Critical Thinking in Psychology Exam 1 Flashcards

Critical Thinking: An intellectually disciplined process involving conceptualizing, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information, characterized by clarity, rationality, open-mindedness, and evidence-based arguments.
Elements: Involves intellectual processes that are disciplined, active, and skillful, focusing on the art of informed thinking.

Involves questioning and defining key problems, gathering relevant information, and drawing well-reasoned conclusions tested against criteria and evidence.

Fallacy: Incorrect conclusions based on faulty reasoning or evidence, undermining logical arguments.
Argument from Ignorance: Asserts a claim must be true if it cannot be proven false; relies on a lack of disconfirming evidence.
Shifting the Burden of Proof: Attempts to place the responsibility of proof onto another party rather than providing evidence oneself.
Non Sequitur: A conclusion that does not logically follow from the premises or evidence presented.
Slippery Slope: Suggests that a minor action will inevitably lead to severe consequences without evidence for such progression.
Tu Quoque: Dismisses an argument by pointing out the speaker’s failure to act according to their claims.
Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc: Misinterprets chronology as causation; assumes that if one event follows another, the first must have caused the latter.
False Binary Opposition: Presents an issue as an either-or dilemma, ignoring the existence of other alternatives.

Straw Person: Simplifies and distorts another's position to make it easier to attack.
Ad Hominem: Critiques the character of the person making an argument instead of the argument itself.

Tenacity: Acceptance of information as true based on tradition or superstition; resistant to change despite contradictory evidence.
Intuition: Aligns with beliefs based on hunches or gut feelings, lacking a method for verification of accuracy.
Authority: Relies on expert opinions but risks accepting flawed information without critical assessment; not all authority figures are credible.
Rational Method: Employs logical reasoning for answers but is contingent on the validity of the initial premises.