is that we can’t know it all. And if we do make that mistake, critical thinking gives us the modesty needed to admit when we’re wrong. 

So if you’ve ever wondered about how to increase your IQ , seeking examples matters.

In fact, modeling the best “ mental chess ” performed by authentic people is one of the biggest levers for improving your own mind. So let’s dive in and look at some incredible and specific examples.

The time to “think outside the box” is usually only after you’ve finished thinking inside of it.

7 Critical Thinking Examples In Everyday Life

A lot of people believe that you have to “think outside of the box.”

This is sometimes true. More often, however, people haven’t thought their way through the inside of the box nearly enough. 

And as you’ll see from our first example, sometimes you have to get rid of the box altogether. 

One: Repel the Problem

In Lead with a Story , Paul Smith relates the tale of Tide, a laundry detergent brand. 

First introduced in 1946, the brand’s owner, Proctor and Gamble sought to improve the product. They spent years trying to create formulas that would remove tough dirt stains without damaging clothing. 

It turns out, there is no way to make a detergent stronger without also weakening the fabric it is made to clean.

Unless you have great minds on the team to work through such critical thinking scenarios.

As Smith sums it up:

“Instead of trying in vain to find chemicals that could remove the dirt, the team switched its efforts to finding chemicals that prevented it from redopositing on the fabric in the first place.”

In other words, the Tide team found a way to prevent the problem of clothes getting dirty in the first place. 

Two: Redefine the Problem

Benjamin Hardy named his bestselling book by saying the problem out loud, Willpower Doesn’t Work .

We all know this from experience. We try to use our minds to motivate ourselves, but continually fail.

But by looking at a few factors, such as the neurochemistry of the brain and what successful people actually do (instead of what we imagine they do), Hardy identified the rules and principles that govern the environments of successful people. 

You’ll find similar, science-driven descriptions in Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code , Scott Sonenshein’s Stretch  and James Clear’s Atomic Habits .

So instead of battling a problem that can’t be solved – like willpower, which I’ve demonstrated doesn’t work – use science to redefine the problem and build environments and performance systems that make success inevitable.

Three: Gather and Analyze the Data that Matters

In The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman , you’ll read the story of Carolyn, who felt down on her luck.

Rather than leave things to how Carolyn felt, Dr. Wiseman had her fill out a Life Satisfaction Questionnaire. It’s much like the Wheel of Life I discussed with Arthur Worsley on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.

After getting the data down on paper, Dr. Wiseman gave Carolyn some lessons in how to be more lucky in life. 

Spoiler Alert: Most of those lessons involve little more than reflective thinking and objective reasoning , two key parts of thinking logically you might want to beef up on.

After applying these principles, Carolyn’s luck went up, as did many other participants in Dr. Wiseman’s studies. 

Personally, Wiseman’s book changed my life. Prior to completing its exercises and analyzing my own data, I had a very bleak outlook on just about everything in life. 

But when you think critically about the data that matters, it’s much easier to see ways to improve your life. For more science-based examples, see the data behind why the world itself is getting “luckier” in Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker and Factfulness by Hans Rosling.

Four: Call a Spade a Spade

When you analyze data, you’re going to discover some uncomfortable truths. But as an advanced thinker, it’s your duty to point your findings out in a calm and kind manner.

This was the case when I interviewed fellow mnemonist and memory expert Martin Faulks . In our discussion he used Sherlock Holmes as a reference for the Memory Palace technique. 

Although I did not want to directly contradict my guest on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, the fact is that: 

• The use of this memory technique in Sherlock Holmes misrepresents it
• Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character, so not a valid example of what is possible
• This narrative world is associated with dark themes of criminal murder and not at all related to the positive outcomes we actually use the techniques to achieve

Martin wasn’t offended at all. In fact, it opened up the discussion to a new and unanticipated area both our audiences enjoyed. 

In sum, always speak plainly without trying to avoid or erase issues you fear might be unpleasant. To do so is the opposite of critical thinking.

Five: Use Human Psychology

In the book You Are Not So Smart , David McRaney details research that shows how quickly people forget details.

Yet, how many of us berate ourselves by worrying about what others think about us. 

Likewise, if you have some dead skin on your face or dirt on your clothes, most people either won’t notice or forget about it quickly.

Derren Brown makes a similar point in his book, Confessions of a Conjuror .

In this book, Brown talks about a friend with poor skin. His friend did not realize this psychological fact about people, their attention span and their memory. As a result, this person tortured himself unnecessarily with worry about what other people think.

Not only can you remove yourself from such suffering, but you can improve your own thoughts about others. As Brown goes to great pains to point out in this book, if we are the kind of people who would judge others over such fickle matters, we should learn to be more kind.

Six: Ask Better – Ideally Epic – Questions

In his famous essay, “What is an Author?” Michel Foucault asks us to go beyond right and wrong. 

For example, both Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx were wrong about many things. In both cases, many tragic outcomes resulted from their works. 

By the same token, they opened up new conversations that people were not able to have before.

Obviously, there’s a lot at stake when asking questions that change the nature of entire societies.

Elon Musk is one such person asking new questions in our era and influencing change as a result. Despite his talk of “first principles thinking,” Musk is clearly not always the greatest demonstrator of this kind of model.

But as Foucault points out, we need people like this to take the risks and take us into new areas of thought. Then, we can study their examples and do better in the future. 

Seven: Assess the Risks Before Taking Action

Perhaps no organization on earth is better at assessing the risks than NASA. They’ve sent people to the moon and help maintain an incredible international space station. 

You can actually read their Risk Management Handbook . Not everything in it will apply to your life, but you can learn a lot.

For example, you’ll learn about:

• Defining expectations
• Designing when decisions will need to be made and how to make them
• Dealing with uncertainty
• What kinds of situations require more formal procedures
• How decision makers should act and to whom they are responsible

First Man is an incredible study of a space mission. It’s packed with critical thinking examples.

