Human reasoning and problem solving are highly complex processes, but not impossible to analyze, measure and improve. A measure of critical thinking that describes an individual's comparative strength in critical thinking is a valuable aid in determining a person's capacity to benefit from training or to succeed in their job. Today, educational programs and workplace training programs are being required to demonstrate that they are effectiv...

It is a common experience to encounter people with skills they are not motivated to use.  And perhaps equally common to know people who are motivated to do things for which, unfortunately, they lack the skills. Reasoning and critical thinking follow this pattern. Some people are more positively disposed to apply their critical thinking skills whenever they have decisions to make or problems to solve; others are ambivalent and at t...

There are many ways to improve critical thinking skills and  all of them require practice and reflection.  Begin by downloading your own personal free copy of "Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts" from our website.  This essay includes suggestions for how to improve critical thinking. Other tips can be found on our website under the CT Resources tab.

The most effective way to measure critical thinking is to use a critical thinking skills test to evaluate a person's core skills in analysis, inference, evaluation, deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning AND to use a critical thinking dispositional or attribute measure to assess the level of the person's consistent internal motivation or willingness to use his or her critical thinking skills when it counts in problem solving and d...

Critical thinking is reasoned and reflective judgment applied to solving problems or making decisions about what to believe or what to do.  Critical thinking gives reasoned consideration to defining and analyzing problems, identifying and evaluating  options, inferring likely outcomes and probable consequences, and explaining the reasons, evidence, methods and standards used in making those analyses, inferences and evaluations.&nb...

Core critical thinking skills include analysis, interpretation, inference, evaluation, explanation, and self-reflection.  These skills are central to problem solving and decision making in an extremely wide variety of contexts and at all educational and professional levels.  For more about these critical thinking skills and the benefits of developing them download your personal copy of Dr. Peter Facione's widely cited essay,

A skill is something a person can do, like reading, swimming, singing, or thinking. Skills are more or less well developed within the range of a persons abilities. A person may have the ability to play the piano, but not have developed his or her skill at playing the piano. A disposition is a habitual inclination, like being loving, trustworthy, open-minded, or, on the negative side, biased, imprudent, or cowardly. A person may or may not b...

At a technical level there are many differences.  But we do not wish to disparage the Wonderlic or the testing products offered by other companies.  Insight Assessment testing instruments are valid, reliable, cost-effective and highly efficient tools for assessing the core critical thinking skills and habits of mind used in purposeful decision making and problem solving concerning what to believe or what to do. Our tools are used....

There are many differences, but perhaps the most significant is the conceptualization of "critical thinking" upon which the tests are based. All the critical thinking instruments published by Insight Assessment are based on the international multi-disciplinary expert consensus definition of critial thinking articulated initially in the APA Delphi Research Report of 1990.  The conceptualization of critical thinking skills and....

The Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric (HCTSR) is a rating measure that can be used to assess the quality of critical thinking displayed in a verbal presentation or written text.  One would use the HCTSR to rate a written document or presentation where the presenter is required to be explicit about their thinking process. If you used this instrument to assess critical thinking in your sample you will need to train the rater...