critical thinking skills and problem solving skills

• LEARNING SKILLS
• Study Skills
• Critical Thinking

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Learning Skills:

• A - Z List of Learning Skills
• What is Learning?
• Learning Approaches
• Learning Styles
• 8 Types of Learning Styles
• Understanding Your Preferences to Aid Learning
• Lifelong Learning
• Decisions to Make Before Applying to University
• Top Tips for Surviving Student Life
• Living Online: Education and Learning
• 8 Ways to Embrace Technology-Based Learning Approaches

Critical Thinking Skills

• Critical Thinking and Fake News
• Understanding and Addressing Conspiracy Theories
• Critical Analysis
• Top Tips for Study
• Staying Motivated When Studying
• Student Budgeting and Economic Skills
• Getting Organised for Study
• Finding Time to Study
• Sources of Information
• Assessing Internet Information
• Using Apps to Support Study
• What is Theory?
• Styles of Writing
• Effective Reading
• Critical Reading
• Note-Taking from Reading
• Note-Taking for Verbal Exchanges
• Planning an Essay
• How to Write an Essay
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Essay Writing
• How to Write a Report
• Academic Referencing
• Assignment Finishing Touches
• Reflecting on Marked Work
• 6 Skills You Learn in School That You Use in Real Life
• Top 10 Tips on How to Study While Working
• Exam Skills
• Writing a Dissertation or Thesis
• Research Methods
• Teaching, Coaching, Mentoring and Counselling
• Employability Skills for Graduates

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter and start improving your life in just 5 minutes a day.

You'll get our 5 free 'One Minute Life Skills' and our weekly newsletter.

We'll never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas.  Critical thinking has been the subject of much debate and thought since the time of early Greek philosophers such as Plato and Socrates and has continued to be a subject of discussion into the modern age, for example the ability to recognise fake news .

Critical thinking might be described as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking.

In essence, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.

Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that they do not.

Critical thinkers will identify, analyse and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct.

Someone with critical thinking skills can:

Understand the links between ideas.

Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas.

Recognise, build and appraise arguments.

Identify inconsistencies and errors in reasoning.

Approach problems in a consistent and systematic way.

Reflect on the justification of their own assumptions, beliefs and values.

Critical thinking is thinking about things in certain ways so as to arrive at the best possible solution in the circumstances that the thinker is aware of. In more everyday language, it is a way of thinking about whatever is presently occupying your mind so that you come to the best possible conclusion.

Critical Thinking is:

A way of thinking about particular things at a particular time; it is not the accumulation of facts and knowledge or something that you can learn once and then use in that form forever, such as the nine times table you learn and use in school.

The Skills We Need for Critical Thinking

The skills that we need in order to be able to think critically are varied and include observation, analysis, interpretation, reflection, evaluation, inference, explanation, problem solving, and decision making.

Specifically we need to be able to:

Think about a topic or issue in an objective and critical way.

Identify the different arguments there are in relation to a particular issue.

Evaluate a point of view to determine how strong or valid it is.

Recognise any weaknesses or negative points that there are in the evidence or argument.

Notice what implications there might be behind a statement or argument.

Provide structured reasoning and support for an argument that we wish to make.

The Critical Thinking Process

You should be aware that none of us think critically all the time.

Sometimes we think in almost any way but critically, for example when our self-control is affected by anger, grief or joy or when we are feeling just plain ‘bloody minded’.

On the other hand, the good news is that, since our critical thinking ability varies according to our current mindset, most of the time we can learn to improve our critical thinking ability by developing certain routine activities and applying them to all problems that present themselves.

Once you understand the theory of critical thinking, improving your critical thinking skills takes persistence and practice.

Try this simple exercise to help you to start thinking critically.

Think of something that someone has recently told you. Then ask yourself the following questions:

Who said it?

Someone you know? Someone in a position of authority or power? Does it matter who told you this?

What did they say?

Did they give facts or opinions? Did they provide all the facts? Did they leave anything out?

Where did they say it?

Was it in public or in private? Did other people have a chance to respond an provide an alternative account?

When did they say it?

Was it before, during or after an important event? Is timing important?

Why did they say it?

Did they explain the reasoning behind their opinion? Were they trying to make someone look good or bad?

How did they say it?

Were they happy or sad, angry or indifferent? Did they write it or say it? Could you understand what was said?

What are you Aiming to Achieve?

One of the most important aspects of critical thinking is to decide what you are aiming to achieve and then make a decision based on a range of possibilities.

Once you have clarified that aim for yourself you should use it as the starting point in all future situations requiring thought and, possibly, further decision making. Where needed, make your workmates, family or those around you aware of your intention to pursue this goal. You must then discipline yourself to keep on track until changing circumstances mean you have to revisit the start of the decision making process.

However, there are things that get in the way of simple decision making. We all carry with us a range of likes and dislikes, learnt behaviours and personal preferences developed throughout our lives; they are the hallmarks of being human. A major contribution to ensuring we think critically is to be aware of these personal characteristics, preferences and biases and make allowance for them when considering possible next steps, whether they are at the pre-action consideration stage or as part of a rethink caused by unexpected or unforeseen impediments to continued progress.

The more clearly we are aware of ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, the more likely our critical thinking will be productive.

The Benefit of Foresight

Perhaps the most important element of thinking critically is foresight.

Almost all decisions we make and implement don’t prove disastrous if we find reasons to abandon them. However, our decision making will be infinitely better and more likely to lead to success if, when we reach a tentative conclusion, we pause and consider the impact on the people and activities around us.

The elements needing consideration are generally numerous and varied. In many cases, consideration of one element from a different perspective will reveal potential dangers in pursuing our decision.

For instance, moving a business activity to a new location may improve potential output considerably but it may also lead to the loss of skilled workers if the distance moved is too great. Which of these is the more important consideration? Is there some way of lessening the conflict?

These are the sort of problems that may arise from incomplete critical thinking, a demonstration perhaps of the critical importance of good critical thinking.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide for Students

Develop the skills you need to make the most of your time as a student.

Our eBooks are ideal for students at all stages of education, school, college and university. They are full of easy-to-follow practical information that will help you to learn more effectively and get better grades.

In Summary:

Critical thinking is aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes in any situation. In order to achieve this it must involve gathering and evaluating information from as many different sources possible.

Critical thinking requires a clear, often uncomfortable, assessment of your personal strengths, weaknesses and preferences and their possible impact on decisions you may make.

Critical thinking requires the development and use of foresight as far as this is possible. As Doris Day sang, “the future’s not ours to see”.

Implementing the decisions made arising from critical thinking must take into account an assessment of possible outcomes and ways of avoiding potentially negative outcomes, or at least lessening their impact.

• Critical thinking involves reviewing the results of the application of decisions made and implementing change where possible.

It might be thought that we are overextending our demands on critical thinking in expecting that it can help to construct focused meaning rather than examining the information given and the knowledge we have acquired to see if we can, if necessary, construct a meaning that will be acceptable and useful.

After all, almost no information we have available to us, either externally or internally, carries any guarantee of its life or appropriateness.  Neat step-by-step instructions may provide some sort of trellis on which our basic understanding of critical thinking can blossom but it doesn’t and cannot provide any assurance of certainty, utility or longevity.

Continue to: Critical Thinking and Fake News Critical Reading

See also: Analytical Skills Understanding and Addressing Conspiracy Theories Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

Work Life is Atlassian’s flagship publication dedicated to unleashing the potential of every team through real-life advice, inspiring stories, and thoughtful perspectives from leaders around the world.

Contributing Writer

Work Futurist

Senior Quantitative Researcher, People Insights

Principal Writer

How to build critical thinking skills for better decision-making

It’s simple in theory, but tougher in practice – here are five tips to get you started.

Get stories like this in your inbox

Have you heard the riddle about two coins that equal thirty cents, but one of them is not a nickel? What about the one where a surgeon says they can’t operate on their own son?

Those brain teasers tap into your critical thinking skills. But your ability to think critically isn’t just helpful for solving those random puzzles – it plays a big role in your career. 

An impressive 81% of employers say critical thinking carries a lot of weight when they’re evaluating job candidates. It ranks as the top competency companies consider when hiring recent graduates (even ahead of communication ). Plus, once you’re hired, several studies show that critical thinking skills are highly correlated with better job performance.

So what exactly are critical thinking skills? And even more importantly, how do you build and improve them? 

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate facts and information, remain objective, and make a sound decision about how to move forward.

Does that sound like how you approach every decision or problem? Not so fast. Critical thinking seems simple in theory but is much tougher in practice, which helps explain why 65% of employers say their organization has a need for more critical thinking. 

In reality, critical thinking doesn’t come naturally to a lot of us. In order to do it well, you need to:

• Remain open-minded and inquisitive, rather than relying on assumptions or jumping to conclusions
• Ask questions and dig deep, rather than accepting information at face value
• Keep your own biases and perceptions in check to stay as objective as possible
• Rely on your emotional intelligence to fill in the blanks and gain a more well-rounded understanding of a situation

So, critical thinking isn’t just being intelligent or analytical. In many ways, it requires you to step outside of yourself, let go of your own preconceived notions, and approach a problem or situation with curiosity and fairness.

It’s a challenge, but it’s well worth it. Critical thinking skills will help you connect ideas, make reasonable decisions, and solve complex problems.

7 critical thinking skills to help you dig deeper

Critical thinking is often labeled as a skill itself (you’ll see it bulleted as a desired trait in a variety of job descriptions). But it’s better to think of critical thinking less as a distinct skill and more as a collection or category of skills. 

To think critically, you’ll need to tap into a bunch of your other soft skills. Here are seven of the most important. 

Open-mindedness

It’s important to kick off the critical thinking process with the idea that anything is possible. The more you’re able to set aside your own suspicions, beliefs, and agenda, the better prepared you are to approach the situation with the level of inquisitiveness you need. 

That means not closing yourself off to any possibilities and allowing yourself the space to pull on every thread – yes, even the ones that seem totally implausible.

As Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D. writes in a piece for Psychology Today , “Even if an idea appears foolish, sometimes its consideration can lead to an intelligent, critically considered conclusion.” He goes on to compare the critical thinking process to brainstorming . Sometimes the “bad” ideas are what lay the foundation for the good ones. 

Open-mindedness is challenging because it requires more effort and mental bandwidth than sticking with your own perceptions. Approaching problems or situations with true impartiality often means:

• Practicing self-regulation : Giving yourself a pause between when you feel something and when you actually react or take action.
• Challenging your own biases: Acknowledging your biases and seeking feedback are two powerful ways to get a broader understanding. 

Critical thinking example

In a team meeting, your boss mentioned that your company newsletter signups have been decreasing and she wants to figure out why.

At first, you feel offended and defensive – it feels like she’s blaming you for the dip in subscribers. You recognize and rationalize that emotion before thinking about potential causes. You have a hunch about what’s happening, but you will explore all possibilities and contributions from your team members.

Observation

Observation is, of course, your ability to notice and process the details all around you (even the subtle or seemingly inconsequential ones). Critical thinking demands that you’re flexible and willing to go beyond surface-level information, and solid observation skills help you do that.

Your observations help you pick up on clues from a variety of sources and experiences, all of which help you draw a final conclusion. After all, sometimes it’s the most minuscule realization that leads you to the strongest conclusion.

Over the next week or so, you keep a close eye on your company’s website and newsletter analytics to see if numbers are in fact declining or if your boss’s concerns were just a fluke. 

Critical thinking hinges on objectivity. And, to be objective, you need to base your judgments on the facts – which you collect through research. You’ll lean on your research skills to gather as much information as possible that’s relevant to your problem or situation. 

Keep in mind that this isn’t just about the quantity of information – quality matters too. You want to find data and details from a variety of trusted sources to drill past the surface and build a deeper understanding of what’s happening. 

You dig into your email and website analytics to identify trends in bounce rates, time on page, conversions, and more. You also review recent newsletters and email promotions to understand what customers have received, look through current customer feedback, and connect with your customer support team to learn what they’re hearing in their conversations with customers.

The critical thinking process is sort of like a treasure hunt – you’ll find some nuggets that are fundamental for your final conclusion and some that might be interesting but aren’t pertinent to the problem at hand.

That’s why you need analytical skills. They’re what help you separate the wheat from the chaff, prioritize information, identify trends or themes, and draw conclusions based on the most relevant and influential facts. 

It’s easy to confuse analytical thinking with critical thinking itself, and it’s true there is a lot of overlap between the two. But analytical thinking is just a piece of critical thinking. It focuses strictly on the facts and data, while critical thinking incorporates other factors like emotions, opinions, and experiences. 

As you analyze your research, you notice that one specific webpage has contributed to a significant decline in newsletter signups. While all of the other sources have stayed fairly steady with regard to conversions, that one has sharply decreased.

You decide to move on from your other hypotheses about newsletter quality and dig deeper into the analytics. 

One of the traps of critical thinking is that it’s easy to feel like you’re never done. There’s always more information you could collect and more rabbit holes you could fall down.

But at some point, you need to accept that you’ve done your due diligence and make a decision about how to move forward. That’s where inference comes in. It’s your ability to look at the evidence and facts available to you and draw an informed conclusion based on those. 

When you’re so focused on staying objective and pursuing all possibilities, inference can feel like the antithesis of critical thinking. But ultimately, it’s your inference skills that allow you to move out of the thinking process and onto the action steps. 

You dig deeper into the analytics for the page that hasn’t been converting and notice that the sharp drop-off happened around the same time you switched email providers.

After looking more into the backend, you realize that the signup form on that page isn’t correctly connected to your newsletter platform. It seems like anybody who has signed up on that page hasn’t been fed to your email list. 

Communication

3 ways to improve your communication skills at work

If and when you identify a solution or answer, you can’t keep it close to the vest. You’ll need to use your communication skills to share your findings with the relevant stakeholders – like your boss, team members, or anybody who needs to be involved in the next steps.

Your analysis skills will come in handy here too, as they’ll help you determine what information other people need to know so you can avoid bogging them down with unnecessary details. 

In your next team meeting, you pull up the analytics and show your team the sharp drop-off as well as the missing connection between that page and your email platform. You ask the web team to reinstall and double-check that connection and you also ask a member of the marketing team to draft an apology email to the subscribers who were missed. 

Problem-solving

Critical thinking and problem-solving are two more terms that are frequently confused. After all, when you think critically, you’re often doing so with the objective of solving a problem.

The best way to understand how problem-solving and critical thinking differ is to think of problem-solving as much more narrow. You’re focused on finding a solution.

In contrast, you can use critical thinking for a variety of use cases beyond solving a problem – like answering questions or identifying opportunities for improvement. Even so, within the critical thinking process, you’ll flex your problem-solving skills when it comes time to take action. 

Once the fix is implemented, you monitor the analytics to see if subscribers continue to increase. If not (or if they increase at a slower rate than you anticipated), you’ll roll out some other tests like changing the CTA language or the placement of the subscribe form on the page.

5 ways to improve your critical thinking skills

Beyond the buzzwords: Why interpersonal skills matter at work

Think critically about critical thinking and you’ll quickly realize that it’s not as instinctive as you’d like it to be. Fortunately, your critical thinking skills are learned competencies and not inherent gifts – and that means you can improve them. Here’s how:

• Practice active listening: Active listening helps you process and understand what other people share. That’s crucial as you aim to be open-minded and inquisitive.
• Ask open-ended questions: If your critical thinking process involves collecting feedback and opinions from others, ask open-ended questions (meaning, questions that can’t be answered with “yes” or “no”). Doing so will give you more valuable information and also prevent your own biases from influencing people’s input.
• Scrutinize your sources: Figuring out what to trust and prioritize is crucial for critical thinking. Boosting your media literacy and asking more questions will help you be more discerning about what to factor in. It’s hard to strike a balance between skepticism and open-mindedness, but approaching information with questions (rather than unquestioning trust) will help you draw better conclusions. 
• Play a game: Remember those riddles we mentioned at the beginning? As trivial as they might seem, games and exercises like those can help you boost your critical thinking skills. There are plenty of critical thinking exercises you can do individually or as a team . 
• Give yourself time: Research shows that rushed decisions are often regrettable ones. That’s likely because critical thinking takes time – you can’t do it under the wire. So, for big decisions or hairy problems, give yourself enough time and breathing room to work through the process. It’s hard enough to think critically without a countdown ticking in your brain. 