If this kind of material is too abstract , there are many wonderful books about various NASA missions that can give you a strong sense of the critical thinking involved. The First Man by James R. Hansen is an incredible read, to take just one example.

Improving Your Critical Thinking Skills

How do you get started with thinking more critically?

First, you’ve got to commit to practicing the art of thought more often.

That’s pretty easily done when you read more often. I’ve given plenty of examples above and I hope you’ll follow up with some of those books.

To go deeper, you want to learn more about thinking . For example, there is:

• Synergistic thinking
• Blank slate thinking
• Adaptive thinking
• Mastermind thinking
• Last principles thinking

I’ve laid out these and more in my post on the 9 Critical Thinking Strategies lifelong learners need to know.

I commend you on seeking good examples of critical thinking and hope you’ll add some more in the discussion area below.

And if you’d like to memorize examples like these so you can refer to them later without having to look them up, please grab my free memory improvement kit right here:

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Last modified: July 21, 2023

About the Author / Anthony Metivier

4 Responses to " 7 Critical Thinking Examples That Will “Bulletproof” Your Mind "

Great addition to your repertoire Anthony.

Thanks so much, Rosemary.

I’ve been blogging quite a bit about critical thinking lately to pick up again on when it seemed so necessary to live stream about a few years ago.

It’s such a critical skills and I appreciate you chiming in about it and helping spread the word!

The fact that you can think critically is something I think people take for granted every day and they tend to be biased to not do it. The problem I think is that most people are really good at solving everyday problems really well so they think their thinking is fine. I think that few people take their thinking a step above to consider how their view is not the only view. This is a common problem that affects everyone and I think if they thought more scientifically or critically they would feel slightly less pain. As you have probably considered, Anthony, you can’t have pleasure without pain, but balance is really the key.

Thanks for this compelling post, David.

It raises this question:

To what extent does daily problem solving involve “critical thinking”? I think in reality a lot of it comes from default, cognitive biases and other processes that are more or less automatic.

So I do think you’re right that this can create the illusion that people “think” their “thinking” is fine, but what they are considering thinking isn’t thinking at all in the sense we’re talking about.

I’m not sure I agree that you can’t have pleasure without pain. That sounds like a generalization that doesn’t pan out.

Do you mean something more like you can’t get a result without an investment?

If so, that seems like more of a generalization that would stand in this context, and from there we could enumerate the number of investments that are incredibly pleasurable as opposed to those that involve discomfort.

People might be surprised by just how many investments in self education lead to huge results that don’t have to be painful at all.

Your thoughts?

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Decision Making Skills: Real-Life Scenarios (Cognitive Development)

• by Team Experts
• July 2, 2023 July 3, 2023

Discover the surprising real-life scenarios that will improve your decision-making skills and cognitive development.

In today’s fast-paced world, decision making is a crucial skill that can make or break an individual’s success. The ability to make rational decisions based on analytical reasoning abilities , logical deduction processes , and intuitive judgment calls is essential for cognitive development . In this article, we will explore the various techniques and models used for decision making in real-life scenarios .

In conclusion, decision making is a complex process that requires a combination of cognitive skills and techniques . By using rational decision making , analytical reasoning abilities, logical deduction processes , intuitive judgment calls , cognitive flexibility techniques , creative problem solving , risk assessment methods , decision-making models , and ethical considerations , individuals can make informed decisions that lead to success.

How does rational decision making improve cognitive development in real-life scenarios?

How can a logical deduction process enhance decision making skills, what are some cognitive flexibility techniques that can be used to improve decision making skills, how do risk assessment methods impact the decision-making process and overall cognitive development, why is considering ethical considerations important when making decisions, and how can this be incorporated into the decision-making process, common mistakes and misconceptions.

Overall, using a logical deduction process can enhance decision making skills by promoting evidence-based decision making , identifying potential risks and benefits, and structuring the decision-making process. However, it is important to avoid overreliance on any one aspect of the decision-making process and regularly evaluate decisions to ensure continuous improvement.

Overall, considering ethical considerations is important when making decisions because it ensures that decisions are made in a way that aligns with important values and minimizes harm. Incorporating ethical considerations into the decision-making process involves evaluating potential consequences, taking responsibility for the decision and its outcomes, ensuring transparency, incorporating empathy and compassion, maintaining trustworthiness and honesty, and striving for equity and impartiality. However, there are risks associated with each step, such as overlooking important ethical considerations, underestimating potential consequences, avoiding responsibility, appearing untrustworthy, overlooking certain stakeholders, and unintentional bias.

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Home » SEL Implementation » Developing Critical Thinking: Problem Solving Scenarios for Elementary Students

Developing Critical Thinking: Problem Solving Scenarios for Elementary Students

Key takeaways.

• Developing critical thinking skills in elementary students enhances their cognitive abilities, academic performance, and prepares them for future challenges.
• Problem-solving scenarios are effective tools for fostering critical thinking and can be categorized into everyday life, academic, and social scenarios.
• For successful implementation, scenarios should be relatable, age-appropriate, encourage open-ended thinking, and promote collaboration.
• Incorporating problem-solving scenarios into the curriculum improves students’ analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, empathy, and social skills.

Introduction: Developing Critical Thinking: Problem-Solving Scenarios for Elementary Students

In today’s post, we will explore the importance of developing critical thinking skills in elementary students and how problem-solving scenarios can be an effective tool for fostering these skills. As educators and parents, it is crucial to provide opportunities for children to think critically and solve problems independently. Let’s dive in!

Understanding Critical Thinking

Before we delve into problem-solving scenarios, let’s first understand what critical thinking is and why it is essential for elementary students. Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make reasoned decisions. It involves skills such as logical reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Developing critical thinking skills in elementary students has numerous benefits. It enhances their cognitive abilities, improves academic performance, and prepares them for future challenges. Critical thinkers are more likely to excel in problem-solving tasks, communicate effectively, and exhibit creativity.

