Thinking critically

To counteract the potential impact of bias on decision making and defensive practice you should critically appraise the wider context which informs your MCA assessments. As a start it is important for to be aware of your own cognitive biases and assumptions.
This includes:

• Trying not to ‘jump to conclusions’ by accepting your first thoughts 
• Recognise the importance of context on your decisions 
• Thinking more deeply about a situation… breaking down thoughts  
• Probing assumptions… think about your presuppositions and unquestioned beliefs  
• Digging into reasoning rather than assuming as a given.  
• Considering that there may be other equally valid viewpoints. 
• Considering the potential consequences of your thinking and assumptions. 

At the heart of a reflective approach is the need to remain ‘curious’. To aid this process it may be helpful to reflect upon what is known and unknown and areas of ambiguity which require further clarification.