Critical thinking really is critical

The ability to think critically is important, but it doesn’t come naturally to most of us. It’s just easier to stick with biases, assumptions, and surface-level information. 

But that route often leads you to rash judgments, shaky conclusions, and disappointing decisions. So here’s a conclusion we can draw without any more noodling: Even if it is more demanding on your mental resources, critical thinking is well worth the effort.

Advice, stories, and expertise about work life today.

Daring Leadership Institute: a groundbreaking partnership that amplifies Brené Brown's empirically based, courage-building curriculum with BetterUp’s human transformation platform.

What is Coaching?

Types of Coaching

Discover your perfect match : Take our 5-minute assessment and let us pair you with one of our top Coaches tailored just for you.

Find your coach

We're on a mission to help everyone live with clarity, purpose, and passion.

Join us and create impactful change.

Read the buzz about BetterUp.

Meet the leadership that's passionate about empowering your workforce.

For Business

For Individuals

How to develop critical thinking skills

Jump to section

What are critical thinking skills?

How to develop critical thinking skills: 12 tips, how to practice critical thinking skills at work, become your own best critic.

A client requests a tight deadline on an intense project. Your childcare provider calls in sick on a day full of meetings. Payment from a contract gig is a month behind. 

Your day-to-day will always have challenges, big and small. And no matter the size and urgency, they all ask you to use critical thinking to analyze the situation and arrive at the right solution. 

Critical thinking includes a wide set of soft skills that encourage continuous learning, resilience , and self-reflection. The more you add to your professional toolbelt, the more equipped you’ll be to tackle whatever challenge presents itself. Here’s how to develop critical thinking, with examples explaining how to use it.

Critical thinking skills are the skills you use to analyze information, imagine scenarios holistically, and create rational solutions. It’s a type of emotional intelligence that stimulates effective problem-solving and decision-making . 

When you fine-tune your critical thinking skills, you seek beyond face-value observations and knee-jerk reactions. Instead, you harvest deeper insights and string together ideas and concepts in logical, sometimes out-of-the-box , ways. 

Imagine a team working on a marketing strategy for a new set of services. That team might use critical thinking to balance goals and key performance indicators , like new customer acquisition costs, average monthly sales, and net profit margins. They understand the connections between overlapping factors to build a strategy that stays within budget and attracts new sales. 

Looking for ways to improve critical thinking skills? Start by brushing up on the following soft skills that fall under this umbrella: 

• Analytical thinking: Approaching problems with an analytical eye includes breaking down complex issues into small chunks and examining their significance. An example could be organizing customer feedback to identify trends and improve your product offerings. 
• Open-mindedness: Push past cognitive biases and be receptive to different points of view and constructive feedback . Managers and team members who keep an open mind position themselves to hear new ideas that foster innovation . 
• Creative thinking: With creative thinking , you can develop several ideas to address a single problem, like brainstorming more efficient workflow best practices to boost productivity and employee morale . 
• Self-reflection: Self-reflection lets you examine your thinking and assumptions to stimulate healthier collaboration and thought processes. Maybe a bad first impression created a negative anchoring bias with a new coworker. Reflecting on your own behavior stirs up empathy and improves the relationship. 
• Evaluation: With evaluation skills, you tackle the pros and cons of a situation based on logic rather than emotion. When prioritizing tasks , you might be tempted to do the fun or easy ones first, but evaluating their urgency and importance can help you make better decisions. 

There’s no magic method to change your thinking processes. Improvement happens with small, intentional changes to your everyday habits until a more critical approach to thinking is automatic. 

Here are 12 tips for building stronger self-awareness and learning how to improve critical thinking: 

1. Be cautious

There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of skepticism. One of the core principles of critical thinking is asking questions and dissecting the available information. You might surprise yourself at what you find when you stop to think before taking action. 

Before making a decision, use evidence, logic, and deductive reasoning to support your own opinions or challenge ideas. It helps you and your team avoid falling prey to bad information or resistance to change .

2. Ask open-ended questions

“Yes” or “no” questions invite agreement rather than reflection. Instead, ask open-ended questions that force you to engage in analysis and rumination. Digging deeper can help you identify potential biases, uncover assumptions, and arrive at new hypotheses and possible solutions. 

3. Do your research

No matter your proficiency, you can always learn more. Turning to different points of view and information is a great way to develop a comprehensive understanding of a topic and make informed decisions. You’ll prioritize reliable information rather than fall into emotional or automatic decision-making. 

4. Consider several opinions

You might spend so much time on your work that it’s easy to get stuck in your own perspective, especially if you work independently on a remote team . Make an effort to reach out to colleagues to hear different ideas and thought patterns. Their input might surprise you.

If or when you disagree, remember that you and your team share a common goal. Divergent opinions are constructive, so shift the focus to finding solutions rather than defending disagreements. 

5. Learn to be quiet

Active listening is the intentional practice of concentrating on a conversation partner instead of your own thoughts. It’s about paying attention to detail and letting people know you value their opinions, which can open your mind to new perspectives and thought processes.

If you’re brainstorming with your team or having a 1:1 with a coworker , listen, ask clarifying questions, and work to understand other peoples’ viewpoints. Listening to your team will help you find fallacies in arguments to improve possible solutions.

6. Schedule reflection

Whether waking up at 5 am or using a procrastination hack, scheduling time to think puts you in a growth mindset . Your mind has natural cognitive biases to help you simplify decision-making, but squashing them is key to thinking critically and finding new solutions besides the ones you might gravitate toward. Creating time and calm space in your day gives you the chance to step back and visualize the biases that impact your decision-making. 

7. Cultivate curiosity

With so many demands and job responsibilities, it’s easy to seek solace in routine. But getting out of your comfort zone helps spark critical thinking and find more solutions than you usually might.

If curiosity doesn’t come naturally to you, cultivate a thirst for knowledge by reskilling and upskilling . Not only will you add a new skill to your resume , but expanding the limits of your professional knowledge might motivate you to ask more questions. 

You don’t have to develop critical thinking skills exclusively in the office. Whether on your break or finding a hobby to do after work, playing strategic games or filling out crosswords can prime your brain for problem-solving. 

9. Write it down

Recording your thoughts with pen and paper can lead to stronger brain activity than typing them out on a keyboard. If you’re stuck and want to think more critically about a problem, writing your ideas can help you process information more deeply.

The act of recording ideas on paper can also improve your memory . Ideas are more likely to linger in the background of your mind, leading to deeper thinking that informs your decision-making process. 

10. Speak up

Take opportunities to share your opinion, even if it intimidates you. Whether at a networking event with new people or a meeting with close colleagues, try to engage with people who challenge or help you develop your ideas. Having conversations that force you to support your position encourages you to refine your argument and think critically. 

11. Stay humble

Ideas and concepts aren’t the same as real-life actions. There may be such a thing as negative outcomes, but there’s no such thing as a bad idea. At the brainstorming stage , don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Sometimes the best solutions come from off-the-wall, unorthodox decisions. Sit in your creativity , let ideas flow, and don’t be afraid to share them with your colleagues. Putting yourself in a creative mindset helps you see situations from new perspectives and arrive at innovative conclusions. 

12. Embrace discomfort

Get comfortable feeling uncomfortable . It isn’t easy when others challenge your ideas, but sometimes, it’s the only way to see new perspectives and think critically.

By willingly stepping into unfamiliar territory, you foster the resilience and flexibility you need to become a better thinker. You’ll learn how to pick yourself up from failure and approach problems from fresh angles. 

Thinking critically is easier said than done. To help you understand its impact (and how to use it), here are two scenarios that require critical thinking skills and provide teachable moments. 

Scenario #1: Unexpected delays and budget

Imagine your team is working on producing an event. Unexpectedly, a vendor explains they’ll be a week behind on delivering materials. Then another vendor sends a quote that’s more than you can afford. Unless you develop a creative solution, the team will have to push back deadlines and go over budget, potentially costing the client’s trust. 

Here’s how you could approach the situation with creative thinking:

• Analyze the situation holistically: Determine how the delayed materials and over-budget quote will impact the rest of your timeline and financial resources . That way, you can identify whether you need to build an entirely new plan with new vendors, or if it’s worth it to readjust time and resources. 
• Identify your alternative options: With careful assessment, your team decides that another vendor can’t provide the same materials in a quicker time frame. You’ll need to rearrange assignment schedules to complete everything on time. 
• Collaborate and adapt: Your team has an emergency meeting to rearrange your project schedule. You write down each deliverable and determine which ones you can and can’t complete by the deadline. To compensate for lost time, you rearrange your task schedule to complete everything that doesn’t need the delayed materials first, then advance as far as you can on the tasks that do. 
• Check different resources: In the meantime, you scour through your contact sheet to find alternative vendors that fit your budget. Accounting helps by providing old invoices to determine which vendors have quoted less for previous jobs. After pulling all your sources, you find a vendor that fits your budget. 
• Maintain open communication: You create a special Slack channel to keep everyone up to date on changes, challenges, and additional delays. Keeping an open line encourages transparency on the team’s progress and boosts everyone’s confidence. 

Scenario #2: Differing opinions 

A conflict arises between two team members on the best approach for a new strategy for a gaming app. One believes that small tweaks to the current content are necessary to maintain user engagement and stay within budget. The other believes a bold revamp is needed to encourage new followers and stronger sales revenue. 

Here’s how critical thinking could help this conflict:

• Listen actively: Give both team members the opportunity to present their ideas free of interruption. Encourage the entire team to ask open-ended questions to more fully understand and develop each argument. 
• Flex your analytical skills: After learning more about both ideas, everyone should objectively assess the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. Analyze each idea's risk, merits, and feasibility based on available data and the app’s goals and objectives. 
• Identify common ground: The team discusses similarities between each approach and brainstorms ways to integrate both idea s, like making small but eye-catching modifications to existing content or using the same visual design in new media formats. 
• Test new strategy: To test out the potential of a bolder strategy, the team decides to A/B test both approaches. You create a set of criteria to evenly distribute users by different demographics to analyze engagement, revenue, and customer turnover. 
• Monitor and adapt: After implementing the A/B test, the team closely monitors the results of each strategy. You regroup and optimize the changes that provide stronger results after the testing. That way, all team members understand why you’re making the changes you decide to make.

You can’t think your problems away. But you can equip yourself with skills that help you move through your biggest challenges and find innovative solutions. Learning how to develop critical thinking is the start of honing an adaptable growth mindset. 

Now that you have resources to increase critical thinking skills in your professional development, you can identify whether you embrace change or routine, are open or resistant to feedback, or turn to research or emotion will build self-awareness. From there, tweak and incorporate techniques to be a critical thinker when life presents you with a problem.

Understand Yourself Better:

Big 5 Personality Test

Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

What is lateral thinking? 7 techniques to encourage creative ideas

Critical thinking is the one skillset you can't afford not to master, how divergent thinking can drive your creativity, what’s convergent thinking how to be a better problem-solver, the power of professional learning communities, 8 creative solutions to your most challenging problems, how different learning styles make a difference at work, what are analytical skills examples and how to level up, can dreams help you solve problems 6 ways to try, betterup named a 2019 “cool vendor” in human capital management: enhancing employee experience by gartnerup your game: a new model for leadership, 7 critical teamwork skills and how to develop them, what is creative thinking and how can i improve, 6 big picture thinking strategies that you'll actually use, stay connected with betterup, get our newsletter, event invites, plus product insights and research..

3100 E 5th Street, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78702

• Platform overview
• Integrations
• Powered by AI
• BetterUp Lead™
• BetterUp Manage™
• BetterUp Care®
• Sales Performance
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Case studies
• ROI of BetterUp
• What is coaching?
• About Coaching
• Find your Coach
• Career Coaching
• Communication Coaching
• Personal Coaching
• News and Press
• Leadership Team
• Become a BetterUp Coach
• BetterUp Briefing
• Center for Purpose & Performance
• Leadership Training
• Business Coaching
• Contact Support
• Contact Sales
• Privacy Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Trust & Security
• Cookie Preferences

How to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

Traditional tools and new technologies..

Posted September 29, 2023 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma

Technology provides access to vast information and makes daily life easier. Yet, too much reliance on technology potentially interferes with the acquisition and maintenance of critical thinking skills in several ways:

1. Information Overload : The constant influx of data can discourage deep critical thinking as we may come to rely on quick, surface-level information rather than delving deeply into a subject.

2. Shortened Attention Span: Frequent digital distractions can disrupt our ability for the sustained focus and concentration required for critical thinking.

3. Confirmatory Bias and Echo Chambers: Technology, including social media and personalized content algorithms, can reinforce confirmation bias . People are often exposed to information that aligns with their beliefs and opinions, making them less likely to encounter diverse perspectives and engage in critical thinking about opposing views.

4. Reduced Problem-Solving Opportunities: Technology often provides quick solutions to problems. While this benefits efficiency, it may discourage individuals from engaging in complex problem-solving, a fundamental aspect of critical thinking.

5. Loss of Research Skills: The ease of accessing information online can diminish traditional research skills, such as library research or in-depth reading. These skills are essential for critical thinking, as they involve evaluating sources, synthesizing information, and analyzing complex texts.

While technology can pose challenges to developing critical thinking skills, it's important to note that technology can also be a valuable tool for learning and skill development. It can provide access to educational resources, facilitate collaboration , and support critical thinking when used thoughtfully and intentionally. Balancing technology use with activities that encourage deep thinking and analysis is vital to lessening its potential adverse effects on critical thinking.

Writing is a traditional and powerful tool to exercise and improve your critical thinking skills. Consider these ways writing can help enhance critical thinking:

1. Clarity of Thought: Writing requires that you articulate your thoughts clearly and coherently. When you need to put your ideas on paper, you must organize them logically, which requires a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

2. Analysis and Evaluation: Critical thinking involves analyzing and evaluating information. When you write, you often need to assess the validity and relevance of different sources, arguments, or pieces of evidence, which hone your critical thinking skills.

3. Problem-Solving: Writing can be a problem-solving exercise in itself. Whether crafting an argument, developing a thesis, or finding the right words to express your ideas, writing requires thinking critically about approaching these challenges effectively.

4. Research Skills: Good writing often involves research, and research requires critical thinking. You need to assess the credibility of sources, synthesize information, and draw conclusions based on the evidence you gather.

5. Argumentation: Constructing a persuasive argument in writing is a complex process requiring critical thinking. You must anticipate counterarguments, provide evidence to support your claims, and address potential weaknesses in your reasoning.

6. Revision and Editing: To be an influential writer, you must learn to read your work critically. Editing and revising requires evaluating your writing objectively, identifying areas that need improvement, and refining your ideas and arguments.

7. Problem Identification: In some cases, writing can help you identify problems or gaps in your thinking. As you write, you might realize that your arguments are not as strong as you initially thought or that you need more information to support your claims. This recognition of limitations is a crucial aspect of critical thinking.

Writing is a dynamic process that engages multiple facets of critical thinking. It has been a valuable tool used in education , business, and personal development for centuries.

Yet, this traditional approach of self-generated written thoughts is rapidly being supplanted by AI -generated writing tools like Chat GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer. With over 100 million users of Chat GPT alone, we cannot ignore its potential impact. How might the increasing reliance on AI-generated writing tools influence our critical thinking skills? The impact can vary depending on how the tools are used and the context in which they are employed.

Critical thinking involves evaluating information sources for credibility, relevance, and bias. If individuals consistently trust the information provided by chatbots without critically assessing its quality, it can hinder their development of critical thinking skills. This is especially true if they depend on the chatbot to provide answers without questioning or verifying the information. Relying solely on chatbots for answers may also reduce people's effort in problem-solving. Critical thinking often requires wrestling with complex problems, considering multiple perspectives, and generating creative solutions. If we default to chatbots for quick answers, we may miss opportunities to develop these skills.

