Final answer:
Critical thinking is the mental process needed to evaluate information independently; it involves skepticism, analytical thinking, and resisting cognitive shortcuts. It is enhanced by metacognition, which is self-awareness in thinking, to help overcome biases such as confirmation bias.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thinking that requires mental effort to independently evaluate information is known as critical thinking. This involves a willingness to be skeptical of one's own beliefs, gut reactions, and intuitions. Critical thinking engages in a more analytical approach to problems or situations, assessing facts, considering evidence, employing logic, and resisting quick conclusions. To promote good critical thinking, one should engage in reflective thought to counteract cognitive biases, which are natural tendencies for the mind to take mental shortcuts.
Improving metacognition and critical reflection involves practicing self-awareness and effortful thinking, often feeling unnatural and tiring. This heightened state of awareness enables us to assess our own thought processes and reconsider our cognitive biases, engaging in higher-order thinking. In the context of cognitive biases, confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out information that confirms existing beliefs or theories. By applying critical reflection, individuals can overcome such biases and make more accurate decisions.