Reflection Paper
Name: ____Greg Russell__ Chapter _Preface,1,2,3__ Date: ___8/30/16____
In the space below, please write a short summary of what you read, new information you learned, your impression of the material viewed, how you may use this information in the future, and any additional thoughts you may have.
This assignment should be single spaced.
1) Chapter title: Preface, Introdution: Pseudoscience and the Need for Critical Thinking, Science: Evaluating Claims to Knowledge, Language: Misleading and Evasive Tactics
Short summary of the chapter: These first few chapters are all about carefully evaluating all types of claims whether they be from print or the internet. The introduction examines pseudoscience thoroughly and lists 10 characteristics for it: Outward appearance of science, absence of skeptical peer review,…show more content… Through careful language like, “alternative” health care instead of alternative to health care this type of wordplay can elude legal policies and be more harmful than beneficial. As technology continues to grow and become the number one source of information, we start to take things at face value and reject scientific reasoning.
How it's useful: This information is useful in the sense that it introduces scientific reasoning and starts to provide a path for critical thinking. Critical thinking does not only pertain to psychology or research but to everything around us. It entices you to think for yourself and distinguish language that may seem like it’s giving you multiple opinions or options when in reality it is only giving you one, theirs. Through the 6 tests of scientific reasoning you can protect yourself from irrational beliefs because it provides us with tools to check for error.