However, it's essential to note that the impact of chatbots on critical thinking skills may not be entirely negative. These tools can also have positive effects:

1. Chatbots provide quick access to vast information, which can benefit research and problem-solving. When used as a supplement to critical thinking, they can enhance the efficiency of information retrieval.

2. Chatbots can sometimes assist in complex tasks by providing relevant data or suggestions. When individuals critically evaluate and integrate this information into their decision-making process, it can enhance their critical thinking.

3. Chatbots can be used as learning aids. They can provide explanations, examples, and guidance, which can support skill development and, when used effectively, encourage critical thinking.

In summary, the impact of chatbots on critical thinking skills depends on how we use them. The effect will be harmful if they become a crutch to avoid independent thought or analysis. However, they can be valuable resources when used as tools to facilitate and augment critical thinking and writing processes. Individuals must balance leveraging the convenience of chatbots and actively engaging in independent critical thinking and problem-solving to maintain and enhance their cognitive abilities. You can do that effectively through writing regularly.

Copyright 2023 Tara Well, PhD

Tara Well, Ph.D. , is a professor in the department of psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

It’s increasingly common for someone to be diagnosed with a condition such as ADHD or autism as an adult. A diagnosis often brings relief, but it can also come with as many questions as answers.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting
• Neuroscience

• Resources ›
• For Students and Parents ›

Critical Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples

• Homework Help
• Private School
• College Admissions
• College Life
• Graduate School
• Business School
• Distance Learning

• Indiana University, Bloomington
• State University of New York at Oneonta

Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings.

Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions. These skills are especially helpful at school and in the workplace, where employers prioritize the ability to think critically. Find out why and see how you can demonstrate that you have this ability.

Examples of Critical Thinking

The circumstances that demand critical thinking vary from industry to industry. Some examples include:

• A triage nurse analyzes the cases at hand and decides the order by which the patients should be treated.
• A plumber evaluates the materials that would best suit a particular job.
• An attorney reviews the evidence and devises a strategy to win a case or to decide whether to settle out of court.
• A manager analyzes customer feedback forms and uses this information to develop a customer service training session for employees.

Why Do Employers Value Critical Thinking Skills?

Employers want job candidates who can evaluate a situation using logical thought and offer the best solution.

Someone with critical thinking skills can be trusted to make decisions independently, and will not need constant handholding.

Hiring a critical thinker means that micromanaging won't be required. Critical thinking abilities are among the most sought-after skills in almost every industry and workplace. You can demonstrate critical thinking by using related keywords in your resume and cover letter and during your interview.

How to Demonstrate Critical Thinking in a Job Search

If critical thinking is a key phrase in the job listings you are applying for, be sure to emphasize your critical thinking skills throughout your job search.

Add Keywords to Your Resume

You can use critical thinking keywords (analytical, problem solving, creativity, etc.) in your resume. When describing your work history, include top critical thinking skills that accurately describe you. You can also include them in your resume summary, if you have one.

For example, your summary might read, “Marketing Associate with five years of experience in project management. Skilled in conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis to assess market trends and client needs, and to develop appropriate acquisition tactics.”

Mention Skills in Your Cover Letter

Include these critical thinking skills in your cover letter. In the body of your letter, mention one or two of these skills, and give specific examples of times when you have demonstrated them at work. Think about times when you had to analyze or evaluate materials to solve a problem.

Show the Interviewer Your Skills

You can use these skill words in an interview. Discuss a time when you were faced with a particular problem or challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve it.

Some interviewers will give you a hypothetical scenario or problem, and ask you to use critical thinking skills to solve it. In this case, explain your thought process thoroughly to the interviewer. He or she is typically more focused on how you arrive at your solution rather than the solution itself. The interviewer wants to see you analyze and evaluate (key parts of critical thinking) the given scenario or problem.

Of course, each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description carefully and focus on the skills listed by the employer.

Top Critical Thinking Skills

Keep these in-demand skills in mind as you refine your critical thinking practice —whether for work or school.

Part of critical thinking is the ability to carefully examine something, whether it is a problem, a set of data, or a text. People with analytical skills can examine information, understand what it means, and properly explain to others the implications of that information.

• Asking Thoughtful Questions
• Data Analysis
• Interpretation
• Questioning Evidence
• Recognizing Patterns

Communication

Often, you will need to share your conclusions with your employers or with a group of classmates or colleagues. You need to be able to communicate with others to share your ideas effectively. You might also need to engage in critical thinking in a group. In this case, you will need to work with others and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems.

• Active Listening
• Collaboration
• Explanation
• Interpersonal
• Presentation
• Verbal Communication
• Written Communication

Critical thinking often involves creativity and innovation. You might need to spot patterns in the information you are looking at or come up with a solution that no one else has thought of before. All of this involves a creative eye that can take a different approach from all other approaches.

• Flexibility
• Conceptualization
• Imagination
• Drawing Connections
• Synthesizing

Open-Mindedness

To think critically, you need to be able to put aside any assumptions or judgments and merely analyze the information you receive. You need to be objective, evaluating ideas without bias.

• Objectivity
• Observation

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is another critical thinking skill that involves analyzing a problem, generating and implementing a solution, and assessing the success of the plan. Employers don’t simply want employees who can think about information critically. They also need to be able to come up with practical solutions.

• Attention to Detail
• Clarification
• Decision Making
• Groundedness
• Identifying Patterns

More Critical Thinking Skills

• Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Reasoning
• Noticing Outliers
• Adaptability
• Emotional Intelligence
• Brainstorming
• Optimization
• Restructuring
• Integration
• Strategic Planning
• Project Management
• Ongoing Improvement
• Causal Relationships
• Case Analysis
• Diagnostics
• SWOT Analysis
• Business Intelligence
• Quantitative Data Management
• Qualitative Data Management
• Risk Management
• Scientific Method
• Consumer Behavior

Key Takeaways

• Demonstrate you have critical thinking skills by adding relevant keywords to your resume.
• Mention pertinent critical thinking skills in your cover letter, too, and include an example of a time when you demonstrated them at work.
• Finally, highlight critical thinking skills during your interview. For instance, you might discuss a time when you were faced with a challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking skills to solve it.

University of Louisville. " What is Critical Thinking ."

American Management Association. " AMA Critical Skills Survey: Workers Need Higher Level Skills to Succeed in the 21st Century ."

• 18 Ways to Practice Spelling Words
• The 16 SEC Schools
• Sample Appeal Letter for an Academic Dismissal
• List of Supplies for High School Students
• Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in Education
• How to Find the Main Idea
• Understanding Very Big Numbers
• 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students
• Introduction to Critical Thinking
• Foreign Language Requirement for College Admissions
• Fostering Cultural Diversity in Your School
• GRE Text Completion Examples
• ACT Science Reasoning Information
• Controversial Speech Topics
• Free Online Computer Classes
• Undergraduate Courses That Are Recommended for Law School

• Product overview
• All features
• Latest feature release
• App integrations
• project icon Project management
• goal icon Goals and reporting
• asana-intelligence icon Asana AI
• workflow icon Workflows and automation
• portfolio icon Resource management
• my-task icon Admin and security
• list icon Personal
• premium icon Starter
• briefcase icon Advanced
• Goal management
• Organizational planning
• Project intake
• Resource planning
• Product launches
• View all use cases arrow-right icon

• Help Center
• Asana Academy
• Certifications
• Work management hub
• Customer stories
• Get support
• Developer support
• Customer Success
• Project plans
• Team goals & objectives
• Team continuity
• Meeting agenda
• View all templates arrow-right icon
• Collaboration |
• How to build your critical thinking ski ...

How to build your critical thinking skills in 7 steps (with examples)

Critical thinking is, well, critical. By developing critical thinking skills, you improve your ability to analyze information and come to the best decision possible. In this article, we cover the basics of critical thinking, as well as the seven steps you can use to implement the full critical thinking process.

Critical thinking comes from asking the right questions to come to the best conclusion possible. Strong critical thinkers analyze information from a variety of viewpoints in order to identify the best course of action.

Don’t worry if you don’t think you have strong critical thinking skills. In this article, we’ll help you build a foundation for critical thinking so you can absorb, analyze, and make informed decisions. 

See Asana in action

Drive clarity and impact at scale by connecting work and workflows to company-wide goals.

What is critical thinking? 

Critical thinking is the ability to collect and analyze information to come to a conclusion. Being able to think critically is important in virtually every industry and applicable across a wide range of positions. That’s because critical thinking isn’t subject-specific—rather, it’s your ability to parse through information, data, statistics, and other details in order to identify a satisfactory solution. 

Definitions of critical thinking

Various scholars have provided definitions of critical thinking, each emphasizing different aspects of this complex cognitive process:

Michael Scriven , an American philosopher, defines critical thinking as "the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication as a guide to belief and action."

Robert Ennis , professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, describes critical thinking as "reasonable, reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do."

Diane Halpern , a cognitive psychologist and former president of the American Psychological Association, defines it as "the use of cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome."

8 essential critical thinking skills to develop

Critical thinking is essential for success in everyday life, higher education, and professional settings. The handbook "Foundation for Critical Thinking" defines it as a process of conceptualization, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information.

In no particular order, here are eight key critical thinking abilities that can help you excel in any situation:

1. Analytical thinking

Analytical thinking involves evaluating data from multiple sources in order to come to the best conclusions. Analytical thinking allows people to reject cognitive biases and strive to gather and analyze intricate subject matter while solving complex problems. Analytical thinkers who thrive at critical thinking can:

Identify patterns and trends in the data

Break down complex issues into manageable components

Recognize cause-and-effect relationships

Evaluate the strength of arguments and evidence

Example: A data analyst breaks down complex sales figures to identify trends and patterns that inform the company's marketing strategy.

2. Open-mindedness

Open-mindedness is the willingness to consider new ideas, arguments, and information without prejudice. This critical thinking skill helps you analyze and process information to come to an unbiased conclusion. Part of the critical thinking process is letting your personal biases go, taking information at face value and coming to a conclusion based on multiple points of view .

Open-minded critical thinkers demonstrate:

Willingness to consider alternative viewpoints

Ability to suspend judgment until sufficient evidence is gathered

Receptiveness to constructive criticism and feedback

Flexibility in updating beliefs based on new information

Example: During a product development meeting, a team leader actively considers unconventional ideas from junior members, leading to an innovative solution.

3. Problem-solving

Effective problem solving is a cornerstone of critical thinking. It requires the ability to identify issues, generate possible solutions, evaluate alternatives, and implement the best course of action. This critical thinking skill is particularly valuable in fields like project management and entrepreneurship.

Key aspects of problem-solving include:

Clearly defining the problem

Gathering relevant information

Brainstorming potential solutions

Evaluating the pros and cons of each option

Implementing and monitoring the chosen solution

Reflecting on the outcome and adjusting as necessary

Example: A high school principal uses problem-solving skills to address declining student engagement by surveying learners, consulting with higher education experts, and implementing a new curriculum that balances academic rigor with practical, real-world applications.

4. Reasoned judgment

Reasoned judgment is a key component of higher order thinking that involves making thoughtful decisions based on logical analysis of evidence and thorough consideration of alternatives. This critical thinking skill is important in both academic and professional settings. Key aspects reasoned judgment include:

Objectively gathering and analyzing information

Evaluating the credibility and relevance of evidence

Considering multiple perspectives before drawing conclusions

Making decisions based on logical inference and sound reasoning

Example: A high school science teacher uses reasoned judgment to design an experiment, carefully observing and analyzing results before drawing conclusions about the hypothesis.

5. Reflective thinking

Reflective thinking is the process of analyzing one's own thought processes, actions, and outcomes to gain deeper understanding and improve future performance. Good critical thinking requires analyzing and synthesizing information to form a coherent understanding of a problem. It's an essential critical thinking skill for continuous learning and improvement.

Key aspects of reflective thinking include:

Critically examining one's own assumptions and cognitive biases

Considering diverse viewpoints and perspectives

Synthesizing information from various experiences and sources

Applying insights to improve future decision-making and actions

Continuously evaluating and adjusting one's thinking processes

Example: A community organizer reflects on the outcomes of a recent public event, considering what worked well and what could be improved for future initiatives.

6. Communication

Strong communication skills help critical thinkers articulate ideas clearly and persuasively. Communication in the workplace is crucial for effective teamwork, leadership, and knowledge dissemination. Key aspects of communication in critical thinking include:

Clearly expressing complex ideas

Active listening and comprehension

Adapting communication styles to different audiences

Constructing and delivering persuasive arguments

Example: A manager effectively explains a new company policy to her team, addressing their concerns and ensuring everyone understands its implications.

7. Research

Critical thinkers with strong research skills gather, evaluate, and synthesize information from various sources of information. This is particularly important in academic settings and in professional fields that require continuous learning. Effective research involves:

Identifying reliable and relevant sources of information

Evaluating the credibility and bias of sources

Synthesizing information from multiple sources

Recognizing gaps in existing knowledge

Example: A journalist verifies information from multiple credible sources before publishing an article on a controversial topic.

8. Decision-making

Effective decision making is the culmination of various critical thinking skills that allow an individual to draw logical conclusions and generalizations. It involves weighing options, considering consequences, and choosing the best course of action. Key aspects of decision-making include:

Defining clear criteria for evaluation

Gathering and analyzing relevant information

Considering short-term and long-term consequences

Managing uncertainty and risk

Balancing logic and intuition

Example: A homeowner weighs the costs, benefits, and long-term implications before deciding to invest in solar panels for their house.

How to develop critical thinking skills in 7 steps

Critical thinking is a skill that you can build by following these seven steps. The seven steps to critical thinking help you ensure you’re approaching a problem from the right angle, considering every alternative, and coming to an unbiased conclusion.

First things first: When to use the 7 step critical thinking process

There’s a lot that goes into the full critical thinking process, and not every decision needs to be this thought out. Sometimes, it’s enough to put aside bias and approach a process logically. In other, more complex cases, the best way to identify the ideal outcome is to go through the entire critical thinking process. 

The seven-step critical thinking process is useful for complex decisions in areas you are less familiar with. Alternatively, the seven critical thinking steps can help you look at a problem you’re familiar with from a different angle, without any bias. 

If you need to make a less complex decision, consider another problem solving strategy instead. Decision matrices are a great way to identify the best option between different choices. Check out our article on 7 steps to creating a decision matrix .

1. Identify the problem or question

Before you put those critical thinking skills to work, you first need to identify the problem you’re solving. This step includes taking a look at the problem from a few different perspectives and asking questions like: 

What’s happening? 

Why is this happening? 

What assumptions am I making? 

At first glance, how do I think we can solve this problem? 

A big part of developing your critical thinking skills is learning how to come to unbiased conclusions. In order to do that, you first need to acknowledge the biases that you currently have. Does someone on your team think they know the answer? Are you making assumptions that aren’t necessarily true? Identifying these details helps you later on in the process. 

2. Gather relevant information

At this point, you likely have a general idea of the problem—but in order to come up with the best solution, you need to dig deeper. 

During the research process, collect information relating to the problem, including data, statistics, historical project information, team input, and more. Make sure you gather information from a variety of sources, especially if those sources go against your personal ideas about what the problem is or how to solve it.

Gathering varied information is essential for your ability to apply the critical thinking process. If you don’t get enough information, your ability to make a final decision will be skewed. Remember that critical thinking is about helping you identify the objective best conclusion. You aren’t going with your gut—you’re doing research to find the best option

3. Analyze and evaluate data

Just as it’s important to gather a variety of information, it is also important to determine how relevant the different information sources are. After all, just because there is data doesn’t mean it’s relevant. 

Once you’ve gathered all of the information, sift through the noise and identify what information is relevant and what information isn’t. Synthesizing all of this information and establishing significance helps you weigh different data sources and come to the best conclusion later on in the critical thinking process. 

To determine data relevance, ask yourself:

How reliable is this information? 

How significant is this information? 

