I enjoyed a lively interview with Irish Cognitive/Social Psychologist, Dr. Christopher Dwyer about critical thinking and cognitive biases.  As a Clinical Psychologist, when working with my patients, I often examine irrational thoughts and how they affect the person’s perspective on what’s going on in their lives. Dr. Dwyer explained how people can easily tend toward cognitive biases that undermine critical thinking.  Dr. Dwyer gave examples of several common cognitive biases that affect thinking, and he explained how and why they represent an uncritical approach to one’s thinking process.

Dr. Christopher Dwyer is a post-doctoral researcher in the School of Health Sciences and Lecturer in the Center for Adult Learning and Professional Development at the National University of Ireland Galway. He is also the author of Critical Thinking: Conceptual Perspectives & Practical Guidelines, published by Cambridge University Press; and writes a blog for Psychology Today called Thoughts on Thinking, which covers the topic area of critical thinking.