WGU C168 EXAM REVIEW QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS!!
What is critical thinking?
An intellectual model for understanding issues and forming reasonable and informed views on
them.
Involves analyzing, evaluating, and improving one's own thinking
Thinking about thinking in order to make thinking better
Critical thinking comprises three interlinking dimensions
1. Analyzing one's own thinking- breaking it down into its component parts.
2. Evaluating one's own thinking- identifying its weaknesses while recognizing its strengths.
3. Improving one's own thinking- reconstructing it to make it better.
What are two barriers native to everyone?
egocentrism & sociocentrism
What is egocentrism?
The tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself
An innate human trait
Rigidity of thought
What is sociocentrism?
The assumption that one's own social group is inherently superior to all others
What is first-order thinking?
Ordinary Thinking
1. Spontaneous and non-reflective
,2. Contains insight, prejudice, good and bad reasoning
3. Indiscriminately combined
What is second-order thinking?
Critical Thinking
First-order thinking that is consciously realized (i.e., analyzed, assessed, and reconstructed)
What is weak-sense critical thinking?
Thinkers ignore the flaws in their own thinking and often seek to win an argument through
intellectual trickery and deceit
What is strong-sense critical thinking?
Thinkers strive to be ethical and empathize with others' viewpoints. They will entertain
arguments with which they do not agree and change their views when confronted with superior
reasoning
What are the defining traits of critical thinkers?
1. Intellectual Humility
2. Intellectual Courage
3. intellectual Empathy
4. Intellectual Integrity
5. Intellectual Perseverance
6. Confidence in Reasoning
7. Intellectual Autonomy
Characterization of Intellectual Humility
Aware of the limitations of one's viewpoint
Characterization of Intellectual Courage
Confronting ideas, viewpoints, or beliefs with fairness, even when doing so is painful
Characterization of Intellectual Empathy
Inhabiting the perspectives of others in order to genuinely understand them
, Characterization of Intellectual Integrity
Holding oneself to the same rigorous intellectual standards that one expects others to meet
Characterization of Intellectual Perseverance
Not giving up when confronted by complicated problems that don't lend themselves to easy
solutions
Characterization of Confidence in Reasoning
Encourages people to arrive at their own conclusions through their own powers of rational
thinking
Characterization of Intellectual Autonomy
Thinking for oneself while adhering to standards of rationality
What are some ways to improve your thinking?
1. Use 'wasted' time
2. Handle one problem per day
3. Internalize intellectual standards
4. Keep an intellectual journal
5. Practice intellectual strategies
6. Reshape your character
7. Deal with your ego
8. Redefine the way you see things
9. Get in touch with your emotions
10. Analyze group influences on your life
Three functions of the Mind
1. Thinking - Makes sense of the world ex. judging, analyzing
2. Feeling - Tells us how we are doing ex. happy, sad
3. Wanting - Drives us to act as we do ex. goals, desires
Define Sophistry
CORRECT ANSWERS!!
What is critical thinking?
An intellectual model for understanding issues and forming reasonable and informed views on
them.
Involves analyzing, evaluating, and improving one's own thinking
Thinking about thinking in order to make thinking better
Critical thinking comprises three interlinking dimensions
1. Analyzing one's own thinking- breaking it down into its component parts.
2. Evaluating one's own thinking- identifying its weaknesses while recognizing its strengths.
3. Improving one's own thinking- reconstructing it to make it better.
What are two barriers native to everyone?
egocentrism & sociocentrism
What is egocentrism?
The tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself
An innate human trait
Rigidity of thought
What is sociocentrism?
The assumption that one's own social group is inherently superior to all others
What is first-order thinking?
Ordinary Thinking
1. Spontaneous and non-reflective
,2. Contains insight, prejudice, good and bad reasoning
3. Indiscriminately combined
What is second-order thinking?
Critical Thinking
First-order thinking that is consciously realized (i.e., analyzed, assessed, and reconstructed)
What is weak-sense critical thinking?
Thinkers ignore the flaws in their own thinking and often seek to win an argument through
intellectual trickery and deceit
What is strong-sense critical thinking?
Thinkers strive to be ethical and empathize with others' viewpoints. They will entertain
arguments with which they do not agree and change their views when confronted with superior
reasoning
What are the defining traits of critical thinkers?
1. Intellectual Humility
2. Intellectual Courage
3. intellectual Empathy
4. Intellectual Integrity
5. Intellectual Perseverance
6. Confidence in Reasoning
7. Intellectual Autonomy
Characterization of Intellectual Humility
Aware of the limitations of one's viewpoint
Characterization of Intellectual Courage
Confronting ideas, viewpoints, or beliefs with fairness, even when doing so is painful
Characterization of Intellectual Empathy
Inhabiting the perspectives of others in order to genuinely understand them
, Characterization of Intellectual Integrity
Holding oneself to the same rigorous intellectual standards that one expects others to meet
Characterization of Intellectual Perseverance
Not giving up when confronted by complicated problems that don't lend themselves to easy
solutions
Characterization of Confidence in Reasoning
Encourages people to arrive at their own conclusions through their own powers of rational
thinking
Characterization of Intellectual Autonomy
Thinking for oneself while adhering to standards of rationality
What are some ways to improve your thinking?
1. Use 'wasted' time
2. Handle one problem per day
3. Internalize intellectual standards
4. Keep an intellectual journal
5. Practice intellectual strategies
6. Reshape your character
7. Deal with your ego
8. Redefine the way you see things
9. Get in touch with your emotions
10. Analyze group influences on your life
Three functions of the Mind
1. Thinking - Makes sense of the world ex. judging, analyzing
2. Feeling - Tells us how we are doing ex. happy, sad
3. Wanting - Drives us to act as we do ex. goals, desires
Define Sophistry
