How to Use Critical Thinking In Sports
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The ability to know how to respond to your opponent in the moment comes down to your ability to make cognitive decisions that your body has to follow.we usually hear the term “critical thinking skills” in the context of work and education. but critical thinking skills can help us in every aspect of our life.every athlete knows that sport is not a purely physical activity. the mental components of sport range from resilience, motivation, and passion, to strategy, discipline, and wit.like any athletic skill, critical thinking requires practice..
Imagine you’re in the final moments of a game, and it’s a nail biter. Your team is barely up, and the next few plays will determine the outcome of the game. From the looks of things, those final few plays are going to come through you to determine the outcome of the game. Whether you’re a shortstop, a defensive back, a midfielder, or a hitter, the ability to know how to respond to your opponent in the moment comes down to your ability to make cognitive decisions that your body has to follow. Said another way, succeeding in high pressure situations starts with critical thinking skills.
What are critical thinking skills?
We usually hear the term “critical thinking skills” in the context of work and education. But critical thinking skills can help us in every aspect of our life, not just in the workplace or classroom. With the right knowledge, critical thinking skills can enhance your athletic performance and take your game to the next level.
So, what are critical thinking skills? According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking , “Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking which attempts to reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way. People who think critically consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, empathically.” Essentially, critical thinking is the ability to skillfully seek out information, process it, and then use it to guide belief and action.
Why is critical thinking important for athletes?
Every athlete knows that sport is not a purely physical activity. The mental components of sport range from resilience, motivation, and passion, to strategy, discipline, and wit. And while hard work can get you far, it is critical thinking that will carry you over the finish line.
When athletes think critically, they can accurately evaluate their past and present performance, make decisions that support their athletic development, communicate more effectively with teammates and coaches, and maintain curiosity about the game that keeps them striving for excellence. At the elite level, these skills are what differentiate the good athletes from the great athletes.
Developing your athletic skills through critical thinking:
Christopher Dwyer, PhD, has broken down critical thinking into three main components: analysis, evaluation, and inference. If you want to use critical thinking to enhance your athletic performance, developing these three skills is a good place to start. Let’s take a look at what each of these components involves.
- Analysis is the examination of the structure of something, often of an argument. In sport, we can use performance analysis to gather objective information about the events (or structure) of a previous game, race, or match. This can involve collecting observational data from video records, for example, or it can be achieved through reflection, meaning that athletes and coaches can draw on their memories for information about what happened. This might include noting which plays were executed, how many shots scored, how many missed, the time each lap took to complete, or which skills or movements were relied upon the most. Once we have the data, it’s time to evaluate it.
- Evaluation is the systematic judgment of data- the process of deciding its worth and significance. This means looking at the information that we’ve gathered and deciding what it means. If a team relies heavily on a certain play, and that play rarely results in a goal, is that play serving the team? Or if they’re having difficulty executing a play which theoretically should work, where are they going wrong? Is the issue one of coaching, or player error? If a team consistently wins at home, but struggles in away games, what does that mean? Perhaps we have data which tells us that, overall, players sleep less prior to away games. After the data has been evaluated, the next step is to make inferences about those evaluations.
- Inference is the process of forming conclusions based on a body of evidence, and it allows athletes and coaches to seek solutions based on those conclusions. If we use the example of the team whose players sleep poorly before away games, and which loses more often when they play away than when they play at home, it’s possible to infer that travel disrupts their sleep, resulting in worse athletic performance. At this point, coaches and players can use this information to make decisions about how they manage travel, and look for solutions. Perhaps they can arrive a day earlier, leaving more time to adjust. Maybe they could use a sports psychologist to brainstorm strategies for helping the team get more rest. Whatever they choose, they will be one step closer to winning more games. Through this example, we can see how the process of thinking critically leads directly to solutions that improve performance.
Critical Thinking Exercises:
Like any athletic skill, critical thinking requires practice. Here, we’ll look at some common critical thinking exercises that you can adapt for use in sport.
- Reading Exercise : Take a magazine and choose a few articles that interest you. After reading each one, make a list of the key facts, ideas, and concepts in the article. Look at what you’ve noted for each article, and search for links between them. Can you draw any conclusions about the opinions of the authors and the publication? Adaptation: Do this exercise with a sports publication. Seek out articles that offer detailed analyses of various teams. Look for links between action and performance. Try to evaluate the opinions of commentators. Do you agree with their assessments? Why or why not? Form your own opinion about why a team or athlete is performing the way they are.
- Tell it to an alien : No, this doesn’t involve tinfoil hats. Choose 5-10 theories that you find interesting. Then, put on your acting cap, because you’re going to play two roles- yourself, and the space alien. Start by explaining one of the theories to the alien, keeping in mind that the alien knows nothing about earth. Then, stepping into the alien’s role, respond to yourself with a question, trying to force yourself to think about things you may not have previously considered. Repeat this back and forth until you feel that you’ve explored the topic in detail. Adaptation: Simply choose topics and theories relevant to your sport! For example, try explaining a complex strategy to the alien, pushing yourself to explore how and why that strategy works, and what happens when it fails. This way you’ll be in a better position to successfully use and execute that strategy.
- Writing exercise : Keep a detailed log of your training and competitions. Consider the decisions you made and how they resulted in success or failure. Look for links you may not have considered between actions and results. Track how practicing certain things leads to improved outcomes. Look for trends in your life outside sport that may have affected your performance.
