We need to acquire much knowledge and know how to accurately recall that information, how to analyze arguments, how to test hypotheses, how to make decisions, and how to problem-solve. This kind of training should come before a lifetime of careful thinking. Effectiveness, advantages and dangers Hopefully, within the context of our emphasis on critical thinking in schools, we will soon have many studies of the effectiveness of this classroom training in terms of practical decision-making at work, in interpersonal relationships, in guiding one's own life. This remarkable study convinced the experimenters that cognitive, general intellectual skills can be taught . As yet, we do not know which parts of the course experience were helpful, how much is a placebo effect, nor how long the effects will last.
Much more research is needed.