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Chapter 1: The Power of Critical Thinking
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies positive critical thinking?
(a) John prefers following instructions of his manager to thinking for himself.
(b) Susan anticipates the expenses of attending college and seeks a part-time job.
(c) Eli, caught up in the excitement and emotions of the moment, joins in the looting.
(d) Jude, determined to act now on his decision, refuses to listen to his friend’s reasons to delay.
Answer: b
Question Title: TB_01_01 Risk and Uncertainty Abound, Apply, LO 1.1
Topic: Risk and Uncertainty Abound
Learning Objective: 1.1 Explain why critical thinking is important in a world filled with risk and uncertainty by supplying reasons and examples that relate to your own life, to the well-being of your community, and to the preservation of a free and open society.
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: 2–Moderate
2. Which of the following is most likely to occur in societies where people are educated and free to think for themselves?
(a) Old ways of thinking are appreciated and followed.
(b) Decision making takes less time.
(c) People are more apt to disagree about important decisions.
(d) Policy issues become less complicated to resolve.
Answer: c
Question Title: TB_01_02 Risk and Uncertainty Abound, Understand, LO 1.1
Topic: Risk and Uncertainty Abound
Learning Objective: 1.1 Explain why critical thinking is important in a world filled with risk and uncertainty by supplying reasons and examples that relate to your own life, to the well-being of your community, and to the preservation of a free and open society.
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: 2–Moderate
3. The stronger our critical thinking skills and habits of mind, ______.
(a) the weaker our democracy will become
(b) the more likely we are to be influenced by others
(c) the more likely we are to live in a closed society
(d) the greater our prospects of success
Answer: d
Question Title: TB_01_03 Risk and Uncertainty Abound, Remember, LO 1.1
Topic: Risk and Uncertainty Abound
Learning Objective: 1.1 Explain why critical thinking is important in a world filled with risk and uncertainty by supplying reasons and examples that relate to your own life, to the well-being of your community, and to the preservation of a free and open society.
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: 1–Easy
4. Which of the following measures should be taken by corporations hoping to succeed in a global high-tech world?
(a) restrict the free flow of accurate information
(b) exercise control over employees’ minds
(c) cultivate workplace cultures that foster strong critical thinking
(d) emphasize leadership decision making based on gut feelings
Answer: c
Question Title: TB_01_04 Risk and Uncertainty Abound, Understand, LO 1.1
Topic: Risk and Uncertainty Abound
Learning Objective: 1.1 Explain why critical thinking is important in a world filled with risk and uncertainty by supplying reasons and examples that relate to your own life, to the well-being of your community, and to the preservation of a free and open society.
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: 1–Easy
5. Strong critical thinking requires being ______.
(a) cynical
(b) skeptical
(c) opinionated
(d) passive
(e) judgmental
Answer: b
Question Title: TB_01_05 Risk and Uncertainty Abound, Remember, LO 1.1
Topic: Risk and Uncertainty Abound
Learning Objective: 1.1 Explain why critical thinking is important in a world filled with risk and uncertainty by supplying reasons and examples that relate to your own life, to the well-being of your community, and to the preservation of a free and open society.
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: 1–Easy
6. Which of the following is the purpose of critical thinking?
(a) to form well-reasoned and fair-minded judgments regarding what to believe or what to do
(b) to promote an uncritical method of reaching firm conclusions about what is or is not true
(c) to make decisions about a situation based on quick and reactive judgments
(d) to arrive at decisions without wasting time analyzing every option
Answer: a
Question Title: TB_01_06 What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”?, Understand, LO 1.1
Topic: What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”?
Learning Objective: 1.1 Explain why critical thinking is important in a world filled with risk and uncertainty by supplying reasons and examples that relate to your own life, to the well-being of your community, and to the preservation of a free and open society.
