Chapter 2

Question 1

According to the text’s definition of critical thinking, what factors must be present for critical thinking to be realized?

Answer 1

For critical thinking to be realized, the process must be systematic, it must be a true evaluation or formulation of claims, and it must be based on rational standards.

Question 2

What are the two main categories of common obstacles to critical thinking?

Answer 2

(1) Those hindrances that arise because of how we think and (2) those that occur because of what we think.

Question 3

What is stereotyping?

Answer 3

Drawing an unwarranted conclusion or generalization about an entire group of people.

Question 4

From the standpoint of critical thinking, what event signals that we have allowed our bias in favor of ourselves to go too far?

Answer 4

We take things too far when we accept claims for no reason.

Question 5

When are you most likely to let your self-interest get in the way of clear thinking?

Answer 5

You are most likely to let your self-interest get in the way of clear thinking when you have a significant personal stake in the conclusions you reach

Question 6

How does subjective relativism imply infallibility?

Answer 6

If we can make a statement true by simply believing in it, we would be infallible.

Question 7

How are subjective and social relativism self-defeating?

Answer 7

They are self-defeating because their truths imply their falsity.

Question 8

According to the text, how might selective attention affect your thinking when you are examining evidence for or against a claim?

Answer 8

We may ignore facts that contradict our beliefs and search out facts that support them.

Question 9

How might the influence of a group that you belong to affect your attempts to think critically?

Answer 9

Group pressure can affect your attempts to think critically by allowing your need to be part of a group or your identification with a group under-mine critical thinking.

Question 10

According to the text, what is the most powerful group pressure of all?

Answer 10

This we-are-better pressure is the most powerful of all.

Question 11

What is the appeal to popularity?

Answer 11

The fallacy of arguing that a claim must be true merely because a substantial number of people believe it.

Question 12

What is a worldview?

Answer 12

A worldview is a set of fundamental ideas that help us make sense of a wide range of issues in life.

Question 13

According to the text, how could subjective relativism make critical thinking unnecessary?

Answer 13

If we can make a statement true just by believing it to be true, then critical thinking would seem to be unnecessary

Question 14

Is critical thinking concerned with the objective or the subjective truth of claims?

Answer 14

Critical thinking is concerned with objective truth claims

Question 15

What is social relativism?

Answer 15

The view that truth is relative to societies.

Question 16

What is philosophical skepticism?

Answer 16

The view that we know much less than we think we do or nothing at all.

Question 17

What kind of doubt is involved in the acquisition of knowledge?

Answer 17

Reasonable doubt, not certainty, is central to the acquisition of knowledge.

Question 18

What is motivated reasoning?

Answer 18

The tendency to give more credence to a statement if it comes from our friends.

Question 19

What is the mere exposure effect?

Answer 19

The idea that just being exposed repeatedly to words or images (even without registering them consciously) can induce a favorable or comfortable feeling toward them, whether or not there is any good reason for doing so.

Question 20

What is the false consensus effect?

Answer 20

The tendency to overestimate the degree to which other people share our opinions, attitudes, and preferences.

Question 21

What is the Dunning-Kruger effect?

Answer 21

The phenomenon of being ignorant of how ignorant we are.

Question 22

What is evidence?

Answer 22

Evidence is something that makes a statement more likely to be true

Question 23

What is the illusion-of-truth effect?

Answer 23

A phenomenon in which you come to believe that a false claim is actually true simply because it is familiar.

Question 24

What is a homophily?

Answer 24

The tendency to give more credence to a statement if it comes from our friends.

Question 25

What is appeal to common practice?

Answer 25

The fallacy of accepting or rejecting a claim based solely on what groups of people generally do or how they behave (when the action or behavior is irrelevant to the truth of the claim).

Question 26

What is implicit bias?

Answer 26

A negative attitude toward a group of people that operates unintentionally or unconsciously.

Question 27

What is peer pressure?

Answer 27

Group pressure to accept or reject a claim based solely on what one’s peers think or do.

Question 28

According to the text, why is it important to look for opposing evidence when evaluating claims?

Answer 28

Failure to look for opposing evidence increases the chance of error.

Question 29

What is subjectivist fallacy?

Answer 29

Accepting the notion of subjectivist relativism or using it to try and support a claim.