De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats - Creating Critical and Reflective Thinking.

Taken from http://www.workplacehealthcare.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/de-bono-hats.jpg

According to Tilbury and Wortman (2004) Critical Thinking and Reflection ‘challenges us to examine the way we interpret the world and how our knowledge and opinions are shaped by those around us.’ (p. 32) they also suggest that it challenges us to question our current way of thinking. I believe De Bono’s (1995) six thinking hats is a tool that can be used to start learners thinking about the way they think. This also ties in with Bennet’s (2006) creating Multiple Historical perspectives.

Although De- Bono (1995) may have created the six thinking hats to develop an individual’s creativity, I have come to interpret the six thinking hat system as a way to develop an awareness of how we think and how our thinking can influence the way we perceive a given situation.

In the six thinking hat system each coloured hat represents a different way of thinking.  WHITE Hat = Facts/ Figures/ Information: Thinking about what information do I have and what are the facts about what I am thinking about.

BLACK Hat = I like to call this hat the What if…? Hat, this hat looks at what could be the negative consequences, where should caution be taken in the given situation.

YELLOW Hat = Positives: This hat requires thinkers to look at the positives of a situation. I like to think of this hat as the ‘optimistic’ hat.

RED Hat = Emotions/ Feelings: Looking at a situation through how the thinker is feeling towards the situation.

GREEN Hat =  Creativity/ New Ideas: This hat requires thinkers to think about the possible eventualities of the situation. What new ideas could come out of this situation?

BLUE Hat= I like to refer to this hat as the Metacogntion hat (Thinking about the way you think). This hat requires learners to think about how they are thinking during a situation. It creates awareness of an individual’s current thinking.

I believe these hats are a good way to create an awareness within individuals of their own thinking. Which, in turn, can lead to reflective thinkers. I also believe it is a useful tool in creating holistic thinking as it can be suggested to learners that the way we think affects the way we interpret a situation. If, as individuals, we use all six thinking hats when looking at a situation then we are more likely to have a more valid view of the situation as we are not being influenced by one form of thinking, we are looking at it from multiple view points.

Activities using the six thinking hats may involve learners being given a scenario or situation for example Australia’s Carbon Tax or a new development being built next to a protected habitat. Learners may be given a particular hat to think under, using their hats they are required to note down the ways they might view the situation or scenario from that way of thinking. Following this learners share their notes on their particular way of thinking, this may lead to a discussion about whether or not learners can see themselves falling under one particular hat in their thinking, discuss how their view of the situation is influenced through thinking under their given hat, discuss what type of view would occur if an individual wore all six hats.

de Bono E 1995 Exploring Patterns of Thought…Serious Creativity The Journal for Quality and Participation 18(5): 12-18.