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: 1–Easy
7. Kelly is in a hurry as she drives home for the holidays. She sees the signs warning that the bridge might be icy but does not reduce her speed because she is confident in her driving skills. But, sure enough, the ice on the bridge is nearly invisible and her car spins out and slams into the side of the bridge. Luckily, she was wearing her seatbelt and the airbag worked. Which of the following contributed to the accident?
(a) a failure to think critically
(b) confusion about the meaning of the warning sign
(c) defective front or back wheel breaks
(d) too much eagerness to see family
Answer: a
Question Title: TB_01_07 What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”? Apply, LO 1.2
Topic: What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”?
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain why a strong critical thinker’s healthy sense of skepticism is not the same as negativity and cynicism. From your own experience supply examples showing the unfortunate results of a failure of critical thinking as here defined.
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: 2–Moderate
8. Which of the following pair of terms best describes critical thinking?
(a) cynical and wishy-washy
(b) stubborn and nitpicky
(c) analytical and evaluative
(d) judgmental and opinionated
(e) democratic and virtuous
Answer: c
Question Title: TB_01_08 What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”? Remember, LO 1.2
Topic: What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”?
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain why a strong critical thinker’s healthy sense of skepticism is not the same as negativity and cynicism. From your own experience supply examples showing the unfortunate results of a failure of critical thinking as here defined.
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: 1–Easy
9. Which of the following statements best describes the critical thinking process?
(a) Critical thinking is about being stubborn and judgmental in decision making.
(b) Critical thinking is about making decisions based on reasons that speak for themselves.
(c) Critical thinking is about cynically showing why other people are always wrong.
(d) Critical thinking is about using one’s skills to defend bad decisions.
Answer: b
Question Title: TB_01_09 What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”? Analyze, LO 1.2
Topic: What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”?
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain why a strong critical thinker’s healthy sense of skepticism is not the same as negativity and cynicism. From your own experience supply examples showing the unfortunate results of a failure of critical thinking as here defined.
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: 3–Difficult
10. Which of the following is not compatible with strong critical thinking?
(a) challenging cherished beliefs
(b) disagreeing with established norms
(c) being skeptical about ideas
(d) ignoring reasons and evidence
Answer: d
Question Title: TB_01_10 What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”? Remember, LO 1.2
Topic: What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”?
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain why a strong critical thinker’s healthy sense of skepticism is not the same as negativity and cynicism. From your own experience supply examples showing the unfortunate results of a failure of critical thinking as here defined.
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: 1–Easy
11. A person who believes that critical thinking is similar to other skills-based activities is most likely to suggest that it ______.
(a) can be improved by guided practice
(b) is something that groups of people cannot do together
(c) requires sticking to one’s beliefs and opinions
(d) can be employed only when there are contradicting ideas
Answer: a
Question Title: TB_01_11 What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”? Analyze, LO 1.2
Topic: What Do We Mean by “Critical Thinking”?
Learning Objective: 1.2 Explain why a strong critical thinker’s healthy sense of skepticism is not the same as negativity and cynicism. From your own experience supply examples showing the unfortunate results of a failure of critical thinking as here defined.
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: 3–Difficult
12. If a professor is grading student work for the quality of the critical thinking displayed, which of these considerations would be the most important?
(a) whether the professor agrees or disagrees with the conclusions presented
(b) the vocabulary and writing style displayed by the student
(c) the quality and fair-mindedness of reasoning displayed in the work
(d) the originality of the point of view expressed in the student’s work
Answer: c
Question Title: TB_01_12 Evaluating Critical Thinking, Apply, LO 1.3
Topic: Evaluating Critical Thinking
Learning Objective: 1.3 Using the “Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric” as your tool for evaluation, evaluate the quality of the critical thinking evident in samples of written material and explain which elements in the written material led you to evaluate it as you did.
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: 3–Difficult
13. Which of the following tools can be used to evaluate the quality of the critical thinking displayed by a group engaged in problem solving?
