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Social problem-solving might also be called ‘ problem-solving in real life ’. In other words, it is a rather academic way of describing the systems and processes that we use to solve the problems that we encounter in our everyday lives.

The word ‘ social ’ does not mean that it only applies to problems that we solve with other people, or, indeed, those that we feel are caused by others. The word is simply used to indicate the ‘ real life ’ nature of the problems, and the way that we approach them.

Social problem-solving is generally considered to apply to four different types of problems:

• Impersonal problems, for example, shortage of money;
• Personal problems, for example, emotional or health problems;
• Interpersonal problems, such as disagreements with other people; and
• Community and wider societal problems, such as litter or crime rate.

A Model of Social Problem-Solving

One of the main models used in academic studies of social problem-solving was put forward by a group led by Thomas D’Zurilla.

This model includes three basic concepts or elements:

Problem-solving

This is defined as the process used by an individual, pair or group to find an effective solution for a particular problem. It is a self-directed process, meaning simply that the individual or group does not have anyone telling them what to do. Parts of this process include generating lots of possible solutions and selecting the best from among them.

A problem is defined as any situation or task that needs some kind of a response if it is to be managed effectively, but to which no obvious response is available. The demands may be external, from the environment, or internal.

A solution is a response or coping mechanism which is specific to the problem or situation. It is the outcome of the problem-solving process.

Once a solution has been identified, it must then be implemented. D’Zurilla’s model distinguishes between problem-solving (the process that identifies a solution) and solution implementation (the process of putting that solution into practice), and notes that the skills required for the two are not necessarily the same. It also distinguishes between two parts of the problem-solving process: problem orientation and actual problem-solving.

Problem Orientation

Problem orientation is the way that people approach problems, and how they set them into the context of their existing knowledge and ways of looking at the world.

Each of us will see problems in a different way, depending on our experience and skills, and this orientation is key to working out which skills we will need to use to solve the problem.

An Example of Orientation

Most people, on seeing a spout of water coming from a loose joint between a tap and a pipe, will probably reach first for a cloth to put round the joint to catch the water, and then a phone, employing their research skills to find a plumber.

A plumber, however, or someone with some experience of plumbing, is more likely to reach for tools to mend the joint and fix the leak. It’s all a question of orientation.

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving includes four key skills:

• Defining the problem,
• Coming up with alternative solutions,
• Making a decision about which solution to use, and
• Implementing that solution.

Based on this split between orientation and problem-solving, D’Zurilla and colleagues defined two scales to measure both abilities.

They defined two orientation dimensions, positive and negative, and three problem-solving styles, rational, impulsive/careless and avoidance.

They noted that people who were good at orientation were not necessarily good at problem-solving and vice versa, although the two might also go together.

It will probably be obvious from these descriptions that the researchers viewed positive orientation and rational problem-solving as functional behaviours, and defined all the others as dysfunctional, leading to psychological distress.

The skills required for positive problem orientation are:

Being able to see problems as ‘challenges’, or opportunities to gain something, rather than insurmountable difficulties at which it is only possible to fail.

For more about this, see our page on The Importance of Mindset ;

Believing that problems are solvable. While this, too, may be considered an aspect of mindset, it is also important to use techniques of Positive Thinking ;

Believing that you personally are able to solve problems successfully, which is at least in part an aspect of self-confidence.

See our page on Building Confidence for more;

Understanding that solving problems successfully will take time and effort, which may require a certain amount of resilience ; and

Motivating yourself to solve problems immediately, rather than putting them off.

See our pages on Self-Motivation and Time Management for more.

Those who find it harder to develop positive problem orientation tend to view problems as insurmountable obstacles, or a threat to their well-being, doubt their own abilities to solve problems, and become frustrated or upset when they encounter problems.

The skills required for rational problem-solving include:

The ability to gather information and facts, through research. There is more about this on our page on defining and identifying problems ;

The ability to set suitable problem-solving goals. You may find our page on personal goal-setting helpful;

The application of rational thinking to generate possible solutions. You may find some of the ideas on our Creative Thinking page helpful, as well as those on investigating ideas and solutions ;

Good decision-making skills to decide which solution is best. See our page on Decision-Making for more; and

Implementation skills, which include the ability to plan, organise and do. You may find our pages on Action Planning , Project Management and Solution Implementation helpful.

There is more about the rational problem-solving process on our page on Problem-Solving .

Potential Difficulties

Those who struggle to manage rational problem-solving tend to either:

• Rush things without thinking them through properly (the impulsive/careless approach), or
• Avoid them through procrastination, ignoring the problem, or trying to persuade someone else to solve the problem (the avoidance mode).

This ‘ avoidance ’ is not the same as actively and appropriately delegating to someone with the necessary skills (see our page on Delegation Skills for more).

Instead, it is simple ‘buck-passing’, usually characterised by a lack of selection of anyone with the appropriate skills, and/or an attempt to avoid responsibility for the problem.

An Academic Term for a Human Process?

You may be thinking that social problem-solving, and the model described here, sounds like an academic attempt to define very normal human processes. This is probably not an unreasonable summary.

However, breaking a complex process down in this way not only helps academics to study it, but also helps us to develop our skills in a more targeted way. By considering each element of the process separately, we can focus on those that we find most difficult: maximum ‘bang for your buck’, as it were.

Continue to: Decision Making Creative Problem-Solving

See also: What is Empathy? Social Skills

Social Problem Solving

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• Rosalind Oti 5 &
• Jennifer Tininenko 6  

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Interpersonal cognitive problem solving ; Interpersonal problem solving ; Social decision making ; Social information processing

Social problem solving is the process by which individuals identify and enact solutions to social life situations in an effort to alter the problematic nature of the situation, their relation to the situation, or both [ 7 ].

Description

In D’Zurilla and Goldfried’s [ 6 ] seminal article, the authors conceptualized social problem solving as an individuals’ processing and action upon entering interpersonal situations in which no immediately effective response is available. One primary component of social problem solving is the cognitive-behavioral process of generating potential solutions to the social dilemma. The steps in this process were posited to be similar across individuals despite the wide variability of observed behaviors. The revised model [ 7 ] is comprised of two interrelated domains: problem orientation and problem solving style....

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Pettit, G. S., Dodge, K. A., & Brown, M. M. (1988). Early family experience, social problem solving patterns, and children’s social competence. Child Development, 59 , 107–120.

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Rubin, K. H., & Krasnor, L. R. (1986). Social-cognitive and social behavioral perspectives on problem solving. In M. Perlmutter (Ed.), Cognitive perspectives on children’s social and behavioral development. The Minnesota symposia on child psychology (Vol. 18, pp. 1–68). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Rubin, K. H., & Rose-Krasnor, L. (1992). Interpersonal problem-solving and social competence in children. In V. B. van Hasselt & M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of social development: A lifespace perspective . New York: Plenum.

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Rosalind Oti

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Adrian, M., Lyon, A., Oti, R., Tininenko, J. (2011). Social Problem Solving. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2703

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3.4: Problem Solving and Decision Making

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Learning Objectives

• Learn to understand the problem.
• Learn to combine creative thinking and critical thinking to solve problems.
• Practice problem solving in a group.

Much of your college and professional life will be spent solving problems; some will be complex, such as deciding on a career, and require time and effort to come up with a solution. Others will be small, such as deciding what to eat for lunch, and will allow you to make a quick decision based entirely on your own experience. But, in either case, when coming up with the solution and deciding what to do, follow the same basic steps.

