Obstacles to Critical
Thinking
Jason M. Chang
Critical Thinking
Lecture Outline
I.
Background
II. Obstacles to critical thinking
A. Psychological obstacles
B. Philosophical obstacles
III. Take-away questions
Background
Critical thinking
The process of determining which
information, beliefs, or viewpoints
are worth accepting using rational
standards (e.g., arguments,
reasoning)
Background
Whether
God exists
Which view
is backed
by the
strongest
arguments?
Background
Features of good critical
thinking
•
•
•
•
Thorough
Objective/unbiased
Unemotional
Open to new
information, evidence,
arguments
• Continuous process
Features of a good critical
thinker
•
•
•
•
•
Thorough
Objective/unbiased
Unemotional
Open-minded
Patient
Obstacles to good critical thinking
Psychological obstacles
Psychological Obstacles
Psychological obstacles
o Definition
o Psychological needs
Psychological Obstacles
Cognitive
biases
Psychological needs
• Distort our
perception of
objective reality
• Inhibit critical
thinking
• UNDETECTED
Confirmation bias
The tendency to attach
more weight to evidence
that supports what we
already believe
Confirmation bias
• Only viewing sources that
confirm your beliefs
• Attaching more weight to
evidence that supports
your beliefs
• Interpreting the evidence
so that it supports your
beliefs
Confirmation bias
Human needs behind confirmation bias
Self-righteousness
Simplicity, security
Self-interest bias
The tendency to view
favorably the argument
or position that furthers
one’s self-interest
Self-interest bias
• People in the top tax
bracket opposing tax
increase for the rich
• Students opposing
tuition increases
• Hunters opposing gun
control policy
Self-interest bias
Critical
thinking
without
bias
Thinking
tainted
by selfinterest
bias
Evaluating arguments
for different positions
Arriving at a position
that serves your selfinterest
Arriving at a position
Rationalizing your
position with arguments
Self-interest bias
Which is the case?
• Reflections on moral
status of fetus informs
pro-choice position
• Pro-choice position
informs views about
moral status of fetus
Availability bias
Unconsciously assigning a
probability to a type of
event on the basis of how
often one thinks of those
events
Availability bias
Many would argue that the
political Right exploited the
public’s availability bias to
gain support for the Iraq
War (2002)
Bandwagon effect
The unconscious tendency to
align one’s thinking with that
of other people
Sometimes called “group
think” bias
Bandwagon effect
Asch conformity experiments (1951)
Actors
Real participant
Bandwagon effect
Asch conformity experiments (1951)
Bandwagon effect
Human needs behind bandwagon effect
Social acceptance, respect from others
Authority effect
The tendency to be follow
authority without thought or
question
Milgram experiment (1961)
Authority effect
L = You (“teacher”)
S = Second subject (“learner”)
V = Experimenter
Authority effect
Authority effect
Out of 40 male participants
•
•
•
•
•
Less than 300 volts – All participants 40 obeyed
300 volts – 35 obeyed
315 volts – 31 obeyed
330 volts – 29 obeyed
450 volts (FINAL SHOCK) – 26 obeyed
65 percent (26 out of 40) agreed to give the final shock
Overconfidence bias
The unconscious tendency to
have greater confidence in
one’s judgments than the
objective accuracy of those
judgments
Overconfidence bias
• Group of people asked
how confident they are (in
%) of specific answers on a
quiz
• Data shows that
confidence systematically
exceeds accuracy
Overconfidence bias
Overconfidence bias??
Philosophical obstacles
Philosophical Obstacles
•
Philosophical obstacles
o Definition
o Certain philosophical beliefs can inhibit critical thinking
Subjective relativism
•
Subjective relativism (“relativitis”)
•
Definition
Relativitis
•
Highly contagious
•
Those in late teens/early 20s most vulnerable
•
Symptoms
•
Intellectual laziness, lack of motivation to think critically, lack of strong
beliefs or values
Dogmatic absolutism
•
Dogmatic Absolutism
•
Definition
Take-away questions
Take-away questions
• Given that these biases are
often undetected, what can
we do to avoid being
affected by them?
• Which of these biases are
exhibited by the characters
in 12 Angry Men? And how?