Developing critical thinking skills with your athletes:
As a coach, there are several ways to bolster critical thinking in your athletes. Here are a few strategies that you can start to use immediately.
- Communicate : Focus on improving communication between teammates, as well as between team members and coaching staff. Working together effectively to find solutions increases team cohesion, and helps to get everyone’s heads in the game.
- Reflect : Look back on games and practices together with your athletes. Ask them to think about what happened before you jump in with your own theories. Help them accurately reflect on their performance by engaging them with critical questions.
- Feedback : Practice supportive feedback based on curiosity. When you give them instructions, ask them to be curious about why you’re doing so, and how those instructions will help them. Ask them for their own thoughts on how they can improve, and engage with them in self-reflection, offering direction when they get stuck.
Related Articles:
- Mentality is Everything
- How to Set Goals in Sports
- Why Focusing on Process Over Outcome Matters
- Powerful Ways to Master Failure
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Critical Thinking for Sports Students
- Emily Ryall - University of Gloucestershire, UK
- Description
| ISBN: 9781844454570 | Paperback | Suggested Retail Price: $43.00 | Bookstore Price: $34.40 |
| ISBN: 9781844456789 | Electronic Version | Suggested Retail Price: $39.00 | Bookstore Price: $31.20 |
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This book is SUCH a welcome addition to the sports studies literature. We are forever telling students to take a more critical approach to the literature and this text tells them precisely how to do that! An original and much needed text
Lecturer Brunel University
Critical Thinking for Sports Students is an excellent addition to the Active Learning in Sport series. This book ought to be adopted as a required text for students pursuing undergraduate studies in sport. Though this book is geared towards students, it is well worth reading by lecturers teaching on undergraduate and graduate courses and by the general reader interested in developing good thinking Sport, Ethics and Philosophy
This book takes readers step-by-step through learning how to read and think critically. It is a useful resource for undergraduate students to enable them to be more critical and evaluative in their research, and would be good revision for post-graduates.
It has been useful in design tasks for the students to undertake during the Reflective Practice module sessions. It has given them an understanding how to think and act on a deeper level of reflection
An ideal book for all sports students studying in Higher Education. It provides useful examples that relates to sports students and is a much needed text. Layout is easy to follow and is reader friendly. Good learning activities and further reading section for development
The ability to develop critical thinking is essential at MSc level and this book provides a refreshing approach on how to develop this core skill. I will be recommending it to my students.
This book provides a range of activities to engage students to develop their critical thinking. In addition, the use of health, fitness and sport provides a range of topics to engage the students.
An interesting book to aid students achieving a better understanding of their role in the sports environment
An interesting book to aid students understanding and becoming more active in the sports environment
This is a useful text book for the students who plan and carry out a research project for the first time in his or her academic career. Basic research concepts and theories are effectively introduced in a accessible manner.
Very good text for students to work with during their selection of study subject. This book was selected to be part of the oral exam and to use for e.g. argumentation.
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41+ Critical Thinking Examples (Definition + Practices)
Critical thinking is an essential skill in our information-overloaded world, where figuring out what is fact and fiction has become increasingly challenging.
But why is critical thinking essential? Put, critical thinking empowers us to make better decisions, challenge and validate our beliefs and assumptions, and understand and interact with the world more effectively and meaningfully.
Critical thinking is like using your brain's "superpowers" to make smart choices. Whether it's picking the right insurance, deciding what to do in a job, or discussing topics in school, thinking deeply helps a lot. In the next parts, we'll share real-life examples of when this superpower comes in handy and give you some fun exercises to practice it.
Critical Thinking Process Outline
Critical thinking means thinking clearly and fairly without letting personal feelings get in the way. It's like being a detective, trying to solve a mystery by using clues and thinking hard about them.
It isn't always easy to think critically, as it can take a pretty smart person to see some of the questions that aren't being answered in a certain situation. But, we can train our brains to think more like puzzle solvers, which can help develop our critical thinking skills.
Here's what it looks like step by step:
Spotting the Problem: It's like discovering a puzzle to solve. You see that there's something you need to figure out or decide.
Collecting Clues: Now, you need to gather information. Maybe you read about it, watch a video, talk to people, or do some research. It's like getting all the pieces to solve your puzzle.
Breaking It Down: This is where you look at all your clues and try to see how they fit together. You're asking questions like: Why did this happen? What could happen next?
Checking Your Clues: You want to make sure your information is good. This means seeing if what you found out is true and if you can trust where it came from.
Making a Guess: After looking at all your clues, you think about what they mean and come up with an answer. This answer is like your best guess based on what you know.
Explaining Your Thoughts: Now, you tell others how you solved the puzzle. You explain how you thought about it and how you answered.
Checking Your Work: This is like looking back and seeing if you missed anything. Did you make any mistakes? Did you let any personal feelings get in the way? This step helps make sure your thinking is clear and fair.
And remember, you might sometimes need to go back and redo some steps if you discover something new. If you realize you missed an important clue, you might have to go back and collect more information.
Critical Thinking Methods
Just like doing push-ups or running helps our bodies get stronger, there are special exercises that help our brains think better. These brain workouts push us to think harder, look at things closely, and ask many questions.
