6th Edition
Thought and Knowledge An Introduction to Critical Thinking
Thought and Knowledge applies theory and research from the learning sciences to teach students the critical thinking skills that they need to succeed in today’s world. The text identifies, defines, discusses, and deconstructs contemporary challenges to critical thinking, from fake news, alternative facts, and deep fakes, to misinformation, disinformation, post-truth, and more. It guides students through the explosion of content on the internet and social media and enables them to become careful and critical evaluators as well as consumers.
The text is grounded in psychological science, especially the cognitive sciences, and brought to life through humorous and engaging language and numerous practical and real-world examples and anecdotes. This edition has been streamlined with thoughtful consideration over what content to keep, what to cut, and how much new and current research to add. Critical thinking skills are presented in every chapter, empowering students to learn more efficiently, research more productively, and present logical, critical, and informed arguments. The skills are reviewed at the end of the chapter, and a complete list of skills with definitions and examples are included in the appendix. The text is supported by a companion website that features a robust set of instructor and student resources: www.routledge.com/cw/halpern.
Thought and Knowledge can be used as a core text in critical thinking courses offered in departments of psychology, philosophy, English, or across the humanities and social sciences, or as a supplement in any course where critical thinking is emphasized.
1. Thinking: An Introduction 2. Thinking Starts Here: Memory as the Mediator of Cognitive Processes 3. The Relationship Between Thought And Language 4. Reasoning: Drawing Deductively Valid Conclusions 5. Analyzing Arguments 6. Thinking as Hypothesis Testing 7. Likelihood and Uncertainty: Understanding Probabilities 8. Decision Making: It Is a Matter of Choice 9. Development of Problem Solving Skills 10. Creative Thinking 11. The Last Word Appendix: List of Critical Thinking Skills
Biography
Diane F. Halpern, PhD is Professor of Psychology Emerita at Claremont McKenna College and Past-President of the American Psychological Association (APA), the Western Psychological Association, APA Division 1 (Society for General Psychology), and APA Division 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology).
Dana S. Dunn, PhD is Professor of Psychology at Moravian University and Past-President of APA Division 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology), APA Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology), and the Eastern Psychological Association.
"Thought and Knowledge is a superb introduction to logic, reasoning errors and analysis of evidence. The author is one of the world's most distinguished people studying how we think and how we can think more effectively."
Richard E. Nisbett, Professor of Psychology Emeritus, University of Michigan
"In the age of social media, all of us are victims of information warfare, and ordinary manipulation. For our own sanity and happiness, we must learn how our minds work and how they are hacked. Thought and Knowledge is a superb introduction to cognitive psychology with engaging writing about the world as it is today. The authors use psychology to teach psychology. This book will help you succeed in a complex informational landscape, and it will help all who read it to become better cognitive citizens."
Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, New York University—Stern School of Business, author of The Righteous Mind, Co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind
"This is a book for our times. It drills deeply into the nature and application of critical thinking and provides compelling illustrations and explanations of its various facets. If you want to think critically about critical thinking, this book is for you."
Stephen M. Kosslyn, Founding Dean and Chief Academic Officer of the Minerva Schools at KGI and John Lindsley Professor of Psychology in Memory of William James, Emeritus, Harvard University.
"Halpern and Dunn have created a fascinating, scholarly (but accessible), and eminently useful book that not only introduces students to some of the best research on critical thinking, but does so in a delightful, engaging manner. This volume is full of attention-capturing exercises that students will resonate with and learn from. By the end of the book, students will have been exposed to the best of cognitive science, communicated by an extraordinarily talented team with the gravitas to definitively own and teach this topic."
Wendy M. Williams, Professor and Director of the Cornell Institute for Women in Science, Department of Psychology, Cornell University