Problem Solving Scenarios for Elementary Students

Problem-solving scenarios are real-life or hypothetical situations that require students to think critically and come up with solutions. These scenarios provide a practical and engaging way for students to apply their critical thinking skills. By presenting them with challenging problems, we can encourage them to think deeply, analyze information, and make informed decisions.

When creating problem-solving scenarios, keep in mind the following tips:

• Make the scenarios relatable to students’ lives and experiences.
• Ensure the scenarios are age-appropriate and aligned with the curriculum.
• Encourage open-ended thinking by avoiding simple “yes” or “no” answers.
• Provide opportunities for collaboration and discussion among students.

Types of Problem-Solving Scenarios

Problem-solving scenarios can be categorized into three main types: everyday life scenarios, academic scenarios, and social scenarios. Let’s explore each type and discuss how they promote critical thinking in elementary students.

Everyday Life Scenarios

Everyday life scenarios are situations that students encounter in their daily lives. These scenarios can range from simple problems, such as deciding what to wear on a rainy day, to more complex issues, such as resolving conflicts with friends. By presenting students with everyday life scenarios, we can help them develop problem-solving skills that are applicable to real-life situations.

Here are a few examples of everyday life scenarios for elementary students:

• You are at the grocery store, and you realize you don’t have enough money to buy everything on your list. What do you do?
• Your friend is upset because someone in your class said something mean to them. How can you help your friend feel better?
• You are playing a game with your friends, and they want to change the rules. What should you do?

To encourage students to analyze and solve everyday problems, ask open-ended questions such as:

• What are the possible solutions to this problem?
• What are the consequences of each solution?
• Which solution do you think is the best, and why?

Academic Scenarios

Academic scenarios focus on challenges related to school subjects and learning. These scenarios help students apply critical thinking skills to academic tasks and develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. By engaging students in academic problem-solving, we can enhance their analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Here are a few examples of academic scenarios for elementary students:

• You are given a math problem that you don’t understand. How can you figure it out?
• You are reading a story, and there is a word you don’t know. What strategies can you use to figure out the meaning?
• You are working on a science experiment, and your results are different from what you expected. How can you troubleshoot the problem?

To guide students in applying critical thinking to academic challenges, encourage them to:

• Break down the problem into smaller parts.
• Identify relevant information and resources.
• Generate multiple possible solutions.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of each solution.

Social Scenarios

Social scenarios involve situations that require students to navigate social interactions and relationships. These scenarios help students develop empathy, perspective-taking, and conflict resolution skills. By engaging students in social problem-solving, we can foster their emotional intelligence and promote positive social behaviors.

Here are a few examples of social scenarios for elementary students:

• You and your friend want to play with the same toy. How can you solve this problem without fighting?
• You see someone being left out during recess. What can you do to include them?
• Your classmate is being teased by another student. How can you support your classmate?

To teach students to navigate social situations using critical thinking, encourage them to:

• Consider the feelings and perspectives of others.
• Brainstorm possible solutions that are fair and respectful.
• Reflect on the consequences of their actions.
• Seek guidance from trusted adults when needed.

Implementing Problem-Solving Scenarios in the Classroom

Now that we understand the different types of problem-solving scenarios, let’s explore how we can effectively implement them in the classroom.

Integrating problem-solving scenarios into the curriculum can be done through various methods:

• Designing specific lessons or activities around problem-solving scenarios.
• Incorporating scenarios into existing subjects or projects.
• Using scenarios as prompts for class discussions or debates.

Strategies for facilitating student engagement and participation include:

• Encouraging collaboration and group work.
• Providing scaffolding and support as needed.
• Allowing for student choice and autonomy in problem-solving approaches.

Assessing and evaluating students’ critical thinking skills through scenarios can be done through:

• Observation and anecdotal notes.
• Student self-reflection and self-assessment.
• Performance-based assessments, such as presentations or projects.

Developing critical thinking skills in elementary students is crucial for their academic and personal growth. Problem-solving scenarios provide an effective and engaging way to foster these skills. By incorporating everyday life, academic, and social scenarios into the curriculum, we can help students develop the ability to think critically, solve problems independently, and make informed decisions.

I encourage educators and parents to incorporate problem-solving scenarios into their teaching and parenting practices. By nurturing critical thinking in elementary students, we are equipping them with lifelong skills that will benefit them in all areas of life.

How Can We Further Develop Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills in Elementary Students?

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10 Real Life Examples Of Critical Thinking

Amongst the various skills needed in life, critical thinking is one ability one needs to dissect information objectively and make judgments. Not just to excel professionally, this skill is required by an individual in their personal life as well. Simply put, an individual’s growth is apparent when critical thinking is used well.

While it can be a skill that is easy to acquire, most of us gain the skill unconsciously or without reflection. However, various examples in our day-to-day life can prove how we use critical thinking in our usual routines.

In this post, we will talk about the various instances where an individual uses critical thinking, and also share a handful of strategies that can help people upskill.

Critical Thinking Examples 

Though the words “Critical Thinking” might sound overwhelming, the truth is that all of us humans use our critical thinking skills during the course of the day in some way or the other. The idea behind developing such skills is to make decision-making easier. Some of the examples that can make an individual think critically are:

1. Problem Solving

Problem-solving is the main ingredient of logical and analytical thinking that fruits critical thinking. When faced with a problem, the approach to problem-solving is the immediate sensory action that our brain takes to get out of a situation or potentially try to find a solution for it to meet the ends. This is the reason why critical thinking is crucial for individuals, especially for those who are at incharge positions at work. For example- A crucial order was to dispatch in the morning, but a technical fault arose at night, the steps the manager would take now to mend the situation display their critical thinking skills. From picking a party theme to deciding on suitable tiles for a kitchen, all the aforementioned situations speak of the problem-solving abilities on a larger spectrum.

