Barriers to Critical Thinking: Too Many Choices!

Read this article about internet dating from the Economist.

http://www.economist.com/node/21547217?fsrc=scn/tw/te/ar/themodernmatchmakers



"The crucial assumption here, of course, is that what people think they want is what they actually need. That, it is true, is an assumption behind all consumer decisions......... And here, too, the data suggest people are not good at knowing what they want. One of Dr Finkel’s own studies, for example, showed that when they are engaged in internet dating’s cousin, speed dating, people’s stated preferences at the beginning of the process do not well match the characters of the individuals they actually like."

"Indeed, even the very volume of alternatives may be a problem. Studies on consumer choice, from boxes of chocolates to restaurant wine lists, have shown that less is more. Half a dozen bonbons, or a dozen bottles, are easier to pick between than 30 or 40. And an internet dating site may come up with not just a few dozen, but thousands of allegedly suitable matches."
from www.economist.com



Some interesting thoughts from this are:

Sometimes, people don`t know what they really want.

Do you always know what you really want?


Too many choices is a barrier to Critical Thinking.

Can you think of a time when you had too many choices?

How did you deal with that situation?



"Not surprisingly, the difficulty of choosing from abundance seems to apply to choice of people, too. Dr Finkel could find no study which addressed the question directly, in the context of internet dating. But speed-dating once again provided an answer. Here, he found studies which showed that when faced with abundant choice, people pay less attention to characteristics that require thinking and conversation to evaluate (occupational status and level of education, for example) and more to matters physical. Choice, in other words, dulls the critical faculties."
from www.economist.com

Let`s analyze this paragraph using the method explained in our textbook (ARQ)

First, we must find the conclusion. (ARQ pages 22-24)

Clue No. 1: Ask what the issue is.

The issue is, "How does choice affect critical thinking?"

Clue No 2: Look for indicator words.

I can`t find any.

Clue No. 3: Look in likely locations.

I looked at the beginning, but did not find the conclusion.

I found the conclusion at the end. It is "Choice dulls the critical faculties."

Now, I have the conclusion. Next, I must find the reason.

We will use the method on pages 30-32 of ARQ.

A reason must answer the question "Why does the writer or speaker believe that?"

Also we can look for indicator words (ARQ page 32)

I found the indicator words.

"he found studies which showed that"

Thus the reason is  "Here, he found studies which showed that when faced with abundant choice, people pay less attention to characteristics that require thinking and conversation to evaluate (occupational status and level of education, for example) and more to matters physical."

This is an example of a reason that uses research findings.