• Define the problem. Use your analytical skills. What is the real issue? Why is it a problem? What are the root causes? What kinds of outcomes or actions do you expect to generate to solve the problem? What are some of the key characteristics that will make a good choice: Timing? Resources? Availability of tools and materials? For more complex problems, it helps to actually write out the problem and the answers to these questions. Can you clarify your understanding of the problem by using metaphors to illustrate the issue?
• Narrow the problem. Many problems are made up of a series of smaller problems, each requiring its own solution. Can you break the problem into different facets? What aspects of the current issue are “noise” that should not be considered in the problem solution? (Use critical thinking to separate facts from opinion in this step.)
• Generate possible solutions. List all your options. Use your creative thinking skills in this phase. Did you come up with the second “right” answer, and the third or the fourth? Can any of these answers be combined into a stronger solution? What past or existing solutions can be adapted or combined to solve this problem?

Group Think: Effective Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a process of generating ideas for solutions in a group. This method is very effective because ideas from one person will trigger additional ideas from another. The following guidelines make for an effective brainstorming session:

• Decide who should moderate the session. That person may participate, but his main role is to keep the discussion flowing.
• Define the problem to be discussed and the time you will allow to consider it.
• Write all ideas down on a board or flip chart for all participants to see.
• Encourage everyone to speak.
• Do not allow criticism of ideas. All ideas are good during a brainstorm. Suspend disbelief until after the session. Remember a wildly impossible idea may trigger a creative and feasible solution to a problem.
• Choose the best solution. Use your critical thinking skills to select the most likely choices. List the pros and cons for each of your selections. How do these lists compare with the requirements you identified when you defined the problem? If you still can’t decide between options, you may want to seek further input from your brainstorming team.

Decisions, Decisions

You will be called on to make many decisions in your life. Some will be personal, like what to major in, or whether or not to get married. Other times you will be making decisions on behalf of others at work or for a volunteer organization. Occasionally you will be asked for your opinion or experience for decisions others are making. To be effective in all of these circumstances, it is helpful to understand some principles about decision making.

First, define who is responsible for solving the problem or making the decision. In an organization, this may be someone above or below you on the organization chart but is usually the person who will be responsible for implementing the solution. Deciding on an academic major should be your decision, because you will have to follow the course of study. Deciding on the boundaries of a sales territory would most likely be the sales manager who supervises the territories, because he or she will be responsible for producing the results with the combined territories. Once you define who is responsible for making the decision, everyone else will fall into one of two roles: giving input, or in rare cases, approving the decision.

Understanding the role of input is very important for good decisions. Input is sought or given due to experience or expertise, but it is up to the decision maker to weigh the input and decide whether and how to use it. Input should be fact based, or if offering an opinion, it should be clearly stated as such. Finally, once input is given, the person giving the input must support the other’s decision, whether or not the input is actually used.

Consider a team working on a project for a science course. The team assigns you the responsibility of analyzing and presenting a large set of complex data. Others on the team will set up the experiment to demonstrate the hypothesis, prepare the class presentation, and write the paper summarizing the results. As you face the data, you go to the team to seek input about the level of detail on the data you should consider for your analysis. The person doing the experiment setup thinks you should be very detailed, because then it will be easy to compare experiment results with the data. However, the person preparing the class presentation wants only high-level data to be considered because that will make for a clearer presentation. If there is not a clear understanding of the decision-making process, each of you may think the decision is yours to make because it influences the output of your work; there will be conflict and frustration on the team. If the decision maker is clearly defined upfront, however, and the input is thoughtfully given and considered, a good decision can be made (perhaps a creative compromise?) and the team can get behind the decision and work together to complete the project.

Finally, there is the approval role in decisions. This is very common in business decisions but often occurs in college work as well (the professor needs to approve the theme of the team project, for example). Approval decisions are usually based on availability of resources, legality, history, or policy.

Key Takeaways

• Effective problem solving involves critical and creative thinking.

The four steps to effective problem solving are the following:

• Define the problem
• Narrow the problem
• Generate solutions
• Choose the solution
• Brainstorming is a good method for generating creative solutions.
• Understanding the difference between the roles of deciding and providing input makes for better decisions.

Checkpoint Exercises

Gather a group of three or four friends and conduct three short brainstorming sessions (ten minutes each) to generate ideas for alternate uses for peanut butter, paper clips, and pen caps. Compare the results of the group with your own ideas. Be sure to follow the brainstorming guidelines. Did you generate more ideas in the group? Did the quality of the ideas improve? Were the group ideas more innovative? Which was more fun? Write your conclusions here.

__________________________________________________________________

Using the steps outlined earlier for problem solving, write a plan for the following problem: You are in your second year of studies in computer animation at Jefferson Community College. You and your wife both work, and you would like to start a family in the next year or two. You want to become a video game designer and can benefit from more advanced work in programming. Should you go on to complete a four-year degree?

Define the problem: What is the core issue? What are the related issues? Are there any requirements to a successful solution? Can you come up with a metaphor to describe the issue?

Narrow the problem: Can you break down the problem into smaller manageable pieces? What would they be?

Generate solutions: What are at least two “right” answers to each of the problem pieces?

Choose the right approach: What do you already know about each solution? What do you still need to know? How can you get the information you need? Make a list of pros and cons for each solution.

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Overview of the Problem-Solving Mental Process

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

• Identify the Problem
• Define the Problem
• Form a Strategy
• Organize Information
• Allocate Resources
• Monitor Progress
• Evaluate the Results

Frequently Asked Questions

Problem-solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing, and solving problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that best resolves the issue.

The best strategy for solving a problem depends largely on the unique situation. In some cases, people are better off learning everything they can about the issue and then using factual knowledge to come up with a solution. In other instances, creativity and insight are the best options.

It is not necessary to follow problem-solving steps sequentially, It is common to skip steps or even go back through steps multiple times until the desired solution is reached.

In order to correctly solve a problem, it is often important to follow a series of steps. Researchers sometimes refer to this as the problem-solving cycle. While this cycle is portrayed sequentially, people rarely follow a rigid series of steps to find a solution.

The following steps include developing strategies and organizing knowledge.

1. Identifying the Problem

While it may seem like an obvious step, identifying the problem is not always as simple as it sounds. In some cases, people might mistakenly identify the wrong source of a problem, which will make attempts to solve it inefficient or even useless.

Some strategies that you might use to figure out the source of a problem include :

• Asking questions about the problem
• Breaking the problem down into smaller pieces
• Looking at the problem from different perspectives
• Conducting research to figure out what relationships exist between different variables

2. Defining the Problem

After the problem has been identified, it is important to fully define the problem so that it can be solved. You can define a problem by operationally defining each aspect of the problem and setting goals for what aspects of the problem you will address

At this point, you should focus on figuring out which aspects of the problems are facts and which are opinions. State the problem clearly and identify the scope of the solution.

3. Forming a Strategy

After the problem has been identified, it is time to start brainstorming potential solutions. This step usually involves generating as many ideas as possible without judging their quality. Once several possibilities have been generated, they can be evaluated and narrowed down.

The next step is to develop a strategy to solve the problem. The approach used will vary depending upon the situation and the individual's unique preferences. Common problem-solving strategies include heuristics and algorithms.

