Kim Woods

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and Decisions

Video Title: C r i t i c a l T h i n k i n g : A n a l y z i n g P r o b l e m s a n d

Decisions

Originally

Published: 2008

Publication

Date: Jul. 12, 2017

Publishing

Company: SAGE Publications Inc.

City: Thousand Oaks, CA

ISBN: 9781506309309

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781506309309

©SAGE Publications, 2008

JOHN CHAFFEE: Welcome to the program Critical Thinking, Analyzing Problems and Decisions. I'm John Chaffee, and I teach philosophy and critical thinking at the City University of New York. I am also the author of several textbooks in these areas. This program is designed to introduce you to a critical thinking approach to solving problems and making

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: decisions. Our lives are filled with problems to solve and decisions to make, and the quality of our lives is directly related to how well we do these. Thinking critically can help us in solving challenging problems and making informed decisions, thus enriching our lives in every area, both personal

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: and professional. The key to being a successful problem solver is learning to approach problems in a thoughtful and organized way. In this program, you will become familiar with a powerful and effective approach for solving problems and making decisions. You will also see this critical thinking approach in action

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: as we apply it to several challenging situations.

SPEAKER 1: The approach we will be using consists of six steps. Step 1, have I accepted the problem? Step 2, what is the real problem? Step 3, what are my alternatives? Step 4, what are the advantages and disadvantages

SPEAKER 1 [continued]: of the alternatives? Step 5, what is my solution and plan of action? Step 6, how well is my solution working?

JOHN CHAFFEE: The first problem that we will be analyzing is one that almost all of us can relate to, that of procrastination.

SPEAKER 2: As Charles approaches the professor in his critical thinking class, he finds himself in a familiar position, trying to explain why he won't be handing in the paper that is due on time. His professor surprises Charles by encouraging him to think critically by treating this late paper as a symptom of a larger problem in his life, procrastination. For the next class, Charles is to bring

SPEAKER 2 [continued]: in a description of his problem, which he will then analyze using the problem solving method they've been studying in class. This is what Charles writes. I am a procrastinator. Whenever I have something important to do, especially if it's difficult or unpleasant, I tend to put it off. Though this chronic delaying bothers me, I try to suppress my concern and instead

SPEAKER 2 [continued]: work on more trivial things. It doesn't matter how much time I allow for certain responsibilities, I always end up waiting until the last minute to really focus and get things done, or I over-schedule too many things for the time available. I usually meet my deadlines, but not always, and I don't enjoy working under this kind of pressure. In many cases, I know that I'm not producing my best work.

SPEAKER 2 [continued]: To make matters worse, the feeling that I'm always behind causes me to feel really stressed out and undermines my confidence. I've tried every kind of schedule and technique, but my best intentions simply don't last, and I end up slipping into my old habits. I must learn to get my priorities in order and act on them in an organized way so that I can lead to a well-balanced and happier life.

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 2 of 11

JOHN CHAFFEE: I'm here with my friends, Janet and Saul. And today, we're going to be thinking critically about problem solving and decision making. We're going to look at several different scenarios and try to think our way through them. The first problem that we're going to look at today

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: is one that almost everybody can relate to, procrastination.

JANET: Hm, yeah.

JOHN CHAFFEE: And the first step in the problem-solving approach that we're going to be using is accepting the problem. If we don't acknowledge and accept that we have a problem, then the problem-solving process never gets off the ground. Yet for some people, this is the most difficult step. Why is that? Why is it difficult for people to acknowledge that they have a problem?

JANET: Well, and I think people have a natural reluctance not to want to analyze themselves and their behaviors. I mean, why would you want to analyze yourself. I mean, you could uncover some things you don't want to uncover.

SAUL: Right. And it requires you making life changes that you're not familiar with, that you've never done before. So it's sort of like a new beginning.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Well, we've acknowledged that we have a problem. We've committed ourselves to solving it. What are some strategies that we can use to sustain that commitment?

JANET: I think it's always wise to kind of formalize your commitment. Perhaps you want to put it down on a piece of paper.

SAUL: I mean, and once you tackle it, your life becomes less stressful, less problems. You feel good about it. And you might look back and say, well, why did I wait so long?

JOHN CHAFFEE: Absolutely. So this first step is crucial for getting the problem-solving process off the ground. Acknowledge that you have a problem, commit yourself to doing something about it, and implement some strategies to ensure that that commitment will be sustained. The second step in our problem-solving process

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: is in response to the question, what is the real problem? And the purpose of this step is to try to get to the heart of the problem. If we don't define the problem correctly from the beginning, we run the risk of going off in the wrong direction. Sometimes we mistake the symptoms of a problem for the problem itself.

