Critical Thinking and Personality Types
I am wondering if certainly personality types are more prone to being effective critical thinkers from the start. While I believe that everyone has the potential to develop these skills, my question is if there is an known correlation between a person's personality type and ability to think well critically?
Melissa,
Having done research for the past 25 years in the area of multiple intelligence applications I can tell you that there is a connection between personality types and creative thinking. Certain personalities are more focused on creative thinking since they are mover prone to the big picture holistic approach. Others see problem solving in sequential steps that lead to the whole.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I feel you raise a very interesting question. Since one question may lead to another I also wonder if life experiences, educational level of parents, exposure to the outside world and a host of other variables that impact personality also impact the ability to make connections to the outside worlds and impact critical thinking skills. I have worked with underrepresented populations for the last five years where families had little higher education and did not place a high value on learning. Students are often more underexposed for their years than I would have ever dreamed. Consequently, they have also not been held accountable for decisions, both good and bad, and are not overly concerned with outcomes of their decision making processes.
James,
I work with many high risk learners in m classes so I can appreciate your comments. They accurately reflect some of the challenges these students face when they attempt to think critically and expand their life visions. There are a lot of baby steps that we take with them when they should be functioning at a much higher level. They have not have the life experiences or put forth the effort needed to get to the higher level so push them as much as we can to get them at the level needed for success in their field. Many work hard at it and are successful and others just fold and quit because they don't want to invest the needed time nor effort.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
No matter what there learning type they need to be involved and feel it is relevant.
Ray,
Yes, they do. They need to move from being passive learners to active problem solvers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I do feel that personality types plays a role. Also the education level of student, parents, life experiences, and social interactions. Critical thinking may come easier for others but I think with appropriate learning steps and tools all can learn to reason and make a better judgement once educated.
Calleen,
I think you are right. Through effort and self discipline students can learn how to think through options and come up with solutions. The more experience they can have along this line the better prepared they will be when they enter the work place.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
