...How Bias Influences Critical Thinking Aisha Smith CRT/205 Critical Thinking Dr. Gye Johnson July 30, 2014 When we use our head to find a solution or solve a problem we take things from one perspective. We must look at our situation or our surrounding, and try to figure out how we are going to handle whatever the issue is. We can get someone to give us an outside looking in objective view, but will we actually use the information that they give us? Instead of incorporating the information to help us make a decision, we instead take the information and throw it out the window. We are what they call bias when things don’t go our way or we don’t hear what we want to hear. We as a society or as humans’ period are strange at times. Some of us hate to be wrong, and can never admit to being wrong. But I’m not going to touch on that. I’m just writing to show you how people can make decision that are bias. Everything we doing in this world are based on some type of bias ideal. We can never be truly open minded about anything. I myself have been guilty of making bias decisions. But I will say that if we use Critical Thinking skills instead of just shall we winging it we will be more successful in our ventures. I feel that if more people learned this skill then we would be well on the way for making fewer...
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...How Bias Influences Critical Thinking Write a 250- to 350-word original response to the following prompt: Critical thinking and personal bias together can make a decision incredibly irritating and exhausting. The biggest problem with making a decision sometimes is when your head and your heart cant meet at one place. Critical thinking can sometimes be this rigid entity that leaves no room for failure while personal bias is following with emotions. The text points one of several fundamentals behind critical thinking and that is to, “distinguishing between rational claims and emotional ones”. However, bias can always influence critical thinking. I believe that it’s with the person who is making the decision to calm down and step back from what they are going threw. So, they can make an unbiased decision. That is much harder than it looks, recently I had surgery and because of it I had to leave my deployable squadron to go to a non-deployable shore station. Now here is where the decision comes in, when I am healed up and I am fit for full duty I have two choices. The first is to return to my former duty station and the second is to pick orders to a non-deployable unit. This is where the bias and critical thinking come in. My personal bias is to choose new orders; However, I would not know if I would have to move my family or if I would even like the new place I would be going to. The second is to return to my deployable unit. Thinking critically this is the right decision for...
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...How Bias Influences Critical Thinking Jennifer E. Peters CRT/205 August 3, 2013 Barbara Bua How Bias Influences Critical Thinking The most recent argument I’ve made was on the topic of gun control. I am a gun owner and I believe that if you educate your children and yourself about it and how to use it, it isn’t a dangerous weapon to have in the home, unless you are faced with an intruder. Seeing the bias from other people about NOT having a gun made me put a little more emotion into my argument with others than I wanted, therefore making my argument a more emotional one. That being said, I had to look at the pros and cons of owning a gun and try to also see others’ views on the subject. I believe that from my argument the bias shown was belief bias, which is defined as “the tendency to evaluate reasoning by how believable its conclusion seems”. (Moore & Parker, 2012) To me, the conclusion was that not every gun owner kills someone and that if the proper knowledge about said gun is gleaned and adhered to, owning a gun shouldn’t be a problem. The bias that I saw from others was the bandwagon effect, which is defined as “the unconscious tendency to align one’s thinking with that of other people”. (Moore & Parker, 2012) There were a lot of people that, after the most recent school shooting, were more aware of the amount of deaths related to guns assumed that just because guns are available to the public, people all over the country were going to start killing...
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...Barriers to Critical Thinking HUM/115 09-11-2015 Barriers to Critical Thinking The first barrier that influences my critical thinking would be stubbornness. I was raised by one parent in a Catholic family, which play a big part on in my beliefs and how I do my thinking and if the way I am doing things is working why change it. I recognize that my beliefs and opinions are very narrow when it comes to making critical changes or listening to people opinions. My strategy to overcome this barrier is to start taking into consideration other people opinions, points of view and relevant information. I will continue to work on being open mind because every day we are exposed to new ideas and when we must surround ourselves with different points of view to achieve critical thinking. The second barrier that impacts my critical thinking I would say is personal bias. Occasionally I will reject information if my mind perceives that the facts do not concur with the information just because of my vague way of thinking or an inclination of a different choice. If I do not believe a person possess the knowledge or intellectual capacity to think, my bias judgment will not allow the intake of any new ideas and relevant information. I am not always aware of my bias, but I know is there, and I know the several time when I am stuck in a learning situations, being bias is what is holding me back. I understand that I need to change my bias thinking, and I will do so by actually listen to the...
