WGU C168 Final Exam Prep- Critical Thinking and Logic 100% Passed

WGU C168 Final Exam Prep- Critical Thinking and Logic 100% Passed What is critical thinking? - - "is the art of thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better" What 3 interlinking dimensions is critical thinking comprised of? - - 1. Analyzing one's own thinking (breaking into parts) 2. Evaluating one's own thinking (identify strength and weakness) 3. Improving one's own thinking (reconstructing it to make it better) What is the goal of critical thinking? - - to brings one's best thinking to bear in every realm of one's lief and in any set of circumstance What are some impediments to sound thinking? - - * generalizations * stereotyping * fixed vantage point * forming false beliefs * dismiss views conflicting w/own * deceptive thought What is egocentrism? - - the tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself What is sociocentrism? - - the assumption that one's own social group is inherently superior to all others What will a well-cultivated critical thinker do? - - * raise vital questions * gather / assess relevant info * reach well-reasoned conclusion * think open-mindedly * communicate effectively What is first order thinking? (ordinary thinking) - - * Spontaneous and non-reflective * Contains insight, prejudice, good and bad reasoning * Indiscriminately combined What is second order thinking? (critical thinking) - - first-order thinking that is consciously realized (analyzed, assessed, and reconstructed) What is weak-sense critical thinking? - - ignore flaws in own thinking and often seek to "win" through intellectual trickery or deceipt What is strong-sense critical thinking? - - defined by a consistent pursuit of what is intellectually fair and just. Ethical, empathetic, reasonable, able to change opinion What is it to be fair-minded? - - to bring an unbiased and unprejudiced perspective to all viewpoints relevant to a situation What is it to be intellectually unfair? - - no responsibility to represent differing viewpoints always see yourself as right and just self-deceptive What are characteristics of intellectual humility? (trait of critical thinker) - - * discover one's own ignorance on any issue * don't / can't know everything * conscious of one's bias / prejudice * aware of limitations of one's viewpoint * only claim what you know *egocentrism is self-deceiving What are characteristics of intellectual courage? (trait of critical thinker) - - * confront ideas / viewpoints even when uncomfortable * fairness toward beliefs where there is negativity or has already been dismissed * challenge popular belief What are characteristics of intellectual empathy? (trait of critical thinker) - - * inhabit the perspective of others in order to understand them * reconstruct other viewpoints and reasoning * ability to reason from premises and ideas not your own * motivation to be wrong when you had strong conviction you were right What are characteristics of intellectual integrity? (trait of critical thinker) - - * holding yourself to same standards you expect of others * practice what you preach * admit flaws and inconsistencies * identify weakness in own thinking * beliefs and actions are consistent with each other What are characteristics of intellectual perseverance? (trait of critical thinker) - - * keep going despite frustrations * reason through complex issues carefully and methodically * follow rational principle rather than trusting initial impressions * realize that true insight comes with tough thought over time What are characteristics of confidence in reason? (trait of critical thinker) - - * belief that best interest is served by reason * encourage people to arrive at own conclusion through power of thinking * faith that we can become good at critical thinking What are characteristics of intellectual autonomy? (trait of critical thinker) - - * think for yourself with rationality * not just accepting other viewpoints * rely on own reasoning when deciding what to believe or not * accept other views so far as they are reasonable in light of evidence What are some ways to improve thinking? - - * use "wasted" time * handle one problem a day * internalize intellectual standards by practice * keep intellectual journal with goal of analysis of event * practice * recognize your ego and strive to replace it with rational thinking * be mindful of the way you see things * get in touch with emotions * analyze group influence on your life What 3 functions does the mind perform? - - Thinking, feeling, wanting Why is the interrelationship among thoughts, feelings, and wanting (motivation) crucial to a critical thinker? - - recognize every feeling motivates an action and you can analyze the thinking that underlies the emotion and want. What is reasoning? - - Drawing conclusions based on reasons. (Making sense of something) What are the universal elements of critical thinking? - - Purposes, Information, Questions, Concepts, Assumptions, Inferences, Implications, Points of View Points of View - - From what perspective or angle is an issue being looked at or characterized Purpose - - the goal of reasoning - desired outcome Question - - All reasoning is directed at some question. Learn how to clearly frame a question, problem, or issue Assumptions - - Reasoning begins with our assumptions Implications - - extend beyond the position we reach from reasoning Information - - Reasoning often follows from bad or incomplete info. Evaluate information for accuracy and completeness Concepts - - be aware of the concepts we hold and consider how they drive our reasoning. (example: the equity of a new rule) Inferences - - to come to a conclusion True or False The elements of reasoning function interdependently - - True What is a key to critical thinking? - - To consciously realize the goals of thinking True or False An Inference is a mental step by which one concludes that something is true based on something else being true - - True What are 3 types of implications? - - Possible Probable Necessary What are the 9 Intellectual Standards? - - Clarity Accuracy Precision Relevance Depth Breadth Logic Significance Fairness What are the 3 categories of questions? - - Fact Preference Judgement What is Socratic questioning? - - A systematic, disciplined approach to asking questions aimed at assessing truth. What is a question of judgement? - - A question with competing and debatable answers. What are the 9 dimensions of decision-making? - - Figure out goals, purposes and needs. Take problems / decisions 1 by 1 Figure out the implications of alternatives Figure out the information you need and seek it Draw reasonable inferences Figure out long & short