Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Thinking and Writing Skills Probably are Linked, but Not All Writing Requires Much Thinking

One concern often expressed about the use of language models is that when used as a substitute for a person’s own writing, critical thinking skills suffer. And, to be sure, lots of studies suggest there is a link between thinking and writing. 


My own view (as a former teacher) is that “people who do not write well do not think well.” So yes, substituting language models for one’s own writing is not helpful for purposes of building and maintaining critical thinking skills. 


Study

Focus

Key Findings

Source Link

Using Writing to Increase Critical Thinking Performance in General Education Biology

Examined the effect of a laboratory writing treatment on the critical thinking performance of biology students.

The writing group showed significant improvement in critical thinking skills, specifically in analysis and inference.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The Correlation between Critical Thinking and Writing Ability in English

Explored the relationship between critical thinking and writing ability among English educational program students.

Found a significant positive correlation between critical thinking and writing ability (r=0.362, p < 0.05).

ojs.fkipummy.ac.id

Relationship Between Perceived Students' Critical Thinking Skills and Academic Writing Skills

Investigated the connection between students' perceived critical thinking skills and their academic writing performance.

Found a strong positive correlation (r=0.722, p < 0.01).

ResearchGate

Cognitive ability influences on written expression

Tested models including the influence of cognitive abilities and general intelligence on writing skills in children and adolescents.

Showed that various cognitive abilities differentially influence writing skills and that these effects can vary by age.

ScienceDirect.com

Writing as a Thinking Tool - MSU Denver

Discusses the use of writing to develop various mental capacities, including critical thinking.

Highlights studies suggesting that writing improves critical thinking performance.

MSU Denver

Cognitive Styles and Influences on Academic Writing

Examined the impact of cognitive styles on writing performance.

Suggests that cognitive styles can influence writing performance.

ResearchGate

Learning through Writing: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in Writing Assignments

Explores the role of writing-to-learn approaches in fostering critical thinking skills, particularly in the context of writing assignments.

Argues that writing can act as a "unique mode of learning," supporting the development of critical thinking abilities through the act of composition.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Critical Research Thinking: A Recipe for Academic Writing Success

Emphasizes the importance of critical research thinking for academic writing.

Highlights components of critical thinking as crucial for effective academic writing.

Qeios

Flower & Hayes Cognitive Process Theory of Writing

Explains writing as a cognitive process involving planning, translating, and reviewing.

Focuses on the mental processes behind writing.

Yomu AI

Cognitive and executive processes associated with children's written composition

Investigated the relationship between working memory, long-term memory, planning, and visuospatial perception and writing fluency and accuracy in children.

Found significant correlations between these cognitive processes and aspects of writing.

Ocnos

Understanding the Complex Relationship between Critical Thinking and Scientific Reasoning in Undergraduate Biology Students' Thesis Writing

Examined the connection between scientific reasoning in thesis writing and general and specific critical-thinking skills.

Found that scientific reasoning in writing is strongly related to inference skills.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Insight from the association between critical thinking and English argumentative writing among Chinese high school students

Explored the relationship between critical thinking and English writing achievement among Chinese secondary school students.

Found a positive linear correlation between critical thinking and English writing.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The link between writing and critical thinking

Discusses how writing facilitates critical thinking by requiring analysis, evaluation, and the development of arguments.

Suggests that writing can help identify knowledge gaps and motivate research.

The Science of Writing

The Writing and Critical Thinking Connection

Highlights the role of audience consideration, revision, and collaboration in developing both writing and critical thinking skills.

Suggests that the writing process encourages metacognition.

Learning A-Z

Why Critical Thinking in Writing Matters for Professionals

Explains the importance of critical thinking in various forms of professional writing.

Suggests that critical thinking helps in analyzing data, assessing risks, making informed decisions, evaluating sources, and constructing arguments in a professional context.

Instructional Solutions

Science of Reading: The Role of Writing (Brief 3 of 7)

Discusses the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing, emphasizing how writing improves critical thinking about texts.

Indicates that as students develop writing skills, they become stronger readers and develop critical thinking about authors' craft.

New York State Education Department (.gov)


On the other hand, not all writing is intrinsically related to critical thinking. Much marketing copy, messaging and simple written communications arguably don’t require much, if any, critical thinking. We might not ultimately find using language models for such purposes has any fundamental harm.


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