CCTST Self-Regulation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A juror notices that her initial reaction to a defendant was based on appearance rather than evidence. Applying self-regulation, she should:
- Trust her instincts since they are usually reliable
- Disclose her bias and reconsider the evidence objectively (Correct answer)
- Avoid making any judgment until the trial ends
- Discuss her feeling with other jurors to get validation
Correct answer: Disclose her bias and reconsider the evidence objectively
Recognizing and correcting for personal bias is a direct application of self-regulatory critical thinking.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of 'self-monitoring' during problem-solving?
- Checking that all steps of a math problem are shown
- Verifying that your conclusion is consistent with your premises (Correct answer)
- Asking a supervisor to review your work plan
- Timing yourself to see how long the task takes
Correct answer: Verifying that your conclusion is consistent with your premises
Self-monitoring in critical thinking means checking that the logical structure of your reasoning holds together.
Question 3: What distinguishes self-regulation from simply 'being careful'?
- Self-regulation is slower and more deliberate
- Self-regulation specifically targets the quality of one's own reasoning process (Correct answer)
- Self-regulation requires external validation of outcomes
- Self-regulation only applies to written work
Correct answer: Self-regulation specifically targets the quality of one's own reasoning process
Self-regulation is a meta-cognitive practice focused on evaluating and improving the reasoning process itself, not just outcomes.
Question 4: A policy analyst realizes his recommended solution relies on an unverified assumption. The self-regulatory response is to:
- Present the solution confidently to avoid appearing uncertain
- Flag the assumption and gather evidence to test it before finalizing (Correct answer)
- Ask a colleague to take over the analysis
- Remove the assumption from the report without addressing it
Correct answer: Flag the assumption and gather evidence to test it before finalizing
Identifying an unverified assumption and testing it exemplifies self-regulatory monitoring and correction.
Question 5: On the CCTST, high self-regulation scores are associated with which outcome?
- Consistently reaching the same conclusion regardless of evidence
- Willingness to revise judgments when reasoning is shown to be flawed (Correct answer)
- Faster completion of reasoning tasks
- Greater confidence in initial answers
Correct answer: Willingness to revise judgments when reasoning is shown to be flawed
High self-regulation reflects openness to revising one's conclusions when self-evaluation reveals flawed reasoning.
Question 6: Which question most directly activates self-regulatory thinking?
- What does the author argue in this passage?
- Is my reasoning here logically valid and free from bias? (Correct answer)
- What evidence does the study provide?
- What is the main conclusion of the argument?
Correct answer: Is my reasoning here logically valid and free from bias?
Asking whether one's own reasoning is valid and unbiased is a direct self-regulatory prompt.
Question 7: A student confidently answers a test question but then pauses to check whether the answer actually follows from the given information. This pause represents:
- Lack of confidence in one's ability
- Self-regulatory verification of reasoning (Correct answer)
- Inefficient use of testing time
- Over-reliance on self-doubt
Correct answer: Self-regulatory verification of reasoning
Pausing to verify that an answer follows from the given information is a textbook example of self-regulatory monitoring.
CCTST Self-Regulation 3
A juror notices that her initial reaction to a defendant was based on appearance rather than evidence.
Applying self-regulation, she should: