Review the Four Social Errors and Biases presented in Ch. 4 of THiNK: Critical Thinking and Logic Skills for Everyday Life. Which of the social errors/biases in the book are you most affected by? How can you overcome this social error/bias?
Ch. 5 describes fallacies (when an argument seems to be correct but isn’t). What is one fallacy you have personally used or seen in an argument? Discuss how critical thinking skills will make you less likely to be influenced by arguments that are based on fallacies and faulty reasoning.
Reflect on the learning activities, concepts, ideas, and topics covered this week. Discuss the most interesting activity or concept you learned this week and mention any concepts that are still a bit confusing to you or that you have questions about.
t a lottery ticket or know of someone who did, why did you (or the other person) buy
it? When the ticket was bought, what did you, or the other person, think the
probability of winning was? Discuss the extent to which this reasoning involved a
probability error.
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4. Given that humans are prone to cognitive errors, should we use computers
rather than physicians for medical diagnoses? Support your answer.
5. Think of a time when you studied hard for a test but ended up with a low grade. To
what did you attribute your poor performance? Now think of a time when you studied
hard and did very well on a test. To what did you attribute your good performance?
Discuss how self-serving biases may have contributed to the difference in your
reaction in each of the two situations.
6. Do you tend to overestimate the amount of control you have over your life? Give
speci?c examples. Discuss how a distorted sense of control has had an impact on
your ability to achieve your life goals. Come up with at least two critical-thinking
strategies you could use to correct for this cognitive error.
7. Which cognitive error are you most likely to commit? Give a speci?c example of your
using this error. If you are willing, share your strategies for overcoming these ideas
with the class.
