CT Dispositions, Habits of Mind, Attributes?

What is the difference between personal mental attributes, mental disciplines, dispositions and habits of mind?

These terms are used interchangeably, although one or another may have more currency in a given language community.  Perhaps “personal mental attribute” is the most straightforward non-technical term in the list, where as “dispositions” may be the most obscure.  However in each case we are referring to the consistent internal motivation to engage problems in a certain way.  The positive habits of mind we prize are those which orient decision makers and problem solvers toward using reflective judgment – that is, critical thinking, particularly when working on novel, high stakes, complex, questions in contexts of risk and uncertainty.  We measure these personal mental attributes with instruments like the CCTDI, CM3, BAI, and part 1 of the MDCTI and the LSRP.  To get a fuller sense of what they are, visit the pages of this website that describe the scales on those instruments.  Also, the essay “Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts” explains them and their relationship to critical thinking skills.  These personal mental attributes represent the “willing” part in the phrase “willing and able to think critically.”