Critical Thinking Skills | Whats Critical Thinking Skills | ihrm ... - Free Printable

Let's solve this worksheet titled "What’s Stopping You?" by identifying the critical thinking barriers in each example. Critical thinking barriers are mental blocks that prevent us from thinking clearly, logically, and objectively. Below is a breakdown of each statement with its corresponding barrier and explanation.

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1. "The only way to look at things is the way I do, and if someone does not view things the way I do, I am absolutely baffled, irritated, and upset."

✔ Barrier: Closed-mindedness / Dogmatism

🔹 Explanation: This person refuses to consider other viewpoints and reacts emotionally when others disagree. They believe their perspective is the only valid one, which prevents open-minded evaluation of ideas — a key component of critical thinking.

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2. "If everyone is in agreement, then my opposite beliefs must be invalid."

✔ Barrier: Bandwagon Fallacy (Appeal to Popularity)

🔹 Explanation: Just because many people agree with something doesn’t make it true. This belief assumes that majority opinion determines truth, ignoring logic and evidence. It reflects a failure to evaluate ideas independently.

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3. "I'd rather daydream than pay attention to our lecture."

✔ Barrier: Lack of Focus / Avoidance of Cognitive Effort

🔹 Explanation: Daydreaming instead of engaging with learning avoids active thinking. Critical thinking requires attention, concentration, and effort — this behavior shows avoidance of mental engagement.

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4. "My mother told me that I should get married by the age of 25 or else I'll never get married at all."

✔ Barrier: Authority Bias / Emotional Appeal (Fear-based reasoning)

🔹 Explanation: The person accepts a belief based on an authority figure (mother) without questioning it. The use of fear ("never get married") manipulates emotions instead of using logical reasoning.

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5. "Anglo-sounding last names were found to be more common than Asian last names in a recent study, which showed that the former received more calls when hiring people."

✔ Barrier: Confirmation Bias / Stereotyping (or possibly Overgeneralization)

🔹 Explanation: While the statement presents data, the *interpretation* may reflect bias. If the reader assumes this proves discrimination without considering other variables (e.g., job type, location), they’re making a hasty generalization. Alternatively, if they accept this as proof of systemic bias without further analysis, it could be confirmation bias.

⚠️ But note: This example itself is NOT a barrier — it's a factual observation. However, if someone uses it to justify prejudice without critical analysis, then the *response* to it would involve a barrier.

But since the prompt asks what barrier the example presents, we interpret it as reflecting stereotyping or confirmation bias if used to judge individuals based on names.

✔ So: Stereotyping / Confirmation Bias

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6. "Due to the short time allotted by the professor to complete the exam, I was unable to think clearly about my answers."

✔ Barrier: Time Pressure / Stress

🔹 Explanation: External constraints like time limits can impair cognitive function, leading to rushed decisions and reduced ability to reason logically. This is a situational barrier to critical thinking.

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7. "Since I've consistently received honors since first grade, I don't believe anything anyone says."

✔ Barrier: Arrogance / Overconfidence / Ego Defense

🔹 Explanation: This person believes their past success makes them infallible. They reject input from others due to pride or ego, which blocks objective evaluation and learning — a major obstacle to critical thinking.

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✔ Final Answers (to fill in the blanks):

| Example | Barrier |
|--------|---------|
| 1. "The only way to look at things..." | Closed-mindedness / Dogmatism |
| 2. "If everyone is in agreement..." | Bandwagon Fallacy |
| 3. "I'd rather daydream..." | Lack of Focus / Avoidance of Cognitive Effort |
| 4. "My mother told me..." | Authority Bias / Emotional Appeal |
| 5. "Anglo-sounding last names..." | Stereotyping / Confirmation Bias |
| 6. "Due to the short time allotted..." | Time Pressure / Stress |
| 7. "Since I've consistently received honors..." | Arrogance / Overconfidence |

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📝 Summary:

Critical thinking barriers block rational analysis. Recognizing these helps us become better thinkers by challenging assumptions, managing emotions, and staying open to new information.

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