Critical Thinking

Match each characteristic with its corresponding description. 1. Open Mindedness 2. High Motivation 3. Healthy Skepticism 4. Free Thinking 5. Intellectual humility A. Examining new evidence even if it leads you to find flaws in your own beliefs B. Asking questions to determine what is true (or not) instead of simply accepting what others think C. Avoiding the pressure to conform to others opinions in order to think for yourself D. Listening and thinking about an idea with an unbiased perspective...even if it's considered 'outside the box' E. Putting in the necessary work (asking questions, doing research, etc.) in order to understand a subject better

1. D 2. E 3. B 4. C 5. A

9. SMSgt Horton and his team are getting ready to deploy next month. His people are heavily engaged in completing pre-deployment tasks and reviewing their training records. As a result of the review, SMSgt Horton finds a few of his Airmen aren't trained on critical tasks needed for the deployment... and they are running out of time. SMSgt Horton has been in this situation before, so he decides to team them up with his most experienced Airman to get them up to speed. Then, SMSgt Horton will follow up with the Airmen to ensure they are comfortable with the tasks. SMSgt Horton thinks this is the quickest way to get everyone back on track and deployment ready. SMSgt Horton's use of _________ will MOST likely enhance mission effectiveness. a. System-1 thinking b. System-2 thinking c. Reasoning Elements

A. CORRECT: System-1 thinking involves relying on intuition, prior experience, and/or situational cues to arrive at a decision quickly. SMSgt Horton used System-1 (reactive) thinking to solve the training problem as evidenced by the timeliness of the decision. Due to the importance of the issue (deployment in a month), a decision needed to be made quickly (running out of time). Therefore, SMSgt Horton relies on his prior experience (...has been in this situation before) to make a decision. Based on SMSgt Horton's actions, his people can get just-in-time training and be ready to effectively accomplish the mission.

5. MSgt Chase called a meeting with his section NCOICs to discuss how they can improve the service at the base Dining Facility. Even though he hasn't received any complaints, MSgt Chase has noticed the serving lines are starting to slow down during peak hours. He knows the Dining Facility is a high visibility interest item for the base commander, so he needs to address the issue quickly. He states, "Look, moving people through our serving line is just like launching aircraft on the flight line...we have to do it fast. If we don't act now to speed up the serving time, people might stop coming to eat here and we could lose some of our special programs like Steak and Lobster Night." MSgt Chase's comments BEST illustrate the hindrance of ______________. a. Faulty Logic b. Use of Language c. Psychological / Sociological Pitfall

A. Faulty Logic The hindrance of faulty logic can lead you to make erroneous conclusions or accept false ideas. In the scenario, MSgt Chase makes an irrelevant comparison when he compares moving people through their service line to launching aircraft on the flight line. Serving people isn't the same as launching aircraft. Additionally, he commits a slippery slope fallacy by stating that if they don't speed up the serving time, they could lose Steak and Lobster Night. Since MSgt Chase hasn't received complaints about the serving time, there is no proof this adverse chain of events will even occur.

Characteristics of a Proficient Critical Thinker: Open Mindedness

Being open-minded means you're 'open' to actively listening and thinking about an idea, solution, or criticism that, on the surface, you might not normally subscribe to...even if you believe your viewpoint is the right one! For example, let's say one of your people has an idea about changing a process in the work environment that's been around for a while and has been working. If your attitude reflects open-mindedness, you would actually listen to his pitch and seriously think about it instead of just saying "NO". As a senior leader, when it comes to problem solving or decision making, you should be open to others' perspectives and opinions before acting. Otherwise, you could make a decision or suggest a solution that might not be comprehensive or right for the situation.

MSgt Rowe's subordinate, A1C Sterling, seems to be causing trouble on his shift. A few airmen on the same shift told MSgt Rowe that A1C Sterling is displaying a bad attitude and is questioning the relevance of everything they have to do. They complained that his behavior is causing interpersonal problems in the work center and they asked MSgt Rowe for help. She initially thought of giving him a letter of counseling to correct his behavior, but decided it might be too early to jump to that solution. So, she decides to talk with a few more people, including the shift leader, to get a more complete picture of what the problem is. Even though MSgt Rowe knows A1C Sterling can be difficult to work with at times, she doesn't think it's right to base her decision solely on what the airmen have said and her opinion of him. MSgt Rowe's actions BEST illustrate the use of the ____________standard. a. Relevance b. Clarity c. Fairness

C. Fairness

7. Colonel Freeman says to MSgt Wilson, "Your flight seems to question a lot of our processes...I'm not sure if that's a good thing. MSgt Wilson replies, "I encourage all my people to ask lots of questions and to think for themselves...to come to their own conclusions. I tell them to be true to their own thinking, but also see things from other viewpoints, including yours. I'm attempting to help create an environment where they are able to grow into effective decisions makers." MSgt Wilson's encouragement of ______ will MOST likely _______his subordinates' effectiveness. a. System-1 thinking; enhance b. System-1 thinking; hinder c. Essential Intellectual Traits; enhance d. Essential Intellectual Traits; hinder

C. MSgt Wilson is encouraging the development of Essential Intellectual Traits which include Intellectual Autonomy (think for themselves), Confidence in Reason (to come to their own conclusions), Intellectual Courage (be true to their own thinking), and Intellectual Empathy (see things from other viewpoints). MSgt Wilson's actions will most likely enhance his subordinates' effectiveness.