• Heuristics are mental shortcuts that are often based on solutions that have worked in the past. They can work well if the problem is similar to something you have encountered before and are often the best choice if you need a fast solution.
• Algorithms are step-by-step strategies that are guaranteed to produce a correct result. While this approach is great for accuracy, it can also consume time and resources.

Heuristics are often best used when time is of the essence, while algorithms are a better choice when a decision needs to be as accurate as possible.

4. Organizing Information

Before coming up with a solution, you need to first organize the available information. What do you know about the problem? What do you not know? The more information that is available the better prepared you will be to come up with an accurate solution.

When approaching a problem, it is important to make sure that you have all the data you need. Making a decision without adequate information can lead to biased or inaccurate results.

5. Allocating Resources

Of course, we don't always have unlimited money, time, and other resources to solve a problem. Before you begin to solve a problem, you need to determine how high priority it is.

If it is an important problem, it is probably worth allocating more resources to solving it. If, however, it is a fairly unimportant problem, then you do not want to spend too much of your available resources on coming up with a solution.

At this stage, it is important to consider all of the factors that might affect the problem at hand. This includes looking at the available resources, deadlines that need to be met, and any possible risks involved in each solution. After careful evaluation, a decision can be made about which solution to pursue.

6. Monitoring Progress

After selecting a problem-solving strategy, it is time to put the plan into action and see if it works. This step might involve trying out different solutions to see which one is the most effective.

It is also important to monitor the situation after implementing a solution to ensure that the problem has been solved and that no new problems have arisen as a result of the proposed solution.

Effective problem-solvers tend to monitor their progress as they work towards a solution. If they are not making good progress toward reaching their goal, they will reevaluate their approach or look for new strategies .

7. Evaluating the Results

After a solution has been reached, it is important to evaluate the results to determine if it is the best possible solution to the problem. This evaluation might be immediate, such as checking the results of a math problem to ensure the answer is correct, or it can be delayed, such as evaluating the success of a therapy program after several months of treatment.

Once a problem has been solved, it is important to take some time to reflect on the process that was used and evaluate the results. This will help you to improve your problem-solving skills and become more efficient at solving future problems.

A Word From Verywell​

It is important to remember that there are many different problem-solving processes with different steps, and this is just one example. Problem-solving in real-world situations requires a great deal of resourcefulness, flexibility, resilience, and continuous interaction with the environment.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how you can stop dwelling in a negative mindset.

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You can become a better problem solving by:

• Practicing brainstorming and coming up with multiple potential solutions to problems
• Being open-minded and considering all possible options before making a decision
• Breaking down problems into smaller, more manageable pieces
• Asking for help when needed
• Researching different problem-solving techniques and trying out new ones
• Learning from mistakes and using them as opportunities to grow

It's important to communicate openly and honestly with your partner about what's going on. Try to see things from their perspective as well as your own. Work together to find a resolution that works for both of you. Be willing to compromise and accept that there may not be a perfect solution.

Take breaks if things are getting too heated, and come back to the problem when you feel calm and collected. Don't try to fix every problem on your own—consider asking a therapist or counselor for help and insight.

If you've tried everything and there doesn't seem to be a way to fix the problem, you may have to learn to accept it. This can be difficult, but try to focus on the positive aspects of your life and remember that every situation is temporary. Don't dwell on what's going wrong—instead, think about what's going right. Find support by talking to friends or family. Seek professional help if you're having trouble coping.

Davidson JE, Sternberg RJ, editors.  The Psychology of Problem Solving .  Cambridge University Press; 2003. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511615771

Sarathy V. Real world problem-solving .  Front Hum Neurosci . 2018;12:261. Published 2018 Jun 26. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00261

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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• Social Education November/December 2021

William D. Edgington

Journal Issue:

How many times have we teachers thrown up our arms in exasperation and wanted to inquire of a student or a group of students, “What were you thinking?” How many times a day do we advise our students to “make good choices” and then cringe when they don’t?

All too often, students don’t, or can’t, simply because they don’t know how. Although we know that our students are constantly involved in a thinking process, we tend to take that process for granted, rationalizing that thinking is simply something that everybody does. The term thinking skills is itself broad and ambiguous. Turner refers to the “mental processes that individuals use to obtain, make sense of, and retain information, as well as how they process and use that information as a basis for solving problems.” 1 In social studies, we want to foster active citizens who have the ability to process information rationally to solve problems.

Yet many teachers are uncertain of how these skills are acquired. Too often, the idea of teaching thinking skills is synonymous with having students answer questions at the end of a chapter or recite material. My preservice methods students are often surprised that they will be responsible for teaching thinking skills in social studies instruction. Some students assume such an endeavor will be complicated and demanding; others believe that the questions written in blue ink in the margin of the teacher’s edition of textbooks will serve the purpose of “getting” children to think. But with planning and foresight, thinking skills strategies can be valuable tools in helping make the curriculum relevant, realistic, and stimulating to students. When teaching thinking skills through social studies instructions, teachers must not give these skills token attention or teach them in isolation, but must integrate them meaningfully into the curriculum.

An integral part of social studies instruction—and a key thinking skil#151;is problem solving. As defined by Hoge, problem solving is “finding the means to a distinctly conceived end or goal,” 2 and involves various formal strategies to reach that goal. As with the teaching of any thinking skill in social studies, problem solving skills need to be taught systematically, and this is next to impossible if teachers rely on the textbook for questions. As students become familiar with the process, they may need less time for actual instruction, practice, and feedback.

Steps in Problem Solving

The problem solving model, also referred to as discovery learning or inquiry , is a version of the scientific method and focuses on examining content. As applied to social studies instruction, the steps include the following:

• Define or perceive the problem. (The students are presented with a problem or question for which there is no immediate solution.)

• Formulate the hypothesis. (The students guess the causes of a problem.)

• Gather the data. (Information, either provided by the teacher or gathered by the students, is collected.)

• Evaluate or analyze the data. (The students examine and reflect on the information.)

• Use the data to confirm or reject the hypothesis. (The students use their reflections to help them consider whether their initial explanations are accurate.)

• Explain or reach a conclusion. (The students formulate and state their explanation for the original problem.)

Often, teachers see the practicality of such an approach in science but not in social studies. This misperception is ironic because social studies is filled with asking “why” and “how,” and most students are naturally curious about people and experiences, past and present.

Twenty Questions

Perhaps the simplest example of inquiry thinking is the game of Twenty Questions. By asking questions that the teacher answers with yes or no responses, students attempt to solve a problem put before them before they ask their twentieth question. Usually it is a whole-group activity, but it may be played in small groups or individually. Questions may be asked in a variety of formats: The students may take turns asking questions or each student may ask a series of questions in a row. Students may also work in pairs to formulate questions.

When first exposed to the game, the students’ questions are often random and haphazard, but with practice and the aid of the teacher, the students learn that they are working their way through the steps of inquiry as they play the game, and their questioning strategies become more sophisticated. Gathering data by asking questions, students use the answers to analyze and confirm or reject their hypotheses. For example, students can discover what led to the death of Sir Thomas More (see Box A), why Dalmatians have traditionally been the mascots of fire fighters, or why civilizations generally began near water. Applying Twenty Questions to social studies instruction involves the following steps.

