© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Chapter 4 Clarify Ideas and Concepts © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Learning Outcomes Explain how context and purpose affect the quality of an interpretation Explain the conditions under which vagueness and ambiguity become problematic, clarify your explanation with examples Apply five strategies to effectively resolve problematic vagueness and ambiguity © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Learning Outcomes Explain why strong critical thinking, particularly judicious interpretation, is helpful when encountering a new language community © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Chapter Opening Video © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Interpretation, Context, and Purpose Meaning matters But, clear enough for what? Worth 1000 words Communication, language, and thought © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Meaning Matters Essentials for making an accurate interpretation –Context within the use of a word or expression –Intent of the speaker © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS But, Clear Enough for What? Clarity depends on purpose and context of the communication Strong critical thinkers use interpretive questions to reveal context and purpose –Can also be applied to non-verbal communication © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Worth 1000 Words © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Communication, Language, and Thought Closely connected The capacity to use language gave Homo sapiens an advantage over other hominids Earliest language was a rich and varied system of gesticulations, sounds, pictures, and symbols Written communications increase the risk of vagueness or ambiguity © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS When Vagueness or Ambiguity Cause Misunderstandings Vagueness: Does the meaning include this case or not? Problematic vagueness Ambiguity: Which meaning are we using? Problematic ambiguity © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Vagueness: Does the Meaning Include this Case or Not? A generally correct statement may not be precise enough for practical purposes Problematic vagueness –Considered relative to the context within which and purposes for which the term is being used © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Problematic Vagueness Example –“We have to find those who were responsible for causing this terrible car accident” © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Ambiguity: Which Meaning are we Using? A word, expression, or statement that has more than one meaning Examples –“Heads up!” –“That’s sick!” © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Problematic Ambiguity Characteristic of a word or expression, which can have multiple meanings © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc. Resolving Problematic Vagueness and Ambiguity Contextualizing Clarifying original intent Negotiating the meaning Using qualifications, exceptions, or exclusions Stipulating the meaning Donkey cart words signal twisted meanings

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Contextualizing Reminds the topic of discussion or the circumstances within which a statement was made Words taken out of context can be misleading –Intellectual integrity and a habit of truth- seeking are needed when summarizing and de-contextualizing words of others © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Clarifying Original Intent Challenging when multiple alternative wordings are possible and asking for clarification is unlikely Problematic vagueness can be intentional –Intentional vagueness can be frustrating when precise, practical answers are desired © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Negotiating the Meaning Strong critical thinkers reflect on their thinking process –Discover that assumptions may be mistaken Compromising - Settling for less –Position-based negotiation - Each side has its opening position, negotiation chips away those positions © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Negotiating the Meaning Interest-based negotiation - Parties are collaborators, not adversaries A word has marginal value for communication, if it can mean anything any person might want © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Using Qualifications, Exceptions, or Exclusions Qualifications that clarify included and excluded cases help resolve problematic vagueness and ambiguity Judicious habit of mind –Drives a person to make judgments about what to believe or do as the subject matter, context, and purposes permit © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Stipulating the Meaning Adding qualifications or noting exceptions and exclusions may not be sufficient when the determination of a term’s meaning has consequences for parties involved Stipulating meaning intends to remove problematic vagueness and ambiguity – Establishes a term’s meaning for a specific set of purposes © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Simulation © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Donkey Cart Words Signal Twisted Meanings Donkey cart words - Good words used with twisted meanings –Used to mislead and exploit gullible individuals © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Language Communities National and global language communities Language communities formed of people with like interests Academic disciplines as language communities Critical thinking and college introductory courses © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS National and Global Language Communities Language community: Community which shares an understanding of the meanings of words and icons Meanings of words within a language are conventional People may use expressions that symbolize their own language community –Context of the expression may remain the same in different parts of the world © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Language Communities Formed of People with Like Interests Words and symbols used specialized fields have conventional meanings –People who know and use these words and symbols form a part of the community © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Academic Disciplines as Language Communities Newcomers to academic language communities: –May not understand textbooks or lectures prepared by senior members of the community –Do not comprehend the conventions within different disciplines on conducting inquiry and communicating findings © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Critical Thinking and College Introductory Courses Strong critical thinking skills and habits of mind help individuals venture into different academic language communities © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Discussion Question What language communities are you a member of? What language communities would you like to be a member of, and why? © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.

THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS Sketchnote Video © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc.