Qualities for Critical Thinking

Truth-seeking

Measures intellectual honesty, the courageous desire for best knowledge in any situation, the inclination to ask challenging question and to follow the reasons and evidence wherever they lead.

Open-Mindedness

Measures tolerance for new ideas and divergent views. What are the chances of helpful critique or innovation if one is intolerant and close-minded?

Systemacity
measures the inclination to be organized, focused, diligent, and persevering. How much business will be lost by a customer service representative whose approach to clients is disorganized, unfocused, sloppy and half-hearted?

Inquisitiveness

Measures intellectual curiosity and the intention to learn things even if their immediate application is not apparent. Workers who are indifferent or disdainful of learning more that the minimum necessary to get through the day’s tasks should not expect frequent and speedy promotions.

Analyticity

Measures alertness to potential difficulties and awareness of the need to intervene by use of reason and evidence to solve problems. A health care professional, an attorney, a teacher, a manager, an engineer, or a policymaker who is not inclined toward analycity will likely fail to anticipate significant consequences and, thereby, increase the risk of malpractice and negligence

Cognitive maturity

Measure judiciousness, which inclines one to see the complexity in problems and to desire prudent decision making. Those who see everything as starkly good or bad, right or wrong, true or false are unlikely to be sophisticated learners or good candidates for positions of increasing responsibility. They are apt to make decisions too hastily or too slowly; to be unwilling to reconsider; to be dogmatic and dualistic, if not outright simplistic, in their approach to problem-solving; and to lack sensitivity to the nuances of circumstance and the subtleties of context.

Critical thinking self-confidence

Measures trust in one’s own reasoning and ability to guide others to make rational decisions.

California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory
pp. 70 – 71

Preparing Competent College Graduates: Setting New and Higher Expectations for Student Learning

Ed. Elizabeth A. Jones

No. 96, Winter 1996