Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice (eBook)

Eileen Gambrill is the Hutto Patterson Professor of Child and Family Studies at the School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, where she teaches both research and practice. Her research and writing cover professional decision making, evidence-informed practice, the role of critical thinking, propaganda in the helping professions and its harmful effects, and the ethics of helping. She presents nationally and internationally on the topics of critical thinking, evidence-informed practice, and the ethics of helping.

Preface ix

Part I: Lay of the Land

1 The Need for Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice 3

2 Sources of Influence on Clinical Decisions 29

3 R easons and Reasoning: The Heart of Making Decisions 57

4 Different Views of Knowledge and How to Get It: Exploring Your
Personal Epistemology 87

Part II: Common Sources of Error

5 The Influence of Language and Persuasion Strategies 131

6 Formal and Informal Fallacies: Mistakes in Thinking and How to
Avoid Them 155

7 Classification, Authority, and Focusing on Pathology 181

Part III: Decision Aids

8 Content and Procedural Knowledge 209

9 Taking Advantage of Research on Judgment, Problem Solving, and
Decision Making 239

10 Evidence-Based Practice: A Philosophy and Process for Making
Informed Decisions 275

11 Posing Questions and Searching for Answers 297

12 Critical Appraisal of Practice- and Policy-Related Research:
The Need for Skepticism 335

Part IV: Applying Critical Thinking Skills to Clinical
Decisions 13 Making Decisions About Data Collection 377

14 Discovering Causes of Clients' Problems: Common Biases
409

15 Making Predictions: Improving the Odds 453

16 Enhancing the Quality of Case Conferences, Team Meetings, and
Organizational Culture 481

Part V: The Future

17 Overcoming Personal Obstacles to Critical Thinking 509

18 Maintaining Critical Thinking Skills 533

References 549

About the Author 623

Author Index 625

Subject Index 641

"...she has produced an ambitious and impressively comprehensivebook that belongs in the library of every clinician and in thebackpack of every graduate student." (PsycCRITIQUES)

"The book does work best as a reference: each topic is aseparate research area in its own right" (Evidence BasedMedicine)

"Anyone seeking a succinct, well-written, easy-to-read survey offaculty reasoning and how to cure it should look no further.Gambrill's book should be the required text for any course incritical thinking for psychotherapists, a course urgently needed byevery psychiatric, clinical psychology, and social work trainingprogram in existence today." (Skeptical Inquirer)

"Clinical training programs cannot discount the importance ofcritical thinking or the knowledge and skills that it requires. Itis hard to justify the absence of a course focusing on thewide-ranging material woven together in Critical Thinking inClinical Practice. By supplying a model textbook for such a course,Gambrill has made a valuable contribution." (ContemporaryPsychology)

"[Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice] is essentialreading for all who aspire to improve the quality of clinicalpractice. In some respects, this book might be called "the thinkingsocial worker's guide to improved practice." The very questionsthat are raised by Gambrill are as important as the answers thatshe proposes." (Research in Social Work Practice)

"For the research instructor, this volume presents a potentialbridge for the gap between research and practice. It would be anideal text for a course that would focus on how critical thinkingthat employs research concepts and methods can improve clinicaldecision making. In addition, readers are provided with a varietyof approaches to monitor and improve their decision making skills."(Social Work in Health Care)"Eileen Gambrill is unparalleled in her ability to describe commonflaws and biases in clinical decision-making. The result in thisrevised edition is a steadfast call for change that alsoacknowledges the demands of practice. A must-read for cliniciansand researchers alike."
--Elizabeth K. Anthony, PhD, Assistant Professor,School of Social Work, Arizona State University

"This third edition builds upon the impressive strengths ofGambrill's prior treatments of the topic to support the notion thatcritical thinking is a teachable skill, and one essential forcontemporary practice in the human services. This book should bethe default authority on the topic of critical thinking for humanservice professionals, and would be an excellent textbook."
--Bruce A. Thyer, Ph.D., LCSW, Professor and formerDean, College of Social Work, Florida State University

"I was skeptical about how Critical Thinking in ClinicalPractice could be improved, but Eileen Gambrill has succeeded!Her articulation of critical thinking skills for clinical decisionsultimately will benefit the people whom we serve."
--Joanne Yaffe, PhD, ACSW, Associate Professor ofSocial Work, Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry, College ofSocial Work, University of Utah

"A remarkable book and an invaluable resource for students,practitioners, teachers, and researchers. It is the bestavailable resource for teaching practitioners across alldisciplines how to think scientifically about their subject matter.If Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice were requiredreading in all social work, psychology, and counseling graduateprograms, these fields - and the state of mental health care- would be in far better scientific shape."
--Scott O. Lilienfeld, Ph.D., Department of Psychology,Emory University