2. Career

The decisions you make while picking a particular stream to pursue a career in that domain are crucial to critical thinking. For instance, when a person wants to be a doctor, they need to decide which area of specialization to go for. Critically evaluating the factors involves aspects of critical thinking. Therefore, choosing a career starts with critical analysis and effective decision-making.

One may potentially start by weighing the positives and the negatives of an industry with possible career outcomes. This part of decision-making gets followed by judgments to be made in order to pursue excellence at work and likewise. Such matters show how long an individual may last in a company, a sector, or a job as per their critical thinking abilities. 

3. Health

They say, ‘Health is Wealth,’ and a lot of health decisions might involve a person’s ability to think critically. Choosing junk over healthy meals, and skipping meals over timely feeds, is also a part of critical thinking. As added above, the idea of making a (right) decision at a particular (right) time is again a part of this wholesome process.

However, in order to treat our body as a temple, we must get our acts together and follow a good diet and an exercise regime. This decision takes a lot of critical thinking about which diet to follow, keto or paleo. Likewise, the choice of exercise between cardio or strength-building is contemplated critically.

4. Education

Education requires critical thinking in the learning process, but choosing subjects and picking the right institution(s) per your need also requires critical thinking. A lot of time, effort, and money is put into education, the choice of which involves the skill of critical thinking. The location, duration, cost, and return on investment through the degree/course and placement aspects need to be critically thought off and planned according to the requirements and aspirations of a student. 

5. Professional Integrity

Professional integrity, in some cases, has been found to be an inherent quality in career and life. Still, it needs adept training to teach it in daily life. People and situations around us cater to such natural pieces of training every day. All we need to do is absorb the good and the right, use our motor senses well, and hold onto it regardless.

One’s ability to think critically is related proportionately to how effective professional integrity one has. If the person does not critically evaluate his or her situation and responsibility, it would be easy for them to be compromised when it comes to becoming an integral part of an organization.

6. Finances

Critical thinking regarding finances is an extremely important and perhaps the most advised thing on this list. Making these decisions involve considering more than one factor, which needs the ability to think critically. Which real estate to invest in, which stocks to buy, which bank gives out the most interest against their money, all these decisions need critical thinking, and people tend to lose out on money with today’s financial systems if important decisions turn out to be against their favor.

7. Quality of Life

The decisions we make regarding our life and how to live them also need critical thoughts to garner. To explain with an example, one needs to think critically about what appliances one needs to buy as per their need, budget, wants, and situation. The correct permutation, combination, and some sacrifice usually lead to an almost perfect life.

However, it is essential to know that the definition of a perfect life for everyone is different. Surround your life with what makes you happy, content, and least vexed about matters; that every part of living becomes the qualitative measure of your life.

8. Time Management

Critically thinking about managing your time and workload is a secret sauce of success. Time is limited and fixed for everyone, so how come some seem to use it much better than others? The secret is critically thinking, analyzing, and managing time efficiently. These skills are a must incur so that time works for you and not the other way around. Prioritizing which works to do when and for how long- helps people become their best version.

9. Delegation

Micromanaging is known to be the enemy of productivity. But why? Because it is almost impossible to micromanage and get other things done when your head’s already occupied with the prior. Delegating your workload helps in achieving more quality in less time. But the process should be thought of critically, and the team should be chosen carefully.

10. Business

The world’s economy is based on businesses and industries. To make a business boom, one needs the critical thinking skills of a number of people. Hiring the right talent for the right job and investing in the right sector at the right time is a part of critical and analytical thinking. This is how they manage to transcend the norms and be outstanding at their jobs.

Strategies for Critical Thinking

While critical thinking can be natural for a few individuals, it might be a skill that needs to be developed slowly yet steadily. A few strategies can help an individual inculcate these practices in their daily life. Some of these are:

1. Questioning

Asking meaningful and necessary questions is an art in itself. This quality helps train the mind into an intelligent thought-making organ that can make critical decisiveness easy.

2. Discussions

Discussions enhance our knowledge and add to our primary intelligence and enrich our critical thinking abilities. One-on-one or group discussions, both can help immensely in the process of personality building.

3. Active Learning

Active learning is the method where learning with the help of real-life examples, experiments, and case studies proves much more practical and effective than theoretical reading.

4. Collaboration

Collaborating with talented and experienced people can enrich our quality of life at home and work. It betters our thinking abilities and gives us a new and healthier perspective on matters.

These are some real-life examples where critical thinking plays a huge part; though critical thinking seems like an inherent component of human existence, we do it unknowingly all the time. The critical thinking process in our day-to-day lives sets the course of our daily activities. By following the strategies and implementing the example, one can get help leading a critically thought-out and sought-after life.

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of  Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

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• March 23, 2023

Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Students: Real-Life Examples 

Table of contents:.

Critical thinking is an essential skill that every student must possess to thrive in today’s world. It is the ability to analyze information, evaluate arguments, and make sound decisions based on evidence. Critical thinking has become increasingly important in education as it prepares students to tackle real-life problems and succeed in their careers. In this blog post, we will explore critical thinking examples for students that can help develop this crucial skill. The aim is to provide readers with practical, real-life scenarios where critical thinking can be applied, and inspire educators to integrate critical thinking into their teaching methods.

Critical Thinking Skills for Students

Critical thinking skills refer to the ability to analyze, evaluate, and interpret information to make informed decisions. These skills enable students to approach problems and situations with a logical and rational mindset, allowing them to make sound judgments based on evidence. Developing critical thinking skills in students has numerous benefits, including improved problem-solving abilities, increased creativity and innovation, enhanced communication skills, and better academic performance.

Examples of Critical Thinking in Daily Life

Some critical thinking examples for students in their daily lives include evaluating news articles for accuracy and bias, analyzing advertisements for hidden messages and manipulation, and examining arguments and evidence in debates or discussions.

Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Critical thinking is an essential skill that is being taught in classrooms to prepare students for the challenges of the real world. Educators use various techniques and strategies to teach critical thinking, such as encouraging students to ask questions, promoting independent thinking, and providing opportunities for problem-solving. Other methods include using case studies, debates, and simulations to challenge students to think critically and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. Incorporating critical thinking into the curriculum is crucial as it enables students to develop a deeper understanding of complex concepts, enhances their problem-solving skills, and prepares them for their future jobs.

Examples of Critical Thinking in Academic Settings

In the academic setting, critical thinking is essential for students to succeed in their studies. For example, in science experiments, students must analyze and interpret data to draw conclusions and make informed decisions. In research papers, students must evaluate sources and evidence to support their arguments and avoid bias. In philosophical arguments, students must identify logical fallacies to assess the validity of the argument. By incorporating critical thinking in education, students can develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios effectively.

Case Studies of Critical Thinking in Action

Critical thinking skills have been essential in various real-world scenarios that have led to successful outcomes. For example, critical thinking played a significant role in the success of the Apollo 13 mission . When an oxygen tank exploded, the team had to think critically and come up with a solution to bring the astronauts back safely. Similarly, in the business world, critical thinking is crucial for making strategic decisions, identifying opportunities, and solving complex problems.

Critical thinking has also played a vital role in numerous historical events. For example, during the American Revolution, George Washington had to think critically and come up with innovative strategies to defeat the British. In World War II, code breakers at Bletchley Park used critical thinking to decipher enemy codes and gain valuable intelligence.

In both real-world scenarios and historical events, critical thinking skills played a crucial role in achieving successful outcomes. By developing critical thinking skills, students can prepare themselves to tackle complex problems and make informed decisions that can lead to successful outcomes.

Exercises and Activities for Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Developing critical thinking skills in students requires engaging exercises and activities that challenge their thinking and promote problem-solving. Role-playing exercises are one such activity that can help students practice decision-making and problem-solving in real-world scenarios. Socratic questioning techniques are also effective in encouraging deeper analysis of a subject while promoting independent thinking. Instructors can also incorporate debate and argumentation exercises to build analytical skills and develop students’ ability to think critically and communicate their ideas effectively.

Another way to develop critical thinking skills in students is through case studies that challenge students to analyze complex problems and come up with innovative solutions. Simulations and games that require strategic thinking and problem-solving are also effective in developing critical thinking skills.

Ultimately, the key to developing critical thinking skills in students is to provide opportunities for them to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, challenge their assumptions, and encourage them to think independently.

Teaching Critical Thinking to Students

To develop critical thinking skills in students, educators can use various methods, such as encouraging open-mindedness, promoting independent thinking, and providing opportunities for real-world problem-solving. By engaging in these activities, students can apply their critical thinking skills to real-life scenarios, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions and solve problems effectively.

To learn more on how to teach critical thinking skills to students, read this article on our blog: How to Teach Critical Thinking: Tips & Techniques for Parents

How Does Safes Help Develop Critical Thinking Skills in Students?

The Safes parental control app can help develop critical thinking in students by promoting responsible technology use and encouraging independent decision-making. The app allows parents to monitor their child’s online activity, set time limits, and restrict access to certain websites and applications. By using the app, parents can encourage their children to think critically about their online behavior, consider the consequences of their actions, and make informed decisions about their technology use.

The app also provides parents with an opportunity to engage in open and honest conversations with their children about responsible technology use, online safety, and privacy. By discussing these issues with their children, parents can help them develop critical thinking skills and become more aware of the potential risks and challenges associated with the online world.

Overall, the Safes parental control app can play a vital role in developing critical thinking skills in students by promoting responsible technology use, encouraging independent decision-making, and fostering open and honest communication between parents and their children.

Safes is now available for both Android and iOS devices. Try it today to benefit from a 14-day free trial with premium features. Follow the links below for instructions on how to use the app:

• Windows parental controls
• Macbook parental controls
• Parental controls on Android
• iPhone parental controls

In conclusion, critical thinking is an essential skill that every student must possess to thrive in today’s world. By developing critical thinking skills, students can apply a logical and rational mindset to real-world scenarios, make informed decisions, and solve complex problems effectively. Educators can use various techniques and strategies to teach critical thinking, such as role-playing exercises, Socratic questioning techniques, and debate and argumentation exercises.

Additionally, parents can play a vital role in developing critical thinking skills by using parental control apps like Safes to promote responsible technology use and encourage open and honest communication with their children. Ultimately, by incorporating critical thinking into education and daily life, students can prepare themselves for success in their academic and professional careers

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• Case, scenario, problem, inquiry-based learning
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• Teaching practices
• Active learning

Facilitate students to apply disciplinary knowledge, critical thinking and problem-solving skills in safe, real-life contexts.

Case, scenario, problem and inquiry-based learning are active learning strategies suitable for a face-to-face, online or hybrid environment. These approaches require students to apply their disciplinary knowledge, critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a safe, real-world context.

Case-based learning (CBL) presents students with a case or dilemma situated in an authentic context, which they are required to solve. Students are provided with background, situation and supporting data. They can work individually or as a group. The course coordinator takes on a facilitator’s role to guide learning rather than dictate answers.

Scenario-based learning (SBL) uses interactive scenarios based on the principles of situated learning theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991). It works by simulating real-world practice, provide safe opportunities to engage in situations that may be otherwise difficult for students to experience in their studies.

Problem-based learning (PBL) supports learning through an enquiry-guided method for students to solve a real-life problem. Students use ‘triggers’ derived from the problem to define their own learning outcome/objectives. There is a specific, guided methodology for implementing PBL.

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) encourages students to explore material, ask questions, and share ideas in small groups with guided learning. It uses a constructivist approach with the goal for students to make meaning, guided by the Course Coordinators.

Best practice

Technology considerations, case studies, references and further reading, case-based learning (cbl).

