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89.
Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each
individual or group listed with regard to the following issue:
You’ve purchased a wood-burning stove. You are uncertain, however, what kind of wood
to burn in it. You’ve heard that some produce more smoke, some are more likely to
contribute to chimney fires, some burn hotter than others, and so forth.
a. the dealer from whom you purchased the stove
b. a friend of yours who has used a wood-burning stove for years
c. another friend who sells firewood
d. a U.S. Department of Agriculture publication, "Comparative Properties of Fuelwood"
e. a professor of environmental horticulture at a state university
All these sources are credible, but (c) rather than (a) should rank last.
90.
Whom would you trust as most reliable? Discuss the credibility and authority of each
individual or group listed with regard to the following issue:
Even though your wisdom teeth are not bothering you, your dentist tells you they should
be extracted because they may give you trouble later. Should you have them pulled or wait
until they cause problems?
a. your dentist
b. your physician
c. a friend who is studying to become an orthodontist
d. your sister, who is a dental hygienist
e. your brother, who is six years older than you, who still has his wisdom teeth and has
had no problems with them
Assuming your dentist specifies more clearly the risks you take by not having the teeth
extracted now, we’d go with his or her opinion rather than any of the outside sources.
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91.
Exercise: Work with two other people on this. For each question below, you need to do an
Internet search. The primary purpose of this exercise is for you to (1) lay out a
convincing
argument
as to
why
the source or sources you used to answer the question is/are
trustworthy. In other words, you need to present an argument as to why you trust and
believe the source you found on the Internet in answering the question. Your argument
should use as support the sorts of criteria that give a source credibility as discussed in
Chapter 4. You’ll also need to (2) answer the question and explain the answer. You’ll turn
in one set of answers and arguments for the group. (Suggested time to complete: A week
or week and a half to formulate arguments and answers.)
Questions (your instructor may assign others):
1. What vegetable is toxic to dogs? Why, or why not?
2. Can you catch a cold by going outside with wet hair? Why, or why not?
3. Is it bad for your baby’s health to dust a lot? Why, or why not?
4. Are children riding in SUVs safer than those riding in passenger cars? Why, or why not?
Answers will vary
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92.
Exercise: After reading the following account and our remarks, watch a local news
program and critically evaluate the newsworthiness of each story covered. How much is
news and how much is entertainment?
"A shocking scene in a Lake Mary neighborhood tonight," began the anchorman. "A home
surrounded by crime scene tape, and a death police are calling suspicious." Up on the
screen flashed the words, "Neighborhood Shocker!"
"Police say they don’t know much about the life of Betty Bracone," on-the-scene reporter
Nicole Smith began. "They do know that she was 66 years old and she lived in this home.
They do know she had a family and they found many pictures of children inside her home."
Smith then segued to an interview with a policeman who said there was no forced entry,
that everything in the house was intact and that nothing indicated a robbery.
"The autopsy will be held tomorrow and they’re not exactly sure yet what they will find,"
Smith said. "So they want to keep a very tight lid on what happened.... Live in Lake Mary,
Nicole Smith, Channel 6 News."
—From a report on Channel 6 News, Orlando, Florida
Remarks: Although this report filled the screen with the flashing lights of emergency
vehicles and bright yellow crime-scene tape, it was remarkable mainly for being a
complete nonstory. The 66-year-old Betty Bracone, it turned out, had died in her own bed
of a heart attack, hardly a big news event. But the episode shows how local news
programs will go to great lengths to produce an exciting news bit even though it is entirely
hype. Every story like this takes up space that could have been devoted to real news.
Answers will vary
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93.
Exercise: List fifteen items that you believe to be true about current popular music. When
you are finished, trade your list for that of a classmate. Place each item from your
classmate’s list into one of three categories: (1) those you believe to be true, (2) those you
believe to be false, and (3) those you are uncertain about. Next, explain to each other why
you assigned the items as you did. Finally, based on this discussion, compile a third list
that contains only those items from the original lists that both of you know to be true.
Submit this list to your instructor for any comments he or she might have.
Answers will vary
True / False Questions
94.
One's own observations provide the least reliable source of information about the world.
FALSE
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95.
If a claim conflicts with our background information, we give it low initial plausibility and
lean toward rejecting it unless very strong evidence can be produced on its behalf.
TRUE
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96.
If you have reason to believe that an expert is biased, you should reject that expert’s claim
as false.
FALSE
The possibility of bias is occasion to question his or her claims, to suspend judgment on
them, to give more weight to alternative claims from unbiased experts, and so on—this is
different from rejecting the original expert’s claims as false.
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97.
When validating the credibility of sources, interested parties must be viewed with much
more suspicion than disinterested parties.
TRUE
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98.
Physical characteristics provide crucial details about a person's credibility.
FALSE
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99.