Is this information outdated? Is it specialized in a specific field? 

4. Consider alternative points of view

One of the most useful parts of the critical thinking process is coming to a decision without bias. In order to do so, you need to take a step back from the process and challenge the assumptions you’re making. 

We all have bias—and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Unconscious biases (also known as cognitive biases) often serve as mental shortcuts to simplify problem solving and aid decision making. But even when biases aren’t inherently bad, you must be aware of your biases in order to put them aside when necessary. 

Before coming to a solution, ask yourself:

Am I making any assumptions about this information? 

Are there additional variables I haven’t considered? 

Have I evaluated the information from every perspective? 

Are there any viewpoints I missed?

5. Draw logical conclusions

Finally, you’re ready to come to a conclusion. To identify the best solution, draw connections between causes and effects. Use the facts you’ve gathered to evaluate the most objective conclusion. 

Keep in mind that there may be more than one solution. Often, the problems you’re facing are complex and intricate. The critical thinking process doesn’t necessarily lead to a cut-and-dry solution—instead, the process helps you understand the different variables at play so you can make an informed decision. 

6. Develop and communication solutions

Communication is a key skill for critical thinkers. It isn’t enough to think for yourself—you also need to share your conclusion with other project stakeholders. If there are multiple solutions, present them all. There may be a case where you implement one solution, then test to see if it works before implementing another solution. 

This process of communicating and sharing ideas is key in promoting critical thinking abilities within a team or organization. By encouraging open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving, you create an environment that fosters the development of critical thinking skills in others.

7. Reflect and learn from the process

The seven-step critical thinking process yields a result—and you then need to put that solution into place. After you’ve implemented your decision, evaluate whether or not it was effective. Did it solve the initial problem? What lessons—whether positive or negative—can you learn from this experience to improve your critical thinking for next time? 

By engaging in this metacognitive reflective thinking process, you're essentially teaching critical thinking skills to yourself, refining your methodology with each iteration. This reflective practice is fundamental in developing a more robust and adaptable approach to problem-solving.

Depending on how your team shares information, consider documenting lessons learned in a central source of truth. That way, team members that are making similar or related decisions in the future can understand why you made the decision you made and what the outcome was.

Decision-making tools for agile businesses

In this ebook, learn how to equip employees to make better decisions—so your business can pivot, adapt, and tackle challenges more effectively than your competition.

Critical thinking examples in the workplace

Imagine you work in user experience design (UX). Your team is focused on pricing and packaging and ensuring customers have a clear understanding of the different services your company offers. Here’s how to apply the critical thinking process in the workplace in seven steps: 

Step 1: Start by identifying the problem

Your current pricing page isn’t performing as well as you want. You’ve heard from customers that your services aren’t clear, and that the page doesn’t answer the questions they have. This page is really important for your company, since it’s where your customers sign up for your service. You and your team have a few theories about why your current page isn’t performing well, but you decide to apply the critical thinking process to ensure you come to the best decision for the page. 

Gather information about how the problem started

Part of identifying the problem includes understanding how the problem started. The pricing and packaging page is important—so when your team initially designed the page, they certainly put a lot of thought into it. Before you begin researching how to improve the page, ask yourself: 

Why did you design the pricing page the way you did? 

Which stakeholders need to be involved in the decision making process? 

Where are users getting stuck on the page?

Are any features currently working?

Step 2: Then gather information and research

In addition to understanding the history of the pricing and packaging page, it’s important to understand what works well. Part of this research means taking a look at what your competitor’s pricing pages look like. 

Ask yourself: 

How have our competitors set up their pricing pages?

Are there any pricing page best practices? 

How does color, positioning, and animation impact navigation? 

Are there any standard page layouts customers expect to see? 

Step 3: Organize and analyze information

You’ve gathered all of the information you need—now you need to organize and analyze it. What trends, if any, are you noticing? Is there any particularly relevant or important information that you have to consider? 

Step 4: Consider alternative viewpoints to reduce bias

In the case of critical thinking, it’s important to address and set bias aside as much as possible. Ask yourself: 

Is there anything I’m missing? 

Have I connected with the right stakeholders? 

Are there any other viewpoints I should consider? 

Step 5: Determine the most logical solution for your team

You now have all of the information you need to design the best pricing page. Depending on the complexity of the design, you may want to design a few options to present to a small group of customers or A/B test on the live website.

Step 6: Communicate your solution to stakeholders

Critical thinking skills can help you in every element of your life, but in the workplace, you must also involve key project stakeholders . Stakeholders help you determine next steps, like whether you’ll A/B test the page first. Depending on the complexity of the issue, consider hosting a meeting or sharing a status report to get everyone on the same page. 

Step 7: Reflect on the results

No process is complete without evaluating the results. Once the new page has been live for some time, evaluate whether it did better than the previous page. What worked? What didn’t? This also helps you make better critical decisions later on.

Tools and techniques to improve critical thinking skills

Understanding how to improve critical thinking skills has become a cornerstone of personal and professional growth in the 21st century. Recognizing the importance of critical thinking, experts across various disciplines have contributed valuable insights and methodologies. Here are some notable contributions from experts and institutions in the field:

Mind mapping: A visual approach to critical thinking skills

Mind mapping is a visual technique that helps organize and structure information. It's particularly useful for synthesizing complex ideas and identifying connections between different concepts. The benefits of mind mapping include:

Enhancing creativity by encouraging non-linear thinking

Improving memory and retention of information

Facilitating brainstorming and idea generation

Providing a clear overview of complex topics

To create a mind map:

Start with a central idea or concept.

Branch out with related sub topics or ideas.

Use colors, symbols, and images to enhance visual appeal and memorability.

Draw connections between related ideas across different branches.

Mind mapping can be particularly effective in project planning , content creation, and studying complex subjects.

The Socratic Method: Deepening critical thinking skills

The Socratic Method, named after the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, involves asking probing questions to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas. This technique is widely used in higher education to teach critical thinking. Key aspects of the Socratic Method include:

Asking open-ended questions that encourage deeper reflection

Challenging assumptions and preconceived notions

Exploring the implications and consequences of ideas

Fostering intellectual curiosity and continuous inquiry

The Socratic Method can be applied in various settings:

In education, to encourage students to think deeply about subject matter

In business, it is important to challenge team members to consider multiple points of view.

In personal development, to examine one's own beliefs and decisions

Example: A high school teacher might use the Socratic Method to guide students through a complex ethical dilemma, asking questions like "What principles are at stake here?" and "How might this decision affect different stakeholders?"

SWOT analysis: Comprehensive critical thinking skills

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis is a strategic planning tool that can be applied to critical thinking. It helps in evaluating situations from multiple angles, promoting a more thorough understanding of complex issues. The components of SWOT analysis are:

Strengths: internal positive attributes or assets

Weaknesses: internal negative attributes or limitations

Opportunities: External factors that could be beneficial

Threats: External factors that could be harmful

To conduct a SWOT analysis:

Clearly define the subject of analysis (e.g., a project, organization, or decision).

Brainstorm and list items for each category.

Analyze the interactions between different factors.

Use the analysis to inform strategy or decision-making.

Example: A startup might use SWOT analysis to evaluate its position before seeking investment, identifying its innovative technology as a strength, limited capital as a weakness, growing market demand as an opportunity, and established competitors as a threat.

Critical thinking resources

The Foundation for Critical Thinking : Based in California, this organization offers a wide range of resources, including books, articles, and workshops on critical thinking.

The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking : This council provides guidelines and standards for critical thinking instruction and assessment.

University of Louisville : Their Critical Thinking Initiative offers various resources and tools that teach people how to develop critical thinking skills.

The New York Times Learning Network provides lesson plans and activities to help develop critical thinking skills through current events and news analysis.

Critical thinking frameworks and tools

Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework : Developed by Dr. Richard Paul and Dr. Linda Elder, this framework provides a comprehensive approach to developing critical thinking skills.

Bloom's Taxonomy : While not exclusively for critical thinking, this classification system is widely used in education to promote higher-order thinking skills.

The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) : This assessment tool measures the disposition to engage in problems and make decisions using critical thinking.

The Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test : Developed by Robert Ennis, this test assesses a person's ability to appraise an argument and to formulate a written argument.

By incorporating these tools and techniques into regular practice, individuals can learn how to improve critical thinking skills, which leads to more effective problem-solving, decision-making, and overall cognitive performance.

The power of critical thinking skills

Critical thinking skills take time to build, but with effort and patience you can apply an unbiased, analytical mind to any situation. Critical thinking makes up one of many soft skills that makes you an effective team member, manager, and worker. If you’re looking to hone your skills further, read our article on the 25 project management skills you need to succeed .

FAQ: Critical thinking skills

What is being a critical thinker?

Being a critical thinker means possessing strong critical thinking skills that allow you to analyze information objectively and make reasoned judgments. It involves developing analytical skills and the capacity for critical thought. A critical thinker questions assumptions, considers multiple perspectives, and bases decisions on evidence rather than emotions or biases.

What are the 5 C's of critical thinking?

The 5 C's of critical thinking are the core skill sets that make you a better critical thinker:

Curiosity: Asking questions and seeking new information

Creativity: Generating innovative solutions and ideas

Clarity: Expressing thoughts and ideas clearly and precisely

Consistency: Maintaining logical coherence in arguments and reasoning

Commitment: Dedicating oneself to ongoing learning and improvement

These skills directly improve critical thinking and strengthen overall cognitive abilities. Understanding and practicing these 5 C's is a fundamental aspect of how to develop critical thinking skills effectively.

How do you demonstrate critical thinking?

Demonstrating critical thinking involves applying your skill set in various situations. This includes analyzing problems, evaluating information sources, considering multiple perspectives, and using evidence-based reasoning. Many employers highlight these qualities in job descriptions, as they value employees who can apply critical thought to workplace challenges.

What is a real-life example of critical thinking?

A real-life critical thinking example could be making a major purchase decision, such as buying a car. Here's how you might apply critical thinking skills:

Research: Gather information about different car models, prices, and features

Analysis: Compare and contrast options based on your needs and budget

Evaluation: Assess the reliability of information sources (e.g., consumer reports, user reviews)

Questioning: Ask car dealers probing questions about warranties, maintenance costs, and resale value

Consideration of alternatives: Explore options like leasing or public transportation

Decision-making: Weigh pros and cons to make an informed choice

Reflection: After the purchase, evaluate your decision-making process for future improvement

This critical thinking example demonstrates how critical thought can be applied to everyday situations.

Related resources

110+ icebreaker questions for team building

How Asana’s digital team used work management to refresh our brand

How to streamline compliance management software with Asana

10 tips to improve nonverbal communication

How it works

For Business

Join Mind Tools

Related Articles

How to Spot Fake News

Information Gathering

Business Reports

Good Charts and Good Charts Workbook

How to Use Gantt Charts

Article • 8 min read

Critical Thinking

Developing the right mindset and skills.

Written by the Mind Tools Content Team

We make hundreds of decisions every day and, whether we realize it or not, we're all critical thinkers.

We use critical thinking each time we weigh up our options, prioritize our responsibilities, or think about the likely effects of our actions. It's a crucial skill that helps us to cut out misinformation and make wise decisions. The trouble is, we're not always very good at it!

In this article, we'll explore the key skills that you need to develop your critical thinking skills, and how to adopt a critical thinking mindset, so that you can make well-informed decisions.

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is the discipline of rigorously and skillfully using information, experience, observation, and reasoning to guide your decisions, actions, and beliefs. You'll need to actively question every step of your thinking process to do it well.

Collecting, analyzing and evaluating information is an important skill in life, and a highly valued asset in the workplace. People who score highly in critical thinking assessments are also rated by their managers as having good problem-solving skills, creativity, strong decision-making skills, and good overall performance. [1]

Key Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinkers possess a set of key characteristics which help them to question information and their own thinking. Focus on the following areas to develop your critical thinking skills:

Being willing and able to explore alternative approaches and experimental ideas is crucial. Can you think through "what if" scenarios, create plausible options, and test out your theories? If not, you'll tend to write off ideas and options too soon, so you may miss the best answer to your situation.

To nurture your curiosity, stay up to date with facts and trends. You'll overlook important information if you allow yourself to become "blinkered," so always be open to new information.

But don't stop there! Look for opposing views or evidence to challenge your information, and seek clarification when things are unclear. This will help you to reassess your beliefs and make a well-informed decision later. Read our article, Opening Closed Minds , for more ways to stay receptive.

Logical Thinking

You must be skilled at reasoning and extending logic to come up with plausible options or outcomes.

It's also important to emphasize logic over emotion. Emotion can be motivating but it can also lead you to take hasty and unwise action, so control your emotions and be cautious in your judgments. Know when a conclusion is "fact" and when it is not. "Could-be-true" conclusions are based on assumptions and must be tested further. Read our article, Logical Fallacies , for help with this.

Use creative problem solving to balance cold logic. By thinking outside of the box you can identify new possible outcomes by using pieces of information that you already have.

Self-Awareness

Many of the decisions we make in life are subtly informed by our values and beliefs. These influences are called cognitive biases and it can be difficult to identify them in ourselves because they're often subconscious.

Practicing self-awareness will allow you to reflect on the beliefs you have and the choices you make. You'll then be better equipped to challenge your own thinking and make improved, unbiased decisions.

One particularly useful tool for critical thinking is the Ladder of Inference . It allows you to test and validate your thinking process, rather than jumping to poorly supported conclusions.

Developing a Critical Thinking Mindset

Combine the above skills with the right mindset so that you can make better decisions and adopt more effective courses of action. You can develop your critical thinking mindset by following this process:

Gather Information

First, collect data, opinions and facts on the issue that you need to solve. Draw on what you already know, and turn to new sources of information to help inform your understanding. Consider what gaps there are in your knowledge and seek to fill them. And look for information that challenges your assumptions and beliefs.

Be sure to verify the authority and authenticity of your sources. Not everything you read is true! Use this checklist to ensure that your information is valid:

• Are your information sources trustworthy ? (For example, well-respected authors, trusted colleagues or peers, recognized industry publications, websites, blogs, etc.)
• Is the information you have gathered up to date ?
• Has the information received any direct criticism ?
• Does the information have any errors or inaccuracies ?
• Is there any evidence to support or corroborate the information you have gathered?
• Is the information you have gathered subjective or biased in any way? (For example, is it based on opinion, rather than fact? Is any of the information you have gathered designed to promote a particular service or organization?)

If any information appears to be irrelevant or invalid, don't include it in your decision making. But don't omit information just because you disagree with it, or your final decision will be flawed and bias.

Now observe the information you have gathered, and interpret it. What are the key findings and main takeaways? What does the evidence point to? Start to build one or two possible arguments based on what you have found.

You'll need to look for the details within the mass of information, so use your powers of observation to identify any patterns or similarities. You can then analyze and extend these trends to make sensible predictions about the future.

To help you to sift through the multiple ideas and theories, it can be useful to group and order items according to their characteristics. From here, you can compare and contrast the different items. And once you've determined how similar or different things are from one another, Paired Comparison Analysis can help you to analyze them.

The final step involves challenging the information and rationalizing its arguments.

Apply the laws of reason (induction, deduction, analogy) to judge an argument and determine its merits. To do this, it's essential that you can determine the significance and validity of an argument to put it in the correct perspective. Take a look at our article, Rational Thinking , for more information about how to do this.

Once you have considered all of the arguments and options rationally, you can finally make an informed decision.

Afterward, take time to reflect on what you have learned and what you found challenging. Step back from the detail of your decision or problem, and look at the bigger picture. Record what you've learned from your observations and experience.

Critical thinking involves rigorously and skilfully using information, experience, observation, and reasoning to guide your decisions, actions and beliefs. It's a useful skill in the workplace and in life.

You'll need to be curious and creative to explore alternative possibilities, but rational to apply logic, and self-aware to identify when your beliefs could affect your decisions or actions.

You can demonstrate a high level of critical thinking by validating your information, analyzing its meaning, and finally evaluating the argument.