It's not always about finding the "right" answer. Instead, it's about the journey of thinking and asking "why" or "how." Doing these exercises often helps us become better thinkers and makes us curious to know more about the world.
Now, let's look at some brain workouts to help us think better:
1. "What If" Scenarios
Imagine crazy things happening, like, "What if there was no internet for a month? What would we do?" These games help us think of new and different ideas.
Pick a hot topic. Argue one side of it and then try arguing the opposite. This makes us see different viewpoints and think deeply about a topic.
3. Analyze Visual Data
Check out charts or pictures with lots of numbers and info but no explanations. What story are they telling? This helps us get better at understanding information just by looking at it.
4. Mind Mapping
Write an idea in the center and then draw lines to related ideas. It's like making a map of your thoughts. This helps us see how everything is connected.
There's lots of mind-mapping software , but it's also nice to do this by hand.
5. Weekly Diary
Every week, write about what happened, the choices you made, and what you learned. Writing helps us think about our actions and how we can do better.
6. Evaluating Information Sources
Collect stories or articles about one topic from newspapers or blogs. Which ones are trustworthy? Which ones might be a little biased? This teaches us to be smart about where we get our info.
There are many resources to help you determine if information sources are factual or not.
7. Socratic Questioning
This way of thinking is called the Socrates Method, named after an old-time thinker from Greece. It's about asking lots of questions to understand a topic. You can do this by yourself or chat with a friend.
Start with a Big Question:
"What does 'success' mean?"
Dive Deeper with More Questions:
"Why do you think of success that way?" "Do TV shows, friends, or family make you think that?" "Does everyone think about success the same way?"
"Can someone be a winner even if they aren't rich or famous?" "Can someone feel like they didn't succeed, even if everyone else thinks they did?"
Look for Real-life Examples:
"Who is someone you think is successful? Why?" "Was there a time you felt like a winner? What happened?"
Think About Other People's Views:
"How might a person from another country think about success?" "Does the idea of success change as we grow up or as our life changes?"
Think About What It Means:
"How does your idea of success shape what you want in life?" "Are there problems with only wanting to be rich or famous?"
Look Back and Think:
"After talking about this, did your idea of success change? How?" "Did you learn something new about what success means?"
8. Six Thinking Hats
Edward de Bono came up with a cool way to solve problems by thinking in six different ways, like wearing different colored hats. You can do this independently, but it might be more effective in a group so everyone can have a different hat color. Each color has its way of thinking:
White Hat (Facts): Just the facts! Ask, "What do we know? What do we need to find out?"
Red Hat (Feelings): Talk about feelings. Ask, "How do I feel about this?"
Black Hat (Careful Thinking): Be cautious. Ask, "What could go wrong?"
Yellow Hat (Positive Thinking): Look on the bright side. Ask, "What's good about this?"
Green Hat (Creative Thinking): Think of new ideas. Ask, "What's another way to look at this?"
Blue Hat (Planning): Organize the talk. Ask, "What should we do next?"
When using this method with a group:
- Explain all the hats.
- Decide which hat to wear first.
- Make sure everyone switches hats at the same time.
- Finish with the Blue Hat to plan the next steps.
9. SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis is like a game plan for businesses to know where they stand and where they should go. "SWOT" stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
There are a lot of SWOT templates out there for how to do this visually, but you can also think it through. It doesn't just apply to businesses but can be a good way to decide if a project you're working on is working.
Strengths: What's working well? Ask, "What are we good at?"
Weaknesses: Where can we do better? Ask, "Where can we improve?"
Opportunities: What good things might come our way? Ask, "What chances can we grab?"
Threats: What challenges might we face? Ask, "What might make things tough for us?"
Steps to do a SWOT Analysis:
- Goal: Decide what you want to find out.
- Research: Learn about your business and the world around it.
- Brainstorm: Get a group and think together. Talk about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Pick the Most Important Points: Some things might be more urgent or important than others.
- Make a Plan: Decide what to do based on your SWOT list.
- Check Again Later: Things change, so look at your SWOT again after a while to update it.
Now that you have a few tools for thinking critically, let’s get into some specific examples.
Everyday Examples
Life is a series of decisions. From the moment we wake up, we're faced with choices – some trivial, like choosing a breakfast cereal, and some more significant, like buying a home or confronting an ethical dilemma at work. While it might seem that these decisions are disparate, they all benefit from the application of critical thinking.
10. Deciding to buy something
Imagine you want a new phone. Don't just buy it because the ad looks cool. Think about what you need in a phone. Look up different phones and see what people say about them. Choose the one that's the best deal for what you want.
11. Deciding what is true
There's a lot of news everywhere. Don't believe everything right away. Think about why someone might be telling you this. Check if what you're reading or watching is true. Make up your mind after you've looked into it.
12. Deciding when you’re wrong
Sometimes, friends can have disagreements. Don't just get mad right away. Try to see where they're coming from. Talk about what's going on. Find a way to fix the problem that's fair for everyone.
13. Deciding what to eat
There's always a new diet or exercise that's popular. Don't just follow it because it's trendy. Find out if it's good for you. Ask someone who knows, like a doctor. Make choices that make you feel good and stay healthy.
14. Deciding what to do today
Everyone is busy with school, chores, and hobbies. Make a list of things you need to do. Decide which ones are most important. Plan your day so you can get things done and still have fun.
