Decision-Making Model Analysis

Critical thinking is not an easy process to define. One source I found interesting states that "Critical thinking is the general term given to a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and truth claims, to discover and overcome personal prejudices and biases, to formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions, and to make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe and what to do." (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, and Wallace, 2002) While doing the research for this paper, I have found that there is no unanimously accepted definition of critical thinking. However, researchers and educators have agreed on some of the important components of the concept, which can help us develop the habit and ability of thinking critically. The purpose of this paper is to describe a decision-making model and define each step of the process. I will also show how this model applies to a recent job-related decision I have made.

Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines

English: There are no symbols that represent skept...

English: There are no symbols that represent skept...

Step one: identify the decision to be made. This step consists of two key elements that are critical to making an informed decision. The first element is to define exactly what it is that needs to be decided. If you cannot define what you are trying to decide, then attempting to find a solution will be impossible to do. My employer asked me to order a DSL router for our computer network that would give all the computers access to the internet and install the router when it arrived. The decision I had to make was which DSL router would best suit our situation. The second element is whether there is a choice between two or more options. If so, then you have to make allowances for all the choices available. For my situation, I had...