Final answer:
Writing reports, such as book or lab reports, often requires one to be analytical, involving comparing, contrasting, and evaluating information. Critical thinking is critical in decision-making processes, such as making purchases or solving unique problems in fields like economics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Describe a situation that required you to be analytical? A clear instance where analytical skills come into play is when writing a book report for a literature class. One has to compare and contrast characters, express the relationships between the characters and the narrative, and perhaps cognize the historical setting and its impact on the story. Similarly, in a science course, like anatomy, analytical intelligence is utilized to comprehend how various minerals affect different human systems, which involves breaking down the processes for clearer understanding and evaluation.
A personal example is when making a purchase decision. Before buying something of significance, there is often a state of rumination where one analyzes the necessity, value for money, alternatives, and the long-term utility of the product. This process involves critical thinking, weighing pros and cons, and possibly even researching to avoid cognitive biases.
Another scenario where analytical thinking is imperative would be in the field of economics. If an economist is faced with a unique problem without a pre-existing model, they would need to gather evidence, perhaps through observational research or surveys, and apply creative critical thinking to develop a new model or method of analysis, akin to a carpenter devising a unique solution to a construction challenge.