15. Making Tough Choices
Sometimes, it's hard to know what's right. Think about how each choice will affect you and others. Talk to people you trust about it. Choose what feels right in your heart and is fair to others.
16. Planning for the Future
Big decisions, like where to go to school, can be tricky. Think about what you want in the future. Look at the good and bad of each choice. Talk to people who know about it. Pick what feels best for your dreams and goals.
Job Examples
17. solving problems.
Workers brainstorm ways to fix a machine quickly without making things worse when a machine breaks at a factory.
18. Decision Making
A store manager decides which products to order more of based on what's selling best.
19. Setting Goals
A team leader helps their team decide what tasks are most important to finish this month and which can wait.
20. Evaluating Ideas
At a team meeting, everyone shares ideas for a new project. The group discusses each idea's pros and cons before picking one.
21. Handling Conflict
Two workers disagree on how to do a job. Instead of arguing, they talk calmly, listen to each other, and find a solution they both like.
22. Improving Processes
A cashier thinks of a faster way to ring up items so customers don't have to wait as long.
23. Asking Questions
Before starting a big task, an employee asks for clear instructions and checks if they have the necessary tools.
24. Checking Facts
Before presenting a report, someone double-checks all their information to make sure there are no mistakes.
25. Planning for the Future
A business owner thinks about what might happen in the next few years, like new competitors or changes in what customers want, and makes plans based on those thoughts.
26. Understanding Perspectives
A team is designing a new toy. They think about what kids and parents would both like instead of just what they think is fun.
School Examples
27. researching a topic.
For a history project, a student looks up different sources to understand an event from multiple viewpoints.
28. Debating an Issue
In a class discussion, students pick sides on a topic, like school uniforms, and share reasons to support their views.
29. Evaluating Sources
While writing an essay, a student checks if the information from a website is trustworthy or might be biased.
30. Problem Solving in Math
When stuck on a tricky math problem, a student tries different methods to find the answer instead of giving up.
31. Analyzing Literature
In English class, students discuss why a character in a book made certain choices and what those decisions reveal about them.
32. Testing a Hypothesis
For a science experiment, students guess what will happen and then conduct tests to see if they're right or wrong.
33. Giving Peer Feedback
After reading a classmate's essay, a student offers suggestions for improving it.
34. Questioning Assumptions
In a geography lesson, students consider why certain countries are called "developed" and what that label means.
35. Designing a Study
For a psychology project, students plan an experiment to understand how people's memories work and think of ways to ensure accurate results.
36. Interpreting Data
In a science class, students look at charts and graphs from a study, then discuss what the information tells them and if there are any patterns.
Critical Thinking Puzzles
Not all scenarios will have a single correct answer that can be figured out by thinking critically. Sometimes we have to think critically about ethical choices or moral behaviors.
Here are some mind games and scenarios you can solve using critical thinking. You can see the solution(s) at the end of the post.
37. The Farmer, Fox, Chicken, and Grain Problem
A farmer is at a riverbank with a fox, a chicken, and a grain bag. He needs to get all three items across the river. However, his boat can only carry himself and one of the three items at a time.
Here's the challenge:
- If the fox is left alone with the chicken, the fox will eat the chicken.
- If the chicken is left alone with the grain, the chicken will eat the grain.
How can the farmer get all three items across the river without any item being eaten?
38. The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem
You are in a room with two long ropes hanging from the ceiling. Each rope is just out of arm's reach from the other, so you can't hold onto one rope and reach the other simultaneously.
Your task is to tie the two rope ends together, but you can't move the position where they hang from the ceiling.
You are given a jar full of pebbles. How do you complete the task?
39. The Two Guards Problem
Imagine there are two doors. One door leads to certain doom, and the other leads to freedom. You don't know which is which.
In front of each door stands a guard. One guard always tells the truth. The other guard always lies. You don't know which guard is which.
You can ask only one question to one of the guards. What question should you ask to find the door that leads to freedom?
40. The Hourglass Problem
You have two hourglasses. One measures 7 minutes when turned over, and the other measures 4 minutes. Using just these hourglasses, how can you time exactly 9 minutes?
41. The Lifeboat Dilemma
Imagine you're on a ship that's sinking. You get on a lifeboat, but it's already too full and might flip over.
Nearby in the water, five people are struggling: a scientist close to finding a cure for a sickness, an old couple who've been together for a long time, a mom with three kids waiting at home, and a tired teenager who helped save others but is now in danger.
You can only save one person without making the boat flip. Who would you choose?
42. The Tech Dilemma
You work at a tech company and help make a computer program to help small businesses. You're almost ready to share it with everyone, but you find out there might be a small chance it has a problem that could show users' private info.
If you decide to fix it, you must wait two more months before sharing it. But your bosses want you to share it now. What would you do?
43. The History Mystery
Dr. Amelia is a history expert. She's studying where a group of people traveled long ago. She reads old letters and documents to learn about it. But she finds some letters that tell a different story than what most people believe.
If she says this new story is true, it could change what people learn in school and what they think about history. What should she do?
The Role of Bias in Critical Thinking
Have you ever decided you don’t like someone before you even know them? Or maybe someone shared an idea with you that you immediately loved without even knowing all the details.
This experience is called bias, which occurs when you like or dislike something or someone without a good reason or knowing why. It can also take shape in certain reactions to situations, like a habit or instinct.
