1. CRITICAL THINKING “Learning without thought is a labor lost.” -Confucius

2. Suggested supplemental material: Youtube Viewing: n “Skepticism & the Media (Penn & Teller) n James Randi [all videos] (“The Amazing Randi”) n “Jonathan Edwards” (Michael Shermer) Reading Skeptic magazine (www.skeptic.com) Anything by Michael Shermerwww.skeptic.com Skeptical Inquirer magazine (www.csicop.org) Learning Objectives: u Critically evaluating information u Confirmation Bias u Hindsight Bias u 5 Critical Questions

3. CRITICAL THINKING “ The Disillusioning Lecture” “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” n How we “think” to see the world, n How we “want” to see the world. n The Importance of gaining a different view n The willingness to change.

4. n Science (defined) - “to know.” n Natural explanations for natural behavior n The state motto of Missouri n Changing HOW you think, not what you think n The whole science-religion debate n Magic, Psychics, Mediums etc. u Debunking 101 (ex. Randi’s “Aura Test”) n Looking beyond the surface (5 issues) u (“American Idol® syndrome”) u Urban legends/Opinions are not facts/Prejudicial Thinking/ Confirmation Bias/Hindsight Bias

5. CRITICAL THINKING n Defined: u An approach to thinking characterized by skepticism and thoughtful analysis of statements and arguments.

6. Evaluating Information n Focus on observable data n Focus on meaning u Where do we obtain our information? u Correlation does not imply causation u Prejudicial Thinking “ A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.” -William James

7. Principles of Critical Thinking  Be skeptical  Do not oversimplify or overgeneralize  Examine definitions of terms, assumptions  Be cautious drawing conclusions  Consider alternative interpretations

8. Recognizing Fallacies  Arguments directed to the person  Appeals to authority  Appeals to force  Appeals to popularity

9. Characteristics of critical thinkers  Ability and willingness to evaluate evidence  Recognize and evaluate arguments  Appreciate the value of critical thinking  Impose criteria upon thinking “I have no particular talent. I am merely extremely inquisitive.” - Albert Einstein

10. FIVE CRITICAL QUESTIONS n What am I being asked to accept / believe? n Is there evidence available to support the claim? n Can the evidence be interpreted in another way? n What evidence would help evaluate the alternatives? n What conclusions are most reasonable?

11. SUMMARY n EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH n REPLICATED RESEARCH n QUALITY OF THE EVIDENCE n 5 CRITICAL QUESTIONS