What is critical thinking?
While critical thinking is an important attribute for success, it is not easily defined. Social scientists largely consider critical thinking to include a reasonable and reflective thought process focused on a decision of what to do or believe. When taking a critical-thinking approach to solving problems or addressing questions with incomplete information, people search for confirmation before reaching a decision.
What is the UFCTI?
The UFCTI measures critical thinking styles on a continuum that ranges between Engagement and Seeking information. Although the spectrum contains two ends, UFCTI participants can fall anywhere in between.
Ideally, a person’s responses would place them in the middle of the continuum, which indicates that he or she naturally engages in both styles of critical thinking. Neither end of the continuum represents a good or bad critical thinker. We do this so that your team or organization can capitalize on each other’s strengths. By understanding how different people think critically about an issue, you can put your team members in a position to succeed by grouping people together in the most effective way.
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Who are Engagers?
People who score on the Engagement side of the continuum are aware of their surroundings and able to anticipate situations where good reasoning will be needed. They look for opportunities to use their reasoning skills and are confident in their ability to reason, solve problems, and make decisions. They are also confident communicators and able to explain the reasoning process used to arrive at a decision or problem solution.
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Who are Seekers?
People who score to match engagers on the Seeking Information side of the scale are aware of their own predispositions and biases and recognize their current opinions and positions have been influenced by his or her environment and experiences. They are “hungry learners,” open to the opinions of others and take care to seek out divergent points of view. Seekers have a desire to know the truth, even if the truth conflicts with presently held beliefs and opinions.
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