Critical Thinking Infographic

See Critical Thinking represented in our infographic: An Elementary Guide to Critical Thinking .

This premium resource is exclusive to Mind Tools Members.

To continue, you will need to either login or join Mind Tools.

Our members enjoy unparalleled access to thousands of training resources, covering a wide range of topics, all designed to help you develop your management and leadership skills

Already a member? Login now

Expense your annual subscription

Joining Mind Tools benefits you AND your organization - so why not ask your manager to expense your annual subscription?  With 20% off until end October, it's a win-win!

Sign-up to our newsletter

Subscribing to the Mind Tools newsletter will keep you up-to-date with our latest updates and newest resources.

Subscribe now

Business Skills

Personal Development

Leadership and Management

Member Extras

Key Management Skills

Most Popular

Latest Updates

Authentic Leadership

Pain Points Podcast - Emotional Intelligence Pt2

Mind Tools Store

About Mind Tools Content

Discover something new today

Pain points podcast - trauma.

Supporting people who are suffering

NEW! Pain Points - Fearless Feedback

Helpful, healthy, human conversations

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?

Boosting Your People Skills

Self-Assessment

What's Your Leadership Style?

Learn About the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Way You Like to Lead

Recommended for you

Dealing with unhappy customers.

Turning a Challenge Into an Opportunity

Business Operations and Process Management

Strategy Tools

Customer Service

Business Ethics and Values

Handling Information and Data

Project Management

Knowledge Management

Self-Development and Goal Setting

Time Management

Presentation Skills

Learning Skills

Career Skills

Communication Skills

Negotiation, Persuasion and Influence

Working With Others

Difficult Conversations

Creativity Tools

Self-Management

Work-Life Balance

Stress Management and Wellbeing

Coaching and Mentoring

Change Management

Team Management

Managing Conflict

Delegation and Empowerment

Performance Management

Leadership Skills

Developing Your Team

Talent Management

Problem Solving

Decision Making

Member Podcast

Member Newsletter

Introducing the Management Skills Framework

Transparent Communication

Social Sensitivity

Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation

Team Goal Setting

Recognition

Inclusivity

Active Listening

Helping Students Hone Their Critical Thinking Skills

Used consistently, these strategies can help middle and high school teachers guide students to improve much-needed skills.

Your content has been saved!

Critical thinking skills are important in every discipline, at and beyond school. From managing money to choosing which candidates to vote for in elections to making difficult career choices, students need to be prepared to take in, synthesize, and act on new information in a world that is constantly changing.

While critical thinking might seem like an abstract idea that is tough to directly instruct, there are many engaging ways to help students strengthen these skills through active learning.

Make Time for Metacognitive Reflection

Create space for students to both reflect on their ideas and discuss the power of doing so. Show students how they can push back on their own thinking to analyze and question their assumptions. Students might ask themselves, “Why is this the best answer? What information supports my answer? What might someone with a counterargument say?”

Through this reflection, students and teachers (who can model reflecting on their own thinking) gain deeper understandings of their ideas and do a better job articulating their beliefs. In a world that is go-go-go, it is important to help students understand that it is OK to take a breath and think about their ideas before putting them out into the world. And taking time for reflection helps us more thoughtfully consider others’ ideas, too.

Teach Reasoning Skills 

Reasoning skills are another key component of critical thinking, involving the abilities to think logically, evaluate evidence, identify assumptions, and analyze arguments. Students who learn how to use reasoning skills will be better equipped to make informed decisions, form and defend opinions, and solve problems. 

One way to teach reasoning is to use problem-solving activities that require students to apply their skills to practical contexts. For example, give students a real problem to solve, and ask them to use reasoning skills to develop a solution. They can then present their solution and defend their reasoning to the class and engage in discussion about whether and how their thinking changed when listening to peers’ perspectives. 

A great example I have seen involved students identifying an underutilized part of their school and creating a presentation about one way to redesign it. This project allowed students to feel a sense of connection to the problem and come up with creative solutions that could help others at school. For more examples, you might visit PBS’s Design Squad , a resource that brings to life real-world problem-solving.

Ask Open-Ended Questions 

Moving beyond the repetition of facts, critical thinking requires students to take positions and explain their beliefs through research, evidence, and explanations of credibility. 

When we pose open-ended questions, we create space for classroom discourse inclusive of diverse, perhaps opposing, ideas—grounds for rich exchanges that support deep thinking and analysis. 

For example, “How would you approach the problem?” and “Where might you look to find resources to address this issue?” are two open-ended questions that position students to think less about the “right” answer and more about the variety of solutions that might already exist. 

Journaling, whether digitally or physically in a notebook, is another great way to have students answer these open-ended prompts—giving them time to think and organize their thoughts before contributing to a conversation, which can ensure that more voices are heard. 

Once students process in their journal, small group or whole class conversations help bring their ideas to life. Discovering similarities between answers helps reveal to students that they are not alone, which can encourage future participation in constructive civil discourse.

Teach Information Literacy 

Education has moved far past the idea of “Be careful of what is on Wikipedia, because it might not be true.” With AI innovations making their way into classrooms, teachers know that informed readers must question everything. 

Understanding what is and is not a reliable source and knowing how to vet information are important skills for students to build and utilize when making informed decisions. You might start by introducing the idea of bias: Articles, ads, memes, videos, and every other form of media can push an agenda that students may not see on the surface. Discuss credibility, subjectivity, and objectivity, and look at examples and nonexamples of trusted information to prepare students to be well-informed members of a democracy.

One of my favorite lessons is about the Pacific Northwest tree octopus . This project asks students to explore what appears to be a very real website that provides information on this supposedly endangered animal. It is a wonderful, albeit over-the-top, example of how something might look official even when untrue, revealing that we need critical thinking to break down “facts” and determine the validity of the information we consume. 

A fun extension is to have students come up with their own website or newsletter about something going on in school that is untrue. Perhaps a change in dress code that requires everyone to wear their clothes inside out or a change to the lunch menu that will require students to eat brussels sprouts every day. 

Giving students the ability to create their own falsified information can help them better identify it in other contexts. Understanding that information can be “too good to be true” can help them identify future falsehoods. 

Provide Diverse Perspectives 

Consider how to keep the classroom from becoming an echo chamber. If students come from the same community, they may have similar perspectives. And those who have differing perspectives may not feel comfortable sharing them in the face of an opposing majority. 

To support varying viewpoints, bring diverse voices into the classroom as much as possible, especially when discussing current events. Use primary sources: videos from YouTube, essays and articles written by people who experienced current events firsthand, documentaries that dive deeply into topics that require some nuance, and any other resources that provide a varied look at topics. 

I like to use the Smithsonian “OurStory” page , which shares a wide variety of stories from people in the United States. The page on Japanese American internment camps is very powerful because of its first-person perspectives. 

Practice Makes Perfect 

To make the above strategies and thinking routines a consistent part of your classroom, spread them out—and build upon them—over the course of the school year. You might challenge students with information and/or examples that require them to use their critical thinking skills; work these skills explicitly into lessons, projects, rubrics, and self-assessments; or have students practice identifying misinformation or unsupported arguments.

Critical thinking is not learned in isolation. It needs to be explored in English language arts, social studies, science, physical education, math. Every discipline requires students to take a careful look at something and find the best solution. Often, these skills are taken for granted, viewed as a by-product of a good education, but true critical thinking doesn’t just happen. It requires consistency and commitment.

In a moment when information and misinformation abound, and students must parse reams of information, it is imperative that we support and model critical thinking in the classroom to support the development of well-informed citizens.

BLOG | PODCAST NETWORK | ADMIN. MASTERMIND | SWAG & MERCH | ONLINE TRAINING

• Meet the Team
• Join the Team
• Our Philosophy
• Teach Better Mindset
• Custom Professional Development
• Livestream Shows & Videos
• Administrator Mastermind
• Academy Online Courses
• EDUcreator Club+
• Podcast Network
• Speakers Network
• Free Downloads
• Ambassador Program
• Free Facebook Group
• Professional Development
• Request Training
• Speakers Network Home
• Keynote Speakers

Strategies to Increase Critical Thinking Skills in students

Teach Better Team October 2, 2019 Blog , Engage Better , Lesson Plan Better , Personalize Student Learning Better

In This Post:

• The importance of helping students increase critical thinking skills.
• Ways to promote the essential skills needed to analyze and evaluate.
• Strategies to incorporate critical thinking into your instruction.

We ask our teachers to be “future-ready” or say that we are teaching “for jobs that don’t exist yet.” These are powerful statements. At the same time, they give teachers the impression that we have to drastically change what we are doing .

So how do we plan education for an unknown job market or unknown needs?

My answer: We can’t predict the jobs, but whatever they are, students will need to think critically to do them. So, our job is to teach our students HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

Helping Students Become Critical Thinkers

My answer is rooted in the call to empower our students to be critical thinkers. I believe that to be critical thinkers, educators need to provide students with the strategies they need. And we need to ask more than just surface-level questions.

Questions to students must motivate them to dig up background knowledge. They should inspire them to make connections to real-world scenarios. These make the learning more memorable and meaningful.

Critical thinking is a general term. I believe this term means that students effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate content or skills. In this process, they (the students) will discover and present convincing reasons in support of their answers or thinking.

You can look up critical thinking and get many definitions like this one from Wikipedia: “ Critical thinking consists of a mental process of analyzing or evaluating information, particularly statements or propositions that people have offered as true. ”

Essential Skills for Critical Thinking

In my current role as director of curriculum and instruction, I work to promote the use of 21st-century tools and, more importantly, thinking skills. Some essential skills that are the basis for critical thinking are:

• Communication and Information skills
• Thinking and Problem-Solving skills
• Interpersonal and Self- Directional skills
• Collaboration skills

These four bullets are skills students are going to need in any field and in all levels of education. Hence my answer to the question. We need to teach our students to think critically and for themselves.

One of the goals of education is to prepare students to learn through discovery . Providing opportunities to practice being critical thinkers will assist students in analyzing others’ thinking and examining the logic of others.

Understanding others is an essential skill in collaboration and in everyday life. Critical thinking will allow students to do more than just memorize knowledge.

Ask Questions

So how do we do this? One recommendation is for educators to work in-depth questioning strategies into a lesson launch.

Ask thoughtful questions to allow for answers with sound reasoning. Then, word conversations and communication to shape students’ thinking. Quick answers often result in very few words and no eye contact, which are skills we don’t want to promote.

When you are asking students questions and they provide a solution, try some of these to promote further thinking:

• Could you elaborate further on that point?
• Will you express that point in another way?
• Can you give me an illustration?
• Would you give me an example?
• Will you you provide more details?
• Could you be more specific?
• Do we need to consider another point of view?
• Is there another way to look at this question?

Utilizing critical thinking skills could be seen as a change in the paradigm of teaching and learning. Engagement in education will enhance the collaboration among teachers and students. It will also provide a way for students to succeed even if the school system had to start over.

[scroll down to keep reading]

Promoting critical thinking into all aspects of instruction.

Engagement, application, and collaboration are skills that withstand the test of time. I also promote the integration of critical thinking into every aspect of instruction.

In my experience, I’ve found a few ways to make this happen.

Begin lessons/units with a probing question: It shouldn’t be a question you can answer with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no.’ These questions should inspire discovery learning and problem-solving.

Encourage Creativity: I have seen teachers prepare projects before they give it to their students many times. For example, designing snowmen or other “creative” projects. By doing the design work or by cutting all the circles out beforehand, it removes creativity options.

It may help the classroom run more smoothly if every child’s material is already cut out, but then every student’s project looks the same. Students don’t have to think on their own or problem solve.

Not having everything “glue ready” in advance is a good thing. Instead, give students all the supplies needed to create a snowman, and let them do it on their own.

Giving independence will allow students to become critical thinkers because they will have to create their own product with the supplies you give them. This might be an elementary example, but it’s one we can relate to any grade level or project.

Try not to jump to help too fast – let the students work through a productive struggle .

Build in opportunities for students to find connections in learning.  Encouraging students to make connections to a real-life situation and identify patterns is a great way to practice their critical thinking skills. The use of real-world scenarios will increase rigor, relevance, and critical thinking.

A few other techniques to encourage critical thinking are:

• Use analogies
• Promote interaction among students
• Ask open-ended questions
• Allow reflection time
• Use real-life problems
• Allow for thinking practice

Critical thinking prepares students to think for themselves for the rest of their lives. I also believe critical thinkers are less likely to go along with the crowd because they think for themselves.

About Matthew X. Joseph, Ed.D.

Dr. Matthew X. Joseph has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 25 years in the field. Experiences such as the Director of Digital Learning and Innovation in Milford Public Schools (MA), elementary school principal in Natick, MA and Attleboro, MA, classroom teacher, and district professional development specialist have provided Matt incredible insights on how to best support teaching and learning. This experience has led to nationally publishing articles and opportunities to speak at multiple state and national events. He is the author of Power of Us: Creating Collaborative Schools and co-author of Modern Mentoring , Reimagining Teacher Mentorship (Due out, fall 2019). His master’s degree is in special education and his Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Boston College.

Visit Matthew’s Blog

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

• First Online: 28 April 2022

Cite this chapter

• Heather Negley 2  

580 Accesses

Critical thinking is a type of systematic thinking that is used to solve problems using logic. The first step is to gather the information needed to help you solve your problem. You start by analyzing and evaluating sources for authority to give you the best shot at finding something truthful and unbiased. Watch Out For information overload. Access to information is easier than ever these days, and it is easy to get overwhelmed by it all. As you conduct your research, keep your information organized by filtering, synthesizing, and distilling it. And keep your effort timeboxed. Start broad enough to obtain a wide berth, like a fisherman casting a large net into an ocean. This helps find multiple points of view. But don’t spend more time than necessary. Practicing collecting what is sufficient to answer your questions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Reitz, Joan. Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science: Accessed 11/07/2021

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Fairfax, VA, USA

Heather Negley

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to APress Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Negley, H. (2022). Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills. In: The Salesforce Consultant’s Guide. Apress, Berkeley, CA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-7960-1_13

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-7960-1_13

Published : 28 April 2022

Publisher Name : Apress, Berkeley, CA

Print ISBN : 978-1-4842-7959-5

Online ISBN : 978-1-4842-7960-1

eBook Packages : Professional and Applied Computing Apress Access Books Professional and Applied Computing (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Distance Learning

Using technology to develop students’ critical thinking skills.

by Jessica Mansbach

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a higher-order cognitive skill that is indispensable to students, readying them to respond to a variety of complex problems that are sure to arise in their personal and professional lives. The  cognitive skills at the foundation of critical thinking are  analysis, interpretation, evaluation, explanation, inference, and self-regulation.  

When students think critically, they actively engage in these processes:

• Communication
• Problem-solving

To create environments that engage students in these processes, instructors need to ask questions, encourage the expression of diverse opinions, and involve students in a variety of hands-on activities that force them to be involved in their learning.

Types of Critical Thinking Skills

Instructors should select activities based on the level of thinking they want students to do and the learning objectives for the course or assignment. The chart below describes questions to ask in order to show that students can demonstrate different levels of critical thinking.

*Adapted from Brown University’s Harriet W Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning

Using Online Tools to Teach Critical Thinking Skills

Online instructors can use technology tools to create activities that help students develop both lower-level and higher-level critical thinking skills.

• Example: Use Google Doc, a collaboration feature in Canvas, and tell students to keep a journal in which they reflect on what they are learning, describe the progress they are making in the class, and cite course materials that have been most relevant to their progress. Students can share the Google Doc with you, and instructors can comment on their work.
• Example: Use the peer review assignment feature in Canvas and manually or automatically form peer review groups. These groups can be anonymous or display students’ names. Tell students to give feedback to two of their peers on the first draft of a research paper. Use the rubric feature in Canvas to create a rubric for students to use. Show students the rubric along with the assignment instructions so that students know what they will be evaluated on and how to evaluate their peers.
• Example: Use the discussions feature in Canvas and tell students to have a debate about a video they watched. Pose the debate questions in the discussion forum, and give students instructions to take a side of the debate and cite course readings to support their arguments.  
• Example: Us e goreact , a tool for creating and commenting on online presentations, and tell students to design a presentation that summarizes and raises questions about a reading. Tell students to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s argument. Students can post the links to their goreact presentations in a discussion forum or an assignment using the insert link feature in Canvas.
• Example:  Use goreact, a narrated Powerpoint, or a Google Doc and instruct students to tell a story that informs readers and listeners about how the course content they are learning is useful in their professional lives. In the story, tell students to offer specific examples of readings and class activities that they are finding most relevant to their professional work. Links to the goreact presentation and Google doc can be submitted via a discussion forum or an assignment in Canvas. The Powerpoint file can be submitted via a discussion or submitted in an assignment.