1. The students understand that they must find the answer to the problem that the teacher has put before them.

2. The students guess or reason what they believe is the answer to the problem.

3. By asking questions of the teacher, the students gather data to solve the problem.

4. The students use the information to reflect on and determine whether the data are congruent with their hypothesis.

5. On the basis of the information gathered, the students determine whether their hypothesis is correct. If incorrect, they may use the information to develop a new hypothesis.

6. If the students believe that their hypothesis is correct, they may state their explanation in the form of a question (“Is it. . . ?”). If they believe that their original explanation is incorrect, they may repeat steps 3-5 until they have a new conclusion.

Because the purpose is to let the students exercise problem solving thinking skills, the activity need not be limited to only twenty questions. What is important is that the teacher walk the students through the steps as the game is played, reminding them that they are solving a problem and that their questions will help them gather data, or information, which, through reflection, will help them determine whether their original hypothesis, or explanation, was correct.

Concrete objects may aid in the inquiry. In connection with a reading lesson, a preservice teacher displayed a farming tool that was typical of those used during the era of Sarah, Plain and Tall. Working with a fourth-grade reading group, the teacher showed the students the hand-held tool (which had belonged to her family for more than one hundred years) and explained that it was similar to those on the farm in Sarah, Plain and Tall. She informed the students that through their questions, they would discover the too#146;s purpose. Their initial questions centered on what they thought it was (“Does it plow?” and “Does it cut things?”), but through the teacher’s prompting, they soon asked questions that reflected data-gathering strategies in formal problem solving (“Is it used to prepare the soil somehow?” and “Is it used after the crop or plant is picked or harvested?”). The students then tested their hypotheses. They needed to ask more than twenty questions, but eventually they concluded that the object was used to separate residue cotton fibers from the plant—an explanation that their teacher affirmed. Although growing cotton was not mentioned in Sarah, Plain and Tall, the students, living in rural Alabama, could appreciate the difficulty that harvesting cotton presented to their ancestors, and in turn they understood the hardships that farmers, such as those in the book, must have faced.

Conflicting Statements as Problem Solving Tools

Twenty Questions is a highly effective method of problem solving, but other approaches also enable middle school students to focus on complex questions. For instance, Naylor and Diem suggest examining conflicting or opposing statements from the same source; an example might be Thomas Jefferson’s public writings on equality and his private ownership of slaves. 3 Students must struggle with the contradiction between Jefferson’s words and his actions.

The question for the students to consider could be “How could Thomas Jefferson write and speak of equality for all men and yet engage in the ownership of human beings?” Because the issue is complex, the question may serve as the overriding problem to be solved, while other related questions may guide the problem solving. Progressions in inquiry might include such questions: Was Jefferson a hypocrite? Was he a racist? Did others in similar positions and circumstances reflect this contradiction? What was the social and political climate at the time? Did events make this sort of contradiction seem acceptable? Did Jefferson show any acknowledgment of this contradiction in his writings or letters? What were his views on slavery? How were his slaves treated? Was this contradiction reflected in his views and dreams for the United States? Does this contradiction make his writings and accomplishments any less important or admirable? Working in groups, pairs, or individually, students can engage in problem solving steps.

Data gathering in such an exercise works well if the students examine primary and secondary documents from a variety of sources. For example, at the Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress (memory.loc.gov/ammem/mtjhtml/ mtjhome.html), students can view formal documents that Jefferson wrote, personal letters, letters of his contemporaries, a timeline of his life, and assorted biographies.

Teachers need to emphasize and reiterate the steps in problem solving during the assignment. A culminating discussion of, or solution to, the problem may serve as a catalyst for further exploration of another issue or contradiction. In addition to exercising their problem solving skills, students better understand Jefferson the man, eighteenth-century political and social thought, and the philosophical principles that helped found the United States. Middle school students, curious about the people and the past, are ready to discuss how the past relates to their lives and the implications for their future.

Problem Solving for Creative Thinking

Although teaching problem solving skills is a vital part of social studies instruction, teachers are too often unwilling or unsure of how to incorporate problem solving into the curriculum. Not the nebulous beast that many educators assume, problem solving skills can be a viable centerpiece for instruction if we simply take a deep breath and examine the potential that they afford. If we wish for students to be creative thinkers, we must give them opportunity to think creatively, and if we want them to make judgments and reason logically, they must have the opportunity to practice these skills regularly. Through such models as Twenty Questions and Conflicting Statements, teachers can incorporate problem solving skills into the curriculum and give these skills the attention that they, and the students, deserve.

1. Thomas N. Turner, Essentials of Elementary Social Studies (2nd ed.) (Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1999), 160.

2. John Douglas Hoge, Effective Elementary Social Studies (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1996), 50.

3. David T. Naylor and Richard Diem, Elementary and Middle School Social Studies (New York: Random House, 1987), 254.

William D. Edgington is an assistant professor of social science education, Sam Houston State University, P.O. Box 2119, Huntsville, Texas 77341. He may be reached at [email protected] .

Twenty Questions and the Issue of Sir Thomas More

(sixth grade).

Teacher: We’ve been talking about England under Henry VIII, and today we’re going to investigate one of the most celebrated men of the day, Sir Thomas More. More was an author who wrote about the ideal society ( Utopia ); an attorney; and even the Lord Chancellor, the second most powerful man in England. But circumstances arose that cost More not only his position in the government, but also his life. He refused to change his stance on certain issues, although he was given opportunities to do so, choosing death over a compromise of his values and beliefs. He was beheaded on July 6, 1535.

Your mission today is to figure out what cost Sir Thomas More his life—what issues did he believe in so strongly that he chose death rather than deny his principles. Remember, you may ask questions to which I can answer with “yes” or “no” as we go through the problem solving process. You may already have a hypothesis or an idea, and my answers to your questions will help you determine whether your hypothesis is correct.

Student 1: Did it have to do with Henry VIII?

Teacher: Yes.

Student 2: Did More get in a fight with Henry?

Teacher: Be more specific.

Student 2: Did he and Henry disagree on something?

Student 3: Did it have to do with war?

Teacher: No. (At this point, the teacher emphasizes that the data were either supporting or disproving the students’ hypotheses and that they might need to rethink their hypotheses as they continue their questioning.)

Student 4: Did it have to do with Henry’s religion?

Student 4: Did it have to do with Henry starting his own church?

Teacher: Partially, yes. (At this time, the students review the data.)

Student 3: Was he not in favor of it?

Student 3: Was More not in favor of Henry’s church?

Teacher: No, he wasn’t in favor of it, but there is more to it.

Student 5: Did he not think that Henry should be the head of his church?

Teacher: No, he did not. Do you want to state your hypothesis?

Student 5: More didn’t think that Henry should be head of the church.

Teacher: Good! He refused to sign the Act of Supremacy, which named the king as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. But there was another issue on which More would not budge.

Student 1: Did it have to do with all of Henry’s wives?

Student 1: Did it have to do with his divorce? His first one?

Teacher: Partially. (The teacher prompts the students as they review the circumstances surrounding the end of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon.)

Student 6: Did it have to do with his ditching Catherine of Aragon and marrying Anne Boleyn?

Teacher: Yes. Keep going.

Student 7: Did More not think that Anne Boleyn should be queen?

Teacher: That’s correct. Do you want to state your hypothesis?

Student 7: More didn’t think that Anne Boleyn should be queen.

