• Support or refute your colleague's explanations.
• Share an example that illustrates your colleague'sexplanation of the connections between beliefs and common sense andtheir relationship to critical thinking.
• Share an example that illustrates your colleague's explanation of belief perseverance and how it influences critical thinking.

5 sentences and a question

Common sense,science, personal beliefs, and critical thinking all go hand in handwithin the practice of scholarship. When conducting research or pursuingany academic filed, common sense is needed when thinking about andplanning research. A person would not conduct research on pigs flyingbecause common sense states that pigs do not fly because 1. They areland animals and 2. Lack the appropriate mechanisms and structures forflight. Science also comes in to play because anytime a question isasked, science is used to find the answers. Personal beliefs are whatguide us when we think about subjects within an academic field and alsohow we frame our questions. Personal beliefs can also skew the waysthat we interpret data as well. Critical thinking is of the utmostimportance. Critical thinking is the “…reasonable, reflectivethinking that is focused on deciding what to believe and do” (Douglas,2000). It also helps us by setting aside personal beliefs, lookfurther in to science, and use common sense tactics to analyze andinterpret the world around us.

Belief perseveranceis when one holds on to their beliefs regardless of what science,people, society, or anything for that matter, shows differently. Thisaffects critical thinking because one cannot not critically think about atopic or about data if they are biased due to their own belief system.Belief perseverance contradicts critical thinking. There is a tendencyfor a person to discard or discredit data that contradicts their ownbelief systems. It is impossible to rid one of their belief systems,however by keeping a continuous self-appraisal it allows for a person tohave insight on how their beliefs impact their decisions andinterpretations. We all have biases, cultural backgrounds, andexperiences that shape the way we interpret and interact with theworld. However, by acknowledging these and having insight on how theyaffect us is the best way to keep them in check, especially when dealingwith academia.

Douglas, N. L. (2000). Enemies of Critical Thinking: Lessons from Social Psychology Research. Reading Psychology, 21(2), 129–144. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/027…