Pulling it All Together

Critical thinking is an invaluable skill that students need to be successful in their professional and personal lives. Instructors can be thoughtful and purposeful about creating learning objectives that promote lower and higher-level critical thinking skills, and about using technology to implement activities that support these learning objectives. Below are some additional resources about critical thinking.

Additional Resources

Carmichael, E., & Farrell, H. (2012). Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Online Resources in Developing Student Critical Thinking: Review of Literature and Case Study of a Critical Thinking Online Site.  Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice ,  9 (1), 4.

Lai, E. R. (2011). Critical thinking: A literature review.  Pearson’s Research Reports ,  6 , 40-41.

Landers, H (n.d.). Using Peer Teaching In The Classroom. Retrieved electronically from https://tilt.colostate.edu/TipsAndGuides/Tip/180

Lynch, C. L., & Wolcott, S. K. (2001). Helping your students develop critical thinking skills (IDEA Paper# 37. In  Manhattan, KS: The IDEA Center.

Mandernach, B. J. (2006). Thinking critically about critical thinking: Integrating online tools to Promote Critical Thinking. Insight: A collection of faculty scholarship , 1 , 41-50.

Yang, Y. T. C., & Wu, W. C. I. (2012). Digital storytelling for enhancing student academic achievement, critical thinking, and learning motivation: A year-long experimental study. Computers & Education , 59 (2), 339-352.

Insight Assessment: Measuring Thinking Worldwide

http://www.insightassessment.com/

Michigan State University’s Office of Faculty  & Organizational Development, Critical Thinking: http://fod.msu.edu/oir/critical-thinking

The Critical Thinking Community

http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

Related Posts

Desktop Recording Tips & Tricks

Is Technology Driving Online Education Off A Cliff?

Featured Tech: ThingLink

Student Video Assignments

9 responses to “ Using Technology To Develop Students’ Critical Thinking Skills ”

This is a great site for my students to learn how to develop critical thinking skills, especially in the STEM fields.

Great tools to help all learners at all levels… not everyone learns at the same rate.

Thanks for sharing the article. Is there any way to find tools which help in developing critical thinking skills to students?

Technology needs to be advance to develop the below factors:

Understand the links between ideas. Determine the importance and relevance of arguments and ideas. Recognize, build and appraise arguments.

Excellent share! Can I know few tools which help in developing critical thinking skills to students? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

• Pingback: EDTC 6431 – Module 4 – Designing Lessons That Use Critical Thinking | Mr.Reed Teaches Math
• Pingback: Homepage
• Pingback: Magacus | Pearltrees

Brilliant post. Will be sharing this on our Twitter (@refthinking). I would love to chat to you about our tool, the Thinking Kit. It has been specifically designed to help students develop critical thinking skills whilst they also learn about the topics they ‘need’ to.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Programs & Services
• Delphi Center

Ideas to Action (i2a)

• What is Critical Thinking?

The ability to think critically calls for a higher-order thinking than simply the ability to recall information.

Definitions of critical thinking, its elements, and its associated activities fill the educational literature of the past forty years. Critical thinking has been described as an ability to question; to acknowledge and test previously held assumptions; to recognize ambiguity; to examine, interpret, evaluate, reason, and reflect; to make informed judgments and decisions; and to clarify, articulate, and justify positions (Hullfish & Smith, 1961; Ennis, 1962; Ruggiero, 1975; Scriven, 1976; Hallet, 1984; Kitchener, 1986; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991; Mines et al., 1990; Halpern, 1996; Paul & Elder, 2001; Petress, 2004; Holyoak & Morrison, 2005; among others).

After a careful review of the mountainous body of literature defining critical thinking and its elements, UofL has chosen to adopt the language of Michael Scriven and Richard Paul (2003) as a comprehensive, concise operating definition:

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

Paul and Scriven go on to suggest that critical thinking is based on: "universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness. It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue, assumptions, concepts, empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions, implication and consequences, objections from alternative viewpoints, and frame of reference. Critical thinking - in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes - is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking."

This conceptualization of critical thinking has been refined and developed further by Richard Paul and Linder Elder into the Paul-Elder framework of critical thinking. Currently, this approach is one of the most widely published and cited frameworks in the critical thinking literature. According to the Paul-Elder framework, critical thinking is the:

• Analysis of thinking by focusing on the parts or structures of thinking ("the Elements of Thought")
• Evaluation of thinking by focusing on the quality ("the Universal Intellectual Standards")
• Improvement of thinking by using what you have learned ("the Intellectual Traits")

Selection of a Critical Thinking Framework

The University of Louisville chose the Paul-Elder model of Critical Thinking as the approach to guide our efforts in developing and enhancing our critical thinking curriculum. The Paul-Elder framework was selected based on criteria adapted from the characteristics of a good model of critical thinking developed at Surry Community College. The Paul-Elder critical thinking framework is comprehensive, uses discipline-neutral terminology, is applicable to all disciplines, defines specific cognitive skills including metacognition, and offers high quality resources.

Why the selection of a single critical thinking framework?

The use of a single critical thinking framework is an important aspect of institution-wide critical thinking initiatives (Paul and Nosich, 1993; Paul, 2004). According to this view, critical thinking instruction should not be relegated to one or two disciplines or departments with discipline specific language and conceptualizations. Rather, critical thinking instruction should be explicitly infused in all courses so that critical thinking skills can be developed and reinforced in student learning across the curriculum. The use of a common approach with a common language allows for a central organizer and for the development of critical thinking skill sets in all courses.

• SACS & QEP
• Planning and Implementation
• Why Focus on Critical Thinking?
• Paul-Elder Critical Thinking Framework
• Culminating Undergraduate Experience
• Community Engagement
• Frequently Asked Questions
• What is i2a?

Copyright © 2012 - University of Louisville , Delphi Center

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• Publications
• Account settings
• Advanced Search
• Journal List

Effects of computer gaming on cognition, brain structure, and function: a critical reflection on existing literature


Efectos de los juegos de computador en la cognición, y en la estructura y función cerebral: una reflexión crítica sobre la literatura actual, effets des jeux vidéo sur la cognition, la structure et la fonction cérébrales : une réflexion critique sur la littérature existante, simone kühn , phd, jürgen gallinat , md, anna mascherek , phd.

• Author information
• Article notes
• Copyright and License information

Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, W37, 20251 Hamburg, Germany E-mail: [email protected]

Issue date 2019 Sep.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Video gaming as a popular form of leisure activity and its effect on cognition, brain function, and structure has come into focus in the field of neuroscience. Visuospatial cognition and attention seem to benefit the most, whereas for executive functions, memory, and general cognition, the results are contradictory. The particular characteristics of video games driving these effects remain poorly understood. We critically discuss major challenges for the existing research, namely, the lack of precise definitions of video gaming, the lack of distinct choice of cognitive ability under study, and the lack of standardized study protocols. Less research exists on neural changes in addition to cognitive changes due to video gaming. Existing studies reveal evidence for the involvement of similar brain regions in functional and structural changes. There seems to be a predominance in the hippocampal, prefrontal, and parietal brain regions; however, studies differ immensely, which makes a meta-analytic interpretation vulnerable. We conclude that theoretical work is urgently needed.


Keywords: experimental video gaming , cognition , brain structure , brain function , critical reflection , challenge , plasticity

El efecto de los videojuegos -una forma popular de entretención- sobre la cognición y la estructura y el funcionamiento cerebral se ha centrado en el campo de la neurociencia. La cognición visoespacial y la atención parecen ser las más beneficiadas; en cambio, para las funciones ejecutivas, la memoria y la cognición general, los resultados son contradictorios. Las características específicas de los videojuegos que producen estos efectos siguen siendo poco conocidas. Se discuten de forma crítica los principales desafíos para la investigación existente, como la falta de definiciones precisas de los videojuegos, la falta de una elección clara de la capacidad cognitiva que se estudia y la falta de protocolos de estudio estandarizados. La investigación es pobre tanto para los cambios cognitivos como para los cambios neuronales que producen los videojuegos. Los estudios existentes revelan evidencia de la participación de regiones cerebrales similares para los cambios funcionales y estructurales. Aunque las regiones cerebrales hipocámpicas, prefrontales y parietales parecen estar más involucradas; los estudios difieren enormemente, lo que hace que una interpretación meta-analítica sea frágil. Se concluye que se requiere con urgencia de un adecuado trabajo teórico.

Les jeux vidéo, loisir populaire, ont attiré l’intérêt des neurosciences quant à leurs effets sur la cognition, la structure et la fonction cérébrales. Si l’attention et la cognition visuospatiales semblent en bénéficier le plus, les résultats sont contradictoires pour les fonctions exécutives, la mémoire et la cognition générale. Les caractéristiques particulières des jeux vidéo à l’origine de ces effets restent mal comprises. Nous analysons de façon critique les principales difficultés pour la recherche actuelle, c’est-à-dire le manque de définitions précises du jeu vidéo, le manque de choix clair de capacité cognitive à l’étude et le manque de protocoles d’étude standardisés. Les modifications neuronales et les modifications cognitives dues au jeu vidéo font l’objet de peu de recherche. L’hippocampe, les régions préfrontale et pariétale semblent les plus concernées. Cependant, une interprétation méta-analytique est fragilisée par la grande variabilité des études. En conclusion, il est urgent de faire un travail théorique.

Video gaming and cognition


Video gaming, as a popular, generally cognitively deman-
ding form of leisure activity, has received attention in recent years in search of effective, yet affordable interventions to maintain or enhance cognitive abilities in individuals in different contexts. 1 - 6 The increasing scientific interest in video gaming as a training instrument may be driven by an inherent playfulness of video games in contrast to classical training programs, as well as substantial effects on brain structure and function within short training periods. This is the reason for reviewing the preexisting and quite heterogeneous literature on this new interventional instrument. In this article we, first, critically discuss existing methodological challenges in the field when it comes to drawing general conclusions about video gaming and cognition. We are aiming less at summarizing existing findings on the basis of existing meta-analyses and reviews once again, but rather at addressing the complex challenges when effects of video gaming are assessed in experimental setups. To learn more about specific results in detail we would like to refer the reader to existing excellent review and meta-analytic literature. 3 , 5 - 17 In the second section we turn to the effects of video gaming on brain structure and function reported in single studies, as reviews and meta-analyses are sparse.


To start with a summary, it generally has been established that video gaming has beneficial effects on cognition, eg, refs 4,5,7, but see ref 18). However, the devil is in the details. Looking closer in order to make a specific statement concerning specific cognitive domains, groups of individuals, video game genres, training intensity, and transfer effects, results are mixed. This is not only true for single studies, but, in particular also for the multitude of reviews and meta-analytic studies. Depending on the studies chosen, meta-analyses report contradictory results concerning the effects of video games, eventually leaving nearly as much room for interpretation as single empirical studies despite their good quality. It seems almost impossible to outline the effect of video gaming on cognition in a simple statement without mentioning numerous limitations. The abilities with the fewest limitations to name would, most likely, be visuospatial cognition and attention. 5 , 7 Concerning executive functioning, memory, and general cognition, results are way more complicated and are not suited for general conclusive statements. One conclusion that can be drawn from the variety of results, however, is that theoretical work is more urgently needed than yet another empirical study, however excellently conducted it might be. Instead, stepping back and taking a look from afar in order to conceptualize research, homogenize designs, and then start all over again to evaluate whether and what effects each type of video games has on cognition should be the watchword of the day. This call is less ideologic but instead pragmatic, as without a framework from which research questions and hypotheses can be derived, the interpretation of current findings and, ultimately, the understanding of underlying mechanisms, is hampered.


A major critical point in evaluating possible effects of video gaming on cognition lies in the definition of “video gaming” itself. Here, studies as well as meta-analyses and reviews do not draw on a consistent definition. “Video gaming” is only useful to broadly outline the scope of a question. However, video games comprise a multitude of very different activities and content as well as (cognitive) demands. While some studies have included “type of video game” as a moderating variable into their analyses, 11 others only included studies using narrowly defined games, for example action video games or exergames. 5 , 7 , 19 Others, again, only roughly define “video game” and include a rather broad spectrum of genres. 9 , 10 Additionally, the release date of games is important as well. Although Wang et al 7 and Bediou et al 5 both focused on narrowly defined action video games with similar underlying definitions, Bediou et al 5 excluded studies published before the year 2000, as they argue that technical development makes games from the 1980s and 1990s rather incomparable to games from 2000 on. Studies with games from before 2000 almost certainly use substantially different games, even if they formally meet the chosen definition. Hence, even studies applying similar definitions of video gaming might differ substantially due to the timespan considered. Although overall studies report a beneficial effect of the chosen video game on cognition, the exact understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. Inferences about what within a game truly drives enhancement will remain poorly understood, because gaming mechanisms cannot be isolated and experimentally manipulated in order to test effects.


Another difficulty concerns the question of the chosen cognitive domain under study. Studies differ in the specific cognitive domain they evaluate such as processing speed, memory, global cognition, executive functioning, learning, and attentional processes, and this is even true for meta-analyses and reviews. 5 , 7 - 11 Additionally, the very same constructs are defined differently across studies. While, for example, executive functioning is considered as an entity with no effects found in the study by Wang et al, 7 in Mansor et al’s 10 study it is defined and subdivided into different processes, according to Miyake et al 20 with effects on updating memory. In the study by Powers, 8 executive functions are categorized as a subdomain of information processing (for which an effect was found). In a subanalysis, executive functioning here comprises dual/multitasking, inhibition tasks, task-switching, working/short-term memory measures, intelligence tests, and executive functioning batteries resulting in negligible effects. Similar, while Sala and Gobet 18 argue that no effect can be found for general cognition, Stanmore et al 19 report a positive effect of exergames on general cognition, which is corroborated by Wang et al, 7 however, in a meta-analysis including only action video games. In yet another review, Cardoso-Leite and Bavelier 6 try to extract the effect of video gaming on attentional control as a proxy for enhancing the “ability to learn, enhance capacity for learning to learn” in children. They report effects of action video games on attentional control, but refrain from drawing general conclusions. Results cited here make it evident that, once again, generally some kind of effect on cognition is usually found, however, even on a meta-level, inferences enabling deeper understanding of underlying mechanisms are impossible. As an aside, if this is even evident on a meta-analytic level, we do not dare to discuss the tremendous heterogeneity und concomitant difficulty of operationalization issues on specific study levels (eg, cognitive domain under study, instruments chosen for assessment of domain, chosen video game to affect cognitive domain).


A third major challenge is inherent in the design of those studies and was raised by Green et al. 21 In an experimental setting, effects are evaluated in comparison with a specific control group. It is design immanent that effects are found and conditionally interpreted based on the (null)effects of the control group. However, depending on the control group chosen, a range of results are possible. There is no standardized approach which is generally applied. Reviews and meta-analyses differ in which studies they include as reference. Bediou et al 5 exclusively focused on studies that contrasted their action-game training group against an active control group, playing commercially available non-action games. Mansor et al, 10 on the other hand, explicitly excluded studies with an active gaming control group, resulting in a completely different selection of studies, yet both aiming at analyzing the effects of video gaming on cognition. In yet another meta-analysis, Wang et al, 7 only excluded studies with no control group at all. Although all meta-analyses report an overall moderate positive effect of gaming on cognition, inferences across studies contributing to understanding the underlying mechanisms of how and why effects are found are not warranted, as this would be like comparing apples and oranges. No one-fits-all solution exists for the choice of a control group; pro and con arguments can be found depending on the specific research question. However, coming full circle, with a basically mutually exclusive selection of studies, inferences must remain on a descriptive level instead of contributing to a deeper understanding of the how and why.