Teacher: Right! He refused to sign the Act of Succession, which stated that Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was lawful. He wouldn’t sign either the Act of Supremacy or the Act of Succession. So what issues ultimately led to Sir Thomas More’s death?

Student 8: Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn and Henry making himself the Head of the Church of England.

Teacher: All right, let’s discuss why More felt so strongly about these issues . . . .

For a short biography of Sir Thomas More, see Encarta Online Encyclopedia, 2000 at encarta.msn.com.

Using Problem Solving Skills in a Fifth-Grade Classroom

Alan Rock and Nicole Halbert

Like most of our classmates, we were surprised to learn that we would be expected to teach thinking skills in social studies. Before our methods course, we equated social studies with maps, states, capitals, and presidents. We were astonished to discover that we would not just be teaching facts, we would also be helping students discover concepts, make generalizations, and enhance their observation, listening, graphing, mapping, and reference skills.

One of the requirements for our social studies methods course was to incorporate thinking skills into lessons that we would teach during our practicum. When we explained to our fifth-grade students that we would be doing activities that might be a little out of the ordinary, they seemed willing to assume the position of “thinker” rather than merely that of the traditional question-answering student.

We used a Twenty Questions activity for a problem solving skills lesson. To preface the lesson, we explained the rules and played a practice game of Twenty Questions. The mystery object or goal that they had to identify was a paper clip. The students’ first questions were random and nonsequential: “Is it a car?” “Is it the principal?” “Is it Jeff?” They called out the first thing that popped into their heads. As the game progressed, we discussed the need for asking questions that built on previous questions and that would narrow down the search. Eventually, their questions became more focused: “Is it in the classroom?” “Is it bigger than the desk?” “Does it have moveable parts?” “Is it red?” At the close of the game, we discussed the scientific method (they were familiar with the term from science class) and applied the steps to the practice game. When they thought that they knew what the object was, they were forming a hypothesis; by asking questions, they were gathering data; our answers helped them evaluate the data and reject or confirm their hypothesis.

We then explained their problem-solving activity: They had to figure out what actually happened to Paul Revere on the night of his famous ride. Having just played the practice game helped—their questions were not nearly as off-the-wall as at first. Instead of calling out any idea that came into their heads, their questions showed thought: “Does it have anything to do with his horse?” “Does it have to do with other people?” “Does it have to do with other minutemen?” “Does it have to do with the British?” “Did the British shoot him?” We stopped the questioning periodically to think about the scientific method and to have the students talk about their hypotheses. They did solve the problem—in fewer than twenty questions. Revere was captured by a British Patrol and spent much of the night in jail.

At their own initiation, they shared ideas with one another. For example, when the class discovered that the problem had something to do with the British, one student asked whether Revere had been killed. Another student dismissed that hypothesis because Revere was famous and therefore couldn’t have been killed. Other students immediately came to the first student’s defense, naming famous people who had been killed—John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr., for example. Once they solved the problem, they had plenty of follow-up questions: “Why have we never heard that part of the story before?” “How do we know that part of the story is true?” We hadn’t planned on such questions, but we addressed the issues of reliability and resources. In retrospect, we could have had the students compare the information that they had acquired with the information in their textbook.

We used the activity as a preview to our unit on the American Revolution. But we probably learned more than the students did. As future teachers, we clearly see that social studies can advance the thinking skills that the students use each day. Social studies is too often associated with tracing and memorizing, but we know it doesn’t have to be. We now look forward to using problem solving in our lessons.

Alan Rock and Nicole Halbert are Methods Students, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 

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Design Thinking for Social Innovation- Explained with Example

Are you tired of the same old approaches to solving social problems?

It’s time to shake things up and embrace a fresh perspective.

In a world where challenges seem to grow more complex by the day, design thinking offers a powerful tool for problem-solving that goes beyond traditional methods.

It’s a creative, human-centered approach that puts empathy and innovation at the forefront.

So, whether you’re passionate about tackling poverty, environmental issues, or inequality, join us on a journey as we explore the transformative potential of design thinking to solve social problems.

Get ready to break free from the ordinary and discover how design thinking is used for social innovation and solve social problems in a sustaiaable way.

Let’s start reading and learn more about this concept.

Understanding Design Thinking

Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology that stands apart from traditional approaches, offering a unique and innovative way to tackle complex issues.

At its core, design thinking revolves around five distinct stages:

• prototype and

Each stage plays a crucial role in the process, creating a dynamic and iterative framework that fosters creativity and human-centered solutions.

In the empathize stage, designers immerse themselves in the world of those affected by the problem, seeking a deep understanding of their needs, motivations, and challenges. By putting themselves in the shoes of others, they can develop genuine empathy and gain valuable insights that go beyond surface-level observations.

Moving on to the define stage , design thinkers take the insights gathered during empathy and distill them into a clear problem statement. This stage is critical for framing the challenge and ensuring a focused and meaningful direction for ideation and solution development.

Ideation, the next stage , is where creativity takes center stage. Designers unleash their imagination and generate a wide range of ideas, exploring various possibilities and perspectives. Brainstorming sessions, ideation exercises, and collaboration play a pivotal role in this stage, allowing for diverse and innovative solutions to emerge.

Once a pool of ideas is generated, the prototyping stage comes into play. Designers create tangible representations of their ideas, transforming concepts into physical or digital prototypes. Prototypes serve as a way to bring ideas to life, allowing for visualizing and experiencing potential solutions in a tangible form.

The final stage, test, involves gathering feedback and insights through user testing and observation. This iterative process helps refine and improve the prototypes based on real-world interaction and user feedback. By testing and learning from the outcomes, designers can make necessary adjustments and enhancements, leading to more effective and impactful solutions.

Importance of applying design thinking to solve social problems

Design thinking is not just a buzzword or a trendy concept—it holds significant importance when it comes to solving social problems. Here are some key reasons why applying design thinking to address social issues is crucial:

Human-Centered Solutions:

Design thinking puts people at the heart of the problem-solving process. By empathizing with the individuals affected by social problems, designers gain deep insights into their needs, aspirations, and challenges. This understanding allows for the development of solutions that are truly tailored to address the underlying causes and improve people’s lives. Design thinking ensures that the solutions created are not just band-aid fixes but transformative and sustainable changes.

Creative Problem-Solving

Social problems are often complex and multifaceted, requiring innovative approaches. Design thinking encourages thinking outside the box and fosters a culture of creativity. By approaching problems from new angles and combining diverse perspectives, design thinkers can generate novel and unconventional solutions. It breaks free from the constraints of traditional problem-solving methods and enables fresh ideas to emerge, leading to breakthrough innovations.

Iterative and Agile Approach

Design thinking is an iterative process that encourages continuous learning and improvement. By prototyping and testing solutions early on, designers can gather feedback and refine their ideas based on real-world insights. This agile approach allows for rapid experimentation and course correction, ensuring that solutions are adaptive and responsive to evolving needs. It minimizes the risks associated with implementing large-scale interventions without real-world validation.

Collaboration and Co-Creation

Social problems are often complex and require a multidisciplinary approach. Design thinking fosters collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including experts, community members, policymakers, and organizations. This collaborative environment promotes collective intelligence and leverages the expertise and perspectives of various stakeholders. By involving those affected by the problem in the design process, it empowers communities and ensures that solutions are inclusive, contextually relevant, and sustainable.