term options Consider Pros / Cons Be strategic in decision-making Monitor implications and adjust strategy as needed What are the 7 dimensions of problem-solving? - - Figure out goals, purposes, and needs Identify your problems explicitly Figure out info you need and actively seek it Carefully analyze, interpret and evaluate info collected Figure out your options for action Adopt a strategic approach to the problem When you act, monitor implications as they emerge True or False: Identification involves looking at your irrational emotions or desires and figuring out what is generating them. - - True What 4 steps does intellectual action require? - - 1. What is going on in a situation 2. Options for action 3. Justification for choosing an option 4. Ways to reduce the impact of irrational thinking What are the 4 methods of determining causation? - - Common Factor Single Difference Concomitant Variation Process of Elimination True or False: Concomitant variation refers to a pattern of variation between a possible cause and effect. - - True What is a question of preference? - - A question with many possible subjective answers. True or False: Single difference method is when analyzing causation, looking for a causal factor that is present in one situation but absent in another similar situation. - - True True or False: Common factor method is analyzing causation and looking for a single shared factor - - True True or False: Process of elimination in analyzing causation is successively ruling out non-causal factors until one correct causal factor remains - - True What is false information that is mistakenly believed to be true and acted upon? - - Activated Ignorance What is claiming to speak with the "voice of experience" in support of an argument (even when that experience may not be relevant) called? - - Appeal to experience fallacy What is refusing to admit contradictions or inconsistencies when making argument or defending a position? - - Denying inconsistencies fallacy What is a logical process of drawing conclusions? - - Inference What is the unstated or hidden beliefs that support our explicit reasoning about something called? - - Assumptions What is assuming only two alternatives when, in reality, there are more than two called? - - Either-or fallacy What is citing a threat or possibility of a frightening outcome as the reason for supporting an argument called? - - Appeal to fear fallacy What is avoiding direct and truthful answers to difficult questions through diversionary tactics, vagueness, or deliberately confusing or complex responses called? - - Evading questions fallacy What is justifying support for a position by citing an esteemed or well-known figure who supports it called? - - Appeal to authority fallacy What is an error in reasoning called? - - A fallacy What is dismissing an argument by attacking the person who offers it rather than by refuting its reasoning called? - - Ad Hominem fallacy What is citing major sentiment or popular opinion as the reason for supporting a claim called? - - Appeal to popularity fallacy What is memorized information that is not fully understood called? - - Inert information What is drawing an invalid comparison between things for the purpose of either supporting or refuting some position called? - - Faulty analogy fallacy What is seeking to falsely discredit the underlying evidence for an argument and thereby questioning its validity called? - - Attacking evidence fallacy What is seeing social conventions, beliefs and taboos of your society as the only correct way to live and think called? - - Sociocentrism What is asserting a conclusion that is assumed in the reasoning called? - - Begging the question fallacy What is justifying illegal or unethical practices by arguing that they are necessary to confront a greater evil or threat called? - - hard-cruel-world argument fallacy What is inferring a general proposition about something based on too small a sample or an unrepresentative sample called? - - Hasty generalization fallacy What is introducing an irrelevant point or topic to divert attention from the issue at hand called? - - Red herring fallacy What is asserting that a solution (or argument) is not worth adopting because it does not fix the problem completely called? - - Search for perfect solution fallacy What is truthful information that is employed to pursue more knowledge and/or is acted upon? - - Activated knowledge What is a partiality or prejudice that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation called? - - Bias What is to suggest that a step or action, once taken, will lead inevitably to similar steps or actions with presumably undesirable consequences called? - - Slippery slope fallacy What is distorting or exaggerating an opponent's argument so that it might be more easily attacked called? - - Straw man fallacy What is the use of irrelevant, misleading, or questionable statistics to support an argument or defend a position called? - - Thrown-in statistics fallacy What is defending or justifying our wrong position or conduct by pointing to a similar wrong done by someone else called? - - Two wrongs make a right fallacy What is citing abstract concepts (freedom, justice, science) to support an argument or to call for action called? - - Treating abstracts as reality fallacy What is an analogy in which there are important relevant dissimilarities between two things being compared called? - - Faulty Analogy What is information that is provided to support the dependability of a factual claim? - - Evidence What is a plausible alternative explanation for why a certain outcome happened? - - Rival Cause What is evidence that quantifies an observation of phenomenon and is concerned with determining causation? - - Quantitative Evidence What is the failure to recognize that two events may be related through the effects of a common third factor? - - Neglect of a common cause What is evidence that describes an observation of phenomenon and communicates its meaning? - - Qualitative Evidence What are beliefs about the way the world is, was, or will be whose credibility depends on the quality of evidence offered to support them? - - Factual Claims What is the process of selecting events or people to study? - - Research sampling What is the inference that if two things are alike in one respect, they will be alike in other respects? - - Analogy What is based on or derived from practical experiment and direct observation? - - Empirical What is an instinct "knowing" (hunch or gut feeling) that does not derive from a rational intellectual process? - - Intuition What is a research method or instrument for measuring people's attitudes or beliefs? - - Survey