We consider the points discussed, that is, definition of video game, cognitive domain chosen, and control group, as crucial challenges, however, we would like to draw attention to yet another set of variables that make the interpretation of the results of existing reviews and meta-analyses difficult, as they differ between studies and their unique contribution has not yet been understood. Age, gender, and even education might influence results and, hence, render considerate sampling mandatory. Additionally, duration and frequency of training in an intervention study as well as differentiating between habitual players and novices needs careful consideration when designing and interpreting (quasi-)experimental studies.


Our points risen are neither new nor unacknowledged per se. Interestingly, existing meta-analytic literature not only contributes to the uncertainty, but also acknowledges the fact that the lack of theoretical framework and a standardized experimental protocol impedes interpretation, inferences and, in the end, accumulation of scientific knowledge (eg, ref 5). Nevertheless, up-to-date, intensified work on theoretical framework is only very slowly beginning, 22 and mainly still rather seems to generate study after study. The points risen do, also, not primarily pertain to reviews and meta-analyses, but need to be addressed at a study level. That they become visible in meta-analytic literature makes the problem only more distinct, and strongly emphasizes the call for standardized protocols as it underlines that it is not a problem of single studies but rather inherent in the system.


Video gaming and cognition at a brain structural and functional level


The reported potential improvements in cognitive domains after training with video games are accompanied and potentially caused by underlying changes in brain function and brain structure. However, at present, even less research has been conducted focusing on neural changes in addition to cognitive changes due to video game play. Only a single review on this topic has recently been published. 23 This review (in total covering n =116 articles) includes both cross-sectional designs in which habitual gamers are compared with participants who never or only seldom play video games and longitudinal intervention designs in which a randomized group is trained with a given video game and a control group is not. Moreover, it includes studies on video game-addicted populations. Here again, the challenge of the chosen control group becomes evident as effects cannot be attributed causally due to the tremendous heterogeneity of references chosen. The general conclusion might be along the lines of “video gaming has an effect on brain structure and function,” although the underlying mechanisms that drive these effects might not be inferred. To start with, including studies in reviews differing in design does have its place, but needs to be supplemented by studies or reviews allowing for more causal inferences on the long run. Nevertheless, it seems that in brain regions particularly related to attention and to visual spatial skills, an improvement in terms of brain function and brain structure due to video game training can be observed.


In the present review we would like to focus on longitudinal intervention studies, as causal effects of video gaming can only be inferred from designs in which brain function or structure is compared before and after a randomly assigned training intervention. Moreover, we would like to exclude studies on problem gamers or video game addiction, since our first goal is to understand the effects of video game exposure in the healthy population and in response to a moderate dosage of game play. We also excluded studies in which the immediate effects of acute video game exposure were investigated, that is, where participants were asked to play for a time frame of minutes to hours until changes were assessed. Based on these criteria we included 22 studies 24 - 45 (Table I) . However, it should be noted that multiple studies draw on the same sample of participants (eg, refs 29, 32, 36) all resulting from one study. All (n=8) 25 , 26 , 29 , 31 , 33 , 41 , 42 , 44 but one study 43 on brain structural changes over time showed increases in different brain regions, with a clustering of results on growth in prefrontal and temporal brain regions (especially hippocampus). The exception is a very recent paper showing that, generally, increases in hippocampus can be observed after training with a 3D platformer game, however, with differential results being found after training with action video games, depending on the navigation strategy of the participants (with response learners showing decreases of hippocampal volume, whereas spatial learners show increases). 44 In contrast, of the 15 studies focusing on brain functional changes, 7 23 , 24 , 30 , 32 , 37 , 38 , 40 report exclusive increases in brain function, be it measured at rest or during a task-based design; the other 8 27 - 29 , 33 - 36 , 39 studies report only or also decreases in brain function. Results are inconsistent or even contradictory, however. Due to differences in study design and chosen intervention, the results cannot be interpreted and integrated across studies with final conclusions drawn from them. There seems to be a strong preponderance of reported decreases of brain function in studies in which the task performed during measurement was closely related to the video game that was actually trained (n=6) 2 , 9 , 30 , 34 , 35 , 37 , 40 The direction of these results – namely decreases in brain activity due to training when the trained task is performed – are in line with previous studies on classical cognitive training in which the training tasks consist of adaptations of neuropsychological test batteries and where brain activity was measured before and after a considerable interval of training in exactly the trained task. 46 - 48 However, also in the later field some studies only report increases. 49 These inconsistencies could be due to the fact that the training duration and intensity differs across studies. Additionally, gains, measured by means of performance, and brain functional or structural changes are most likely not linear therefore this research field requires more studies with multiple measurement occasions so that the nonlinear trajectories of change can be observed. We have recently gathered evidence that not only may brain functional changes over the course of training show an inverted U-shape pattern, 46 but also brain structure (in this case examined during a motor training intervention), 50 showing initial increases after short-term training but decreases over longer training intervals. These first results once again strengthen the call for a theoretical framework, in which trajectories might be outlined and can then be tested in a strictly standardized research protocol.


Table I. Selected studies (n= 22) included in the present review on effects on brain structural and functional changes. Studies are listed in alphabetical order. Upward arrows indicate increases, downward arrows indicate decreases. DTI, diffusion tensor imaging; EEG, electroencephalography; fMRI, functional MRI; fNIRS, functional near
infrared spectroscopy; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging.

In general, the existing studies on video game training-related brain changes that measure and report functional and structural brain data at the same time seem to reveal evidence for the involvement of similar brain regions in functional and structural changes. 29 , 30 However, it is difficult to conclude from the existing pool of studies whether brain changes observed across different studies occur at comparable locations in the brain. There seems to be a precedence of change observed in hippocampus, prefrontal, and parietal brain regions; however, the studies use very different genres of video games for training, which makes a meta-analytic interpretation of the brain regions that reveal changes very vulnerable. Since multiple studies use the video games Space Fortress or a 3D version of Super Mario for training, a continuous focus on these games is warranted and may then soon allow formal quantitative meta-analyses on the resulting brain changes. Moreover, the field desperately needs studies contrasting the behavioral and neural effects of video game training between different game genres. A first study to undertake this approach with a focus on brain structural alterations in the hippocampus compared the genres 3D platformer, action, and role play video games. 44 The authors report increases in hippocampal volume in response to 3D platformer training and decreases in response to role play game training, but most importantly they identify differential effects in particular for action video games when considering interindividual differences in navigation strategy. That is, depending on the individual’s navigation strategy applied in the video game, effects are either positive or negative with respect to hippocampal volume. This study paves the way to more targeted studies on the effects of video games, focusing on the exact working mechanisms. For the purpose of recommendations to the general public on which video games may be beneficial or detrimental in terms of brain health a comparison of different video game genres may be of interest. In order to identify and understand the exact game elements that cause specific neural changes more systematic studies are required. Here it would be helpful to compare training effects of several video games from a single genre with systematic variation of its separate elements (eg, 2D vs 3D navigation, first-person vs third-person perspective, presence vs absence of reward schedules). However, for this purpose either existing commercial video games would need to be adapted, or the focus would have to be put onto custom-made video games. When looking at the studies conducted on brain structural and/or functional changes, it becomes evident that meta-analytic inferences that causally link brain structure and function to specific cognitive abilities that are all effected by specific video game training intervention is not possible according to the multitude of current studies, however well-conducted each and every one might be. Important first steps have been made in order to understand the effects of video gaming; however, future research is needed to unravel the secret of the true underlying mechanisms and relations.


Conclusions


Based on the discussion of the results and studies above, we conclude that inferences will continue to alternate between the general notion of an effect of video gaming on cognition and related brain structure and function, and the inability to make specific recommendations in the field of specific therapeutic use or detailed analyses of underlying mechanisms, structures, and processes in the brain. Although disappointing for some, for the sake of accuracy, to date there seems to be no other option than being specific. This is especially important in practical settings, in which video gaming is used therapeutically. To date, therapeutic use of video games has not been based on strong scientific evidence besides the general notion that somehow, some video games have some beneficial effects on cognition in some individuals. Also, transferring exact experimental settings with clinical samples into real patient treatment might work - however, not on the basis of truly understanding the underlying mechanisms, but rather replicating a finding on descriptive level. Put that way, the need for standardized research protocols and theoretical frameworks against which hypotheses can be tested becomes clearly evident, analogous to the idea that a statement like “diseases can be cured” as a guiding principle for specific medical treatment of a specific disease in a specific group of patients could never be sufficient. A first important step was undertaken by Green and colleagues, aimed at establishing methodological guidelines for interventions for cognitive enhancement. 21 , 22 However, until this aspiration is fully met, recommendations concerning specific practical use in clinical settings or general application must be waived. As a closing remark we would like to draw attention to the fact that, besides criticizing the lack of knowledge concerning the underlying mechanisms, we state that video gaming has beneficial effects on cognition that are reflected in brain structure and function. However, even this must be considered differentially 44 and with caution until underlying mechanisms are truly and causally understood. Cognition, nevertheless, is only one aspect of well-being that needs to be considered when looking at “the big picture.” Possible other consequences on social, emotional, or physical well-being remain unconsidered in the present article. Nevertheless, they are important aspects to be taken into account when evaluating the overall value of video gaming. 51 - 54 


Acknowledgments

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. SK has been funded by two grants from the German Science Foundation (DFG KU 3322/1-1, SFB 936/C7), the European Union (ERC-2016-StG-Self-Control-677804), and a Fellowship from the Jacobs Foundation (JRF 2016-2018).

Contributor Information

Simone Kühn, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.

Jürgen Gallinat, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.

Anna Mascherek, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.

• 1. Boot WR, Champion M, Blakely DP, Wright T, Souders DJ, Charness N. Video games as a means to reduce age-related cognitive decline: attitudes, compliance, and effectiveness. Front Psychol. 2013;4:31. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00031. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 2. Kueider AM, Parisi JM, Gross AL, Rebok GW. Computerized cognitive training with older adults: a systematic review. PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40588. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040588. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 3. Lohse K, Shirzad N, Verster A, Hodges N, Van der Loos HF. Video games and rehabilitation: using design principles to enhance engagement in physical therapy. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2013;37(4):166–175. doi: 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000017. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 4. Pallavicini F, Ferrari A, Mantovani F. Video games for well-being: A systematic review on the application of computer games for cognitive and emotional training in the adult population. Front Psychol. 2018;9:2127. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02127. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 5. Bediou B, Adams DM, Mayer RE, Tipton E, Green CS, Bavelier D. Meta-analysis of action video game impact on perceptual, attentional, and cognitive skills. Psychol Bull. 2018;144(1):77–110. doi: 10.1037/bul0000130. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 6. Cardoso-Leite P, Bavelier D. Video game play, attention, and learning: how to shape the development of attention and influence learning? Curr Opin Neurol. 2014;27(2):185–191. doi: 10.1097/WCO.0000000000000077. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 7. Wang P, Liu HH, Zhu XT, Meng T, Li HJ, Zuo XN. Action video game training for healthy adults: A meta-analytic study. Front Psychol. 2016;7(907) doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00907. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 8. Powers KL, Brooks PJ, Aldrich NJ, Palladino MA, Alfieri L. Effects of video-game play on information processing: a meta-analytic investigation. Psychon Bull Rev. 2013;20(6):1055–1079. doi: 10.3758/s13423-013-0418-z. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 9. Bisoglio J, Michaels TI, Mervis JE, Ashinoff BK. Cognitive enhancement through action video game training: great expectations require greater evidence. Front Psychol. 2014;5:136. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00136. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 10. Mansor NS, Chow CM, Halaki M. Cognitive effects of video games in older adults and their moderators: a systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression. Aging Ment Health. 2019:1–16. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2019.1574710. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 11. Toril P, Reales JM, Ballesteros S. Video game training enhances cognition of older adults: a meta-analytic study. Psychol Aging. 2014;29(3):706–716. doi: 10.1037/a0037507. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 12. Sue D, Ray P, Talaei-Khoei A, Jonnagaddala J, Vichitvanichphong S. Assessing video games to improve driving skills: a literature review and observational study. JMIR Serious Games. 2014;2(2):e5. doi: 10.2196/games.3274. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 13. Massetti T, Trevizan IL, Arab C, Favero FM, Ribeiro-Papa DC, de Mello Monteiro CB. Virtual reality in multiple sclerosis - A systematic review. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2016;8:107–112. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2016.05.014. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 14. Suenderhauf C, Walter A, Lenz C, Lang UE, Borgwardt S. Counter striking psychosis: Commercial video games as potential treatment in schizophrenia? A systematic review of neuroimaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016;68:20–36. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.018. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 15. Strahler Rivero T, Herrera Nunez LM, Uehara Pires E, Amodeo Bueno OF. ADHD rehabilitation through video gaming: A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines of the current findings and the associated risk of bias. Front Psychiatry. 2015;6:151. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00151. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 16. Lampit A, Hallock H, Valenzuela M. Computerized cognitive training in cognitively healthy older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of effect modifiers. PLoS Med. 2014;11(11):e1001756. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001756. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 17. Verheijden Klompstra L, Jaarsma T, Stromberg A. Exergaming in older adults: a scoping review and implementation potential for patients with heart failure. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2014;13(5):388–398. doi: 10.1177/1474515113512203. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 18. Sala G, Gobet F, Cognitive training does not enhance general cognition Trends Cogn Sci. 2019;23(1):9–20. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.10.004. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 19. Stanmore E, Stubbs B, Vancampfort D, de Bruin ED, Firth J. The effect of active video games on cognitive functioning in clinical and non-clinical populations: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017;78:34–43. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.04.011. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 20. Miyake A, Friedman NP, Emerson MJ, Witzki AH, Howerter A, Wager TD. The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex “Frontal Lobe” tasks: a latent variable analysis. Cogn Psychol. 2000;41(1):49–100. doi: 10.1006/cogp.1999.0734. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 21. Green CS, Strobach T, Schubert T. On methodological standards in training and transfer experiments. Psychol Res. 2014;78(6):756–772. doi: 10.1007/s00426-013-0535-3. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 22. Green SC, Bavelier D, Kramer AF, et al Improving methodological standards in behavioral interventions for cognitive enhancement. J Cogn Enhancement. 2019;3(1):2–29. [ Google Scholar ]
• 23. Palaus M, Marron EM, Viejo-Sobera R, Redolar-Ripoll D. Neural basis of video gaming: A systematic review. Front Hum Neurosci. 2017;11:248. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00248. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 24. Anguera JA, Anguera JA, Boccanfuso J, et al Video game training enhances cognitive control in older adults. Nature. 2013:97–101. doi: 10.1038/nature12486. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 25. Bailey K, West R. The effects of an action video game on visual and affective information processing. Brain Res. 2013;1504:35–46. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.02.019. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 26. Colom R, Quiroga MÁ, Solana AB, et al Structural changes after videogame practice related to a brain network associated with intelligence. Intelligence. 2012;40(5):479–489. [ Google Scholar ]
• 27. Diarra M, Zendel BR, Benady-Chorney J, et al Playing Super Mario increases oculomotor inhibition and frontal eye field grey matter in older adults. Exp Brain Res. 2019;237(3):723–733. doi: 10.1007/s00221-018-5453-6. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 28. Eggenberger P, Wolf M, Schumann M, de Bruin ED. Exergame and balance training modulate prefrontal brain activity during walking and enhance executive function in older adults. Front Aging Neurosci. 2016;8:66. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00066. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 29. Gleich T, Lorenz RC, Gallinat J, Kuhn S. Functional changes in the reward circuit in response to gaming-related cues after training with a commercial video game. Neuroimage. 2017;152:467–475. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.03.032. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 30. Haier RJ, Karama S, Leyba L, Jung RE. MRI assessment of cortical thickness and functional activity changes in adolescent girls following three months of practice on a visual-spatial task. BMC Res Notes. 2009;2:174. doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-174. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 31. Han DH, Bolo N, Daniels MA, Arenella L, Lyoo IK, Renshaw PF. Brain activity and desire for Internet video game play. Compr Psychiatry. 2011;52(1):88–95. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2010.04.004. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 32. Kühn S, Gleich T, Lorenz RC, Lindenberger U, Gallinat J. Playing Super Mario induces structural brain plasticity: gray matter changes resulting from training with a commercial video game. Mol Psychiatry. 2014;19(2):265–271. doi: 10.1038/mp.2013.120. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 33. Kral TRA, Stodola DE, Birn RM, et al Neural correlates of video game empathy training in adolescents: a randomized trial. NPJ Sci Learn. 2018;3:13. doi: 10.1038/s41539-018-0029-6. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 34. Kühn S, Lorenz RC, Weichenberger M, et al Taking control! Structural and behavioural plasticity in response to game-based inhibition training in older adults. Neuroimage. 2017;156:199–206. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.05.026. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 35. Lee H, Voss MW, Prakash RS, et al Videogame training strategy-induced change in brain function during a complex visuomotor task. Behav Brain Res. 2012;232(2):348–357. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.03.043. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 36. Lorenz RC, Gleich T, Gallinat J, Kuhn S. Video game training and the reward system. Front Hum Neurosci. 2015;9(40) doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00040. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 37. Maclin EL, Mathewson KE, Low KA, et al Learning to multitask: effects of video game practice on electrophysiological indices of attention and resource allocation. Psychophysiology. 2011;48(9):1173–1183. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2011.01189.x. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 38. Martinez K, Solana AB, Burgaleta M, et al Changes in resting-state functionally connected parietofrontal networks after videogame practice. Hum Brain Mapp. 2013;34(12):3143–3157. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22129. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 39. Nikolaidis A, Voss MW, Lee H, Vo LT, Kramer AF. Parietal plasticity after training with a complex video game is associated with individual differences in improvements in an untrained working memory task. Front Hum Neurosci. 2014;8:169. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00169. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 40. Prakash RS, De Leon AA, Mourany L, et al Examining neural correlates of skill acquisition in a complex videogame training program. Front Hum Neurosci. 2012;6:115. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00115. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 41. Voss MW, Prakash RS, Erickson KI, et al Effects of training strategies implemented in a complex videogame on functional connectivity of attentional networks. NeuroImage. 2012;59:138–148. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.03.052. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 42. Strenziok M, Parasuraman R, Clarke E, Cisler DS, Thompson JC, Greenwood PM. Neurocognitive enhancement in older adults: comparison of three cognitive training tasks to test a hypothesis of training transfer in brain connectivity. Neuroimage. 2014;85(Pt 3):1027–1039. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.07.069. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 43. Szabo C, Kelemen O, Keri S. Low-grade inflammation disrupts structural plasticity in the human brain. Neuroscience. 2014;275:81–88. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.06.002. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 44. West GL, Konishi K, Diarra M, et al Impact of video games on plasticity of the hippocampus. Mol Psychiatry. 2018;23(7):1566–1574. doi: 10.1038/mp.2017.155. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 45. West GL, Zendel BR, Konishi K, et al Playing Super Mario 64 increases hippocampal grey matter in older adults. PLoS One. 2017;12(12):e0187779. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187779. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 46. Kühn S, Schmiedek F, Noack H, et al The dynamics of change in striatal activity following updating training. Hum Brain Mapping. 2013;34:1530–1541. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22007. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 47. Kühn S, Schmiedek F, Schott B, et al Brain areas consistently linked to individual differences in perceptual decision-making in younger as well as older adults before and after training. J Cognitive Neurosci. 2011;23:2147–2158. doi: 10.1162/jocn.2010.21564. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 48. Hempel A, Giesel FL, Garcia Caraballo NM, et al Plasticity of cortical activation related to working memory during training. Am J Psychiatry. 2004;161(4):745–747. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.161.4.745. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 49. Olesen PJ, Westerberg H, Klingberg T. Increased prefrontal and parietal activity after training of working memory. Nat Neurosci. . 2004;7(1):75–79. doi: 10.1038/nn1165. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 50. Wenger E, Kühn S, Verrel J, et al Repeated structural imaging reveals nonlinear progression of experience-dependent volume changes in human motor cortex. Cereb Cortex. 2017;27(5):2911–2925. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhw141. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 51. Chung T, Sum S, Chan M. Time to call for a global public health approach in prevention of the onset and progression of problematic gaming. J Behav Addict. 2018;7(3):548–552. doi: 10.1556/2006.7.2018.86. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 52. Achab S, Nicolier M, Mauny F, et al Massively multiplayer online role-playing games: comparing characteristics of addict vs non-addict online recruited gamers in a French adult population. BMC Psychiatry. 2011;11:144. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-11-144. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 53. Holtz P, Appel M. Internet use and video gaming predict problem behavior in early adolescence. J Adolesc. 2011;34(1):49–58. doi: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.02.004. [ DOI ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• 54. Turel O, Romashkin A, Morrison KM. Health outcomes of information system use lifestyles among adolescents: videogame addiction, sleep curtailment and cardio-metabolic deficiencies. PLoS One. 2016;11(5):e0154764. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154764. [ DOI ] [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• View on publisher site
• PDF (482.1 KB)
• Collections

