by Michelle Powers

Created on: December 01, 2008

In this paper the writer will define critical thinking while sharing examples that clearly depict the essentials of critical thinking. The writer will share her personal experiences and examples to demonstrate the importance of critical thinking. The writer will also explore the benefits of critical thinking during the decision making process.

There are nine steps in the University of Phoenix decision-making model; those nine steps are broken down into three phases. The first phase of decision making is to frame the problem. During this phase a person will first identify the problem; the second step is to define the criteria, goals, and objectives, and the third step is to evaluate the effect of the problem. When making the decision, the second phase of decision making, step four is when a person will identify the causes of the problem, step five is to frame alternativeness, step six is evaluate the impacts of the alternatives, and step seven is to make the decision. While evaluating the decision, the last phase, during step eight a person will measure the impact(s) of the decision, and step nine a person must implement the decision. (University of Phoenix, p.1)

"The best thinkers think about their thinking. They do not take thinking for granted. They do not trust to fate to make them good in thinking. They notice their thinking" (Paul & Elder, 2006, p. xiv). Critical thinking offers many benefits and one of those benefits is obtaining awareness. When people are more aware of their thoughts and actions more conscious thoughts occur. Conscious thinking fosters reflection which allows critical thinkers to improve as a whole. Reflecting over decisions is part of the critical thought process which fosters improvements.

Critical thinking allows thinkers to act instead of reacting. Reacting cultivates hasty decisions that are not always well thought-out. Hasty decisions can lead to error or cause more problems. For example; at work the writer's boss, Kate, was upset at the computer. Instead of trying to solve the problem or find the cause of the problem, Kate just shut the computer off. After Kate made the hasty decision she lost the material she had been working on all morning. A critical thinker would have put their frustration aside and try to problem solve. If the writer's boss had taken the time and energy to think through the problem in a critical manner she would not have lost her work.

Evaluating a decision is an important part of the decision making process.

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