Critical Evaluation Toolkit

Characteristics of a 'critical thinker'

• Inquisitiveness about a wide range of issues;
• Desire to become and remain well-informed;
• Alertness to opportunities to use critical thinking;
• Trust in the processes of reasoned inquiry;
• Self-confidence in own abilities to reason;
• Open-mindedness towards divergent world views;
• Flexibility in considering alternatives and opinions;
• Understanding of the opinions of other people;
• Fair-mindedness in appraising reasoning;
• Honesty in facing own biases, prejudices, stereotypes, etc;
• Discretion in suspending, making or altering judgments; and
• Willingness to reconsider and revise views where necessary.

Adapted from:
Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 1 September, 2004
http://www.insightassessment.com/pdf_files/what&why2006.pdf