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...Essays are an essential element of learning, particularly at an undergraduate level. With a well-written essay comes the power to change minds, to influence thinking and create new perspectives. When evaluating the claims presented by a source in an academic essay, a critical and reflective thinker does not simply accept arguments as ‘fact’. Nor do they create arguments based on innuendo and bias. This essay will contend that for students at university level to be taken seriously they must use critical and reflective thinking to write an effective academic essay. The following points will be addressed; what constitutes a credible essay, what is critical thinking and reflective practice, what is the importance of these skills in developing arguments, the benefits of thinking critically and reflectively, the use of critical reflective thinking in evaluating sources and the importance of recognizing those sources correctly for the work to be considered credible. So what constitutes a credible essay? The purpose of the essay is to forward knowledge, to tackle an already existing argument and build on it using sound evidence and research. “Essays are a document of your learning; they show proof of your understanding of the topic and your ability to communicate that understanding convincingly” (Germov 2011, 2). An essay must put forth an argument then break it down to prove or disprove the thesis. The statement needs to be dissected and the main points need to be analysed. What...
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...Persuasive thinking “presents powerful methods to move other minds” (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007, p. xv). Persuasive thinking the art of changing other people’s perceptions to agree with the ones held. Critical thinking, on the other hand, is the process of rationalizing one’s thought process with the purpose of self-improvement. In essence, critical thinking seeks no selfish objective; instead it promotes intellectual humility, autonomy, integrity, perseverance, courage, fair-mindedness (Paul & Elder, 2006, p. 54). However, when critical thinking is affected by persuasive thinking there is a different determination. In short, it becomes a two edged sword, a powerful weapon. Critical thinking requires the individual to recognize weaknesses and strengths to improve. Similarly, persuasive thinking requires the person to “know thyself” (Socrates) with the objective of moving others or recognize when a person is trying to influence a critical thinkers’ thoughts. Persuasive thinkers analyze themselves to learn about others. Persuasive critical thinkers learn about their bias, how to use likability, recognize motivations, and purposes (Kirby & Goodpaster, 2007, p. 268) to reach other minds. To illustrate, persuasive thinkers identify their bias and learn to suppress it because it becomes obvious to others, who may not share the same preconception, resulting in audience loss. Moreover, persuasive thinkers use the concept of likability to portray an image others will accept with ease...
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...Barriers to Critical Thinking When thinking critically, it is impossible to say that many of us have not come to some kind of barrier in our thought process. Not to say that we cannot overcome them though. All of us have opinions and ideas on just about everything and anything. And those opinions and thoughts could be something that is ingrained in your very being or something you picked up along your path. Those opinions and ideas could be holding you back from thinking critically, even though you may not be aware of it. Though there are more barriers that inhibit critical thinking then I can count on my fingers and toes, some familiar and popular barriers one may face are egotistical thinking, self-serving bias, and of course, emotional influences. The Ego Defense “Ego Defenses are psychological coping strategies that distort reality in order to protect ourselves from anxiety, guilt, and other bad feelings” (Goodpastor & Kirby, 2007, Chapter 2). In other words, refusing to accept that one has faults at all. Denial is the base of our egotistical thinking. We deny what we do not want to accept or feel. As a result, one can become close minded and arrogant in their opinions. This does not promote critical thinking. Instead, quite the opposite is occurring. Without an open mind and acceptance, how could anyone absorb any new information or even give other individuals views a chance? In order to overcome using the ego defense, one has to get past their own fears and learn...