Bias comes from our own experiences, what friends or family tell us, or even things we are born believing. Sometimes, bias can help us stay safe, but other times it stops us from seeing the truth.
Not all bias is bad. Bias can be a mechanism for assessing our potential safety in a new situation. If we are biased to think that anything long, thin, and curled up is a snake, we might assume the rope is something to be afraid of before we know it is just a rope.
While bias might serve us in some situations (like jumping out of the way of an actual snake before we have time to process that we need to be jumping out of the way), it often harms our ability to think critically.
How Bias Gets in the Way of Good Thinking
Selective Perception: We only notice things that match our ideas and ignore the rest.
It's like only picking red candies from a mixed bowl because you think they taste the best, but they taste the same as every other candy in the bowl. It could also be when we see all the signs that our partner is cheating on us but choose to ignore them because we are happy the way we are (or at least, we think we are).
Agreeing with Yourself: This is called “ confirmation bias ” when we only listen to ideas that match our own and seek, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms what we already think we know or believe.
An example is when someone wants to know if it is safe to vaccinate their children but already believes that vaccines are not safe, so they only look for information supporting the idea that vaccines are bad.
Thinking We Know It All: Similar to confirmation bias, this is called “overconfidence bias.” Sometimes we think our ideas are the best and don't listen to others. This can stop us from learning.
Have you ever met someone who you consider a “know it”? Probably, they have a lot of overconfidence bias because while they may know many things accurately, they can’t know everything. Still, if they act like they do, they show overconfidence bias.
There's a weird kind of bias similar to this called the Dunning Kruger Effect, and that is when someone is bad at what they do, but they believe and act like they are the best .
Following the Crowd: This is formally called “groupthink”. It's hard to speak up with a different idea if everyone agrees. But this can lead to mistakes.
An example of this we’ve all likely seen is the cool clique in primary school. There is usually one person that is the head of the group, the “coolest kid in school”, and everyone listens to them and does what they want, even if they don’t think it’s a good idea.
How to Overcome Biases
Here are a few ways to learn to think better, free from our biases (or at least aware of them!).
Know Your Biases: Realize that everyone has biases. If we know about them, we can think better.
Listen to Different People: Talking to different kinds of people can give us new ideas.
Ask Why: Always ask yourself why you believe something. Is it true, or is it just a bias?
Understand Others: Try to think about how others feel. It helps you see things in new ways.
Keep Learning: Always be curious and open to new information.
In today's world, everything changes fast, and there's so much information everywhere. This makes critical thinking super important. It helps us distinguish between what's real and what's made up. It also helps us make good choices. But thinking this way can be tough sometimes because of biases. These are like sneaky thoughts that can trick us. The good news is we can learn to see them and think better.
There are cool tools and ways we've talked about, like the "Socratic Questioning" method and the "Six Thinking Hats." These tools help us get better at thinking. These thinking skills can also help us in school, work, and everyday life.
We’ve also looked at specific scenarios where critical thinking would be helpful, such as deciding what diet to follow and checking facts.
Thinking isn't just a skill—it's a special talent we improve over time. Working on it lets us see things more clearly and understand the world better. So, keep practicing and asking questions! It'll make you a smarter thinker and help you see the world differently.
Critical Thinking Puzzles (Solutions)
The farmer, fox, chicken, and grain problem.
- The farmer first takes the chicken across the river and leaves it on the other side.
- He returns to the original side and takes the fox across the river.
- After leaving the fox on the other side, he returns the chicken to the starting side.
- He leaves the chicken on the starting side and takes the grain bag across the river.
- He leaves the grain with the fox on the other side and returns to get the chicken.
- The farmer takes the chicken across, and now all three items -- the fox, the chicken, and the grain -- are safely on the other side of the river.
The Rope, Jar, and Pebbles Problem
- Take one rope and tie the jar of pebbles to its end.
- Swing the rope with the jar in a pendulum motion.
- While the rope is swinging, grab the other rope and wait.
- As the swinging rope comes back within reach due to its pendulum motion, grab it.
- With both ropes within reach, untie the jar and tie the rope ends together.
The Two Guards Problem
The question is, "What would the other guard say is the door to doom?" Then choose the opposite door.
The Hourglass Problem
- Start both hourglasses.
- When the 4-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over.
- When the 7-minute hourglass runs out, the 4-minute hourglass will have been running for 3 minutes. Turn the 7-minute hourglass over.
- When the 4-minute hourglass runs out for the second time (a total of 8 minutes have passed), the 7-minute hourglass will run for 1 minute. Turn the 7-minute hourglass again for 1 minute to empty the hourglass (a total of 9 minutes passed).
The Boat and Weights Problem
Take the cat over first and leave it on the other side. Then, return and take the fish across next. When you get there, take the cat back with you. Leave the cat on the starting side and take the cat food across. Lastly, return to get the cat and bring it to the other side.
The Lifeboat Dilemma
There isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:
- Moral Principles: What values guide your decision? Is it the potential greater good for humanity (the scientist)? What is the value of long-standing love and commitment (the elderly couple)? What is the future of young children who depend on their mothers? Or the selfless bravery of the teenager?
- Future Implications: Consider the future consequences of each choice. Saving the scientist might benefit millions in the future, but what moral message does it send about the value of individual lives?
