Module 1 Flashcards
Critical Thinking Definition
..Is self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism.
Methods of Seeking Knowledge
- Habit or Tenacity
- Authority
- Democratic Judgement
- Reasoning
- Sensory Information
- Empirical and Experimental Methods
Habit or Tenacity
When something appeals to us we repeat it to ourselves often and turn away from any information that might disturb our happy state of affairs. We find the state of certainty that tenacious beliefs bring us more satisfying than the unsettling state of mind that accompanies doubt. If we do this long enough, we might forget where and when the original belief took hold, but no matter, “I believed it to be true for so long, it must be so.”
Authority
Taking judgment of one or more authorities as sufficient evidence.
Democratic Judgement
Trust in the judgement of many, in contrast to the dicta of single authorities. We become confident about the truth-value of statements when a judgment is shared by many people. But consensus is not science.
Reasoning
Arriving at truth by reason alone. Under certain circumstances pure reason can lead to what is called NECESSARY TRUTH.
Inductive Reasoning
Reasoning that begins with things taken as known.
Syllogism
an instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion (e.g., all dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all dogs have four legs ).
Sensory Information
The reliance on experience for finding knowledge. “I have seen it, I have experienced it. Therefore, I know that it is true.”
Keep in mind that human senses are fallible though.
Empirical and Experimental Methods
Method that combines rationality and observation. At its core, scientific knowledge is based on the application of objective and systematic rules to observations or experiments. “Show me”, “prove it” and “what is the evidence?”
Best way to produce knowledge that is unbiased.
3 Components of any research article
- Context and purpose of the research as reflected in the literature review, statemen of the problem, and formulation of hypothesis.
- The research itself
- The interpretation and discussion of the results
Stages of Research Synthesis (7 stages)
- Formulating the problem
- Searching the literature
- Gathering information from studies
- Evaluating the quality of studies
- Analyzing and integrating the outcomes of studies
- Interpreting the evidence
- Presenting the results
Formulating the Problem (Stage 1)
Ask “What are the variables or interventions the researchers wanted to study?” and “What operational definitions have the researchers claimed are measurable expressions of these variables?”
You must consider whether the conceptual and operational definitions are carefully defined and fit together well.
Searching the Literature (stage 2)
First check to see which reference databases the synthesists consulted. Evaluate whether the synthesists made a good effort to find all the past research, or at least an unbiased sample of all the relevant literature.
Gathering Information from Studies (stage 3)
Examine the methods the synthesist used to extract information from each study. Were the definitions and instructions to coders clear and thorough? Were coders well-trained? Did the synthesists present evidence about the reliability of coders?