Similar articles

Cited by other articles, links to ncbi databases.

• Download .nbib .nbib
• Format: AMA APA MLA NLM

Add to Collections

The 10 skills you need to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Image:  REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Alex Gray

.chakra .wef-9dduvl{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-9dduvl{font-size:1.125rem;}} Explore and monitor how .chakra .wef-15eoq1r{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;color:#F7DB5E;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-15eoq1r{font-size:1.125rem;}} Fourth Industrial Revolution is affecting economies, industries and global issues

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:, future of work.

Five years from now, over one-third of skills (35%) that are considered important in today’s workforce will have changed.

By 2020, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will have brought us advanced robotics and autonomous transport, artificial intelligence and machine learning, advanced materials, biotechnology and genomics.

These developments will transform the way we live, and the way we work. Some jobs will disappear, others will grow and jobs that don’t even exist today will become commonplace. What is certain is that the future workforce will need to align its skillset to keep pace.

A new Forum report, The Future of Jobs , looks at the employment, skills and workforce strategy for the future.

The report asked chief human resources and strategy officers from leading global employers what the current shifts mean, specifically for employment, skills and recruitment across industries and geographies.

What skills will change most?

Creativity will become one of the top three skills workers will need. With the avalanche of new products, new technologies and new ways of working, workers are going to have to become more creative in order to benefit from these changes.

Robots may help us get to where we want to be faster, but they can’t be as creative as humans (yet).

Whereas negotiation and flexibility are high on the list of skills for 2015, in 2020 they will begin to drop from the top 10 as machines, using masses of data, begin to make our decisions for us.

A survey done by the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software and Society shows people expect artificial intelligence machines to be part of a company’s board of directors by 2026.

Similarly, active listening, considered a core skill today, will disappear completely from the top 10. Emotional intelligence, which doesn’t feature in the top 10 today, will become one of the top skills needed by all.

Disruption in industry

The nature of the change will depend very much on the industry itself. Global media and entertainment, for example, has already seen a great deal of change in the past five years.

The financial services and investment sector, however, has yet to be radically transformed. Those working in sales and manufacturing will need new skills, such as technological literacy.

Some advances are ahead of others. Mobile internet and cloud technology are already impacting the way we work. Artificial intelligence, 3D printing and advanced materials are still in their early stages of use, but the pace of change will be fast.

Change won’t wait for us: business leaders, educators and governments all need to be proactive in up-skilling and retraining people so everyone can benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The Annual Meeting is taking place in Davos from 20 to 23 January, under the theme “Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Related topics:

The agenda .chakra .wef-n7bacu{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-weight:400;} weekly.

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

.chakra .wef-1dtnjt5{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;} More on Forum Institutional .chakra .wef-17xejub{-webkit-flex:1;-ms-flex:1;flex:1;justify-self:stretch;-webkit-align-self:stretch;-ms-flex-item-align:stretch;align-self:stretch;} .chakra .wef-zh0r2a{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;white-space:normal;vertical-align:middle;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:0.75rem;border-radius:0.25rem;font-weight:700;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;line-height:1.2;-webkit-letter-spacing:1.25px;-moz-letter-spacing:1.25px;-ms-letter-spacing:1.25px;letter-spacing:1.25px;background:none;padding:0px;color:#B3B3B3;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;}@media screen and (min-width:37.5rem){.chakra .wef-zh0r2a{font-size:0.875rem;}}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-zh0r2a{font-size:1rem;}} See all

Here's how to mobilize for Sustainable Development Goal 14 ahead of UN Ocean Conference 2025

Peter Thomson and Alfredo Giron

October 21, 2024

Uniting for sustainability: How regional cooperation can keep MENA businesses competitive

Maroun Kairouz and Kelsey Goodman

How the Global Future Councils use 'knowledge collisions' to address today’s challenges

Mirek Dušek

Country Strategy Meeting - Argentina

Marisol Argueta de Barillas

October 20, 2024

AI value alignment: How we can align artificial intelligence with human values

Benjamin Larsen and Virginia Dignum

October 17, 2024

How digital nomads can transform tourism and the economy of Small Island Developing States

Pedro Lopes

[email protected]

+44 (0)1458 253536, hiring for tech job: interview questions about problem-solving and critical thinking.

Many businesses put a significant effort into retaining their tech teams. They organize comprehensive onboarding and mind specialists’ work-life balance. They build comfortable workflows and turn to employee handbook writing services to document those workflows and avoid misunderstandings. And such efforts will pay off only with the right hires.

If you hire and retain the wrong team player, their change can cost your company up to five times the specialist’s annual salary in lost productivity, re-training, and recruitment costs. Therefore, you might need to prepare interview questions about problem-solving and critical thinking. Below, you’ll find some working tips on why and how to do that ⬇️

Why assess problem-solving and critical thinking

Technical problem-solving often involves troubleshooting software bugs, optimizing algorithms, or developing new features based on user feedback. Critical thinking is an ability to analyze information, question assumptions, and exploring different viewpoints.

These skills are vital for several reasons.

• Adaptability. Specialists who can think critically and solve problems adapt to new tools, languages, and methods more effectively..
• Innovation. Specialists who can approach challenges creatively contribute to developing groundbreaking solutions.
• Team dynamics. With strong problem-solvers, you get effective teamwork, as they know how to address conflicts and find common ground.

How to assess technical problem-solving: Questions and tasks

1. behavioral interview questions.

Behavioral interview questions about problem-solving are designed to elicit responses that showcase a candidate’s experiences. Here are a couple of examples for inspiration.

• Tell me about a project where you had to troubleshoot the biggest issue in your career. What steps did you take?
• How do you determine whether to tackle a problem on your own or ask for assistance?
• Describe a situation where you proactively addressed a complex challenge before it became more serious.
• Can you recall a time when you had to find a solution with limited resources?.
• Tell me about an instance where you developed an innovative solution.
• How do you know when a problem is fully resolved?
• How do you evaluate the long-term effects of your solutions?

If you ask these questions, candidates will share specific examples that showcase their problem-solving strategies. So, it will be easier to avoid candidates with a “box-ticking” mentality.

2. Technical assessments

A problem-solving assessment for technical roles may include coding challenges and case studies. Coding challenges are necessary to see how candidates solve programming problems within a set timeframe and think critically under pressure.

By “case studies”, we mean presenting candidates with real-world scenarios, allowing them to demonstrate their analytical skills. For instance, a candidate might be asked to handle a difficult customer complaint or lead a team through a project crisis.

There are 7 main interview questions about problem-solving that we recommend you ask after getting a completed test assignment or conducting a role-playing session.

• Have you encountered similar challenges in your previous work?
• If you found any part of the assignment particularly difficult, what was it, and how did you handle it?
• Were there any aspects of the problem that seemed unclear or open to interpretation? How did you resolve it?
• If you had more time, what aspects of your solution would you optimize, and why?
• Did you create any tests for your code? If yes, could you describe your testing approach?
• How would you approach debugging and maintaining this code if it were part of a larger project?
• How would you expand or adapt your solution if the requirements or scope changed?

3. Group exercises

Group exercises mimic teamwork situations where candidates must collaborate to solve problems. Observers can see how specialists share ideas, negotiate solutions, and manage conflicts.

How to evaluate critical thinking skills

1. situational judgement tests (sjts).

SJTs  provide candidates with hypothetical situations related to the job and ask them how they would react. This method assesses decision-making abilities and ethical considerations.

2. Analytical tasks

Candidates analyze data sets and draw conclusions. This tests their ability to understand information and make decisions based on data.

3. Open-ended questions

Open-ended questions prompt candidates to explain their thinking in more detail.

• What factors do you consider when deciding whether to adopt a new technology?
• How do you approach learning a new programming language or framework?

These and other look-alike questions provide insight into candidates’ reasoning and analytical capabilities.

How to integrate assessments into the hiring process

To effectively assess technical problem-solving and critical thinking skills, integrate these evaluations throughout the hiring process.

• Pre-screening assessments. Incorporate online coding tests or situational judgement tests as part of the initial screening phase.
• Structured interviews. Use a combination of behavioral questions and technical assessments during interviews to create a comprehensive evaluation framework.
• Feedback mechanisms. After interviews, gather feedback from all interviewers regarding each candidate’s performance in problem-solving tasks.

👉 Lifehack for tech interviewers. Tools like WeCP’s AI Copilot can help you evaluate candidates’ problem-solving abilities by providing tailored questions and tests designed for specific roles.

11 red flags to watch during a tech interview

To conduct a successful problem-solving assessment, it’s important to anticipate potential challenges with candidates.

• Going radio silent. When candidates stop talking or writing, it can suggest they are either stuck or not engaged. This behavior raises concerns about their problem-solving approach and willingness to collaborate.
• Pretending to know everything. A good candidate should be comfortable admitting when they don’t know something and show a willingness to learn.
• Ignoring clarifying questions. Failing to ask for clarification on ambiguous questions can lead to misunderstandings. Candidates should seek additional context to ensure they fully understand the problem before attempting a solution.
• Overcomplicating solutions. A straightforward approach is often more effective than an overly complicated one.
• Not testing their code. Overlooking testing raises concerns about a candidate’s attention to detail.
• Poor time management. Candidates who spend too much time on one question may struggle with prioritization and efficiency.
• Lack of enthusiasm. Passion for technology and the job is typically a predictor of long-term success.
• Failure to relate skills to practical application. Good candidates don’t focus solely on theoretical knowledge.
• Defensive reactions to feedback. Candidates who react defensively when challenged on their solutions may not be open to constructive criticism.
• Giving excessive detail. Providing too much information can overwhelm interviewers and create the impression of wasting time. Candidates should aim for concise answers that directly address the question asked.
• Not preparing adequately. Many candidates underestimate the importance of preparation, leading to poor performance during interviews. Familiarity with common questions, company background, and job requirements is crucial for success.

Being aware of these red flags can help interviewers better assess candidates’ suitability for technical positions.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

• Featured articles
• Industry and broker news
• IT development news
• Lender and investor news
• Loans and deals completed
• People on the move
• Product news
• SMEs and economic news
• Overseas news
• Trade and export finance

Business Money magazine

   Sign up to our newsletter

My Newsletter

• Present loan facilities *
• Finance currently provided by *
• Last year’s turnover *
• Business name *
• Phone number *
• Consent * I give my consent for you to retain my data for the purposes of processing and completing my request(s) * *
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
• Agriculture and rural industries
• Contracting and building trades
• Education, training and personnel services
• Food retailing and production
• Freight, distribution and storage
• Leisure and arts
• Manufacturing and engineering
• Motor sales, repair and hire
• SME economic news
• Retail and convenience stores
• The wet trade
• training and personnel services