- Emotional vs. Logical Thinking: While it's essential to engage empathy, it's also crucial not to let emotions cloud judgment entirely. For instance, while the teenager's bravery is commendable, does it make him more deserving of a spot on the boat than the others?
- Acknowledging Uncertainty: The scientist claims to be close to a significant breakthrough, but there's no certainty. How does this uncertainty factor into your decision?
- Personal Bias: Recognize and challenge any personal biases, such as biases towards age, profession, or familial status.
The Tech Dilemma
Again, there isn’t one correct answer to this problem. Here are some elements to consider:
- Evaluate the Risk: How severe is the potential vulnerability? Can it be easily exploited, or would it require significant expertise? Even if the circumstances are rare, what would be the consequences if the vulnerability were exploited?
- Stakeholder Considerations: Different stakeholders will have different priorities. Upper management might prioritize financial projections, the marketing team might be concerned about the product's reputation, and customers might prioritize the security of their data. How do you balance these competing interests?
- Short-Term vs. Long-Term Implications: While launching on time could meet immediate financial goals, consider the potential long-term damage to the company's reputation if the vulnerability is exploited. Would the short-term gains be worth the potential long-term costs?
- Ethical Implications : Beyond the financial and reputational aspects, there's an ethical dimension to consider. Is it right to release a product with a known vulnerability, even if the chances of it being exploited are low?
- Seek External Input: Consulting with cybersecurity experts outside your company might be beneficial. They could provide a more objective risk assessment and potential mitigation strategies.
- Communication: How will you communicate the decision, whatever it may be, both internally to your team and upper management and externally to your customers and potential users?
The History Mystery
Dr. Amelia should take the following steps:
- Verify the Letters: Before making any claims, she should check if the letters are actual and not fake. She can do this by seeing when and where they were written and if they match with other things from that time.
- Get a Second Opinion: It's always good to have someone else look at what you've found. Dr. Amelia could show the letters to other history experts and see their thoughts.
- Research More: Maybe there are more documents or letters out there that support this new story. Dr. Amelia should keep looking to see if she can find more evidence.
- Share the Findings: If Dr. Amelia believes the letters are true after all her checks, she should tell others. This can be through books, talks, or articles.
- Stay Open to Feedback: Some people might agree with Dr. Amelia, and others might not. She should listen to everyone and be ready to learn more or change her mind if new information arises.
Ultimately, Dr. Amelia's job is to find out the truth about history and share it. It's okay if this new truth differs from what people used to believe. History is about learning from the past, no matter the story.
Related posts:
- Experimenter Bias (Definition + Examples)
- Hasty Generalization Fallacy (31 Examples + Similar Names)
- Ad Hoc Fallacy (29 Examples + Other Names)
- Confirmation Bias (Examples + Definition)
- Equivocation Fallacy (26 Examples + Description)
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Developing Critical Thinking Skills Like an Athlete
by Lemi-Ola Erinkitola | Oct 12, 2018 | Attention , Cognitive Skills , Confidence , Critical Thinking and 3rd-6th , Critical Thinking and Math , Critical Thinking and PreK-2nd , Critical Thinking and Reading , Critical Thinking Strategies , Focus , Growth Mindset , Test Preparation , Test Strategies | 0 comments
The process of developing critical thinking skills can seem frustrating for many children. It involves developing a deep understanding of the world, practicing often, and self-correcting. Just like a first time basketball player isn’t ready to play professionally, a newcomer to critical thinking strategies is only at the beginning of a continuous journey.
There are many parallels between the athlete and the critical thinker. Both are working to develop a skillset that will allow them to perform successfully, and both are following similar steps.
Step One: Understand the rules of the game
Before you can step onto the court it’s important to understand the rules of the game. If you’re a soccer player, the rules of basketball won’t help you. Similarly, you won’t get far if you start kicking the ball in the middle of a basketball game. Each game has its own set of guidelines, and before you can excel at the sport you have to understand that framework.
The same applies to the world of critical thinking skills. A critical thinker is constantly working to understand the rules that govern the world around them. Once this framework falls into place success becomes much more simple. When something new enters your child’s world, such as a new math concept, they first need to understand the principles that guide that concept. Then, as your child learns more math concepts, each one will build upon the last. Eventually the concepts become second nature, just like hand-eye coordination in a sport.
Step Two: Practice often
While knowing the rules is important, it won’t help much if that knowledge isn’t applied. Dedicated athletes spend hours practicing and developing their skills. They create a routine and, through that routine, build upon and refine their abilities.
Helping a child learn to think critically requires similar dedication. Practicing both inside and outside the classroom will help reinforce the foundation of understanding and further develop their skills. Over time, their ability to think critically will become more natural.
Step Three: Monitor and Evaluate
When you play a sport, you are constantly adjusting and tweaking your performance. Sometimes your coach may offer insight about how to improve. Other times, you are left to self-monitor. You learn to pay attention to your performance and identify areas of potential improvement.
Cognitive challenges are no different. Often, your child will have the benefit of a teacher or parent to guide and evaluate them. This is helpful, but the tool of self-monitoring is even more effective. As your child learns to evaluate their own performance they are able to adjust and adapt without outside help.
Step Four: Acknowledge Progressive Improvement
The first time an athlete touches a basketball, they probably won’t make every basket. Similarly, the first time your child tries to solve a new problem, they may not understand how to approach it.
That’s okay.