8. While discussing manpower issues during a production meeting, SMSgt Rodriguez asks, "Why is it that my flight's additional manning requests never get approved? The current process seems to favor the larger flights and I'm getting to the point where my mission might be negatively impacted if I don't get more people!" While trying to understand the viewpoints of senior leadership and the manning process, SMSgt Rodriguez asks all sorts of questions to determine why his flight hasn't been successful in acquiring additional manning slots. After receiving answers to his questions, SMSgt Rodriguez ends the conversation with, "Although I still need the additional manning, at least I understand why my requests have been disapproved. I'll work on a plan to meet my mission requirements with the manning I have." SMSgt Rodriquez's actions BEST illustrate _____ and its impact on SNCO effectiveness. a. Critical thinking hindrances b. Steps to decision analysis process c. Proficient critical thinking characteristics

C. Proficient critical thinking involves 1) Open mindedness, 2) Healthy skepticism, and 3) Intellectual humility. SMSgt Rodriguez's comments or actions demonstrate all three. He asks questions to clarify the facts, examines the situation, and gets at the truth. He examines viewpoints different from his own, examines issues from as many sides as possible, and looks for the good and bad points of the various sides examined. Finally, although he still didn't get what he wanted, he is willing to support the decision, which indicates intellectual humility. Because he demonstrates characteristics of a proficient critical thinker, he is more effective as evidenced by his actions to develop a plan to meet his mission requirements with his current manning.

Universal Intellectual Standard: Clarity

Clarity is the 'gateway' standard. This means if a statement/problem lacks clarity, you can't determine whether it meets any of the other intellectual standards. Actually, you can't tell anything about it because you don't yet have an understanding of what the problem actually is. Therefore, because of its importance, Clarity should be determined first.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking requires you to combine your rational logic, creativity, common sense, and intuition into structured expressions of clear solutions and ideas that are useful and relevant to the task. How many times in your career have you had to come up with new ideas or pick from ideas to determine the best one to accomplish the mission? Critical thinking not only helps us become more effective in mission-related decisions, it's also useful when it comes to reflection and life choices.

6. MSgt Longman, the unit first sergeant, is PCSing. However, his replacement won't be available for another three months. MSgt Longman needs to find someone to fill his position in the interim. There are quite a few people that have volunteered for the job, but he wants to ensure he selects the right person. To keep him focused during his selection process, he writes down what he actually needs. Since he wants to find the right person for the job, he brainstorms the skills he thinks a good first sergeant should have. Then, he makes a list and separates the items into two columns: what he absolutely needs and skills that would be nice to have. So that he can prioritize the 'nice to haves', he orders them based on how important they are. Now, he's ready to look at all the people that volunteered for the job and compare them to his list. To select the best person for the position, MSgt Longman still needs to: a. Categorize his criteria and develop a list of alternatives b. Create a decision statement and conduct a risk analysis c. Determine his criteria and assign weights to his WANTs d. Select the best alternative and conduct a risk analysis

D. Based on where MSgt Longman is in the decision analysis process, he still needs to select the best alterative based on his comparison of the alternatives to the MUSTs and WANTs criteria. Additionally, once he determines which person is best based on his comparison, he needs to conduct a risk analysis to see if there are any adverse consequences he should consider if that individual is selected.

Characteristics of Proficient Critical Thinker: Intellectual Humility

Having Intellectual Humility means adhering tentatively to recently acquired opinions; being prepared to examine new evidence and arguments even if such examination leads you to discover flaws in your own cherished beliefs; to stop thinking that complex issues can be reduced to matters of 'right & wrong' or 'black & white', and to begin thinking in terms of 'degrees of certainty' or 'shades of grey'.

universal Intellectual Standard: Accuracy

Once you've determined a statement is clear (Clarity), you need to check to see if it's true. You could ask the following questions to determine Accuracy: •• Is that really true? ••How could we check that? ••How could we find out if that is true?

System 1 Thinking (reactive)

Reactive Thinking (System-1) relies heavily on situational cues, prominent memories, and trial and error to arrive quickly and confidently at judgments, particularly when situations are familiar and immediate action is required. Some of the judgments you make are automatic or reactive, rather than reflective.

System 2 Thinking (reflective)

Reflective Thinking (System-2) is broad and informed problem-solving and deliberate decision-making that relies heavily on information, deliberation, time, planning, and comprehensive consideration. If you've ever worked on a car engine and you want the job done right the first time, you would pull out a manual, make sure you have the right tools, and think each step through before proceeding. This type of reflective thinking is useful for judgments in unfamiliar situations, for processing abstract concepts, and for deliberating when there is time.