SAUL: Sure.

JANET: Right.

JOHN CHAFFEE: And the case of procrastination, for example, handing in a late research paper may be a symptom of a much deeper and far-reaching problem. How do we go about identifying the real problem? What are some strategies that we can use?

SAUL: Well, you could analyze the history of the problem, find out where the problem stems from.

JANET: You also look at what situations you run into these problems, where this occurs. And

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 3 of 11

that can give you a clue as to what the real issue is.

JOHN CHAFFEE: And so the important point in this step is that we want to really get below the surface, to use our critical thinking capabilities to get deep, and to really find what really is at the essence of this thing that's causing us the difficulties. And then once we have that as a starting point, to build outwards and start really

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: attacking the problem in a really informed and intelligent way. Step 3 in the problem-solving process is identifying alternatives. It's really to our advantage to identify as many alternatives as possible. Why is that?

SAUL: Well, the more alternatives you have, the better it is for you because then you realize which one of those works best.

JANET: Or which combination. I mean--

SAUL: Which combinations, exactly.

JANET: --more is more. I mean, and more ideas are better.

JOHN CHAFFEE: It's very unlikely that the most creative idea that you come up with is going to be alternative number three. It's most likely it's going to be alternative number 17 or alternative number 31, where you've ranged way, way out there beyond conventional thinking and really come up with something that really is really

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: unique and really innovative and powerful in that way. What are some strategies that we can use to generate many alternatives for solving problems?

SAUL: You could discuss the matter with other people, and therefore by doing that, you would get a different viewpoint.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Yeah, benefit from their experiences and from their way of thinking.

JANET: Right. You could also-- what we were talking about was brainstorming is just generating lots and lots of different ideas. And the more the merrier and the more creative, the more interesting different approaches you might have.

JOHN CHAFFEE: It's one of the unique qualities of the human mind that when human minds come together, they often produce thinking that neither of the individuals would have come up with on their own. There's a certain chemistry that takes place. And it's part of the power of the human mind and why critical thinking doesn't just take place in reflective isolation, but it's a communal activity.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: It's a social activity with human minds getting together and generating thoughts and clarity. Let's see if we can do a little brainstorming and come up with some ideas for dealing with the problem of procrastination.

SAUL: Well, one of the things would be to tackle the hardest things first.

JANET: And setting deadlines. Setting deadlines, taking the task and dividing it up into smaller pieces and set individual deadlines for each component. That could work.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Start immediately.

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 4 of 11

SAUL: Right.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Once you get a task, commit yourself to beginning that day, or at least initiating the process of solving the problem.

SAUL: Exactly. And not to think too much about it because, I guess, once you do that, then you're going to fall back.

JANET: See, I also like the idea of after you've completed something or part of the task, reward yourself. I mean, you've done something. You've achieved something. Give yourself a little reward. It'll give you more incentive for going on.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Create a specific schedule, one that also has a timeline built into it. And even though the schedule may not correspond to reality, you may have to make some adjustments to it, nevertheless it gives you a path. It gives you a framework.

SAUL: Establish priorities. Do what's most important.

JOHN CHAFFEE: You can link up with a friend that also is a procrastinator. Shouldn't be too difficult to find. And you could form like a small, mutually-supportive group with one another.

JANET: You could also find someone who doesn't procrastinate, and maybe some of their good habits will rub off on you.

JOHN CHAFFEE: You can create daily lists on Post-It notes, and then each day revise the order of those lists. Cross out the things you've done. Move the things you haven't done to the top of the list so that you're always trying to work from the most important to the least important.

SAUL: And I think what's important also is to eliminate what's silly, what's not essential in your life.

JANET: Learn to say no to things that are not important.

JOHN CHAFFEE: You could really work at visualizing what your life is going to be like if you're able to eliminate procrastination. Think of all of the time, anxiety, guilt that we waste because simply we haven't gotten to the task itself.

SAUL: And I guess if you can't do this, you might need counseling.

JOHN CHAFFEE: And because it's such a universal problem, there are books that have been written. I'm sure there's information on the internet.

JANET: There's no stigma attached to it. Yeah, you can get self-help books. I mean, you could see a counselor. But there are other options even within that, accessing help.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Time-wasters, on the cellphone, surfing the internet. Block those out, just take those away.