Scalability and Impact

Design thinking not only aims to solve immediate social problems but also focuses on scalability and long-term impact. By testing and refining solutions iteratively, designers can identify the most effective approaches and develop strategies for scaling them up. The emphasis on measuring impact and continuous evaluation ensures that solutions are evidence-based and outcomes-driven. Design thinking enables social interventions to have a broader reach and create lasting change in communities and societies.

Applying Design Thinking to Social Problems

Let’s apply all 5 stages of design thinking to solve social problems and see how these work:

Identifying and Understanding Social Problems

In order to effectively address social problems using design thinking, it is crucial to begin by identifying and understanding the issues at hand. This stage sets the foundation for the entire problem-solving process and ensures that solutions are rooted in a deep understanding of the problem’s context and complexity. Here are key steps involved in identifying and understanding social problems through a design thinking lens:

• Researching and Gathering Insights: Thorough research is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of the social problem being addressed. This involves conducting literature reviews, analyzing data, and studying existing reports and studies related to the issue. By immersing themselves in existing knowledge and understanding the broader context, designers can uncover valuable insights that inform their problem-solving approach.
• Engaging with Stakeholders and Affected Communities: Effective problem-solving requires active engagement with stakeholders and the communities affected by the social problem. This includes individuals who directly experience the issue, as well as experts, policymakers, and organizations working in the field. By listening to diverse perspectives, designers can gain a more nuanced understanding of the problem’s causes, impacts, and potential solutions. Engaging with stakeholders also helps build trust, foster collaboration, and ensure that the proposed solutions are aligned with the needs and aspirations of the community.
• Empathizing with the Target Audience: Empathy lies at the core of design thinking. To truly understand a social problem, designers need to develop a deep sense of empathy towards the people impacted by it. This involves putting themselves in the shoes of the individuals experiencing the problem, listening to their stories, and observing their experiences firsthand. By empathizing with the target audience, designers can uncover hidden needs, emotions, and barriers that influence the problem and its potential solutions.
• Defining the Problem: Once a thorough understanding of the social problem has been established, designers need to define the problem statement clearly and concisely. This involves identifying the root causes, underlying factors, and systemic issues that contribute to the problem. The problem definition should be focused, actionable, and framed in a way that inspires creative ideation and solution development. A well-defined problem statement acts as a guiding beacon throughout the design thinking process.

Empathizing with the target audience

Empathy is a cornerstone of design thinking, and it plays a pivotal role in the process of solving social problems. To effectively address the needs and challenges faced by the target audience, designers must develop a deep sense of empathy. Here are key steps involved in empathizing with the target audience:

• Active Listening: The first step in developing empathy is to listen actively and attentively. Designers engage in conversations with individuals who directly experience the social problem, giving them a platform to share their stories, perspectives, and emotions. By truly hearing their voices and experiences, designers can gain a more profound understanding of the lived realities and unique circumstances of the target audience.
• Immersion and Observation: Empathy goes beyond just listening—it involves immersing oneself in the environment and context of the target audience. Designers spend time in the communities affected by the social problem, observing and experiencing firsthand the challenges, resources, and constraints faced by individuals. This immersive approach provides designers with rich insights and helps them uncover nuances that may not be evident through interviews alone.
• Building Trust and Relationships: Empathy flourishes within a trusting and respectful relationship. Designers aim to build rapport and trust with the target audience, ensuring that individuals feel comfortable sharing their experiences and perspectives openly. Trust allows for deeper conversations and a greater level of insight into the needs, motivations, and aspirations of the community members.
• Practicing Empathy Tools and Techniques: Designers employ various tools and techniques to foster empathy. These may include storytelling, role-playing, journey mapping, or creating empathy maps. Such methods help designers step into the shoes of the target audience, seeing the world through their eyes and understanding their feelings, thoughts, and challenges more profoundly.
• Avoiding Assumptions and Biases: Empathy requires designers to set aside preconceived notions and biases. It is essential to approach the target audience with an open mind and without judgment, recognizing that each person’s experience is unique. By avoiding assumptions, designers can genuinely understand the complexity and diversity within the target audience.

Defining the problem

Once designers have empathized with the target audience and gained insights into the social problem, the next step in the design thinking process is to define the problem. This stage involves distilling the gathered information and observations into a clear and actionable problem statement. Here’s how designers define the problem:

• Synthesizing Insights: Designers review and synthesize the data, information, and observations collected during the empathy stage. They look for patterns, themes, and commonalities among the experiences and needs of the target audience. By organizing and analyzing the data, designers gain a comprehensive overview of the problem landscape.
• Identifying Root Causes: In addition to understanding the surface-level symptoms of the social problem, designers delve deeper to identify the underlying root causes. They investigate the systemic factors, societal norms, and structural barriers that contribute to the persistence of the problem. This analysis helps designers uncover the core issues that need to be addressed for effective problem-solving.
• Framing the Problem Statement: Designers distill their findings into a clear problem statement that encapsulates the essence of the social problem. The problem statement should be focused, specific, and actionable. It should describe the problem in a way that inspires creative ideation and solution development. A well-defined problem statement acts as a guiding North Star throughout the design thinking process, ensuring that designers stay on track and aligned with the ultimate goal.
• Applying the “How Might We” Technique: To frame the problem statement in an open and solution-oriented manner, designers often use the “How Might We” (HMW) technique. By posing the problem as a question, such as “How might we address X challenge to achieve Y impact?” or “How might we improve Z to better serve the target audience?” designers encourage brainstorming and ideation around potential solutions.
• Refining and Iterating: Defining the problem is not a one-time activity. Designers continuously refine and iterate the problem statement as they gain more insights and progress through the design thinking process. They remain open to feedback, adjust their understanding of the problem, and refine the problem statement to ensure its accuracy and relevance.

Ideation and Prototyping 

After empathizing with the target audience and defining the problem, the design thinking process moves into the ideation and prototyping stage. This stage is all about generating a wide range of creative ideas and exploring different possibilities. Here are key aspects of ideation and prototyping in design thinking:

• Generating a Wide Range of Creative Ideas: Designers aim to generate as many ideas as possible during the ideation phase. The focus is on quantity and diversity, encouraging a free flow of creative thinking. By suspending judgment and embracing wild and unconventional ideas, designers open up new possibilities and break away from traditional solutions.
• Brainstorming Techniques and Ideation Exercises: Brainstorming is a popular technique used to generate ideas in design thinking. It involves a group of individuals coming together to generate ideas through a free-flowing and non-judgmental process. Brainstorming sessions can be facilitated using various methods, such as mind mapping, random word associations, or the SCAMPER technique (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse).
• Encouraging Diverse Perspectives and Collaboration: Design thinking recognizes the value of diverse perspectives and collaboration in ideation. By involving individuals with different backgrounds, expertise, and viewpoints, designers can tap into a collective intelligence that enriches the ideation process. Collaborative approaches such as co-creation workshops, interdisciplinary teams, and stakeholder engagement ensure that a wide range of insights and ideas are brought to the table.
• Rapid Prototyping: Prototyping is a crucial part of the design thinking process. It involves creating tangible representations of ideas to bring them to life. Prototypes can take various forms, ranging from simple sketches and diagrams to physical models or interactive digital mock-ups. The goal is to create a visual or interactive representation that allows designers and stakeholders to experience and interact with the potential solution.

Prioritizing and selecting the most promising ideas

Once a multitude of ideas has been generated through the ideation and prototyping stage, the next step in the design thinking process is to prioritize and select the most promising ideas to move forward with. Here’s how designers make informed decisions in selecting ideas:

• Evaluation Criteria: Designers establish evaluation criteria based on the problem definition and desired outcomes. These criteria help assess the feasibility, desirability, and viability of each idea. Common evaluation criteria may include alignment with user needs, potential impact, technical feasibility, resource requirements, and sustainability.
• User-Centered Approach: Designers put the target audience at the center of the decision-making process. They refer back to the insights gained during the empathy stage and evaluate ideas based on how well they address the needs and aspirations of the users. By prioritizing user-centered solutions, designers ensure that the selected ideas have a higher chance of resonating with the intended audience.
• Iterative Feedback: Designers seek feedback on the generated ideas from various stakeholders, including end-users, experts, and other relevant parties. This feedback helps refine and iterate the ideas, making them more robust and aligned with the identified problem. Regular feedback loops enable designers to gather valuable insights and perspectives that contribute to the selection process.
• Impact and Feasibility Analysis: Designers conduct impact and feasibility analysis to assess the potential impact of each idea and its practicality in implementation. They consider factors such as the scalability of the solution, resource requirements, technical feasibility, regulatory constraints, and potential risks. This analysis helps identify ideas that have the highest likelihood of creating meaningful impact while being implementable within the given constraints.
• Prioritization Techniques: Various prioritization techniques, such as the prioritization matrix or the impact-effort matrix, can be employed to rank and compare ideas systematically. These techniques assign weights or scores to different criteria and help designers objectively evaluate and compare ideas. The aim is to identify ideas that align well with the desired outcomes, have high potential impact, and are feasible to implement.
• Iterative Refinement: The selection process is not a final decision but an ongoing refinement of ideas. Designers iterate on the ideas, incorporating feedback and insights gained during the selection process. This iterative refinement helps enhance the selected ideas and ensures that they evolve and improve over time.

Creating prototypes to bring ideas to life

Once the most promising ideas have been selected, the design thinking process moves into the stage of creating prototypes. Prototyping is a crucial step that allows designers to bring their ideas to life and test them in a tangible form. Here’s how designers create prototypes and iterate on their development:

• Rapid Prototyping Techniques: Rapid prototyping techniques are employed to quickly create tangible representations of the selected ideas. These techniques focus on speed and efficiency, enabling designers to iterate rapidly and gather feedback early in the process. Some common rapid prototyping techniques include:
• Iterative Development and Refinement: Prototyping in design thinking is an iterative process that involves continuous development and refinement of the initial prototype. Through user testing and feedback, designers gather insights that inform subsequent iterations. Key aspects of iterative development and refinement include:

Testing and Iteration

The testing and iteration stage is a vital part of the design thinking process. It involves conducting user testing, collecting feedback, and using that feedback to improve prototypes. This iterative approach ensures that the final design is user-centered and meets the needs of the target audience. Here’s how designers test, incorporate feedback, and refine their designs:

• Define Testing Objectives: Designers establish clear objectives for the testing phase, identifying what aspects of the design they want to evaluate and gather feedback on. This helps focus the testing process and gather relevant insights.
• Create Testing Scenarios: Designers develop scenarios or tasks that users will perform with the prototype. These scenarios should be designed to test specific features, functionalities, or user interactions. The scenarios should resemble real-life situations as closely as possible.
• Facilitate User Testing Sessions: Designers guide users through the testing process, providing instructions and clarifications when necessary. They observe and take notes on users’ actions, behaviors, and feedback during the testing session.
• Collect Feedback: Designers gather feedback from users through various methods, such as surveys, interviews, or structured questionnaires. They encourage users to share their thoughts, impressions, likes, dislikes, and suggestions for improvement.

Case Studies and Examples 

Design thinking has been successfully applied to solve various social problems, resulting in significant outcomes and positive impact. Let’s explore some notable case studies that highlight the successful applications of design thinking in addressing social issues:

• Project H Design: Project H Design is a non-profit organization that applies design thinking to empower communities and address social challenges. They have implemented numerous projects, such as the Learning Landscape initiative, which transformed neglected public spaces into engaging learning environments for children. By involving local communities in the design process, Project H Design has created sustainable solutions that foster education, play, and community engagement.
• IDEO.org’s Human-Centered Design Approach: IDEO.org, a leading design and innovation firm, has utilized human-centered design approaches to tackle social problems. For example, they collaborated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to redesign the sanitation experience for low-income communities in Kenya. By empathizing with users, they developed innovative toilet solutions that improved hygiene, reduced contamination, and positively impacted the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

Final Words 

In conclusion, design thinking offers a powerful framework for tackling social problems and creating impactful solutions. By emphasizing empathy, collaboration, and iteration, design thinking enables us to deeply understand the needs and aspirations of the people we seek to serve. It encourages us to challenge assumptions, think creatively, and approach problem-solving from a user-centered perspective.

About The Author

Tahir Abbas

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• How to build your critical thinking ski ...

How to build your critical thinking skills in 7 steps (with examples)

Critical thinking is, well, critical. By building these skills, you improve your ability to analyze information and come to the best decision possible. In this article, we cover the basics of critical thinking, as well as the seven steps you can use to implement the full critical thinking process. 

Critical thinking comes from asking the right questions to come to the best conclusion possible. Strong critical thinkers analyze information from a variety of viewpoints in order to identify the best course of action.

Don’t worry if you don’t think you have strong critical thinking abilities. In this article, we’ll help you build a foundation for critical thinking so you can absorb, analyze, and make informed decisions. 

What is critical thinking? 

Critical thinking is the ability to collect and analyze information to come to a conclusion. Being able to think critically is important in virtually every industry and applicable across a wide range of positions. That’s because critical thinking isn’t subject-specific—rather, it’s your ability to parse through information, data, statistics, and other details in order to identify a satisfactory solution. 

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Top 8 critical thinking skills

Like most soft skills, critical thinking isn’t something you can take a class to learn. Rather, this skill consists of a variety of interpersonal and analytical skills. Developing critical thinking is more about learning to embrace open-mindedness and bringing analytical thinking to your problem framing process. 

In no particular order, the eight most important critical thinking skills are:

Analytical thinking: Part of critical thinking is evaluating data from multiple sources in order to come to the best conclusions. Analytical thinking allows people to reject bias and strive to gather and consume information to come to the best conclusion. 

Open-mindedness: This critical thinking skill helps you analyze and process information to come to an unbiased conclusion. Part of the critical thinking process is letting your personal biases go and coming to a conclusion based on all of the information. 

Problem solving : Because critical thinking emphasizes coming to the best conclusion based on all of the available information, it’s a key part of problem solving. When used correctly, critical thinking helps you solve any problem—from a workplace challenge to difficulties in everyday life. 

Self-regulation: Self-regulation refers to the ability to regulate your thoughts and set aside any personal biases to come to the best conclusion. In order to be an effective critical thinker, you need to question the information you have and the decisions you favor—only then can you come to the best conclusion. 

Observation: Observation skills help critical thinkers look for things beyond face value. To be a critical thinker you need to embrace multiple points of view, and you can use observation skills to identify potential problems.