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...broadcasters want us to spend our precious time watching their shows or listening to their radio channel; and even post-secondary institutions advertise the myriad of opportunities we can get after graduating from their school. Many of these persuasions are used in ways that are deliberately misleading to sell you something. With the countless of things going on, how would you be able to know what to buy, or where to go? It is not difficult to be deceived in a society that depends on persuasion. The defence against these raids of misleading pitches is critical thinking. Critical thinking is a valuable skill that is not only useful in the classroom but also in every day context. It involves careful judgment before jumping to a conclusion and it helps us determine whether something is worth believing. In the next section, we consider three approaches that can help improve critical thinking. Accordingly, we will discuss weighing the evidence, identifying bias and slanted writing, and identifying fallacies in regards to analyzing arguments. Weighing evidence Our decisions to accept a proposition is usually dependent on how we evaluate the source of the information (Halpern, 2014). When the premises have credible sources or familiar sources, people are more likely to accept the conclusion as true than when it is not. However, this is also true when no good evidence is presented - It just needs to sound like it does. Consider all the commercials you have ever watched, and try to think...
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...Barriers to Critical Thinking Identify two barriers that influence your critical thinking. Write 100 words for each barrier, describing them and how you can overcome them. Two barriers that influence my thinking, in particular, are media and biases. Media serves as an external barrier and is very influence as well as serving as a hindrance. I must first admit that growing up media did not have an effect on me because it was not as developed. Now it has a negative effect on me because everything is displayed on there. The Internet, for example, is a great source to find information, but it also serves as a source for us to become ignorant. I find myself using a search engine to find out everything instead of using my natural resources like finding information in a book or getting lost on a road and using a map to find directions. Social media is also another negative impact. I use social media to keep in contact with my family and friends but often there is so much information on there it would be hard not to believe. Media serves as a hindrance, and most importantly it steals from using my brain and critically thinking. Before taking this class, I noticed that I should simply limit my time on media and use other resources for the information I need. The next barrier is biases, which serves as an internal barrier. A bias is a barrier that I feel I developed when I was young. It is something that you see family, friends, and everyone else around you doing. A bias is basically...
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...Associate Level Material Stages of Critical Thinking Stages of Critical Thinking Complete the matrix by identifying the six stages of critical thinking, describing how to move from each stage to the next, and listing obstacles you may face as you move to the next stage of critical thinking. |Stages of critical thinking |How to move to the next stage |Obstacles to moving to the next stage | |EXAMPLE: |Examine my thinking to identify problems |Deceiving myself about the effectiveness of| | |that affect my thinking. |my thinking | |The Unreflective Thinker | | | | |To be fully aware of the problems that |Ignoring problems with my thinking, or not | |The Challenged Thinker |affects my thinking. |prioritizing the need to focus on them. | | |We recognize the need to improve, but we do|Not taking the need to practice seriously, | |The Beginning Thinker |not practice it on a regular basis. |even though I recognize that I need to | | | |improve. ...
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...Relationship between Critical Thinking and Ethics Eva Garver GEN/201 June 23, 2016 Gloria Martin RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRITICAL THINKING AND ETHICS Ethics is a standard by which we as individuals or as a society measure and decide what is wrong or right. Ethics are beneficial and necessary to professional and societal success. The critical thinking process is vital in making ethical and moral decisions, as it is the process by which we assess situations and solve problems and make decisions based on facts and reasoned logic, rather than by emotion or bias, which affects our professional lives and our society as a whole. What is Critical Thinking? (Critical thinking is the art of analyzing and evaluating thinking with a view to improving it. Critical thinking is, self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It requires rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcoming our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.) (Paul and Elder, 2014). Critical thinking is the careful and thoughtful evaluation of information (while ignoring personal bias) that allows people to reach a conclusion, which leads to beliefs, which lead to considered and thoughtful actions. Six Steps of Critical Thinking? There are six levels/steps of critical thinking. The first level is REMEMBERING: This level of thinking only asks if...
