1. Critical Thinking = The ability and willingness to assess claims and make objective judgments on the basis of well- supported reasons and evidence, rather than emotion.

2. Guidelines to Critical Thinking 1. _______________________________: Use higher level questions! Don’t just ask “who?” or “what?” EXAMPLES: “Why did psychologists get this result?” “How did they reach that conclusion?” BLOOM ’ S TAXONOMY (You WILL see this in college!)

3. Guidelines to Critical Thinking

4. 2. DEFINE YOUR TERMS: Make a _________________________ - a statement that attempts to predict a set of phenomena ( EMPIRICAL !) SCIENCE-fiction Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars)

5. QUESTION DO YOU REMEMBER THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD?

6. Guidelines to Critical Thinking 3.___________________________________ - NO “Lazy” Thinking - Look for proof! –Example: What is the cause of Autism? - Biological or Environmental? (Nature vs. Nurture) - Why are some people such good athletes? It’s nature vs. nurture, baby…nature wins every time

8. Guidelines to Critical Thinking 4. ANALYZE ASSUMPTIONS AND BIASES: Don’t assume without proof or ignore other PERSPECTIVES! –Principle of _______________________: - A scientific theory must make predictions that are specific enough to expose the theory to the possibility of being proven wrong -Example: “ Misery Loves Company ”

9. FALSIFIABILITY IN A “NUTSHELL” CAN YOU REPLICATE YOUR EXPERIMENT AND GET THE SAME RESULTS? IF NOT, START OVER! HELP! I’M IN A NUTSHELL!

10. Guidelines to Critical Thinking 5. AVOID EMOTIONAL REASONING : All disagreements must have proof!

11. Guidelines to Critical Thinking 6. DON ’ T OVERSIMPLIFY: Just because it ’ s happened to you (and maybe some friends) doesn ’ t mean it happens to everyone.

12. QUESTION SHOULD DISOBEDIENT CHILDREN BE SPANKED? Were YOU spanked as a child? How might this influence your perspective?

13. Guidelines to Critical Thinking 7. CONSIDER OTHER _______________________________ GOAL = _______________ - An organized system of assumptions and principles that aims to explain a specified set of phenomena and their interrelationships. -Example: Depression causes cancer

14. Guidelines to Critical Thinking 8. TOLERATE UNCERTAINTY: Sometimes you just don ’ t know... … and that ’ s ________!!!