Enhancing Thinking Dispositions Through Informal Writing

Pre-existing beliefs about the background or guilt of a suspect can bias the subsequent evaluation of evidence for forensic examiners and lay people alike. This biasing effect, called the confirmation bias, has influenced legal proceedings in prominent court cases such as that of Brandon Mayfield. Today many forensic providers attempt to train their examiners against these cognitive biases. Nine hundred and forty-two participants read a fictional criminal case and received either neutral, incriminating or exonerating evidence (fingerprint, eyewitness, or DNA) before providing an initial rating of guilt. Participants then viewed ambiguous evidence (alibi, facial composite, handwriting sample or informant statement) before providing a final rating of guilt. Final guilt ratings were higher for all evidence conditions (neutral, incriminating or exonerating) following exposure to the ambiguous evidence. This provides evidence that the confirmation bias influences the evaluation of evidence.

Download Full-text

Habits of Mind as a Framework for Assessment in Music Education

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical and Qualitative Assessment in Music Education ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190265182.013.3 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 201-224

Author(s):

Jillian Hogan ◽

Ellen Winner

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Arts Education ◽

Habits Of Mind ◽

Public High School ◽

Student Agency ◽

Thinking Dispositions ◽

Music Classroom ◽

Music Ensembles ◽

School Music ◽

High School Music

Music making requires many kinds of habits of mind—broad thinking dispositions potentially useful outside of the music room. Teaching for habits of mind is prevalent in both general and other areas of arts education. This chapter reports a preliminary analysis of the habits of mind that were systematically observed and thematically coded in twenty-four rehearsals of six public high school music ensembles: band, choir, and orchestra. Preliminary results reveal evidence of eight habits of mind being taught: engage and persist, evaluate, express, imagine, listen, notice, participate in community, and set goals and be prepared. However, two habits of mind that the researchers expected to find taught were not observed: appreciate ambiguity and use creativity. These two nonobserved habits are ones that arts advocates and theorists assume are central to arts education. The chapter discusses how authentic assessment of habits of mind in the music classroom may require novel methods, including the development of classroom environments that foster additional levels of student agency.

Download Full-text

Individual differences in strategy use and performance during fault diagnosis

Cognitive Research Principles and Implications ◽

10.1186/s41235-020-00250-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michael Shreeves ◽

Leo Gugerty ◽

DeWayne Moore

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Fault Diagnosis ◽

Diagnostic Tests ◽

Causal Reasoning ◽

Fluid Intelligence ◽

Positive Thinking ◽

Reasoning Task ◽

Thinking Dispositions ◽

Analytic Processing ◽

Heuristic Processing

Abstract Background Research on causal reasoning often uses group-level data analyses that downplay individual differences and simple reasoning problems that are unrepresentative of everyday reasoning. In three empirical studies, we used an individual differences approach to investigate the cognitive processes people used in fault diagnosis, which is a complex diagnostic reasoning task. After first showing how high-level fault diagnosis strategies can be composed of simpler causal inferences, we discussed how two of these strategies—elimination and inference to the best explanation (IBE)—allow normative performance, which minimizes the number of diagnostic tests, whereas backtracking strategies are less efficient. We then investigated whether the use of normative strategies was infrequent and associated with greater fluid intelligence and positive thinking dispositions and whether normative strategies used slow, analytic processing while non-normative strategies used fast, heuristic processing. Results Across three studies and 279 participants, uses of elimination and IBE were infrequent, and most participants used inefficient backtracking strategies. Fluid intelligence positively predicted elimination and IBE use but not backtracking use. Positive thinking dispositions predicted avoidance of backtracking. After classifying participants into groups that consistently used elimination, IBE, and backtracking, we found that participants who used elimination and IBE made fewer, but slower, diagnostic tests compared to backtracking users. Conclusions Participants’ fault diagnosis performance showed wide individual differences. Use of normative strategies was predicted by greater fluid intelligence and more open-minded and engaged thinking dispositions. Elimination and IBE users made the slow, efficient responses typical of analytic processing. Backtracking users made the fast, inefficient responses suggestive of heuristic processing.

Download Full-text

The critical thinking dispositions of students around coffee plantation area in solving algebraic problems

International Journal of Engineering & Technology ◽

10.14419/ijet.v7i2.10.10946 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (2.10) ◽

pp. 18

Author(s):

Kurniati Dian ◽

Zayyadi Moh

Keyword(s):

Critical Thinking ◽

Junior High School ◽

Video Recording ◽

Thinking Skills ◽

Critical Thinking Skills ◽

Research Subjects ◽

Coffee Plantation ◽

Thinking Dispositions ◽

Critical Thinking Dispositions ◽

Thinking Disposition

The present study aimed at describing the dispositions of students around a coffee plantation in solving algebraic problems, especially those pertaining to fraction and comparison. Critical thinking disposition denotes the initial milestone to developing students’ critical thinking skills. The study investigated four components of critical thinking dispositions, comprising of truth-seeking, open-mindedness, self-confidence, and inquisitiveness. The subjects under investigation were 45 students at the second grade of a junior high school situated around Garahan coffee plantation in Jember district, East Java, Indonesia. The study covered several phases, inter alia, (1) describing problems on Algebra to the students, (2) recording any activities of the research subjects when doing tasks given, (3) analyzing the students’ answer sheets based on four components of critical thinking dispositions, (4) conducting method triangulation projected to confirm the preliminary findings on the students critical thinking dispositions, and (5) determining the students’ critical thinking dispositions based on the results of direct observation, video recording, and interview. The study gained several findings related to the students’ dispositions. First, the students’ tendency in truth-seeking was characterized by their analysis on the problems given on themes regarding coffee. This prevented them from making mistakes as they checked some information, be it known or unknown, as the bases for problem solving. However, not every student was aware of what was unknown about the problem or what was required to solve the problem. Second, their tendency in open-mindedness was evinced by the fact that they were assured of their answer as they related it to their experience in planting coffee. Nevertheless, some students tended to ask their parent when they had to determine the amount of diameter comparison between two logs to be connected. Third, they tended to be confident in solving problems given as they had experienced the activities described in the problem when they assisted their parents in planting coffee, but still some students had yet to be sure of their answers as they lacked the experience in planting coffee. Lastly, they tended to possess sound inquisitiveness concerning various issues pertinent to solving algebraic problems, especially themed on coffee. They acquired the inquisitiveness by observing the actual activity in their environment. Nonetheless, their inquisitiveness could not be generalized to algebraic lessons at school.

Download Full-text