First of all, let's define what critical thinking is. In general, it is the ability to objectively analyze events, incoming information and arguments; approach an issue from different sides; and ...

But critical thinking is more than just a skill set; you have to recognize when to apply it, do so effectively, and then know how to respond to the results.

Measuring the Bright Side of Being Blue: A New Tool for Assessing Analytical Rumination in Depression. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (11): e112077 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112077 ...

This led to the observation that participants with higher analytical thinking were more likely to judge a news headline as false and thus had a greater accuracy for false news.