Critical Thinking and Decision Making

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Critical Thinking and Decision Making

Suzanne K. Wolfe

Com/505

7/31/10

JOHN GALLAUDET

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Abstract

Using critical thinking skills and decision making process is important

to use for everyday decisions. Especially when you are making a life changing choice that will have a huge impact on your life. Even just picking a school and graduate program it is important to use both critical thinking and decision making.

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In this essay Suzanne will be writing about how critical thinking and decision making process has an effect on deciding if going back to school and pursuing a graduate degree is the right choice for her.

When Suzanne was deciding if going back to school is right for her or not, she had to apply her critical thinking skills. According to Kennedy "formal critical thinking removes the likelihood of making the errors we usually make in decision making based on various factors such as previous experiences, and unconscious biases. It is believed that good critical thinking involves being open-minded and viewing issues from all angles"( Kennedy, 2010). So, Suzanne had to take a step back and look at all the evidence there is about going back to school was good idea or a bad idea. According to Ennis "defends a conception of critical thinking based primarily in particular skills, such as observing, inferring, generalization, reasoning, evaluating, and the like. We must make use of decision making to answer problems that arise in our lives. When confronted with a problem, we must asses the problem or argument and analyze all information that is put before us so we can make the best decision possible." (Ennis, 1996) She also made a pro and con list on what is best for her and her family.

After Suzanne finally decided to go back to school, she then had to make a

Decision about pursing and getting a graduate degree in psychology or get another bachelor's degree in a different subject. That meant that she again had to use her critical thinking skills to make a concise decision on her future, but not only hers but also her family's future. So instead of just doing what she did before, she spoke to her family. According to Johnson "Think-aloud protocols are self-reported verbal records of thoughts that pass through subjects' minds while

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performing cognitive tasks." (Johnson 1993). About her choices that her had to make, which in the end helped her decide to pursue and get her graduate degree instead of just getting another bachelor's degree.

To make sure that I did not rush and actually made a concise choice for my future, I had to use decision making process besides only using my critical thinking skills. Suzanne needed to make sure for herself the best solution to the decision she came to was right one. So, she followed the rational decision making process, which according to Kutschera & Ryan (2009), steps of the Rational Decision-Making Model are as followed: 1. Identify the problem, 2. Generate alternative solutions, 3. Assess alternatives, 4. Select optimal solution, 5. Implement solution, and 6. Evaluate outcomes.( Kutschera & Ryan 2009). To help make sure she did not just jump to the obvious choice. Because she knew that she will not be able to change her decision and it had to meet her needs now and in the future. Suzanne also knew that she needed to follow the hierarchy needs that can help her make her final decision. According to Yentzer & Clark, (2006) The "Hierarchy of Needs" method: (1) paints a picture of the desired outcome in terms of quantifiable attributes (what should the end result look like?), (2) compares every possible alternative against those attributes through a series of screening operations (will these alternatives, if selected, produce success?), and (3) those alternatives that remain after the screening, become the reasonable alternatives; they are the only alternatives that could produce successful outcomes if chosen (Yentzer & Clark, 2006). By using this and the rational decision making model, Suzanne knew for sure that the decision that she made was correct for her and her goals for the future,. She also