The promotion of critical thinking skills through argument mapping

Argument mapping is a method of visually diagramming arguments using a 'box and; arrow' format with the aim of simplifying the reading of an argument structure and; facilitating the assimilation of core statements and relations. The current chapter presents; the findings of a controlled trial in which argument mapping training was compared with; hierarchical outline training as techniques for teaching critical thinking skills. Eighty-one; undergraduate psychology students were allocated to one of three groups: an argument; mapping group, an outlining group, or a control group and were tested on critical thinking; before and after an 8-week intervention period. Results revealed that students in the; argument mapping group scored higher than the control group at post-test on the critical; thinking skills of evaluation and inductive reasoning. Students in the outlining group; scored significantly higher than those in the control group on tests of analysis and; inductive reasoning. There were no significant performance differences at post-test; between those in the argument mapping group and those in the hierarchical summary; group. Results are discussed in light of research and theory on best practice in the; cultivation of critical thinking.