School of Psychological Science

Computer tools for enhancing critical thinking

Professor Geoff Cumming

Van Gelder, T., Bissett, M., & Cumming, G. (2004). Cultivating expertise in informal reasoning. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58, 142-152.

Abstract: People generally develop some degree of competence in general informal reasoning and argument skills, but how do they go beyond this to attain expertise? Ericsson has proposed that high-level expertise in a variety of domains is cultivated through a specific type of practice, referred to as ‘deliberate practice’. Adopting this framework yields the empirical hypothesis that high-level expertise in informal reasoning is the outcome of extensive deliberate practice. This paper reports results from two studies evaluating the hypothesis. University student participants completed 12 weeks of deliberate practice in informal reasoning. The amount of practice each student completed was recorded by computer (124 participants), and additionally assessed via self report (175 participants). Gains in informal reasoning were measured using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. The deliberate practice hypothesis was supported. Students across both years showed a large improvement, and practice as measured by computer, was related to amount of improvement in informal reasoning. These findings demonstrate the utility of adopting a deliberate practice approach when attempting to teach or learn expertise in informal reasoning.