Activity Two
Critical Thinking about Health Research
For this week's assignment go to the library link and find an article on stress or coping and provide a brief critical review of that article. Begin with using one of the data bases and obtain a fulltext article through your search. Next, look over the guidelines below and make use of them in reading through your article and in providing a brief summary and critical appraisal of your article (one paragraph). Post your summary and critical comments on the bulletin board.
Guidelines for Critical Thinking
1. Critical thinkers are flexible - they tolerate ambiguity, uncertainty and are 'open-minded.' Avoid 'black vs. white' thinking
2. Critical thinkers identify inherent biases and assumptions
Consider the position of the speaker, interest groups
3. Critical thinkers maintain an air of skepticism
Don't just take it as fact, question it, ask for evidence or proof
4. Critical thinkers separate fact from opinion
Try to avoid emotional attachment to issues
5. Critical thinkers don't over simplify
simple solutions may be misleading, consider various means
6. Critical thinkers use logical processes
Inconsistencies suggest a lack of logical process in thought
7. Critical thinkers examine available evidence before drawing conclusions
make use of several sources of information and convergence
8. Keep working at it!
Don't be satisfied with simply getting it once,
you may fall back into lazy thought patterns.
Psychology and the Popular Press
1. Recognise that a summary of a report is not equivalent with the original report missing details and information make it difficult to evaluate the evidence.
2. Personal and anecdotal evidence is not as reliable as scientific research make a distinction between opinion and empirical data.
3. Popular press/media mat attempt to dramatize findings as "breakthrough" or a "major discovery."
4. The "popular" press looks for controversial or sensational topics with social implications or solutions to social problems. They are often biased to sell.
5. Popular articles should reveal their sources in order for the reader to "track them down" and make a critical evaluation.
References
Smith, R.A. (1995). Challenging your preconceptions: Thinking critically about psychology. Toronto: Brooks/Cole.