Interpretation: Not all data is made equal—and critical thinkers know this. In addition to gathering information, it’s important to evaluate which information is important and relevant to your situation. That way, you can draw the best conclusions from the data you’ve collected. 

Evaluation: When you attempt to answer a hard question, there is rarely an obvious answer. Even though critical thinking emphasizes putting your biases aside, you need to be able to confidently make a decision based on the data you have available. 

Communication: Once a decision has been made, you also need to share this decision with other stakeholders. Effective workplace communication includes presenting evidence and supporting your conclusion—especially if there are a variety of different possible solutions. 

7 steps to critical thinking

Critical thinking is a skill that you can build by following these seven steps. The seven steps to critical thinking help you ensure you’re approaching a problem from the right angle, considering every alternative, and coming to an unbiased conclusion.

 First things first: When to use the 7 step critical thinking process

There’s a lot that goes into the full critical thinking process, and not every decision needs to be this thought out. Sometimes, it’s enough to put aside bias and approach a process logically. In other, more complex cases, the best way to identify the ideal outcome is to go through the entire critical thinking process. 

The seven-step critical thinking process is useful for complex decisions in areas you are less familiar with. Alternatively, the seven critical thinking steps can help you look at a problem you’re familiar with from a different angle, without any bias. 

If you need to make a less complex decision, consider another problem solving strategy instead. Decision matrices are a great way to identify the best option between different choices. Check out our article on 7 steps to creating a decision matrix .

1. Identify the problem

Before you put those critical thinking skills to work, you first need to identify the problem you’re solving. This step includes taking a look at the problem from a few different perspectives and asking questions like: 

What’s happening? 

Why is this happening? 

What assumptions am I making? 

At first glance, how do I think we can solve this problem? 

A big part of developing your critical thinking skills is learning how to come to unbiased conclusions. In order to do that, you first need to acknowledge the biases that you currently have. Does someone on your team think they know the answer? Are you making assumptions that aren’t necessarily true? Identifying these details helps you later on in the process. 

2. Research

At this point, you likely have a general idea of the problem—but in order to come up with the best solution, you need to dig deeper. 

During the research process, collect information relating to the problem, including data, statistics, historical project information, team input, and more. Make sure you gather information from a variety of sources, especially if those sources go against your personal ideas about what the problem is or how to solve it.

Gathering varied information is essential for your ability to apply the critical thinking process. If you don’t get enough information, your ability to make a final decision will be skewed. Remember that critical thinking is about helping you identify the objective best conclusion. You aren’t going with your gut—you’re doing research to find the best option

3. Determine data relevance

Just as it’s important to gather a variety of information, it is also important to determine how relevant the different information sources are. After all, just because there is data doesn’t mean it’s relevant. 

Once you’ve gathered all of the information, sift through the noise and identify what information is relevant and what information isn’t. Synthesizing all of this information and establishing significance helps you weigh different data sources and come to the best conclusion later on in the critical thinking process. 

To determine data relevance, ask yourself:

How reliable is this information? 

How significant is this information? 

Is this information outdated? Is it specialized in a specific field? 

4. Ask questions

One of the most useful parts of the critical thinking process is coming to a decision without bias. In order to do so, you need to take a step back from the process and challenge the assumptions you’re making. 

We all have bias—and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Unconscious biases (also known as cognitive biases) often serve as mental shortcuts to simplify problem solving and aid decision making. But even when biases aren’t inherently bad, you must be aware of your biases in order to put them aside when necessary. 

Before coming to a solution, ask yourself:

Am I making any assumptions about this information? 

Are there additional variables I haven’t considered? 

Have I evaluated the information from every perspective? 

Are there any viewpoints I missed? 

5. Identify the best solution

Finally, you’re ready to come to a conclusion. To identify the best solution, draw connections between causes and effects. Use the facts you’ve gathered to evaluate the most objective conclusion. 

Keep in mind that there may be more than one solution. Often, the problems you’re facing are complex and intricate. The critical thinking process doesn’t necessarily lead to a cut-and-dry solution—instead, the process helps you understand the different variables at play so you can make an informed decision. 

6. Present your solution

Communication is a key skill for critical thinkers. It isn’t enough to think for yourself—you also need to share your conclusion with other project stakeholders. If there are multiple solutions, present them all. There may be a case where you implement one solution, then test to see if it works before implementing another solution. 

7. Analyze your decision

The seven-step critical thinking process yields a result—and you then need to put that solution into place. After you’ve implemented your decision, evaluate whether or not it was effective. Did it solve the initial problem? What lessons—whether positive or negative—can you learn from this experience to improve your critical thinking for next time? 

Depending on how your team shares information, consider documenting lessons learned in a central source of truth. That way, team members that are making similar or related decisions in the future can understand why you made the decision you made and what the outcome was. 

Example of critical thinking in the workplace

Imagine you work in user experience design (UX). Your team is focused on pricing and packaging and ensuring customers have a clear understanding of the different services your company offers. Here’s how to apply the critical thinking process in the workplace in seven steps: 

Start by identifying the problem

Your current pricing page isn’t performing as well as you want. You’ve heard from customers that your services aren’t clear, and that the page doesn’t answer the questions they have. This page is really important for your company, since it’s where your customers sign up for your service. You and your team have a few theories about why your current page isn’t performing well, but you decide to apply the critical thinking process to ensure you come to the best decision for the page. 

Gather information about how the problem started

Part of identifying the problem includes understanding how the problem started. The pricing and packaging page is important—so when your team initially designed the page, they certainly put a lot of thought into it. Before you begin researching how to improve the page, ask yourself: 

Why did you design the pricing page the way you did? 

Which stakeholders need to be involved in the decision making process? 

Where are users getting stuck on the page?

Are any features currently working?

Then, you research

In addition to understanding the history of the pricing and packaging page, it’s important to understand what works well. Part of this research means taking a look at what your competitor’s pricing pages look like. 

Ask yourself: 

How have our competitors set up their pricing pages?

Are there any pricing page best practices? 

How does color, positioning, and animation impact navigation? 

Are there any standard page layouts customers expect to see? 

Organize and analyze information

You’ve gathered all of the information you need—now you need to organize and analyze it. What trends, if any, are you noticing? Is there any particularly relevant or important information that you have to consider? 

Ask open-ended questions to reduce bias

In the case of critical thinking, it’s important to address and set bias aside as much as possible. Ask yourself: 

Is there anything I’m missing? 

Have I connected with the right stakeholders? 

Are there any other viewpoints I should consider? 

Determine the best solution for your team

You now have all of the information you need to design the best pricing page. Depending on the complexity of the design, you may want to design a few options to present to a small group of customers or A/B test on the live website.

Present your solution to stakeholders

Critical thinking can help you in every element of your life, but in the workplace, you must also involve key project stakeholders . Stakeholders help you determine next steps, like whether you’ll A/B test the page first. Depending on the complexity of the issue, consider hosting a meeting or sharing a status report to get everyone on the same page. 

Analyze the results

No process is complete without evaluating the results. Once the new page has been live for some time, evaluate whether it did better than the previous page. What worked? What didn’t? This also helps you make better critical decisions later on.

Critically successful 

Critical thinking takes time to build, but with effort and patience you can apply an unbiased, analytical mind to any situation. Critical thinking makes up one of many soft skills that makes you an effective team member, manager, and worker. If you’re looking to hone your skills further, read our article on the 25 project management skills you need to succeed . 

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