© 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Chapter Evaluate the Credibility of Claims and Sources THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Learning Outcomes • List the characteristics that make a person or source making claims about a given topic a trustworthy source of information and advice about that topic • Explain how to decide which claims standing on their own, absent reasons or a credible source, should be believed and which should not THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Learning Outcomes • Explain how to evaluate the plausibility of a claim independently THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Chapter Opening Video THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Assessing the Source—Whom Should I Trust? • Claims without reasons • Cognitive development and healthy skepticism • Authority and expertise THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Claims Without Reasons • Argument - Combination of a claim and the reason(s) given to support that claim • Memory can be influenced by heightened states of emotion • When a claim cannot be evaluated the question becomes trust related THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Cognitive Development and Healthy Skepticism • Trust of authorities is connected to one’s maturation • Strong critical thinkers: – Value context and perspective – Understand that reasons, perspectives, and theories are superior to other information THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Levels of Thinking and Knowing • • • • • • • Sages Truth-seekers Relativists Collectors Feelers Trusters Touchers THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Authority and Expertise • The word authority is ambiguous and vague • Characteristics of a trusted source – Learned and experienced – On-topic, up-to-date, and capable of explaining – Unbiased and truthful THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Authority and Expertise – Free of conflicts of interest, and acting in the client‛s interest – Money subverts objectivity – Constrained – Informed about the case at hand – Mentally stable THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Discussion Question • Disinterested party - Individual or a group that does not stand to benefit from the resolution of a dispute – How can you tell if a person who is offering you advice is a disinterested party? • Discuss examples of when a person had represented themselves as a disinterested party, but turned out to have an interest in the outcome THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Assessing the Substance—What Should I Believe? • Personal muck and gunk monitor • Self-contradictions and tautologies • Marketing, spin, disinformation, and propaganda • Slanted language and loaded expressions THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Personal Muck and Gunk Monitor • Healthy sense of skepticism is the best defense against false or misleading claims • A strong critical thinker would respond to claims by asking probing questions THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Self-contradictions and Tautologies • Self-contradictory statement – Sentence that is false because of the grammatical construction and the meanings of the words used • Tautology: Statement that is necessarily true because of the meanings of the words • Individuals can be misled by empty tautologies hidden as informative facts THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Marketing, Spin, Disinformation, and Propaganda • People with ulterior motives can make unsubstantiated claims • Skepticism is not cynicism THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Slanted Language and Loaded Expressions • Evaluation of claims that use language that carries a positive or negative emotional charge must be done with care • Political attack ads are offensive – Combine emotional messages with misleading claims THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Independent Verification • Can the claim be confirmed? • Can the claim be disconfirmed? • More than a healthy sense of skepticism only • Independent investigation and the Q-ray bracelet case • Suspending judgment THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Can the Claim be Confirmed? • Approaches to confirming a claim – Finding confirmatory information – Assessing the consistency of the claim • Drawback of seeking confirmation – Claim may not be true • Finding confirmatory evidence better than deciding the plausibility of a statement based on no independent information THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Can the Claim be Disconfirmed? • Challenging to disconfirm • Urban legends endure no matter what investigative findings reveal • Skeptic is asserting uncertainty about uncertainty about the truth of the matter • Conspiracy theorist must more than discredit all other known, plausible, or possible versions of events THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Can the Claim be Disconfirmed? • Falsity of a claim can be established • When the claim has been proven to be incorrect, some people may not accept the evidence – Skeptics – Conspiracy theorists THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc More than a Healthy Sense of Skepticism Only • Web pages and blogs can be posted by reliable experts or by unscrupulous people THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Independent Investigation and the Qray Bracelet Case • Q-Ray bracelets have been marketed and sold to people seeking relief from chronic pain • Investigation established that the bracelet has a placebo effect THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Suspending Judgment • Judgments in context of uncertainty are unavoidable • Best judgment about the plausibility or implausibility of some claims may be to make no judgment at all THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Sketchnote Video THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc  ... may be to make no judgment at all THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Sketchnote Video THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc ... not THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Learning Outcomes • Explain how to evaluate the plausibility of a claim independently THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS. .. THINK CRITICALLY, FACIONE & GITTENS © 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc Levels of Thinking and Knowing • • • • • • • Sages Truth-seekers Relativists Collectors Feelers Trusters Touchers THINK CRITICALLY,