JANET: Multitasking, it's hard to do three things at once. Do one thing at a time.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Make use of your spare time. I knew a professor at my college. He's a professional writer. He says all you need is 15 or 20 minutes, you can get something done.

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 5 of 11

Well, I don't know how many that is, but in just a few minutes, we were able to generate a number of different ideas for solving the problem of procrastination.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: Once we've generated as many alternatives as we can, it's time now to take a closer look at them, analyze them in terms of how practical they are, how feasible they are, and how useful they are. For example, one of the alternatives that we looked at was to create a very specific schedule and try to stick to it. If we're able to do that, what are some advantages

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: of pursuing that particular alternative?

JANET: You understand what tasks you need to do and when, and it lays things out nicely for you so it's very easy and systematic to follow.

JOHN CHAFFEE: What about disadvantages?

SAUL: Well, you could say, well, OK, this is fine, but why is this going to work now when it never did before?

JANET: It also doesn't take into account things that come up during the way. OK, I'm going to do my term paper right now, but, oh, wait a minute, I have a take-home midterm. How does that factor in? And it doesn't take into account that things evolve and change. And your plan can't be set in stone or it won't work.

JOHN CHAFFEE: And I think that connects to the whole notion of identifying the real problem, because it may be that creating a schedule is just dealing with a symptom of the problem. It isn't really getting to the heart of the problem, and so it's not going to really have sustained success. So this particular step is crucial because not only does it give us an opportunity

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: to really look up close and personal at these different alternatives, it really increases our understanding, strengthens our analytical abilities, lays the foundation for us to create a solution that will really work, that will really be a lasting solution, not a temporary Band-aid.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: Step 5 is a step of synthesis. Up until now, we've been engaging mainly in analytical activities as we tried to familiarize ourselves with the problem. We've looked at lots of different alternatives. We've analyzed those alternatives in terms of advantages and disadvantages. And now it's time for us to try to bring it all together and create a solution and a specific plan of action that

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: will help us move ahead and make some progress in trying to solve the problems that we're dealing with. What are some strategies for selecting alternatives that we think might have a good chance of succeeding?

SAUL: Well you could compare your terms back to your original goals.

JANET: That would work. Or you can synthesize a bunch of the different alternatives and put them together to come up with something that works for you, very specifically for you.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Trying some out. You can try them out in your mind. You can visualize how different alternatives might have an effect on your life and what results they might produce. Or you can even experiment. You can take some of those alternatives and try them out a little

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 6 of 11

bit or one at a time and see what the initial feedback is. Well, once we've selected our alternatives,

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: now comes the really crucial step and that's to create a plan of action and implement it. And this is where a lot of problem solving comes to grief, a lot of problem solving breaks down. These are complex problems. We need to try things out, and then we need to see how they're working. And that really moves us to the final step

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: in the problem-solving process. The final step in the problem- solving process, step 6, how well is my solution working? We've created our alternatives, developed our plan of action, implemented it. And now it's time to see how things are working out.

JANET: Right.

JOHN CHAFFEE: It may be that we'll have to make some small adjustments. We may have to do some fine tuning. Or we may find that our alternatives aren't working at all. What do we do in that case?

SAUL: I guess you could get perspective from different people, find out how you're doing.

JANET: You can analyze and see, has the whole thing, the whole plan been successful? Have portions of it been successful? And maybe if only portions of it have been successful, you can revamp and create a new plan based on what you have had success with.

JOHN CHAFFEE: We learn as much if not more from things that don't work out. And now armed with that new information, we can go back to our alternatives and make now an even more informed and intelligent selection in terms of how to implement a plan of action. The problem-solving process is not linear. It's not a formula. It's an ongoing process.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: It's a way of thinking. it's a way of living. So we shouldn't get discouraged when things don't work out. I n s t e a d w e s h o u l d t a k e t h a t a s s i g n s o f encouragement that we're moving ahead. We're moving towards solving some of the most difficult and challenging problems in our lives. Well, what we've been doing in this first scenario is looking at a fairly simple but a very powerful

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: approach to solving problems. And now what we'd like to do is we'd like to take this problem-solving approach and apply it to a decision-making situation.

SPEAKER 2: Jerry is a student in business school. He worked diligently to get into this college and has been getting above-average grades. A future job in business management or further studies in finance could lead to a lucrative career. He's reached an important milestone in his business degree program when he must identify an area of study, but he's having a hard time choosing between the available options.