A case study is generally based on real situations (names and facts often changed to ensure anonymity). Many case studies include supporting data and documentation and require students to answer an open-ended question or develop a solution(s). The facilitator has an active role in shaping questions that will guide students in their learning.

Most effective cases:

• are developed in line with defined learning objectives
• have an educational purpose
• are authentic and relevant
• draw on common/typical scenarios
• consider dilemmas to promote decision-making
• add supporting data where necessary, and
• have relatable characters, and some include the voice of characters (e.g. patients) to add drama and realism.

In facilitating case-based learning:

• Give students ample time to read and think about the case. You can provide the case before class.
• Introduce the case briefly and provide some guidelines for how to approach it.
• Create groups (ideally 3–6 students) and monitor them to ensure everyone is involved.
• Have groups present their solutions/reasoning.
• Ask questions for clarification and to move discussions to another level.
• Synthesise issues raised. Be sure to bring the various strands of the discussion back together at the end. Ask groups to summarise their findings and compare group responses. Help the whole class interpret and understand the implications of their solutions.

(Adapted from Case Studies , Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University)

Scenario-based learning (SBL)

Scenarios put students in a simulated context to provide rich learning experiences.

When designing a scenario:

• Identify the learning outcomes . It is important to identify what you want students to achieve on completing the scenario and then work backwards from the learning outcomes to create the situation that will lead to this learning. 
• Decide on your format . Is your scenario delivered in face-to-face or online environments? What media (photographs, audio, video) and other resources will you need? If you use an online scenario, will you provide other supporting activities, such as wikis, discussion forums, etc.?
• Choose a topic . Remember that non-routine tasks lend themselves to scenario-based learning. Consider using ‘critical incidents’ and challenging situations that have occurred in your subject area.
• Identify the trigger event or situation . This will be the starting point of your scenario. As you create the scenario, identify decision points and key areas for feedback and student reflection. Creating a storyboard is an effective way to do this.
• Peer review your scenario . Ask colleagues to work through the scenario to ensure that it flows in the way you expect and achieves the outcomes you intended.

Problem-based learning (PBL)

Problem-based learning can be used to engage in active learning that challenges higher-order thinking in collaboration with peers.

There are various ways to plan, design and implement PBL in your classroom. The following resources may suit your context:

• Wood (2007) identified a structure for incorporating PBL into the curriculum and emphasises that PBL will only be successful if the problems developed are of high quality.
• Ganareo and Lyons (2015) outline key steps to design, implement and assess PBL to help develop twenty-first-century skills such as teamwork, digital literacy and problem-solving.
• The ‘Seven Jump’ method (Gijselaers, 1995) used at Maastricht describes the key steps students go through to resolve a problem during PBL tutorial sessions.

Inquiry-based learning (IBL)

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) encourages students to explore a specific topic, ask questions, and share ideas.

Heick identified four phases of Inquiry-Based Learning :

• Interaction : dive into engaging, relevant, and credible media forms to identify a ‘need’ or opportunity for inquiry.
• Clarification : summarising, paraphrasing, and categorising learning with teacher or expert support.
• Questioning : asking questions to drive continued, self-directed inquiry.
• Design : designing an accessible, relevant, and curiosity-driven action or product to culminate and justify inquiry.

When planning case, scenario, problem and inquiry-based learning, you need to consider the context of the learners and select technologies that support the steps you have planned.

• Small group discussion in person or online (e.g. discussion boards , Zoom breakout rooms ).
• Identify relevant questions, (e.g. in person or through PadletUQ ).
• Research (e.g. journal articles, databases, search engines, Library Catalogue)
• Face-to-face or online brainstorming (e.g. discussion boards , PadletUQ,   Zoom breakout rooms , or mind map).
• Spreadsheet software (e.g. Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets) for graphing and presenting data.
• Presentation software (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Express , Prezi) for presenting investigation results.
• Collaborate (e.g. Zoom  if presenting online, or Microsoft Teams ).

View centrally-supported active learning tools

View more case studies (UQ Assessment Ideas Factory)

4 Phases of Inquiry-based Learning , Teachthought

Active & Inquiry-based Learning , Victoria University Melbourne Australia

Azer, S. A. (2007). Twelve tips for creating trigger images for problem-based learning cases. Medical Teacher, 29 (2-3), 93-97. doi:10.1080/01421590701291444

Case-based Teaching and Problem-based Learning (University of Michigan, Centre for Research on Learning & Teaching)

Case Studies , Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation, Carnegie Mellon University

Clark, R., (2009). Accelerating expertise with scenario-based learning. Learning Blueprint . Merrifield, VA: American Society for Teaching and Development.

Davis, B. (1993). Tools for Teaching . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Davis, C. & Wilcock, E. (2003). Teaching Materials Using Case Studies.

Enquiry-based learning (Griffith University)

Errington, E.P., (2003). Developing scenario-based learning: Practical insights for tertiary educators . Palmerston North, N.Z .: Dunmore Press. 9-20.

Ganareo, V., & Lyons, R. (2015). Problem-Based Learning: Six Steps to Design, Implement, and Assess .

Gijselaers, W. (1995). Perspectives on problem-based learning. In W. Gijselaers, D. Tempelaar, P. Keizer, J. Blommaert, E. Benard, & H. Kasper (Eds.), Educational Innovation in Economics and Business Administration (pp. 39-52). Netherlands: Springer.

Gossman, P., Stewart, T., Jaspers, M., & Chapman, B. (2007). Integrating web-delivered problem-based learning scenarios to the curriculum. Active Learning In Higher Education , 8(2), 139-153.

Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 8 (1), 0-17. Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1149&context=jutlp

Kindley, R. W. (2002). Scenario-based e-learning: a step beyond traditional e-learning. ASTD Magazine . Retrieved from http://www.astd.org/

Problem-Based Learning at Maastricht University

Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/course-design-ideas/problem-based-learning-six-steps-to-design-implement-and-assess/

Ribeiro, L. R. C. (2011). The Pros and Cons of Problem-Based Learning from the Teacher's Standpoint.

