D265 CRITICAL THINKING REASON AND
EVIDENCE EXAM REVIEW QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Why is it helpful to determine who funded a study or poll? - Answer-it can help in
identifying bias. This is specifically true of studies, polls and science articles. If, for
example, a specific industry funds a study about the overall value of that industry, it may
be biased towards making the industry look good and valuable.
Why will you never hear anyone on a credible news source say "you won't hear this on
any other news outlet" or "you can't trust other sources on this because we're the only
ones with the inside scoop"? - Answer-because such utterances are found in echo
chambers and sources with echo chambers intend to create distrust of other sources.
Thus, if you hear such utterances from a source, it is very likely that the source is
biased.
Why is it important to ask if a source is current and/or is local? - Answer-to avoid a
phenomenon known as context collapse. Context collapse happens on the internet
because online it is easy to make information seem current and local. Thus, for
example, a story may be irrelevant to the present if it actually happened years ago.
Thus, it is important to find out when the story was actually originally published and
whether it is indeed local to your specific area (your specific town or city, for example).
Why it is important to ask what other sources are saying about an event? - Answer-in
order to get multiple perspectives or reports on a specific subject or issue. Getting
multiple perspectives or reports on a specific issue is less likely to make you be the
target of a specific bias.
Why is it important to ask if a story is "plausible" or if a story to "too convenient"? -
Answer-so that we are not tricked into thinking that something is true when it is
completely false or made up. It is important to ask whether a story is convenient
because the story may not be true if it is too convenient. Being convenient means that it
fits too neatly into a particular narrative about current events.
Why is it important to ask if a story or source involves a Deepfake? - Answer-because
such a story is very likely to be completely made up or manipulated by AI (artificial
intelligence) technology. When we are able to recognize a deepfake, we will know that
the story or the information it portrays is fake or false.
principle of charity - Answer-requires that we interpret another person's argument by
making it as defensible or unassailable as we possibly can.
Applying the principle of charity is beneficial because it will allow us to have reasonable
discussions or debates with others and it will also help us to better understand the other
, person's view or position. Also, if we are interested in winning, we can better do so by
applying the principle of charity
cognitive bias - Answer-are due to the fact that our brains are "wired" to interpret or
categorize the world and our experiences in certain ways. This wiring of our brain has
caused us to habitually interpret or categorize the world and our experiences in specific
ways and this creates specific biases which are intricately connected with how we
understand the world and our experiences (cognition has to do with learning and
understanding).
alief - Answer-automatic "belief like attitude" which usually contradicts our rational
beliefs. Imagine that you are on top of a skyscraper and you are perfectly safe but as
you look down below, you fear that you might fall. You would have the rational belief
that you are perfectly safe but the alief that you are in danger.
heuristic - Answer-a rule of thumb that we often use in our experiences to make quick
decisions. A heuristic can also be thought of as a shortcut. Heuristics are not
guaranteed to work all of the time but they work most of the time.
confirmation bias - Answer-the tendency to look for information (evidence) that confirms
what we already believe and to reject information (evidence) that contradicts what we
already believe.
representativeness bias - Answer-involves the use of a prototype. A prototype or
archetype is a model or idea in our minds which we use to interpret new experiences or
situations. The example in Section 4 states that a person with a ski mask walking into a
bank is likely to lead us to think that this person is about to rob the bank. The prototype
of a person with a ski mask inside a bank represents that kind of experience or
situation.
anchoring and adjustment bias - Answer-involves a mental tethering or narrow focus
that keeps us to a specific and narrow set of answers or a specific set of possibilities.
This is best expressed as quantities or numbers. If, for example, someone asked you, is
planet Earth 100 or 200 million years old? You are likely to answer between 100 million
or a little over 200 million (you are mentally tethered to those numbers). Scientists
estimate that Earth is around 4.5 billion years old.
Define Proposition - Answer-A statement that can be true or false. EX: Lunch is the
most important meal of the day.
Define Non-proposition - Answer-Sentences that cannot be true or false. EX: Let's go to
lunch.