SPEAKER 2 [continued]: He discusses it with some friends. One thought he's had is to focus on developing and perhaps managing small businesses in the area of graphic art and design. His classmates begin to question him about his interest in this area, and he reveals that he's always wanted to be a graphic artist himself. In fact, he has quite a bit of talent as an Illustrator. He volunteers with the school newspaper,

SPEAKER 2 [continued]: providing graphics and a cartoon series, which is widely popular with

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 7 of 11

the students. But he's never sought any training or taken any classes in illustration. His classmates suggest perhaps he should consider this as an option for study. Why not explore a career as a graphic designer? Jerry says he thinks of his drawings as a hobby, not a possible career direction.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Jerry is faced with an incredibly important decision that we're all faced with, namely, what career is he going to devote his life to? In applying the problem-solving process to this type of decision, accepting the problem involves trying to and recognizing that we want to identify a career that will not just

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: bring us a paycheck, but will bring us fulfillment and satisfaction and meaning in our lives. It's an interesting question because so many people seem to have difficulty in doing this. For example, think of all the people you know who are employed. What percentage of them wake up in the morning excited about going to work, looking forward,

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: enthusiastic to getting to the office, and have careers or jobs that really complete them and make them feel fulfilled?

JANET: And if you're spending a lot of time, as you do at work, you could be very frustrated doing something that you really don't truly enjoy.

JOHN CHAFFEE: So this first step is crucial, to recognize and acknowledge that this is a truly significant choice in our lives and to do the very best that we can to find a career that we can really devote ourselves to. That will, yes, provide us with financial security, but it will fulfill us.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: It will complete us. It will enable us to fulfill our potentials to be the kind of person and make the unique contribution to the world that we're capable of. Step 2 in the problem-solving process, what is the real problem, follows on the acknowledgement

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: that what we want is a career that will not just bring us financial security, but also personal fulfillment. What advice can we give Jerry as he wrestles with this career decision?

JANET: It's an important decision and not something that he has to make immediately. He can make over time. He should not feel that he's locked into anything. He can change his mind. He can explore.

JOHN CHAFFEE: So trying to identify the deep and abiding interest in our lives, trying to identify the areas of our lives where we have unique and special talents, seems to me that those are really the fundamental ingredients to identifying careers.

JANET: There has to be a balance between money and contentment. Whatever that balance is for yourself, you have to be able to find that in your career.

JOHN CHAFFEE: A lot of times students in college feel a lot of pressure to make a selection for a career. But really, being in college is an ideal time to be undecided and to be open to lots of different possibilities. Because this is a decision which, if possible, you want to get right the first time so that when you look back

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: on your career five years, 10 years, 15 years, you're still going to be a person who gets up in the morning excited about going to work and feeling fulfilled at

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 8 of 11

the end of the day and at the end of the week. Step 3, what are my alternatives? When we think about this in terms of career exploration,

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: and Jerry's situation in particular, we find that a lot of times people feel that they have to make a choice between two or three alternatives. But really, what they ought to be doing is generating as many alternatives, as many possibilities, as they can. Why?

SAUL: Because it gives you the chance to explore and find out exactly what your passion might be that otherwise you wouldn't know. You may not know that a career exists unless you go out and you figure it out yourself, or you might want to talk to someone who might give you some sort of advice and direction.

JOHN CHAFFEE: So there's really-- we're talking about three different areas that are unknown to us. One area is often, what positions, careers, are available out there? Secondly, what may grow and develop in the future? And thirdly, who am I? As a critical thinker, you're using your abilities to actively explore.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: What are some specific suggestions we could make to Jerry about enlarging his realm of possibilities?

JANET: Well, first of all, he should probably talk to some people who are graphic artists and see what kinds of things they do, what kinds of jobs they've had, what things they've enjoyed, and see if these sort of things are of interest to him. Or if they can put him in touch with other people who do something that's similar to that and may probably open up other opportunities there as well.

JOHN CHAFFEE: So the point here is that in this stage of the decision-making process, you want to bring your creative thinking abilities to bear, but also your openness to yourself and openness to the future, and to generate as many possibilities and to keep your mind open.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: Once you've generated as many career possibilities as you can, now it's time for analysis. Step 4, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these different alternatives? In the case of Jerry, we've identified three different possibilities for him to think about and to consider.

JANET: One of them is developing and managing his own small graphic design firm, which is obviously a very appealing thing for him since he enjoys doing graphic design. He'd have some job flexibility, and he would be sort of master of his own fate, which can be very appealing for a lot of people. There are, however, a lot of disadvantages, and I could just name a couple.