The development of critical thinking skills, like athletic skills, is an ongoing, incremental process. Improvement will happen over time, often gradually. With practice it becomes easier over time to solve new problems or make the basket.
The game is never over
Whether your child is a future basketball star, critical thinker extraordinaire, or both, they will never be finished refining their abilities. Just as athletes continue to train, critical thinkers are constantly practicing their skills.
Getting a head start and setting an early foundation is crucial, and will serve your child well into adulthood. The earlier they can begin practicing, the more time they will have to build and refine their critical thinking skills.
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Critical Thinking for Sports Students
- Emily Ryall - University of Gloucestershire, UK
- Description
This book is SUCH a welcome addition to the sports studies literature. We are forever telling students to take a more critical approach to the literature and this text tells them precisely how to do that! An original and much needed text
Lecturer Brunel University
Critical Thinking for Sports Students is an excellent addition to the Active Learning in Sport series. This book ought to be adopted as a required text for students pursuing undergraduate studies in sport. Though this book is geared towards students, it is well worth reading by lecturers teaching on undergraduate and graduate courses and by the general reader interested in developing good thinking Sport, Ethics and Philosophy
This book takes readers step-by-step through learning how to read and think critically. It is a useful resource for undergraduate students to enable them to be more critical and evaluative in their research, and would be good revision for post-graduates.
It has been useful in design tasks for the students to undertake during the Reflective Practice module sessions. It has given them an understanding how to think and act on a deeper level of reflection
An ideal book for all sports students studying in Higher Education. It provides useful examples that relates to sports students and is a much needed text. Layout is easy to follow and is reader friendly. Good learning activities and further reading section for development
The ability to develop critical thinking is essential at MSc level and this book provides a refreshing approach on how to develop this core skill. I will be recommending it to my students.
This book provides a range of activities to engage students to develop their critical thinking. In addition, the use of health, fitness and sport provides a range of topics to engage the students.
An interesting book to aid students achieving a better understanding of their role in the sports environment
An interesting book to aid students understanding and becoming more active in the sports environment
This is a useful text book for the students who plan and carry out a research project for the first time in his or her academic career. Basic research concepts and theories are effectively introduced in a accessible manner.
Very good text for students to work with during their selection of study subject. This book was selected to be part of the oral exam and to use for e.g. argumentation.
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Critical Thinking and Why Sport Management Students Should Study Sport in Society
In the summer, much of a professor’s focus is on improving the quality of material being offered to students. This involves participating in professional conferences such as the 2022 North American Society of Sport Management (NASSM) conference in Atlanta. There will be more than 500 sport management professors delivering presentations, sitting on panel discussions, and sharing ideas on sport management. Topics will include everything from sport governance, marketing, and leadership to presentations on how these topics can be taught more effectively.
The Sociology of Sport
It is interesting for students to note that when higher education first researched sport from the perspective of an academic discipline, it was not actually focused on sport management. Sport’s first academic focus regarding how it was organized and governed was from the perspective of the sociology of sport. The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) was established long before NASSM.
For this reason, one of the first courses in our sport management program is Sport in Society. The goal of studying sport and its impact on society is to teach students how to think critically about what we are doing in this field. Students will learn to identify and understand what type of social problems and issues are associated with sport. Sport management students are asked to look beyond the statistics and see sport as a social phenomenon. As a result, as both sports fans and managers, can make informed choices about sport and its place in our lives.
The Social Phenomena of Sport
Sports are indeed social phenomena in how they relate to the social and cultural contexts in which we live. They provide stories and images used to explain and evaluate things that impact our life. Examples include the game-winning shot, the underdog overcoming odds, or the larger than life superstar athlete. They provide a window into what our culture and society is all about.
Sport trends are influenced by how sports are organized, commercialized and represented in the media. Trends are also impacted by emerging technologies and the demographic changes being seen in the United States. These are all areas that will need to be considered by sport managers to stay abreast of the latest trends.
The Future of Sport Management
Students creating new and alternative sports may be able to find new ways to view, play and be involved in sports. Regardless of your involvement or vantage point, much of how sport managers will be involved in sport is going to require visions of what sport and social life could and should be like. It’s will also require students to strategize how to turn their sport visions into reality.
Transforming sport is a challenging task. Sport managers may find that any effort to improve sport is often met with strong resistance. Many still believe in the sport myth that the way sports currently exist is the way they should be. People are often surprised that something as simple as changing sport to be safer for children will often meet resistance. Our Sport in Society class is designed to get students thinking of ways they can change sport for the better.
Interested in a bachelor’s degree in sport management?
Earn your online bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university and online education leader for more than 15 years. Our flexible, online format provides students the ability to complete coursework and assignments according to their schedule.
Complete the form to learn more about how EKU Online’s sport management program can help advance your career.
By Dr. Joel Cormier, coordinator of the online sport management program and an associate professor of Exercise and Sport Science at EKU. He is particularly interested in academic integrity in college sports, athlete development, and organizational effectiveness. His book, Hockey (Mid)night in Kentucky: a coach’s guide and memoire was recently published.
Note: This was adapted from Chapter 3, “Sport in Society” from the textbook The Management of Sport Organizations (Cognella Press) by Dr. Joel Cormier, Sport Management Program Coordinator, Eastern Kentucky University.