Savery, John R. (2006) Overview of Problem-based Learning: Definitions and Distinctions, Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning 1 (1)

Schwartz, P., Mennin, S., & Webb, G. (2001). Problem-Based Learning: Case Studies, Experience and Practice (Eds.). London, UK: Kogan Page Limited.

Using Case Studies to Teach , Centre for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching, Boston University

Weimer, M. (2009). Problem-Based Learning: Benefits and Risks . Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/problem-based-learning-benefits-and-risks/

Wood, D. F. (2003). Problem-based learning. BMJ, 326, 328-330. doi: 10.1136/bmj.326.7384.328

• Project-based learning
• Reflective learning
• Collaborative learning
• Experiential learning
• In-class active learning activities

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Home » Critical Thinking and Its Benefits in Real Life Scenarios

Critical Thinking and Its Benefits in Real Life Scenarios

Update on: 05 Feb 2022, 04:27 PM

Critical Thinking is a valuable skill for students to master, as it will be helpful from solving problems in-class assignments to dealing with real-world situations. It is a method of comprehending a situation or circumstance to conclude. Mastering critical thinking skills can provide you with numerous advantages in gaining control over your thoughts and Learning.

Before discussing the significance, let us first discover what critical thinking is.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical Thinking is defined as the ability to think independently and creatively. It requires you to use your reasoning skills and to challenge ideas and assumptions rather than simply accepting them as they are. As a result, critical Thinking necessitates the use of reasoning skills.

Types of Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is a skill in itself that enhances many other skills that are listed below:

• Analysis: The ability to analyse and effectively evaluate a situation entails understanding.
• Inference : With this skill, you may draw conclusions using the collected information. 
• Self-Regulation : Evaluating your process of gaining knowledge timely to get a perfect solution.
• Open-Mindedness : Respecting the suggestions and views of others to move on to the right path.
• Problem-Solving : Once you have identified a problem and analysed it now the time is to execute its solution. This skill will help you to reach a solution of a difficult question/ situation in the correct way.

Few examples of Critical Thinking Skills

• A student tries to solve a complex problem in order to get a correct answer.
•  A story writer is someone who organizes ideas for a story’s plot while also paying attention to the complex beliefs and personalities of fictional characters.
• A group of scientists working meticulously through a complex experiment in order to collect and analyse data.ss

Related read: How to Memorize Things Faster

How to improve your critical thinking skills

To improve your critical thinking skills, you must follow the below tips:

• Ask it out:  To improve your critical thinking skill, the most important fact is curiosity. Do not hesitate to ask a question even though it is small. 
• Get all the info : Before coming down to a point, you must have all the information about it.
• Explore both sides of the coin:   Before making any decisions, look into the opposite view. Don’t just express your opinion based on what you believe; instead, consider the opposing viewpoint and then reach a conclusion.

Related read: Top 5 Suggestions for Improving your Logical Reasoning Skills

What are the benefits of thinking critically?

This will benefit you in multiple ways as under:

• Help you express your viewpoint : Thinking critically will benefit you in expressing and analysing your opinion confidently. 
• It boosts creativity:  It aids in the development of a creative solution to a problem. It is not sufficient to provide a solution to a problem. It is necessary to evaluate new ideas, select the best ones, and modify them as necessary.
• Helps in self-study methods : With the understanding of theoretical concepts , students are able to understand the process of applying those concepts in practical form. It also assists students in developing new ways of learning a new topic through self-study.  
• Improvement in grades : Critical thinking skills are highly beneficial in academic and competitive examinations because they improve overall performance. Thinking outside the box and analysing the potential ramifications will help you perform well and achieve high grades. 
• Personality development : These skills lead to the overall development of the personality of a student. It helps to instill confidence in oneself and provide necessary skills for the task as well as the ability to achieve their objectives. Students can achieve a self-motivated attitude.

We hope that the blog is helpful and assist you in improving your logical and critical thinking skills as well sharpen your mental ability. Once you’ve mastered these skills, you’ll be able to lay the groundwork for an effective academic score.

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March 14th, is a special day for mathematicians and math enthusiasts around the world - it's Pi Day, and it’s not the pie you can eat! Pi was invented by William Jones a Welsh mathematician and Pi Day is celebrated on this date because the…...

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Critical thinking: An essential police tool

Policies and procedures provide guidelines for dealing with a variety of situations, but what about problems not neatly gift wrapped.

Officers who deploy critical thinking will benefit themselves, their agencies and the public.

Photo/Police1

By Robert Whitson, PhD

As a police officer, have you ever asked yourself, “What the hell was I thinking?” Have you ever watched other officers, usually on the nightly news, and asked, “What the hell were they thinking?” During my 30 years as a police officer, a lot of people told me “what” to think, but nobody told me “how” to think. Nobody taught me critical thinking.

Police officers deal with problems every day. Officers are expected to demonstrate common sense, communication skills and interpersonal skills, all with an open mind free of bias. Policies and procedures provide guidelines for dealing with a variety of situations, but what about problems not neatly gift wrapped? Officers must use critical thinking for such situations. The following are five real-life examples.

1. You’re dispatched to a suicidal female who is on the phone with a crisis counselor. The female said she is alone in her apartment and has a gun.

Do you call SWAT? Do you evacuate other apartments? Do you yell for the female to come outside? Do you enter the apartment? Do you leave, which is a concept proposed in some jurisdictions?

Keep in mind, if somebody gets injured or dies, your every move will be dissected in retrospect. If you make a mistake, you may lose your job, get sued , or be prosecuted. In 2017, there were 47,173 suicides in the United States and about 1.4 million attempts. What will you do?

In this case, the officers who responded to the female’s apartment listened at the front door and didn’t hear anyone. The front door was unlocked. They quietly opened the door and heard the female talking in a bathroom. The bathroom door was open about one inch.

