1. 4 The Art of Critical Reading Reading Critically Mather ▪ McCarthy
PART 4
Reading Critically
Chapter 10
Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Introduction to Bias
A bias is a strong leaning in either a positive or negative direction.
A bias is very similar to a prejudice. Subjective material generally places more emphasis on opinions than facts, and it is more likely to display a strong bias.
Sometimes writers simply state their biases; however, most biases are implied by the writer. So, a critical reader will study the author’s line of reasoning, notice whether opinions are supported by facts and reasons, and then decide if the author’s bias has hindered the making of a good argument.
Chapter 10: Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Even textbooks which primarily deal with factual material, may be affected by author biases.
Authors must decide what facts to include and omit, and what facts to emphasize.
Pay attention to the author’s tone and choice of words to determine if a bias is present.
Such caution is especially important when the material deals with a controversial issue.
Chapter 10: Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Denotative and Connotative Language
The denotative meaning of a word is its exact meaning without the suggestions or implications that it may have taken on. The dictionary definition of a word is its denotative meaning.
The connotative meaning of a word refers to the ideas or feelings suggested by the word. Words that have the same denotative meaning can have much different connotative meanings, but not all words have connotative meanings.
Chapter 10: Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Words that are heavily connotative are often referred to as “loaded” or “emotionally charged.”
Writers who have a particular point of view and want to persuade you to accept that view often make use of loaded words or phrases.
Subjective material is more likely to rely on connotative, rather than denotative, language, and it is more likely to display a strong bias.
Chapter 10: Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Euphemism
When someone substitutes an inoffensive word or phrase for one that could be offensive to someone, they are using a euphemism.
Most of the time euphemisms are used to be polite or to avoid controversy, but they can also be used to purposely mislead and obscure the truth.
Chapter 10: Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Propaganda Devices
Webster’s dictionary defines propaganda as “a systematic effort to promote a particular cause or point of view.”
Although not always meant to be deceptive, some of the propaganda techniques used are questionable because they appeal primarily to our emotions rather than to our intellect.
Chapter 10: Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Propaganda Devices
The following are propaganda devices:
slogans
name-calling
glittering generalities
transfer
testimonial
plain folks
card stacking
bandwagon
sex appeal
music
Chapter 10: Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

9. The Art of Critical Reading The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
The Art of Critical Reading
Mather ▪ McCarthy
Test-Taking Tip
Improving Your Performance on Essay Tests
Organizing your answer…
This is especially true for “big picture” essay questions.
A traditional essay has an introduction, three paragraphs of development, and a conclusion.
Writing a good introductory statement is very important because it organizes the structure of the essay.
Usually the paragraphs of development each develop one of the main ideas in the introductory statement.
Chapter 10: Bias
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.