Deck 1: Critical Thinking: Why Its Important?

Question 1

What generalization is suggested by the Milgram experiment and the Stanford University prison experiment?

A) Many people will uncritically follow the commands of those in authority.
B) Many people have an innate sense of right and wrong and will temper orders from authority figures accordingly.
C) Many people are naturally sadistic and will act out when given the chance.
D) Many people will question those in authority.

Answer 1

A
Explanation: These experiments demonstrated that ordinary people will commit atrocities when ordered to do so by an authority figure, especially when there is social and institutional support to do so. It appears that obedience is easier than thinking things through for one's self. Moreover, the test subjects had a difficult time resisting or defying authority when they believed the action was wrong.

Question 2

When is an opinion reasonable?

A) when it is correct
B) when it has logical support
C) when it is believed by the majority of people
D) when it is scientific

Answer 2

B
Explanation: You can think of an opinion as a conclusion. A conclusion needs reasons to support it. If the reasons used to support an opinion are not all true, and if they are not assembled in a valid structure, then the opinion (even if it turns out to be correct!) is not reasonable.

Question 3

Because rationalization often involves ignoring claims that compete with our opinions,we are in danger of engaging in a type of resistance to critical thinking called

A) doublethink.
B) avoidance.
C) denial.
D) anger.

Answer 3

A
Explanation: Doublethink involves holding two contradictory views simultaneously and believing both to be truth. In George Orwell's book, 1984, the government in the story controlled the citizens through the mental manipulation of doublethink. Double standards and other abuses can be perpetrated on a population when they are in the frame of mind to think that it is both true and not true that a certain state of affairs exists. For instance, gender discrimination is considered to be a thing of the past by the majority of Americans, and yet wage disparity and advancement obstacles still exist, as well as role asymmetries; e.g., although women work outside the home in close to the same proportions as men, they still do the great majority of the housework.

Question 4

Who said "…freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor"?

A) Socrates
B) John Rawls
C) Martin Luther King, Jr.
D) John Stewart Mill

Question 5

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans,hundreds of people died who might otherwise have been saved,due to what critical thinking error?

A) lack of preparedness
B) fortifying the wrong structures in preparation for the storm
C) denial
D) political rationalization

Question 6

William Perry,and then later researchers,studied the cognitive development of college students.When the results are simplified into a developmental continuum of three stages,the first stage is called

A) relativism.
B) commitment.
C) dualism.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 7

William Perry,and then later researchers,studied the cognitive development of college students.When the results are simplified into a developmental continuum of three stages,the third stage is called

A) relativism.
B) commitment.
C) dualism.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 8

What resources did the participants in the Milgram and Stanford University prison experiments who resisted hurting their subjects have that the other participants probably did not?

A) toughness of character
B) a compassionate heart
C) good critical thinking skills
D) a passive spirit

Question 9

William Perry,and then later researchers,studied the cognitive development of college students.When the results are simplified into a developmental continuum of three stages,the second stage is called

A) relativism.
B) commitment.
C) dualism.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 10

Al Gore,in his book Assault on Reason (2007),claims that when there is an increase in the power of the government and an increase in the control of the media by the wealthy,there is a corresponding

A) decrease in public participation in political dialogue.
B) decrease in money spent on education.
C) increase in public participation in political dialogue.
D) increase in money spent on education.

Question 11

Critical thinking skills have been found to help us

A) have better relationships.
B) avoid making bad decisions.
C) have enhanced self-esteem and a sense of well-being.
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 12

Seeking out only evidence that supports one's views and dismissing as unreliable statistics that contradict those views is known as

A) confirmation bias.
B) dualism.
C) interpretive bias.
D) confirmation.

Question 13

Effective critical thinkers are able to balance belief and doubt with an attitude of

A) confidence.
B) obedience to authority.
C) reflective skepticism.
D) tolerance.

Question 14

Who said "Someone is happy,when his plans are going well and his more important aspirations are being fulfilled"?