If they asked her to come out of the bathroom, it could turn into a barricaded subject, or suicide by cop. Realizing the female was distracted while talking to the counselor, and that most people who call a counselor for help don’t want to commit suicide, the officers knew they could take advantage of the element of surprise. One of the officers entered the bathroom and immediately grabbed the female before she could fire a gun. In this case, the plan worked, and nobody was hurt.

2. You attempt to stop a driver who may be driving under the influence. Instead of stopping, the vehicle speeds away. According to your pursuit policy, an officer must weigh the risk to life and property presented by the suspect if not immediately apprehended, compared to the risk to the public in pursuing the suspect.

An average of 355 persons were killed annually, from 1996 to 2015, during police pursuits. [1] If someone gets seriously injured or killed during your pursuit, your decision to engage in a pursuit will be second-guessed, with possible discipline, and the inevitable lawsuit will follow.

There are many variables to consider for this example. Is the driver a juvenile? Is the driver a senior citizen? What type of vehicle is involved? Variables include the volume of traffic, speed, the number of people in the suspect’s vehicle, type of area (residential, rural, city, business), type of roadway (number of lanes, highway, dirt/gravel, construction), traffic lights or signs, the weather (dry, wet, snow, ice), and time of day or night, etc.

No officer wants anyone, especially an innocent person, to be injured or killed during a pursuit. Yet it happens too often. What will you do? My recommendation is to end the pursuit or follow the suspect from a distance while considering arrest options if the suspect stops or returns home. What’s your decision?

3. You’re a detective. You obtained a search warrant for a residence to search for illegal drugs. Based on information from an informant, the suspect always keeps a gun close to him. The informant has never been inside the suspect’s home and the informant is afraid to buy drugs from the suspect. You plan to execute the search warrant at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday when the suspect should be asleep. Just before you execute the search warrant, you learn the suspect has his wife and two young children in his residence. What will you do?

Ask yourself this question, “What will the news media report if a child is hurt during the raid?” The headlines will read “Police Murder Child in Drug Raid Gone Wrong.” I worked in the narcotics unit for six years. Drugs are not worth getting anyone killed, especially innocent children. In this case, the raid should be canceled until the children are out of the residence. You may consider using a ruse to get the suspect and/or children out of the residence, but don’t enter while they’re present.

4. You observe a person on the sidewalk in front of your police station. The person is taking videos of the police station, police employees going in and out of the building, police vehicles and personal vehicles of employees. What will you do?

YouTube is full of citizens who bait officers into violating their constitutional rights . Proceed with caution. First, do you have reasonable suspicion to believe a crime has occurred or is about to occur? If not, don’t contact this person. A person in public can legally videotape people and places in public. If you have reasonable suspicion, you can contact this person and ask for their name, but you better be sure you can justify reasonable suspicion. What if the person refuses to provide their name and/or an identification card? If you don’t have probable cause to arrest the person, walk away.

5. It’s a busy night and all officers are on calls. You’re dispatched to an apartment building about a man with a gun. Upon arrival, the victim says a resident of the apartment building appeared intoxicated, was screaming in the pool area and was carrying a rifle. The victim told the suspect to be quiet and go inside. The suspect told the victim, “Shut up or I’ll shoot you.” No shots were fired, but the suspect could be arrested for felony menacing. You go to the suspect’s apartment. No lights are on and you can’t hear any noise inside the apartment. The suspect appears to be asleep. What are the risks of trying to contact the suspect at that time, compared to the risks of contacting the suspect at a later date? What will you do?

In this case, I decided to take a wait-and-see approach. Why wake the suspect and possibly force a barricaded situation? The victim was advised to call 9-1-1 if the suspect left his apartment again. Two days later, an arrest warrant was obtained for the suspect and the suspect was arrested without incident.

Characteristics of critical thinkers

According to critical thinking experts Richard Paul and Linda Elder, “Critical thinking is that mode of thinking – about any subject, content, or problem – in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing it. Critical thinking is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking.”

Rosalindo Alfaro-LeFevre [2] lists the characteristics of critical thinkers, shortened and summarized for this article:

• Active thinkers: Double-check the reliability of information.
• Fair, open-minded and flexible: Aware of their perceptions, values, beliefs and biases, but willing to consider other perspectives and change priorities as needed.
• Empathetic: Put themselves in the position of other people. Understand the thoughts and feelings of others from their perspective.
• Independent thinkers: The ability to reach decisions by themselves and take responsibility for those decisions, instead of depending on others to make decisions.
• Curious, humble and honest: Constantly trying to find the truth and resolve problems. Admitting mistakes and trying to correct them. Always evaluating performance and striving to improve it.
• Proactive: Anticipating problems and acting before they occur.
• Organized and systematic: Examining information, making decisions and trying to solve problems systematically.
• Logical: Seeking facts, research, and making evidence-based decisions.
• Team player: Willing to collaborate and work toward a common goal.

When people in America call the police for help, they expect professional, educated and qualified officers to help them. And, in this era, Americans are quick to report (via the news media and social media) unprofessional, unethical and/or illegal police behavior. Officers who deploy critical thinking will benefit themselves, their agencies and the public, and in doing so, may stay off the evening news for making a mistake.

Take the active supervision challenge: Critical thinking

Critical thinking engages your brain to comprehend, assess, analyze and process information in a way that improves your decision-making

1. Reaves B. Police vehicle pursuits, 2012-2013. Retrieved from the Bureau of Justice Statistics website .

2. Alfaro-LeFevre R. Critical thinking in nursing: A practical approach. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders, 1999.

About the author

Robert Whitson was a police officer in Boulder, Colorado, for 30 years, working a variety of assignments. He taught criminal justice at Metropolitan State University in Denver for seven years while working on a PhD in criminal justice. He presently teaches for a private university in Florida, where he has taught criminal justice for seven years. Contact him at [email protected] .