Critical Thinking and Decision Making.
Abstract
Is there a relationship between critical thinking and decision making? In order to answer that question they both must be defined. Arons (1985) defines critical thinking as: "asking questions. (How do we know? What is the evidence?), being aware of gaps in knowledge, distinguishing between fact and conjecture, distinguishing between an idea and the name of that idea and providing definitions, looking for (hidden) assumptions, performing hypothetico-deductive reasoning, knowing inductive and deductive reasoning, intellectual self-reliance, and being aware of our own thinking process".
Harris (1998) defines decision making as: "the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision maker, and the process of sufficiently reducing uncertainty and doubt about alternatives to allow a reasonable choice to be made from among them."
By definitions alone we can see that decision making and critical thinking are linked. Good managerial decisions are dependant on the employment of critical thinking.
Critical Thinking and Decision Making
In order to determine the relationship between decision making and critical thinking, it becomes necessary to first define each of them. I'll start with decision making. In an internet article, Harris (1998) defines decision making as follows:
1."Decision making is the study of identifying and choosing alternatives based on the values and preferences of the decision maker.
2.Decision making is the process of sufficiently reducing uncertainty and doubt about alternatives to allow a reasonable choice to be made from among them."
The author presents this definition as being standard, and after having read portions of the required texts for this course I would agree. The authors, McCall and Kaplan (1990), speak to the problems facing decision makers rather than focusing on the definition itself. They cite many examples of the difficulty facing today's managers in actually adhering to the definition given...
Reviews of: "Critical Thinking and Decision Making."
:
More Management Planning & Decision Making
essays:
Critical thinking and Decision making.
... CRITICAL THINKING AND DECISION MAKING Critical Thinking and Decision Making Gretchen Schoser CIS 330 Stuart Gold University of Phoenix October 13, 2003 Critical Thinking and Decision Making How will this acquisition affect me? What can I do ...
Making informed decisions through critical thinking
... power and writers continued to persuade the public. Three critical thinking processes are necessary towards making informed decisions, questioning, evaluating and understanding ...
Decision-Making Model Analysis
... home, and what kind of person would I be if I invited someone into our home without discussing it with everyone else. " (Dow Jones & Co., 2004). How Critical Thinking Impacts Decision-Making Critical thinking is ...
Decision Making Model Analysis
... that decision-making material and literature tend to emphasize the product of decision-making but do not emphasize the actual process of decision-making. Critical thinking is ...
Critical Thinking and Decision Making Paper examining the relationship between critical thinking and decision making
... problems and making correct decisions that is valued. This paper will examine the relationship between critical thinking and the decision making process ...
Critical Thinking and Decision Making.
... the relationship between the two processes. Critical Thinking 1.Ask questions 2.Define the problem 3.Examine evidence 4.Analyze assumptions and biases 5.Avoid emotional reasoning 6.Don't oversimplify 7.Consider other interpretations 8.Tolerate uncertainty Decision-Making 1 ...
The Relationship between Critical Thinking and Decision Making.
... the relationship between critical thinking and the decision-making process, explains the course textbook position, and relates how both processes apply to the author's workplace. Critical thinking involves the ability to analyze and assess information gathered through observations, reasoning ...
Critical Thinking and Decision Making
... view, critical thinking and decision making go hand-in-hand one without the benefit of the other lessens the success of each. The relationship of critical thinking and decision-making are ...
Good essay
Really good essay really informative. Prompts questions I never thought of.
1 out of 2 people found this comment useful.