Reflection on Critical Thinking Scenario

To some extent, critical thinking means having an open mind and not being bound by previously conceived notions. Critical thinking requires a person to understand the concept, facts, evidence and make a conclusive argument. This principle is necessary especially in professional fields where people are educated and have different opinions and perceptive. A critical thinker should have listening skills and be able to interpret the information carefully to draw a practical conclusion (Kapelus, Miyagi, & Scovill, 2017). The author of this paper will assess and analyze a real-world scenario in consideration of the critical elements of critical thinking.

Elements of Critical Thinking

The elements of critical thinking are what helps an individual analyze and evaluate the accuracy of claims, statements and information she hears (Kapelus, Miyagi, & Scovill, 2017). Some of the barriers that were apparent in the scenario are lack of enough information, fear to critique and being wrong, and work stress. As observed in Sally scenario, the subject was feeling work pressure which made her feel agitated when her colleagues started talking about work. Also, Sally was reluctant to challenge her colleagues even though she did not agree with what they were saying. This is because she did not have enough information regarding the subject.  The author thinks Sally does not make a good critical thinker because she is not interested in identifying the argument and also, she does not want to share her ideas or get clarification on the observations of her colleagues. She does demonstrate elements of critical thinking and her decisions are mostly based on emotions.

Reason, Emotion, and Communication

Sally demonstrates reason as based on values and feelings she has. It is apparent from the scenario that Sally’s emotions play a major role in her critical thinking process. For instance, she does not want to engage in the conversation because she does not want confrontations. Also, when deciding whether to help the customers, she imagines herself in his shoe. Her reason behind fighting for the clients’ rights is based on her empathy.  Sally uses a passive communication style. People who avoid confrontation like Sally are regarded as passive communicators as they barely share their ideas. Sally just nods throughout dinner with her colleagues making them believe she was agreeing with them but she wasn’t.

Fallacies and Argument

The scenario has instances where fallacies and arguments are apparent. A recognized fallacy is the Ad Hominem. It is used in debates or arguments where the opponent ignores the argument and instead attacks the individual (Hitchcock, 2017). In the scenario, the manager completely ignores Sally’s argument and attacks her on the grounds of professional ethics claiming she is always late for work. Sally argues that the warranty given by the company is not enough and ought to be extended. The argument is valid especially since it is supported by reliable information on the incidents of failure of the printers.

Conclusion

Critical thinking is necessary for drawing conclusions and making decisions. A person is said to have good critical skills if she can identify the problem, get clarification on the issue, and deduce an argument and present the evaluation of evidence. However, as observed from the scenario, emotions can affect one’s reasoning while the communication style hinders one’s ability to convey valid information.

References

Hitchcock, D. (2017). Is there an argumentum ad hominem fallacy?. On Reasoning and Argument (pp. 409-419). Springer, Cham.

Kapelus, G., Miyagi, N., & Scovill, V. (2017). Building capacity to measure Essential Employability Skills: A focus on critical thinking. Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.