Critical Thinking and Evaluating Information

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Have you ever been on the losing end of an argument and been tempted to resort to name-calling? Making irrelevant comments about an opponent’s character or circumstances is a common debate strategy known as an ad hominem attack. 

While ad hominem can be a legitimate response, it is often a diversion tactic meant to hide a weak counter-argument. Being able to spot ad hominem attacks and determine their use can help you identify credible resources and improve your communication skills.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize ad hominem attacks

• Use ad hominems effectively

• Plan appropriate responses to ad hominem attacks

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When you are trying to prove a point during a conversation, you need to provide reasons why it is true. In other words, convincing someone requires evidence. This requirement is known as the burden of proof, and it comes into play in courts of law, political debates, and even casual conversations.

Sometimes people try to make points without evidence, or say something because it would be hard to prove them wrong. But failing to meet the burden of proof can make conversations go off track. So, whether you are researching, writing a paper, or debating with a friend, it’s important to provide evidence and ask others to do the same. During this tutorial, you will learn when the burden of proof is required and what to do when someone tries to evade it.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize the burden of proof

• Respond to the burden of proof fallacies

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Did you know there’s a connection between the revenue generated by arcades and the number of PhDs awarded in computer science?

Or between iPhone sales and people who died by falling down the stairs?  

Or between the shape of the northern border of Kentucky and the sale of houseplants?

Believe it or not, there are no connections between any of these variables except that they happen to plot the same way on a graph. They’re all examples of correlations, not causations, and while they’re humorous, confusing correlation with causation can have serious effects on your ability to analyze information.

By the end of this tutorial you’ll be able to:

• Differentiate between causation and correlation

• Recognize examples of correlation

• Explain why understanding causation and correlation is important for analyzing information

• Develop strategies for determining causation or correlation

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Have you ever gotten into an argument about something silly— like if houseplants have feelings—and are convinced you’re right? You know your houseplant is deep, and have the research to prove it! But your friend has research to prove. . .the opposite. 

No matter how much you argue, you can’t convince each other—and as you search for and find information to support your points, you’re both more and more convinced you’re right and your friend is wrong.

What’s going on here? Confirmation bias, our tendency to cherry-pick information that confirms our existing beliefs. 

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to: 

• Describe how confirmation bias works

• Explain how confirmation bias affects information seeking, evaluation, and sharing

• Apply confirmation bias checks

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Have you ever been in a conversation where the other person compared two things to prove their point? For example, someone might say dogs and wolves are the same because they both howl. But, sharing some qualities does not mean two or more things are the same. When someone ignores differences, or gives too much credit to similarities, they are making a false equivalency.

It’s easy to be misled by false equivalencies because people often accept comparisons without really thinking about them. And this quick acceptance can cause people to overlook important facts and spread fake news.

Whether you are scrolling through social media, watching a debate, writing a paper, or having a conversation, understanding false equivalencies can help you stay focused on the facts.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize, respond to, and avoid using false equivalencies

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You’ve probably been taught that the best way to read is slowly, carefully, and thoroughly. But what if this isn’t always the best way to read?

Different sources of information require different reading strategies. Slow, thorough reading might work for print sources, but it doesn’t work for online sources—especially when they are fake, misleading, or trying to get you to buy into an idea without thinking too hard or digging too deep.   

In this tutorial, you’ll learn about lateral reading, a strategy for analyzing online information that results in reading less, but learning more.

By the end of this tutorial you’ll be able to: 

• Differentiate between lateral reading and vertical reading

• Explain why lateral reading is important

• Apply lateral reading strategically and deliberately 

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Have you ever felt trapped by a question because you'd look bad whether you said "yes" or "no"? These loaded questions are often used by journalists and politicians. Questions like, “Have you stopped accepting bribes?” have presumptions built into them so they can’t be answered without looking guilty. And they can be misleading when they suggest things that aren’t true.

Knowing how to deal with loaded questions can help you focus on facts and improve communication.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize loaded questions

• Respond to loaded questions

• Avoid asking loaded questions

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Have you ever been in the middle of a debate and felt like your words or ideas were being used in a way you didn’t intend? It’s frustrating when the conversation gets so twisted you’re not sure what the original idea is. And it can quickly turn a debate into an argument, especially on topics where emotions run high, like politics or social issues.  

Twisting an idea or position so it’s easier to argue against is called a straw man fallacy. Straw man arguments can seem convincing, but they’re actually poor reasoning. 

It can be hard to avoid straw man arguments in persuasive papers—or arguments with friends! But engaging with a topic fairly and accurately helps refine your own positions and connect better with others. 

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to: 

• Identify and avoid straw man arguments

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Have you ever dreaded reading a long research article? Have you shared a headline without reading the full text because it came from a news agency or friend you trust?

It’s good practice to read carefully, but it takes time. And whether you’re deep in a research project or trying to keep up with social media, time can seem like it’s in short supply. 

There may not be time to deeply read everything you come across. But the Command/Control F function is a great shortcut to quickly determine if an article matches its headline, an argument matches its social media post, or research matches your needs.  

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll be able to: 

• Use cmd/ctrl F to quickly search for keywords