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Critical Thinking for Sports Students
The capacity to think critically is essential for success in sport courses in higher education. Critical Thinking for Sports Students provides all those involved in the study of sport with the tools to assess, construct, and present arguments and to analyse and evaluate material. The emphasis is on the application of critical thinking in the form of written arguments, discussion, and negotiation. Throughout, the text and examples are presented within the context of sport, helping students to more easily apply their learning to their subject area.
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IMAGES
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COMMENTS
Critical Thinking Exercises: Like any athletic skill, critical thinking requires practice. Here, we'll look at some common critical thinking exercises that you can adapt for use in sport. Reading Exercise: Take a magazine and choose a few articles that interest you. After reading each one, make a list of the key facts, ideas, and ...
Critical Thinking in Sport. Meaning of critical thinking. Ennis defined critical thinking as "reasonable and reflective thinking that focuses on deciding what to believe to do" (Ennis 1987, p.10). Beyer views critical thinking as an evaluative skill that allows an individual to assess information in order to make a judgment on its validity ...
This book provides all those involved in the study of sport with the tools to assess, construct and present arguments and to analyse and evaluate material. The emphasis is on the application of critical thinking - in the form of written arguments, discussion and negotiation. Throughout, the text and examples are presented within the context ...
There are many resources to help you determine if information sources are factual or not. 7. Socratic Questioning. This way of thinking is called the Socrates Method, named after an old-time thinker from Greece. It's about asking lots of questions to understand a topic.
Athletic success demands critical thinking skills. As you progress as an athlete you must be able to think through both positive and negative athletic outcomes without being hard on yourself. The development of critical thinking skills can mean the difference between staying with the sport you love or abandoning it altogether.
Sport Management Review, 2007,10, 133-158 2007 SMAANZ Critical and Ethical Thinking in Sport Management: Philosophical Rationales and Examples of ~ethods KEYWORDS: critical thinking, ethics, epistemology, ontology, pedagogy Dwight H. Zakus Griffith University David Cruise Malloy University of Regina Allan Edwards Griffith University Critical thinking is recognised as a necessary central ...
This book presents an introduction to critical thinking for sports students at degree or foundation degree level. The text elucidates applications of critical thinking through sport-based examples,...
Critical Thinking for Sports Students. Emily Ryall. SAGE, Apr 26, 2010 - Sports & Recreation - 144 pages. "A really useful textbook to help undergraduate students construct arguments in their writing, and raise their writing abilities to a higher level. The book also provides useful examples that relates to sports students."
The emphasis is on the application of critical thinking - in the form of written arguments, discussion and negotiation. Throughout, the text and examples are presented within the context of sport, helping students to more easily apply their learning to their subject area. ... The book also provides useful examples that relates to sports ...
Step One: Understand the rules of the game. Before you can step onto the court it's important to understand the rules of the game. If you're a soccer player, the rules of basketball won't help you. Similarly, you won't get far if you start kicking the ball in the middle of a basketball game. Each game has its own set of guidelines, and ...
This book provides all those involved in the study of sport with the tools to assess, construct and present arguments and to analyse and evaluate material. The emphasis is on the application of critical thinking - in the form of written arguments, discussion and negotiation. Throughout, the text and examples are presented within the context ...
The goal of studying sport and its impact on society is to teach students how to think critically about what we are doing in this field. Students will learn to identify and understand what type of social problems and issues are associated with sport. Sport management students are asked to look beyond the statistics and see sport as a social ...
Critical thinking (CT) was defined as "cognitive skills of analyzing, applying standards, discriminating, information seeking, logical reasoning, predicting, and transforming knowledge" (Scheffer ...
In a recent study, for example, sports coaches who were trained in reflection skills (they engaged with reflective questions) showed an improvement in their critical-thinking skills and more willingness to adopt alternative ideas and approaches (Vangrunderbeek et al., Citation 2023).
Many articles identify and expound on the need for critical thinking pedagogy allied with sound moral and ethical thought and behaviour. This paper seeks to identify the central aspects of critical thinking within the ethical conceptual terms of ontology, epistemology, and axiology for sport management pedagogy.
Critical Thinking for Sports Students provides all those involved in the study of sport with the tools to assess, construct, and present arguments and to analyse and evaluate material. The emphasis is on the application of critical thinking in the form of written arguments, discussion, and negotiation. Throughout, the text and examples are ...
The final part of the paper considers the implications of research on thinking in action in sport for practical attempts to improve thinking skills in domains such as business organizations and schools. Explores insights into the relationship between thinking and skilled action in sport. Explains cognitive psychologists' more enthusiastic ...
The curriculum of sport management education has been described as a "pre-hire anticipatory socialization stage where students are preparing themselves for personal and career challenges within ...
Critical thinking skills examples. There are six main skills you can develop to successfully analyze facts and situations and come up with logical conclusions: 1. Analytical thinking. Being able to properly analyze information is the most important aspect of critical thinking. This implies gathering information and interpreting it, but also ...
One task for a critical philosophy of sport is an ethics of competition that takes seriously the epistemological chauvinisms that make it possible to think about winners and losers, competition and rivalry, in particular ways. In sport, the relationship between competitors and the competition is intriguing and, here, productive.
Critical thinking is the ability to effectively analyze information and form a judgment. To think critically, you must be aware of your own biases and assumptions when encountering information, and apply consistent standards when evaluating sources. Critical thinking skills help you to: Identify credible sources. Evaluate and respond to arguments.