Identifying Critical Thinking Hindrances

1
Identifying Critical Thinking Hindrances
Chapter 1

• This tutorial will give you practice in
  recognizing five common critical thinking
  hindrances egocentrism, sociocentrism,
  unwarranted assumptions and stereotypes,
  relativistic thinking, and wishful thinking.

2

• In a 1989 international study of 13-year-olds,
  Koreans finished first in mathematics and
  Americans finished last.
• Yet when asked whether they thought they were
  "good at mathematics," only 23 percent of Koreans
  said "yes," compared to 68 percent of Americans.

Based on what you have learned in this chapter,
which critical thinking hindrance do the American
youngsters in this study demonstrate?
3

• In a 1989 international study of 13-year-olds,
  Koreans finished first in mathematics and
  Americans finished last.
• Yet when asked whether they thought they were
  "good at mathematics," only 23 percent of Koreans
  said "yes," compared to 68 percent of Americans.

Egocentrism.
Egocentrism is self-centered thinking. Chapter 1
discusses two major forms of egocentrism
self-interested thinking and self-serving bias.
Which form of egocentrism do the American
students exhibit self-interested thinking or
self-serving bias?
4

• In a 1989 international test of 13-year-olds,
  Koreans finished first in mathematics and
  Americans finished last.
• Yet when asked whether they thought they were
  "good at mathematics," only 23 percent of Koreans
  said "yes," compared to 68 percent of Americans.

Self-serving bias
Self-serving bias is the tendency to overrate
oneself--to be overly confident of one's
knowledge, abilities, or good fortune. The
American students in this study certainly don't
lack "self-esteem." What they do lack is a proper
sense of how little they know about mathematics.
5
Muhammad Ali speaking in Zaire, Africa
"There's no country as great as the smallest city
in America. I mean here in Zaire you can't
watch television. The water won't even run right.
The toilets won't flush. The roads, the
cars--there's nothing as great as America."

• Based on your reading of this chapter, what type
• of critical thinking hindrance does Muhammad Ali
  display
• in this passage?

6
Muhammad Ali speaking in Zaire, Africa
"There's no country as great as the smallest city
in America. I mean here in Zaire you can't
watch television. The water won't even run right.
The toilets won't flush. The roads, the
cars--there's nothing as great as America."

• Sociocentrism

Sociocentrism is group-centered thinking, i.e.,
thinking that is excessively influenced by group
standards of conduct or belief. Chapter 1
discusses two major forms of sociocentrism group
bias and conformism. What form of sociocentrism
does Ali display in this passage group bias or
the herd conformism?
7
Muhammad Ali speaking in Zaire, Africa
"There's no country as great as the smallest city
in America. I mean here in Zaire you can't
watch television. The water won't even run right.
The toilets won't flush. The roads, the
cars--there's nothing as great as America."

• Group bias

Group bias is the tendency to think more highly
of one's nation, race, school, family, or other
social group than is warranted by the
evidence. In saying, for example, that "there's
no country as great as the smallest city in
America," Ali is clearly overstating the
comparative virtues of his own country, and thus
is guilty of group bias.
8
Sexually active bisexual Ill never get AIDS.
Im a very intuitive person. I would sense it if
someone had something as degenerative as the AIDS
virus.

• Based on your reading of this chapter, what
  critical
• thinking hindrance does this person exhibit?

9
Sexually active bisexual Ill never get AIDS.
Im a very intuitive person. I would sense it if
someone had something as degenerative as the AIDS
virus.

• Wishful thinking

Wishful thinking occurs when a person believes
that something is true, not because they have
good reasons for the belief, but because they
wish it were true. Persons who engage in risky
sexual activity often kid themselves in thinking,
It wont happen to me. Notice that this is
also a case of self-serving bias. This person is
overly confident of his or her ability to know
intuitively when a potential sexual partner has
the AIDS virus.
10
Ed My friend Dirk is a college sophomore at a
state university in upstate New York. He is
blonde, loves surfing, and has a very laid-back
personality. Mary I bet hes from California.

• What critical thinking hindrance does Mary
  exhibit?

11
Ed My friend Dirk is a college sophomore at a
state university in upstate New York. He is
blonde, loves surfing, and has a very laid-back
personality. Mary I bet hes from California.

• Stereotyping

Having blonde hair, enjoying surfing, and having
a laid-back personality are qualities people
stereotypically associate with Californians--and
this despite the fact that a majority of
Californians are not Caucasians. But of course
many people who are not from California also have
these three qualities. And given that Dirk
attends a state university in upstate New York,
it is unlikely, in fact, that he comes from
California.
12
Liz I can't believe I got a B- on this marketing
paper. My friend Jill turned in this same paper
in a different marketing class last semester, and
she got an A.Bob Don't you realize it's wrong
to plagiarize someone else's work?Liz That's
your opinion. What's wrong for one person isn't
necessarily wrong for another, and I say there's
nothing wrong with plagiarism--as long as you
don't get caught.

• Based on your reading of this chapter, which
  critical
• thinking hindrance does Liz exhibit?

13
Relativistic thinking

• Relativistic thinking is thinking that assumes
  that truth is just a matter of opinion.
• Chapter 1 discusses two major forms of
  relativistic thinking subjectivism and cultural
  relativism.
• Which type of relativism does Liz apparently
  accept?

14
Subjectivism

• Subjectivism is the idea that truth is just a
  matter of individual opinion. In other words,
  what is truth for an individual is whatever that
  individual believes is true.
• Cultural relativism is the idea that truth is a
  matter of societal opinion. In other words, what
  is true for an individual is whatever his or her
  society believes is true.

15
Notice that both forms of relativism make it
pretty much impossible to engage in any serious
critical thinking. According to subjectivism,
there is no point in trying to develop
thoughtful, well-substantiated beliefs, because
no matter what beliefs you hold, those beliefs
will be true for you.Likewise, if cultural
relativism were true, there would be no point in
trying to base your beliefs on evidence and good
reasoning--in fact, it would be wrong to do so,
because that might lead you to question society's
prevailing beliefs. And according to cultural
relativism, it is always wrong for a person to
question his or her society's beliefs, because
those beliefs are always TRUE!
X

• This is the end of the tutorial