CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVITY

CriticalThinking&Creativity1CRITICALTHINKINGANDCREATIVITYANOVERVIEWANDCOMPARISONOFTHETHEORIESbyJeanMarrapodiAPaperPresentedinPartialFulfillmentOftheRequirementsofED7590CriticalThinkingandAdultEducationDecember2003Address:96RavenswoodAvenueCity,State,Zip:Providence,RI02908Phone:[phone]E-mail:[e-mail]:Dr.MarshaCovingtonMentor:Dr.BarbaraSaliceCriticalThinking&Creativity2TableofContentsIntroduction.....................................................................................................................................3InitialResearchImpressions...........................................................................................................4ResearchFindings...........................................................................................................................4ResearchonCriticalThinking................................................................................................4ResearchonCreativeThinking...............................................................................................8ResearchMentioningBothCriticalandCreativeThinking.................................................18ObservationsabouttheResearchandConclusions......................................................................23References.....................................................................................................................................24CriticalThinking&Creativity3IntroductionInDevelopingCriticalThinkers,p.114-118,StephenBrookfieldcitesavarietyofresearchers’mainthinkingoncreativity,positingthatcreativethinkingisoneaspectofthedevelopmentofcriticalthinking.(Brookfield,1987)Whatarethecommonalitiesbetweencriticalthinkingandcreativethinking?Tome,thetwoappeartobeinoppositiontooneanother,sincecriticalthinkingisaboutevaluationofideasandcreativethinkingisaboutexpansionofideas.Ihavealwaysbeenknownasacreativeperson,sothistopicintriguesme.Ihavereadseveralbooksinthepopularpsychologyworldaboutcreativity,includingworksbyvonOeck,deBono,Gelb,andBuzan.Ihavelookedatmaterialsdesignedtoexpandcreativityinindividuals,andwasevenaskedtoreviewabookoncreativityforT+Dmagazine,ASTD’sflagshipjournal.Whenthesetwotopicswerejuxtaposed,itsentmeonasearchforadditionalinformation.Interestingly,oneofthetechniquesofcreativethinkingistojuxtaposeunrelatedtopicstoseewhatevolvesfrommatchingthem.Iamnottheonlyonetohavedonethiswithcreativityandcriticalthinking,andmuchoftheliteratureIfoundmatchingthetwoisforK-12teachers,becausetheteachingofthesetwoconceptsandpracticesisbeingstronglyadvocatedinmanypublicschools.Inthispaper,Iplantoreviewsomeofthescholarlyliteratureaboutcreativityandcriticalthinking,lookingforcommonalitiesbetweenthem.Ialsoplantocomparethepublictradebooksaboutcreativethinkingandexplorehowthatthinkingalignswiththeresearch.Finally,Iwouldliketoexploreiftherelationshipsbetweenthemcanstrengthenmycreativeandcriticalthinkingabilities.CriticalThinking&Creativity4InitialResearchImpressionsTheliteratureisquitecomprehensiveoncriticalthinkingandcreativethinking.Thereisverylittleagreementamongauthorsondefinitionsofwhattheyare,andmostofthescholarlyresearchiscomprisedofquotingoneanother.Thereisresearchinacademia,psychologyandbusinesscoveringeachtopicwithstrongopinionsandrecommendations.ResearchFindingsResearchonCriticalThinkingInexploringtheinitialresearchoncriticalthinking,therearequiteavarietyofopinionsdefiningit.Inourtext,Brookfield(1987)definesfiveaspectsandfourcomponentsofcriticalthinking(p.5-9):Aspectsofcriticalthinking:1.Criticalthinkingisaproductiveandpositiveactivity.2.Criticalthinkingisaprocess,notanoutcome.3.Manifestationsofcriticalthinkingvaryaccordingtothecontextsinwhichitoccurs.4.Criticalthinkingistriggeredbypositiveaswellasnegativeevents.5.Criticalthinkingisemotiveaswellasrational.Componentsofcriticalthinking:1.Identifyingandchallengingassumptionsiscentraltocriticalthinking.2.Challengingtheimportanceofcontextiscrucialtocriticalthinking.3.Criticalthinkerstrytoimagineandexplorealternatives.4.Imaginingandexploringalternativesleadstoreflectiveskepticism.CriticalThinking&Creativity5W.Huitt,onEducationalPsychologyInteractive(Huitt1994)providesawonderfulsummaryofthechangingdefinitions:“Thedefinitionofcriticalthinkinghaschangedsomewhatoverthepastdecade.Originallythedominionofcognitivepsychologistsandphilosophers,behaviorally-orientedpsychologistsandcontentspecialistshaverecentlyjoinedthediscussion.Thefollowingaresomeexamplesofattemptstodefinecriticalthinking:•...theabilitytoanalyzefacts,generateandorganizeideas,defendopinions,makecomparisons,drawinferences,evaluateargumentsandsolveproblems(Chance,1986,p.6);•...awayofreasoningthatdemandsadequatesupportforone'sbeliefsandanunwillingnesstobepersuadedunlesssupportisforthcoming(Tama,1989,p.64);•...involvinganalyticalthinkingforthepurposeofevaluatingwhatisread(Hickey,1990,p.175);•...aconsciousanddeliberateprocesswhichisusedtointerpretorevaluateinformationandexperienceswithasetofreflectiveattitudesandabilitiesthatguidethoughtfulbelie