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...individuals, genetically transmitted traits, language, tradition, religion, food, clothing, tattoos, and so much more. Martin-Santana and Beerli-Palacio (2008) proposed an advertising campaign that included cyclical effect on culture; such as reinforcing cultural norms. The problem with this was there was no base to it; not religion or society. All it contained was the cultural background: Eastern, Western, African, and so on but culture is not that simple to show in a commercial. The study of Cross- Culture is explained “…the critical and comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology.” (Shiraevv & Levy 2010, pg. 2) With most definitions this can be seen as non-specific and vague. Cross- Cultural psychology is concern is in the comparison of two or more cultures by critical evaluation on a psychological view- point. The comparison can include the connection between social norms and behavior, how human activity may be influences by culture, and interrelated effects of socio- cultural forces. Cultural psychology is focused on locating the connection between individuals and their unique culture. Instead of evaluating the similarities between different cultures, cultural psychology strives to illustrate the psychological exchange that comes to play with the people and their individual culture. The perception of cultural psychology is simple; human behaviors cannot be removed...
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...Chapter 10 Idea Judgment The role of the Judge Judge: critical mindset; impartial (is this possible?); find the best idea based on evidence and principles; consider the risks involved in all possible solutions; What is Good Judgment? Although good judgment comes from experience, we can learn from the mistakes of others; a good judgment must detect errors, flaws, risks, consequences and uncertainties Values, Presuppositions and Bias “Judges are required to do much critical thinking. However, critical thinking is not taught well in schools., where only the analytical aspects of logical reasoning may be introduced. But effective critical thinking and decision making are whole brain processes.” -experience is important -to be good judges, we have to be cognizant of our personal biases (e.g. religious, moral, ethical values; ethnic customs and values, cultural bias and prejudice; values based on personal experiences, etc.); we must be able to think beyond the limits of our own “tribe” -so, be aware of our personal belief systems (egocentrism and ethnocentrism) -“Teams” can help prevent some of these personal biases Ethics In Engineering -Engineers must ensure the health, safety and welfare of the public -Do businesses in general operate according to this general principle of ethics? -Whistleblowers may be necessary to take a stand against organizational corruption Critical Thinking -see table 10.2 on page 242 -Argument skills: informal...
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...to critical analysis. These are errors of reasoning that may be recognized by prudent thinkers (Downes, 1995). Fallacies are more than just mistaken belief, it is a flaw in argument that may be intentionally created by a person who has an agenda or may be due to a simple error. On the other hand, Fischer (1970; p. 306) in contrast with fallacy explains logic as follows: “Logic is not everything. But it is something something which can be taught, something which can be learned, something which can help us in some degree to think more sensibly about the dangerous world in which we live.” Logical fallacies are commonly used in order to manipulate a situation or worse when an individual does not recognize the fallacies in the argument, he can be manipulated during the decision making process. As such it is necessary for every individual to use critical thinking particularly during the decision-making process for him or her to become aware of logical fallacies and how these relate to decision-making. Critical thinking as against logical fallacies is a process being used particularly in resolving a problem. It is a mental process of analyzing and evaluating information such as statements or propositions being offered as truth. This process involves reflection of the meaning of statements given, examinations of evidence and reasoning offered and formulation of judgments about the facts (Paul, R. and Elder L. 2002). One of the most significant attributes of the critical thinking...
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...Benefits of Critical Thinking * A good critical thinker knows how to separate facts from opinions, how to examine an issue from all sides, how to make rational inferences and how to withhold personal judgment or biases. * Rational critical thinkers are generally the voices of reason in times of mass hysteria or panic. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." The critical thinker usually has the comprehensive skills to consider all possible options and solve a problem. * The critical thinker remains calm and knows when he is right. Critical thinkers are less likely to fall for scams or tricks because they approach everything with a healthy amount of skepticism. Those who lack critical thinking skills often assume that everything they hear is true, regardless of the source. * Critical thinkers consider all options before they act. If time is an important factor, they consider the fastest method of achieving a goal. They may even discover a shortcut. Critical thinkers embody the phrase "work smarter, not harder." They are masters of efficiency. * A critical thinker has the self-awareness to know the difference between a rational thought based on careful consideration and an emotional response based on personal bias. Emotion is the enemy of reason. By understanding your own perspective, you can also consider the perspective of others and come to a conclusion based on fact, not feelings. * Increasingly more and more employers are...
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