Week 5 Discussion
Discussion 1:
Find an online article (news, magazine, journal, etc.) on any subject that interests you that uses statistics to make its conclusion. Share a link in this thread.
Now answser these questions about that article:
- What is the premise and conclusion of the argument based on statistics?
- Determine whether or not the argument uses any deceptive statistics.
- Give your opinion on whether or not the argument has presuaded you. Explain why or not.
- Determine the primary ways in which statistics or authority are used in your current position in developing persuasive arguments and provide examples here.
Discussion2:
The video clip, “The Baloney Detection Kit,” this week discusses the ways an effective critical thinker assesses claims made by others.
- Examine some key reasons why people might seem attracted to pseudoscience-type claims.
- Describe at least two (2) such claims that you have heard people make and analyze the main reasons why such claims do or do not meet rigorous scientific methodology standards.
- Determine at least two (2) ways in which the material discussed this week has changed your own thinking.
