We currently find ourselves in an environment with rapid technological advancement and societal change.  The time duration required to complete tasks has been reduced and machines are becoming increasingly capable of performing tasks that previously required the use of human cognition, easing the demands placed on our minds.  Naturally, humans strive to reduce complexity, solve problems, and increase efficiencies. 

In this course, you will learn about how these natural drives can impact investigations, and how to mitigate their adverse effects.  You will learn how our brain’s drive for simplicity can limit our ability to deal with complex problems, “threat actors,” and rapidly changing environments. 

Left unchecked, our natural habits of mind, in the drive for efficiency, can quickly undermine all phases of the investigative process, from planning an investigation to observation, collection, analysis and decision making.  Our brain’s drive for efficiency can render conclusions inaccurate and inhibit the clear communication of decisions. 

Throughout this course, you will be tasked with developing the ability to observe your thinking processes, and re-patterning these habits of mind.  This is, at its core, Critical Thinking.