Reasoning Elements

Think about your Purpose (goal or objective) All reasoning has a purpose. It's your goal, objective...what you're trying to accomplish. You can also use the term 'purpose' to include functions, motives, and intentions. When engaging in structured thinking, you should be clear about your purpose and ensure it's justifiable. In order to do this, you should: •• Ensure you take the time to state your purpose clearly ••Distinguish your purpose from related purposes •• Check periodically to be sure you're still on target with your goal or objective •• Choose significant and realistic purposes

Characteristics of Proficient Critical Thinker: Healthy Skepticism

To be a healthy skeptic you should ask questions in order to ascertain what's truthful and what's not. Healthy skepticism causes the critical thinker to ask questions instead of immediately 'jumping on the bandwagon' or simply accepting others opinions. This characteristic also includes a bit of investigation to ensure you're fully informed before making decisions.Critical thinkers must be willing to investigate viewpoints different from their own view, but at the same time recognize when to doubt claims that don't merit such investigation. Being both open-minded and skeptical means seeking out the facts, information sources, and reasoning to support issues you intend to judge; examining issues from as many sides as possible; rationally looking for the good and bad points of the various sides examined; accepting the fact that your viewpoint may be wrong; and maintaining the goal of getting at the truth (or as close to the truth as possible), rather than trying to please others or find fault with their views.

Characteristics of Proficient Critical Thinker: Free Thinking

To think freely, you must restrain your desire to believe because of social pressures to conform. You must be willing to ask if conformity is motivating your belief or opinion, and if so, have the strength and courage to at least temporarily abandon your position until you can complete a more objective and thorough evaluation.

Proficient Critical Thinker

When you are presented with decisions or problems, do you rely on how 'things have always been'? Do you tend to approach situations with a solution already in mind instead of being open to new ideas? Or are you more likely to value your own perspective over the perspective of others? When dealing with important issues, you need to make sure you can approach situations with a certain mindset...a certain attitude to help you select the best solutions.

Habits of Mind

are intellectual behaviors that help you produce very powerful results when dealing with problems, dilemmas, contradictory things, situations that are not easily explained or understood, and uncertainties.

Characteristics of Proficient Critical Thinker: High Motivation

as a critical thinker, you should have a natural curiosity to further your understanding and be highly motivated to put in the necessary work sufficient to evaluate the multiple sides of issues. You can overcome the lack of essential knowledge on a subject by doing the research needed to reach a sufficient level of understanding before making judgments.

SMSgt Alexander was tasked to figure out why his unit has experienced a high CDC failure rate over the past six months and to develop a solution to fix the problem. He conducted some fact finding and identified a solution. While briefing the commander about his idea, he explained he talked with airmen on the night shift that passed the test and was told they felt more comfortable with the material because they had time to study at work, since their shift isn't very busy. When he talked to those on day shift that failed, they said they didn't have much time to study at work because their shift is the busiest of the day. He also told the commander the day shift had the most CDC failures... the night shift only had one. So, because those on nights had time to study at work and those on days didn't, he suggested the commander provide study time for those on the day shift in order to help increase the amount of study time they have. This scenario BEST identifies SMSgt Alexander's use of the __________________ Reasoning Element. a. Purpose b. Inferences c. Implications

b. CORRECT: The Inferences reasoning element focuses on the conclusions and/or solutions that logically follow the evidence. In the scenario, SMSgt Alexander engaged in fact finding in order to gather his evidence. He found that those on days didn't have as much student time as those on nights. Therefore, he inferred that to decrease the number of CDC failures, his commander should provide time during the duty day for those on the day shift to study.

4. During a flight production meeting, MSgt Marley stated his people are always the ones tasked for additional duties such as Honor Guard or Demand Reduction. They explained to him that every time they're tasked with an additional duty, someone else has to pick up the extra workload while they're out. MSgt Marley pointed out that while he does understand these duties have to be done, the first sergeant always comes to his section first. He finished by stating, this has to be worked out before my people are burned out! Before the other section leaders could chime in, Chief Twain, the flight superintendent, says, "Have you ever considered why the first sergeant comes to you, MSgt Marley?" MSgt Marley didn't answer. Chief Twain then said, "Who has the largest section in the flight with the least impact on the daily mission?" MSgt Marley embarrassingly responded, "I do." The chief ended the conversation by saying, "Good SNCOs are able to look at the overall picture from multiple standpoints instead of just their own. Next time you have a similar concern, first try to consider the entire organizational perspective instead of focusing on your piece of the pie." Chief Twain's comments BEST illustrate the Essential Intellectual Trait of____________. a. Intellectual Perseverance b. Intellectual Integrity c. Fair-mindedness

c. CORRECT: The intellectual trait of Fair-mindedness includes treating all viewpoints alike without referencing your own. It also includes engaging in thinking without considering the advantage of your group. In the scenario, MSgt Marley doesn't think it is right (fair) that his people are always tasked with unit additional duties. He's looking at the situation using his own lens...considering his own interests (his people's interests). However, Chief Twain asked him to consider others' viewpoints ("Why do you think the first sergeant comes to you", "...looking at the overall picture using multiple standpoints") and tells him to think without referencing his own vested interests ("...try to consider the entire organizational perspective instead of focusing on your own piece of the pie.)