Critical Thinking vs Analytical Thinking vs Creative Thinking
What are critical, analytical, and creative thinking? How do they differ and how do they complement each other? And what does this mean for our learners?
Like most people, you have probably heard the terms critical thinking and analytical thinking. If so, then it’s possible you’ve also heard the term “creative thinking” in the mix from time to time. All three of these terms are often used interchangeably. However, although they share some universal similarities, there are distinct differences between them.
For example, some assume that analytical thinking and critical thinking are one and the same, but that’s not quite right. Some also consider creative thinking to be creativity, and that’s not quite accurate either.
What we want to do here is try to separate the individual meanings from each other and show you how they differ, but also how they relate.
Recipes for Thinking
Critical thinking as a term is often mentioned as a key skill for employees to have in any organization that wishes to succeed in a changing world (Hoffman, 2023). The problem with this is it's often confused with analytical and lateral thinking, something that many learners are not often taught to do properly (Eider & Paul, 2019).
As for creative thinking, the success of any business depends on having someone highly creative on the team (Florida, 2002). But again, the meaning of “thinking creatively” is often misread. Let’s begin to put an end to the confusion with a simple mouth-watering example:
Analytical thinking would be identifying the exact ingredients, proportions, and processes involved in the recipe for your favourite cookie.
Critical thinking would be considering the criteria for what makes that cookie tasty and then judging the cookie in relation to that criteria.
Creative thinking is imagining your own idea of the perfect cookie and then making it a reality for others to enjoy.
So to put it technically, and in a way less likely to induce cravings:
Analytical thinking is the act of breaking down complex pieces of information into smaller and more understandable components or principles (Thaneerananon, et al., 2016). It involves systematically dismantling data to decipher facts that can be used to build upon information or provide an evidence-based conclusion.
Critical thinking means carefully weighing information or views and interpreting them to make sound independent judgments. One of its components is analytical in nature, in that it also takes a willingness to deconstruct your thinking and put it to some stern tests in order to improve it (Elder & Paul, 2020).
Creative thinking is the mental process of bringing something new into existence through imagination. It involves the input of facts and sensory stimuli, interpolation, and critical reflection to imagine something that does not exist (Crockett, 2011). It can also be thinking about something in a new or different way (Doyle, 2022).
How Do Critical, Analytical, and Creative Thinking Compare to Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy?
Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) is represented by the following taxonomic levels in this domain, arranged from LOTS (lower-order thinking skills) to HOTS (higher-order thinking skills).
Remembering: To recall from the past
Understanding: To know the meaning or intended significance
Applying: To bring or put into operation or use
Analysing: To examine in detail, breaking down into its component parts
Evaluating: To make an appraisal or judgment by weighing the strengths and limitations
Creating: To bring into existence
It’s important to note that any level of the taxonomy incorporates the previous levels. Analysis, for example, depends on first remembering, understanding, and applying, without which there is no basis for analysis. Additionally, the lower three levels are considered lower-order thinking skills or LOTS.
Personally, I think every maths lesson I experienced in school was limited to just these levels:
Remember the formula
Understand what it is
Apply it (dozens of times on worksheets)
If we really think about it, this type of activity tests a learner’s capacity for multiplication more than any kind of reflective thought, and perhaps that’s why they are referred to as lower-order thinking. If you consider Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and its relation to learning, it represents a shift from teacher to learner-centered learning.
Creating, on the other hand, is an internal process. A teacher can create the environment and provide opportunities for creativity to flourish, but actual creative metacognition happens within one’s own mind and so it is learner-centered.
The upper three levels of Bloom's Taxonomy—analyze, evaluate, and create—constitute the higher-order thinking skills or HOTS. These are the soft skills or transfer skills that are the focus of curriculum around the world, and that are in such demand in the workplace of today.
“Critical, analytical, and creative thinking are often used interchangeably—although they share universal similarities, there are distinct differences between them.”
A study performed in 2020 indicated that over 85% of employers have placed a higher emphasis on such soft skills over the last 5 to 10 years, and added that companies consider soft skills more important than the majority of college graduates (Succi & Canovi, 2020).
These HOTS are part of the foundation of being college- and career-ready. They also relate directly to our discussion of analytical, critical, and creative thinking as they are reflected directly at these levels.
This infographic helps explain how the three are distinct yet related. As with the lower-order thinking levels of Bloom’s, the higher-order levels also incorporate the previous levels.
We mentioned earlier that analysis is dependent upon first remembering, understanding, and applying. Evaluation involves considering the analysis and then making a judgment accordingly, which means critical thinking includes and is built upon analytical thinking. Similarly, creating, as a structured process, includes and is built upon both analysis and evaluation and therefore analytical and critical thinking.
From this, we can see that analytical thinking is a step in the critical thinking process, which is a step in the creative thinking process.
All three processes involve facts, but each for different purposes. As we’re about to see, their individual processes reflect this. Let’s return to our previous definitions of each one, and expand on them by providing some action steps for each.