JANET [continued]: First of all, a lot of small businesses fail. So he could be starting something that may not be successful, so there might be a component of instability rather than stability. He may also end up not doing what he likes doing, which is the graphic design. He may end up spending most of his time managing people, and is that really what he wants to be doing?

SAUL: Another one is becoming a graphic designer himself, leaving what he was doing before to just pursue something new, which would be, as Janet mentioned, something that he would enjoy doing, and I'm sure would excel. But the disadvantage of that would probably be also that he might find out later

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 9 of 11

SAUL [continued]: that where he was before he was better off.

JOHN CHAFFEE: In each of these cases, there's no, again, no simple answer. But we need to bring our critical thinking abilities to bear and decide, at this point in time, this is the best choice for me, but it's not a final choice. Step 5 is, what is my solution and plan of action?

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: So we've generated career possibilities. Now it's time to try to pull things together, develop a plan of action, and then move on it. What are some of the issues or priorities that we're thinking about when we're exploring different careers?

SAUL: Financial security, employment, and job security.

JANET: You also want a career that's going to make use of your special talents and your special abilities so that you are fulfilled, that you're happy in what you do.

JOHN CHAFFEE: So it's very important to develop that concrete plan of action, have a timeline. But at the same time, recognize that even though you're committing yourself, at this point, to these specific steps, you're open to change. You're open to possibilities.

JANET: So while you might have a plan, that you're going to allow it to move and shift as needs and opportunities shift.

JOHN CHAFFEE: And as a critical thinker, you're critically reflecting on these experiences, and those reflections inform your choices. I mean, life is change. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said that, "All is flux." He said, "The same person never steps into the same river twice," because the river's always changing, and we're always changing.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: And as a result, we need to recognize that we are evolving. The world is evolving. And we need to use our minds and use our abilities to think deeply and to think broadly and to think clearly to make the most informed choices possible, b u t t o recognize that those choices are going to change and evolve over time.

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: Step 6 is the step of evaluation. How are things working out? And it's a question that's of crucial importance in terms of our career because it's such a central part of our lives. So as we commit ourselves to our careers, we want to be monitoring and seeing to what extent the career that we've selected is one that really reflects

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: our deep and abiding interest and also reflects our talent, helps us fulfill the potentials that we have. And I know that in almost every person's life, they have a story to tell about how they ended up in their career and how it was a path that was one that they never envisioned would take place.

JANET: My first job getting out of college was on a trading floor on Wall Street, and I was just miserable. I was working very, very long hours, and I just didn't like it. And I realized at the end of the summer that it wasn't for me, and I quit.

SAUL: With me, I remember as a young man thinking that I was going to be a great architect, and I envisioned myself doing that. But that didn't happen. I ended up majoring in business administration.

JOHN CHAFFEE: Many of our experiences in life, as we seek to make informed decisions, are going to be filled with unknowns. They're going to be filled with unpredictable events. But

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 10 of 11

what we have going for us is we're armed with our critical thinking abilities. Those abilities will enable us to analyze situations as they occur, to look at the deeper issues,

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: to look at the entire context in which we're dealing with things, and will enable us, each step of the way, to make the most informed choices possible. Life has no guarantees. But what we can do is we can make use of the extraordinary ability to think and to think well in order to create lives that are successful, but more significant,

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: lives that we feel are worth living. Becoming an effective problem solver does not merely involve applying a problem-solving method in a mechanical fashion. Rather, solving problems and making decisions, like thinking critically, reflects a total approach to making sense of experience. A sophisticated problem solver employees

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: all of the abilities of thinking critically, including thinking actively, being self-aware, curious, open-minded, an independent thinker, knowledgeable, creative, skilled at discussing ideas with others. For more information on the basic abilities

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: of critical thinking, see Insight Media's production, Introduction to Critical Thinking. When we think critically as problem solvers, we have the courage to meet difficult problems head on and the determination to work through them. Becoming an expert problem solver is, for the most part, an ability that you can develop by practicing and applying

JOHN CHAFFEE [continued]: the principles described in this program. You can learn to view problems as challenges, opportunities for growth, instead of obstacles or burdens. You can become a person who attacks adversity with confidence and enthusiasm.

SAGE SAGE Video ©SAGE Publications, 2008

Critical Thinking: Analyzing Problems and DecisionsPage 11 of 11