Reference works such as dictionaries are utterly reliable sources of information—
otherwise they wouldn’t be reference works.
FALSE
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100.
Factual claims that conflict with what we think we know ought to be rejected, but only if
we can disprove them through direct observation.
FALSE
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101.
A surprising claim, one that seems to conflict with our background knowledge, requires a
more credible source than one that is not surprising in this way.
TRUE
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102.
Factual claims put forth by experts about subjects outside their fields are automatically
more acceptable than claims put forth by nonexperts.
FALSE
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103.
You are rationally justified in accepting the view of the majority of experts in a given
subject even if this view turns out later to have been incorrect.
TRUE
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104.
Gender is an irrelevant feature in judging a person's credibility.
TRUE
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105.
In recent years, the media have become controlled by thousands of independent outlets.
FALSE
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106.
The content and structure of wikipedia are determined by its users.
TRUE
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107.
In recent years, the social media on the web have become a major source of news.
TRUE
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108.
A pathos advertisement can provide people with information that can clinch their decision
to make a purchase.
FALSE
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Short Answer Questions
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109.
Assess the following as probably true, as probably false, as requiring further
documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider
both the nature of the claim and the source.
"They've taught crows how to play poker."
Probably false. Crows playing poker is obviously a far-fetched claim.
110.
Assess the following as probably true, as probably false, as requiring further
documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider
both the nature of the claim and the source.
Industrial lobbyists: "Climate change is a myth."
Requires further documentation. The debate on climate change has been going on for a
long time. Since most scientists agree on the reality of climate change, it is essential to
provide credible research proof before dismissing it as a myth.
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111.
Assess the following as probably true, as probably false, as requiring further
documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider
both the nature of the claim and the source.
"At the end of the day, none of it works."
— American gun rights advocate Philip Van Cleave on gun control measures
Requires further documentation. Dismissing gun control measures as something that don't
work requires further proof.
112.
Assess the following as probably true, as probably false, as requiring further
documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider
both the nature of the claim and the source.
People who drink too much over a long period of time may have increased risk for certain
cancers.
— The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Probably true but requires research proof to validate this claim.
113.
Assess the following as probably true, as probably false, as requiring further
documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider
both the nature of the claim and the source.
"The new Apple iPhone shoots 1080p video at 60 frames per second."
—Apple website
Probably true. Specifications of smartphones are subject to multiple tests by experts. After
the phone's availability in the commercial market, expert users will perform their own tests
to validate these claims. Hence, it is most likely to be true.
114.
Assess the following as probably true, as probably false, as requiring further
documentation before judgment, or as a claim that cannot properly be evaluated. Consider
both the nature of the claim and the source.
It is possible to read other people’s minds through mental telepathy.
Probably false.
Essay Questions
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115.
For the following issue, discuss which source you’d trust more, and give at least one
reason why. You may want to add to or otherwise modify our list of sources. And do keep
in mind that we are glad our livelihoods do not depend on a general consensus
on our rankings.
Issue: Do violent video games contribute to increased aggressiveness in players?
a. the president of the Entertainment Software Association
b. a long-time video game player
c. a university researcher who studies the link between video games and violence
d. parents of teens who play video games
Our ranking: (c), (d), (a) = (b)
116.
For the following issue, discuss which source you’d trust more, and give at least one
reason why. You may want to add to or otherwise modify our list of sources. And do keep
in mind that we are glad our livelihoods do not depend on a general consensus
on our rankings.
Issue: Is Crixivan an effective HIV/AIDS medication?
a. Consumer Reports
b. Stadtlander Drug Company (the company that makes Crixivan)
c. the owner of your local health food store
d. the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
e. your local pharmacist
Our ranking: (a) = (d), (c) = (e), (b). The drug company is obviously an interested party.
Hence, it should rank the last. Consumer reports provide genuine reviews from multiple
users and experts. The US FDA also has expertise in determining the effectiveness of the
drug. A consumer can get sufficient information from both these sources.
117.
For the following issue, discuss which source you’d trust more, and give at least one
reason why. You may want to add to or otherwise modify our list of sources. And do keep
in mind that we are glad our livelihoods do not depend on a general consensus
on our rankings.
Issue: Is decreasing your intake of dietary fat and cholesterol likely to reduce the level of
cholesterol in your blood?
a. Time magazine
b. Runner’s World magazine
c. your physician
d. the National Institutes of Health
e. the New England Journal of Medicine
Our ranking: (d) = (e), (c), (b), (a). Both (d) and (e) offer credible information about the
issue at hand. A physician can also provide valuable information on dietary intake specific
to your personal needs. Runner's World is a magazine related to health, but its prime focus
is not on diet. However, it might contain dietary advices specific to runners. Time
magazine is the least credible source in this list.
