Abstract
The aim of this second chapter is to present a review of literature on critical thinking and on intellectual styles in order to point out the potential intersections between critical thinking and intellect. These pages are directed toward an integration of intellectual ability, learning style, personality and achievement motivation as predictors of the decision-making process. We point out the main factors affecting decision processes in the current complex scenario recalling some concepts illustrated in “Decision Making in the Social Sciences”. Far from the normative approach, we present insights on the adaptive nature of the decision-making process in our complex society: people adapt according the age, the experience, the contexts, and the role we play.
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Notes
- 1.
This type of decision making is seen in economic Game Theory, whereby strategies are implemented by players who seek to maximize their own profits in a monetary game of heads/tails.
- 2.
It should be noted that despite the plethora of literature examining emotional intelligence, Schalk (2012) has indicated the need to distinguish between emotional intelligence and emotional competence, suggesting that the former refers to accuracy in recognizing and understanding others’ emotions, while the latter refers more to the effectiveness in using emotional information.
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Sofo, F., Colapinto, C., Sofo, M., Ammirato, S. (2013). Critical Thinking and Intellectual Style. In: Adaptive Decision Making and Intellectual Styles. SpringerBriefs in Psychology, vol 13. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6708-3_2
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