Define Complex Proposition - Answer-composed of simple propositions. To determine
whether a complex proposition is true or not, we have to look at its component parts (at
its simple propositions). In other words, complex propositions have an internal logical
EVIDENCE EXAM REVIEW QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Why is it helpful to determine who funded a study or poll? - Answer-it can help in
identifying bias. This is specifically true of studies, polls and science articles. If, for
example, a specific industry funds a study about the overall value of that industry, it may
be biased towards making the industry look good and valuable.
Why will you never hear anyone on a credible news source say "you won't hear this on
any other news outlet" or "you can't trust other sources on this because we're the only
ones with the inside scoop"? - Answer-because such utterances are found in echo
chambers and sources with echo chambers intend to create distrust of other sources.
Thus, if you hear such utterances from a source, it is very likely that the source is
biased.
Why is it important to ask if a source is current and/or is local? - Answer-to avoid a
phenomenon known as context collapse. Context collapse happens on the internet
because online it is easy to make information seem current and local. Thus, for
example, a story may be irrelevant to the present if it actually happened years ago.
Thus, it is important to find out when the story was actually originally published and
whether it is indeed local to your specific area (your specific town or city, for example).
Why it is important to ask what other sources are saying about an event? - Answer-in
order to get multiple perspectives or reports on a specific subject or issue. Getting
multiple perspectives or reports on a specific issue is less likely to make you be the
target of a specific bias.
Why is it important to ask if a story is "plausible" or if a story to "too convenient"? -
Answer-so that we are not tricked into thinking that something is true when it is
completely false or made up. It is important to ask whether a story is convenient
because the story may not be true if it is too convenient. Being convenient means that it
fits too neatly into a particular narrative about current events.
Why is it important to ask if a story or source involves a Deepfake? - Answer-because
such a story is very likely to be completely made up or manipulated by AI (artificial
intelligence) technology. When we are able to recognize a deepfake, we will know that
the story or the information it portrays is fake or false.
principle of charity - Answer-requires that we interpret another person's argument by
making it as defensible or unassailable as we possibly can.
Applying the principle of charity is beneficial because it will allow us to have reasonable
discussions or debates with others and it will also help us to better understand the other
, person's view or position. Also, if we are interested in winning, we can better do so by
applying the principle of charity
cognitive bias - Answer-are due to the fact that our brains are "wired" to interpret or
categorize the world and our experiences in certain ways. This wiring of our brain has
caused us to habitually interpret or categorize the world and our experiences in specific
ways and this creates specific biases which are intricately connected with how we
understand the world and our experiences (cognition has to do with learning and
understanding).
alief - Answer-automatic "belief like attitude" which usually contradicts our rational
beliefs. Imagine that you are on top of a skyscraper and you are perfectly safe but as
you look down below, you fear that you might fall. You would have the rational belief
that you are perfectly safe but the alief that you are in danger.
heuristic - Answer-a rule of thumb that we often use in our experiences to make quick
decisions. A heuristic can also be thought of as a shortcut. Heuristics are not
guaranteed to work all of the time but they work most of the time.
confirmation bias - Answer-the tendency to look for information (evidence) that confirms
what we already believe and to reject information (evidence) that contradicts what we
already believe.
representativeness bias - Answer-involves the use of a prototype. A prototype or
archetype is a model or idea in our minds which we use to interpret new experiences or
situations. The example in Section 4 states that a person with a ski mask walking into a
bank is likely to lead us to think that this person is about to rob the bank. The prototype
of a person with a ski mask inside a bank represents that kind of experience or
situation.
anchoring and adjustment bias - Answer-involves a mental tethering or narrow focus
that keeps us to a specific and narrow set of answers or a specific set of possibilities.
This is best expressed as quantities or numbers. If, for example, someone asked you, is
planet Earth 100 or 200 million years old? You are likely to answer between 100 million
or a little over 200 million (you are mentally tethered to those numbers). Scientists
estimate that Earth is around 4.5 billion years old.
Define Proposition - Answer-A statement that can be true or false. EX: Lunch is the
most important meal of the day.
Define Non-proposition - Answer-Sentences that cannot be true or false. EX: Let's go to
lunch.
Define Complex Proposition - Answer-composed of simple propositions. To determine
whether a complex proposition is true or not, we have to look at its component parts (at
its simple propositions). In other words, complex propositions have an internal logical