(a) the Rubric for Evaluating Written Argumentation
(b) Lafley and Martin’s Five-Step Strategy Model
(c) the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric
(d) the STRATUS Model of Strategic Planning
(e) the CDC Protocol for the Evaluation of Dangerous Diseases
Answer: c
Question Title: TB_01_13 Evaluating Critical Thinking, Apply, LO 1.3
Topic: Evaluating Critical Thinking
Learning Objective: 1.3 Using the “Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric” as your tool for evaluation, evaluate the quality of the critical thinking evident in samples of written material and explain which elements in the written material led you evaluate it as you did.
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: 2–Moderate
14. What is the purpose of using the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric (HCTSR) tool in critical thinking?
(a) to know the consequence of every available option while making a decision
(b) to evaluate the quality of the critical thinking process used in deciding what to do or what to believe
(c) to learn the strategies of using critical thinking
(d) to predict the number of times a critical thinking process will have to repeated
Answer: b
Question Title: TB_01_14 Evaluating Critical Thinking, Understand, LO 1.3
Topic: Evaluating Critical Thinking
Learning Objective: 1.3 Using the “Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric” as your tool for evaluation, evaluate the quality of the critical thinking evident in samples of written material and explain which elements in the written material led you evaluate it as you did.
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: 2–Moderate
15. Which of the following evaluative descriptions are used by the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric tool to aid us in evaluating real-life examples of critical thinking?
(a) excellent, strong, average, poor
(b) predictable, acceptable, unacceptable, unpredictable
(c) highly reliable, predictable, unpredictable, highly unreliable
(d) strong, acceptable, unacceptable, weak
Answer: d
Question Title: TB_01_15 Evaluating Critical Thinking, Remember, LO 1.3
Topic: Evaluating Critical Thinking
Learning Objective: 1.3 Using the “Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric” as your tool for evaluation, evaluate the quality of the critical thinking evident in samples of written material and explain which elements in the written material led you evaluate it as you did.
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: 1–Easy
16. Applicants in a job interview are asked to participate in a friendly debate to evaluate their reasoning skills. One of the interviewees, Lara, consistently ignores others’ opinions, states arguments that are factually incorrect, misinterprets what others are saying, offers a biased information, and exhibits close-mindedness to reasoning. According to the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric, Lara’s skills are ______.
(a) weak
(b) unacceptable
(c) strong
(d) acceptable
Answer: a
Question Title: TB_01_16 Evaluating Critical Thinking, Apply, LO 1.3
Topic: Evaluating Critical Thinking
Learning Objective: 1.3 Using the “Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric” as your tool for evaluation, evaluate the quality of the critical thinking evident in samples of written material and explain which elements in the written material led you evaluate it as you did.
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: 2–Moderate
17. Al reads a blog about a new policy on student loans that is being proposed. Using the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric, he determines that the blogger’s use of critical thinking was “acceptable.” Which of the following would explain that rating?
(a) The blog contained the writer’s biased opinion on the policies.
(b) The blog justified every one of its assumptions and questions.
(c) The blog superficially evaluated alternative points of view.
(d) The blog drew warranted and non-fallacious conclusions.
Answer: d
Question Title: TB_01_17 Evaluating Critical Thinking, Analyze, LO 1.3
Topic: Evaluating Critical Thinking
Learning Objective: 1.3 Using the “Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric” as your tool for evaluation, evaluate the quality of the critical thinking evident in samples of written material and explain which elements in the written material led you evaluate it as you did.
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: 3–Difficult
18. Which of the following comparisons of the descriptions “unacceptable” and “weak” in the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric is correct?
(a) They both apply to attempts at critical thinking that fair-mindedly follow where evidence and reasons lead.
(b) They both apply to attempts at critical thinking that thoughtfully analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view.
(c) They both apply to attempts at critical thinking that fail to identify strong, relevant counterarguments.
(d) They both apply to attempts at critical thinking that do justify results but do not explain reasons.
Answer: c
Question Title: TB_01_18 Evaluating Critical Thinking, Analyze, LO 1.3
Topic: Evaluating Critical Thinking