Value Assumptions

                                
Adventure                            Beauty                            Calm

Challenge                             Change                           Cleanliness

Orderliness                           Competition                   Concern for others

Friendship                             Fun                                Generosity

Gentleness                            Global view                   Gratitude

Hard work                             Happiness                      Harmony

Health                                    Honor                            Individuality

Inner peace                            Innovation                      Integrity

Intelligence                           Justice                             Kindness

Knowledge                           Privacy                             Progress   

Punctuality                            Respect for others            Rule of Law

Safety                                    Satisfying others              Security

Self-givingness                     Self-reliance                      Self-thinking

Content over form                 Continuous improvement   Creativity

Determination                        Democracy                       Discipline

Discovery                               Diversity                           Efficiency

Enjoyment                              Equality                            Fairness

Leadership                              Love                                  Romance

Loyalty                                    Maximum utilization        Learning
                                            (of time, resources)

Meaning                                  Patriotism                          Peace

Perfection                               Personal Growth                Perseverance

Pleasure                                  Power                                 Service (to others, society)

Simplicity                               Stability                              Strength

Standardization                      Teamwork                            Tolerance

Tradition                                Tranquility                            Trust

Truth                                      Well-being                            Wisdom

Benefits to All                        Civic Duty                            Civic Pride

Civil Rights                           Common Purpose                  Consumer Rights

Human Rights                        Diversity                               Duty

Concern for the Environment        Equal Opportunit         Majority Rule

Minority Rights                     Nation's Status (in World)    Respect for Others (individuals,                                                                                                             cultures, races)
Respect for the Individual     Respect for Elders                Right to Bear Arms

Safety Net (for elderly, unemployed, etc.)                         Women's Rights








What are your top 5 value assumptions?

Hidden Assumptions

We are always making assumptions.

When we go to the train station we assume that there will be a train coming soon.

Unless we learn something to challenge our assumption, we accept the assumption without thinking about it.

But, we are aware that we are making this assumption.


What assumptions have you made already today?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________



We are often making assumptions that we don`t even know we are making.

These are hidden assumptions.


Look at this argument.

Nuclear Power is wrong because it is unnatural!

The hidden assumption is "If something is unnatural, it is wrong."


All arguments have at least one assumption.


Find the hidden assumptions

1) Moby Dick is a whale. So Moby Dick is a mammal.

Assumption_____________________________________________________

2) Giving students a failing grade will damage their self-confidence. Therefore, we should not fail students.

Assumption_____________________________________________________


3) It should not be illegal for adults to smoke pot. After all, it does not harm anyone.

Assumption_____________________________________________________

4) There is nothing wrong talking on a mobile phone during lectures. Other students do it all the time.

Assumption_____________________________________________________

5) Killing an innocent person is wrong. Therefore, abortion is wrong.

Assumption_____________________________________________________

6) Traces of ammonia have been found in Mars' atmosphere. So there must be life on Mars.

Assumption_____________________________________________________

New Study!

Go to any search engine and search for "new study".

You will find so many amazing things!

For example:

Premonitions are real


How many times have your heard about the results of an amazing new study?

Maybe you thought "Wow! This will change the world!"

But then you never hear about this study again.


That`s because the study was probably wrong.


Medical studies with striking results often prove false

Dr. John Ioannidis, a researcher at Stanford University, wanted to know how many "shocking" studies are in fact false.

Dr. Ioannidis and a team of researchers looked at 228,220 studies.

In at least 90% of the studies that had dramatic results, the results in the end turned out to be false.

Dr. Ioannidis wrote an essay "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False.".


So what should we do?

We should not get so excited about any "new study".

We should wait until more research is done on a topic.

Assumptions and tricks!

Nobody likes to be tricked.

One way that people trick us is by using our false assumptions.

This video is about body language.

We assume that when Hillary is pointing at the crowd, she is pointing at someone she knows.

It is a trick.
http://youtu.be/AQENwD-QlRA?t=28m48s


Both Hillary and Obama use this trick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRQjTWmw0OM

Today`s handouts

                              Handout 1

  What Words or Phrases are Ambiguous?

"Ambiguity of information, in words, pictures, or other media, is the ability to express more than one interpretation."
From wiki

"Students hate annoying professors."

Does this mean "Students hate to annoy professors."

or "Students hate professors who are annoying."


Abstract, Concrete,  General and Specific


Abstract terms refer to ideas or concepts; they have no physical referents.

love, success, freedom, good, moral, democracy, racism, sexism

Question 1:_______________________________________________

Question 2:_______________________________________________


Concrete terms refer to objects or events that are available to the senses.

spoon, table, nose ring, green, hot, walking.

Question 3:_______________________________________________


General terms refer to groups. Specific terms refer to individuals

Furniture.....

Chair......

Rocking Chair.....

La-Z-Boy Rocking Chair....

My La-Z-Boy Rocking Chair with the Chocolate stain on the arm



                                         Handout 2




                                Loaded Language

Loaded language  is wording that attempts to influence the certain audience by using an appeal to emotion.


Loaded language is particularly persuasive because it preys on the human weakness for acting immediately based upon an emotional response, without such further considered judgment.



                                Match the terms


bureaucrat                                    pro-choice

anti-life                                        rich people

regime                      　                public servant

investment in public services       tax rate

tax burden                                     government

plant                                              beast

animal                   　　　 　　   weed

job creators                                   public spending



                                         Handout 3

                                        Weasel Words


A weasel word ...words and phrases aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in fact only a vague or ambiguous claim...has been communicated.

From Wiki


    •    "A growing body of evidence..."(Where is the raw data for your review?)

    •    "People say..." (Which people? How do they know?)

    •    "It has been claimed that..." (By whom, where, when?)

    •    "Critics claim..." (Which critics?)

    •    "Clearly..." (As if the premise is undeniably true)

    •    "Questions have been raised..." (Implies a fatal flaw has been discovered)

    •    "I heard that..." (Who told you? Is the source reliable?)

    •    "There is evidence that..." (What evidence? Is the source reliable?)

    •    "Experience shows that..." (Whose experience? What was the experience? How does it demonstrate this?)

    •    "It has been mentioned that..."_____________________________________

    •    "Popular wisdom has it that..."_____________________________________

    •    "It is known that..." _____________________________________________

    •    "Officially known as..." __________________________________________

    •    "It turns out that..."______________________________________________

    •    "Studies show..."________________________________________________

    •    "Some argue..."_________________________________________________

    •    "Up to sixty percent..."___________________________________________

    •    "More than seventy percent..."_____________________________________

    •    "The vast majority..."____________________________________________

Assignment for next week

1) Read chapter 5 of the textbook

2) Fill in the blanks in Handout 3

3) Read Handout 2

Basics of Critical Thinking.

This video explains the basics of critical thinking very well.

Critical Thinking