Analytical Thinking Overview
Analytical thinking is the act of breaking down complex pieces of information into smaller and more understandable components or principles. It involves systematically dismantling data to decipher facts that can be used to build upon information or provide an evidence-based conclusion.
Analytical Thinking Process
This kind of thinking is about simplifying complexity. We begin first by gathering relevant information. Next, we start to break all that information down into more manageable bite-sized pieces. This gives you sub-categories that you now examine even closer, which makes understanding complex masses of data much easier.
A closer examination involves comparison and contrast by looking at data from different sources. You weed out extraneous bits of information, search for cause and effect, and identify patterns and consistencies. The last step is to draw a sound conclusion from the information you’ve processed.
Analytical thinking involves:
Identifying an issue
Gathering facts and evidence
Breaking complex information into smaller pieces
Applying logic and reasoning
Evaluating viewpoints and opinions
Identifying patterns and cause and effect
Eliminating extraneous information
Drawing and testing conclusions
Assessing new knowledge
Critical Thinking Overview
Critical thinking means carefully weighing information or views and interpreting them to make sound independent judgments.
Critical Thinking Process
Critical thinking involves gathering and organizing information regarding the issue or problem. From there, we engage in asking meaningful and essential questions about what we’re addressing. We can then form our own ideas and theories from our evaluation.
Throughout this process, we are also considering existing and emerging information beyond what is present. We are also considering and evaluating the arguments of others as they arise. We explore possibilities and consider various solutions, free from bias and assumption.
Finally, when a conclusion is reached, we test it against the evidence, revise it as necessary, and make our judgments.
Critical thinking involves:
Gathering relevant information
Asking meaningful questions
Considering alternative viewpoints
Applying logic and reasoning skills
Revisiting input in a cyclical manner
Recognizing bias
Avoiding assumption
Considering possibilities
Testing and revising conclusions
Making sound judgements
Creative Thinking Overview
Creative thinking is the mental process of bringing something new into existence through imagination. It involves the input of facts and sensory stimulus well as interpolation and critical reflection to imagine something that does not exist.
Creative Thinking Process
We define the creative thinking process using the 5 Is of Creativity Fluency, which are identify, inspire, interpolate, imagine, and inspect. It begins with determining what the task is and what we want to create. From there, we seek inspiration from a multitude of external stimuli.
Once we start looking for ideas, we begin to see patterns forming, and we begin to connect the dots. This eventually culminates in the birth of our ultimate idea—you know it as the “Aha!” moment.
Finally, with our new creative idea in mind, we step back and evaluate it closely. We consider if it meets the original criteria, its feasibility, and whether or not it can be accomplished within our budget and timeframe.
Creative thinking involves:
Brainstorming and lateral thinking
Sharing personal knowledge and experience
Moving beyond what is known
Using familiar and unfamiliar sources
Seeing new possibilities
Experimenting and imagining
Pattern recognition
Identifying connections/relationships
Combining opposing concepts/elements
Forming mental images/sensations/concepts
Giving meaning to experiences
Constructing with creative mediums
Examining the product and the process
Internalizing and applying the new idea
Re-examining/revising the idea
The truth is that a measure of all three skills is necessary for our lives. Often they also complement each other.
Keep in mind none of us thinks critically, analytically, or creatively 100% of the time. Nevertheless, when the time comes to implement one or the other (or all three), both we and our learners can benefit from having a solid understanding of how to use them.
Building Thinking Skills for Success
Teaching others how to think critically, analytically, and creatively is a tricky business. We live in a world of influence, after all, and there are limitless perceptions and viewpoints our learners will experience throughout their lives. The guidelines I offer in this post will help you differentiate easily between the types of things we discuss. Now it’s up to you to transfer what you’ve learned to your students to help them think proactively and make their own decisions.
References
Bloom, B. S.; Engelhart, M. D.; Furst, E. J.; Hill, W. H.; Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Company.
Crockett, L., Jukes, I., & Churches, A. (2011). Literacy Is Not Enough: 21st-CenturyFluencies for the Digital Age. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Doyle, A. (2022). What is creative thinking? Definition and examples of creative thinking. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancemoney.com/creative-thinking-definition-with-examples-2063744 May 3, 2023.
Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2019). The thinker's guide to analytic thinking: How to take thinking apart and what to look for when you do. Rowman & Littlefield.
Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2020). Critical thinking: Learn the tools the best thinkers use. Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Florida, R. (2002). The rise of the creative class. New York; Hachette Book Group.
Hoffman, B. (2023). Why Your Business Needs Critical Thinking. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/brycehoffman/2023/02/22/why-your-business-needs-critical-thinking/ May 2, 2023.
Succi, C., & Canovi, M. (2020). Soft skills to enhance graduate employability: comparing students and employers’ perceptions. Studies in higher education, 45(9), 1834-1847.
Thaneerananon, T., Triampo, W., & Nokkaew, A. (2016). Development of a Test to Evaluate Students' Analytical Thinking Based on Fact versus Opinion Differentiation. International Journal of Instruction, 9(2), 123-138.