A) John Steward Mill
B) John Rawls
C) Socrates
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 15

Name a necessary element of effective decision making.

A) setting short-term and long-term goals
B) developing a realistic plan for achieving a goal
C) building flexibility into a plan
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 16

The model that breaks the critical thinking process down into three recursive and dynamic levels is called

A) the critique of practical reason.
B) the three-tier model.
C) the three noble truths.
D) the critique of critical truths.

Question 17

Why did the Zen master Suzuki believe we must have a "beginner's mind"?

A) because the beginner's mind is a critically open mind
B) because just as you cannot add more water to a cup that is full to the brim, you cannot add knowledge to a mind that's full
C) because the "beginner" has a meditative brain that is more neurologically active and resilient in plasticity than the brains of those who do not meditate
D) All of these answers are correct.

Question 18

What typically happens when someone openly questions and challenges the entrenched traditional practices and beliefs of their society?

A) They are ridiculed.
B) They are warmly received.
C) They are esteemed.
D) They are ignored.

Question 19

Rather than being passively carried through life,critical thinkers are

A) aggressive.
B) steadfast and immovable, not being affected by anything or initiating anything on their own.
C) proactive.
D) None of these answers is correct.

Question 20

Having good research and inquiry skills involves being able to

A) find the correct solutions.
B) communicate with empathy.
C) use good laboratory technique.
D) ask the right questions.

Question 21

According to the 2013 Freshman Survey,the most important objective for students entering college is "raising a family."

Question 22

Critical thinkers do not reject,without sound reason,views that conflict with their own.

Question 23

The creative spirit does not necessarily have to be one that includes a willingness to take risks or cope with failure.

Question 24

Some people either defer to others or fail to take a position on a controversial issue because they are unable to evaluate conflicting views.

Question 25

The War of 1812 is an example of failed military strategy,i.e.a subgroup of critical thinking strategy,in that the U.S.did not adequately assess the Canadian response to the U.S.mission to annex Canada.

Question 26

In a poll of Princeton University freshmen in 1938,Adolf Hitler was named as the "greatest living person."

Question 27

Albert Einstein,when he developed his theory of relativity,used the method of "suspension of disbelief" regarding the generally accepted belief that time is absolute.

Question 28

"Sophomoritis" is the term educators apply to people who are immature and over-confident.

Question 29

People with low self-esteem,although they are less successful in life,are not thereby more vulnerable to manipulation by others.

Question 30

The word critical is derived from the Greek word kritikos,which means "discernment," "ability to judge," or "decision-making."

Question 31

When Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902)refused to support the Fifteenth Amendment,which gave voting rights to black men but not to women,she argued that the Amendment had the logical flaw known as "false dilemma."

Question 32

Having good analytic communication,good research skills,and advanced cognitive development are factors that shape how well a person thinks analytically,but not critically.

Question 33

Some people think that the cognitive developmental stage known as "relativism"-viz.when students stop thinking in "black and white" ways and swing to the other extreme of thinking there are no right and wrong answers at all-is really not a genuine philosophical position at all,but rather a means of avoiding having one's ideas challenged.

Question 34

The fact that many Americans are in denial about the possibility that the world oil reserves may soon run out is a classic example of a barrier to critical thinking.

Question 35

Clichés help simplify the issue and get to the heart of the matter that is to be critically analyzed.

Question 36

Resistance,defined as "the use of immature defense mechanisms that are rigid,impulsive,maladaptive,and nonanalytical" can act as a barrier to critical thinking.

Question 37

Thomas Jefferson wrote that the most important characteristic the citizens of our nation should have is the art of reasoning.

Question 38

Although some people's lives are controlled by the circumstances they happen to find themselves in,the lives of the majority of people are controlled by their own choices.

Question 39

The Myers-Briggs test is an aptitude and personality test designed to help people discover which careers might be the most fulfilling for them.

Question 40

There is a strong correlation between self-esteem and good critical thinking skills.