About the psychology, Cheat Sheet of Psychology

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Standards and

Obstacles to

Critical Thinking

PART 2

Obstacle to Critical Thinking:

Egocentrism

 (^) To be egocentric is to assume that you are at the center of universe.  (^) Egocentric people tend to accept only those beliefs that serve their own self-interest.  (^) Egocentric people tend to accept beliefs that support their unreasonably high appraisal of their own talents, abilities or worth.  (^) Egocentric people tend to assess believes in a manner that is relative to their interests or self-image.  (^) Most of us, if we’re honest, must admit that we are egocentric at times.

Egocentrism: Superiority Bias

 (^) Bertrand Russell: “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.”  (^) Many of the most destructive acts in history are caused by people who fail to recognize that their feeling of certainty is not supported by the relevant evidence. If you learn nothing else from this course, I hope you’ll recognize that people who express too much certainty in their beliefs or proposals are often quite dangerous and should be critically questioned.

Egocentrism: Superiority Bias

 (^) Superiority bias occurs when a person has a hyperbolic or inflated self-image.  (^) Sometimes this occurs when a person refuses to revise their self- image even when presented with reliable evidence that their self- image is distorted.  (^) American Idol Contestant: Superiority Bias?

Inferiority Bias

 (^) A similar obstacle to critical thinking is an exaggerated sense of self-loathing or an unreasonable negative self-image (or inferiority bias) that is not reflective of objective evidence to the contrary.  (^) Intellectual humility , where we recognize we have room for improvement in our beliefs and character, is a virtue. But when we entirely lack confidence in our abilities, this can also pose a serious obstacle to critical thinking and a vice. Vice Virtue Vice Superiority Bias Intellectual Humility Inferiority Bias

Egocentrism: Self-interested

Thinking

 (^) When a person grants undue weight or gives priority to their own interests , often at the expense of others’ interests, they are guilty of self-interested thinking.  (^) Generally, self-interested thinking involves a belief that is held primarily on the basis of selective and biased evidence that ignores reasons that conflict with a person’s perceived self-interest.

Egocentrism: Self-interested

Thinking

 (^) EXAMPLE: Will has a portfolio of stock investments in several Fortune 500 companies. If the proposed bill in the legislature passes, raising taxes on capital gains, Will stands to lose several thousands of dollars each year. Will opposes the bill, claiming it will harm job growth.  (^) Though it is possible that Will has the relevant expertise to judge whether the tax bill will have a negative effect on job growth, it is likely that his perspective is biased by his personal interest in the bill being defeated.

Obstacle to Critical Thinking:

Sociocentrism

 (^) To be sociocentric is to assume that the group(s) you identify with are at the center of universe.  (^) Sociocentric people tend to accept only those beliefs that serve the interests of their own group identity.  (^) Sociocentric people tend to accept beliefs that support their unreasonably high appraisal of their own group’s worth or norms.  (^) Sociocentric people tend to assess beliefs in a manner that is relative to the interests or status of the groups with which they identify.  (^) All social groups suffer from some degree of sociocentrism.

Sociocentrism: Group Bias

 (^) Group Bias can serve as a powerful propaganda tool_._  (^) The biggest problem every military in history has faced is persuading both civilian populations and soldiers to do something they are naturally reluctant to do, i.e. killing other human beings. One of the best known ways to overcome this obstacle is to dehumanize the enemy with disparaging epithet and degrading characterizations or stereotypes. (Paraphrase from Capt. Paul Chappell)  (^) Consider how this same method is employed in other areas of public policy such as immigration, housing, education, etc.

Sociocentrism: Group Bias

 (^) Are racial profiling and other forms of implicit bias as bad as some say? Consider the issues raised in these brief clips:  (^) Possible bike thief caught in the act part 1: What Would You Do?  (^) Possible bike thief caught in the act part 2: What Would You Do?  (^) Are “sexual violence” or “gender violence” best understood as “women’s issues?” Consider the issues raised in this brief clip:  (^) Jackson Katz on Violence Against Women

Sociocentrism: Conformism

 (^) Numerous studies, including the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, have had similar results. But conformism can be observed in numerous social contexts, both small and large. Consider the following:  (^) Hyper Consumerism and mimetic desire (or what is sometimes referred to as, “keeping up with the Joneses”).  (^) Economic Bubbles : Where the exchange cost of goods greatly exceeds actual value due to sudden irrational demand. When values return to normal (i.e. when the bubble pops) this can cause deep damage to the economy.  (^) Fads, peer pressure, etc.: We’ve all experienced this.  (^) Bystander Effect: When individuals fail to offer assistance to a victim when there are other people present (i.e. when they view moral responsibility as distributed to the group and not themselves).

Obstacle to Critical Thinking:

Wishful Thinking

 (^) When our primary reason for believing something is simply that we would prefer it be true, we are guilty of wishful thinking.  (^) Wishful thinking should not be confused with optimism or simply wishing for the best.  (^) If you are spending a significant portion of your income on lottery tickets because you believe this will improve your odds of winning the lottery, you are a victim of wishful thinking.  (^) If you spend an insignificant portion of your income on lottery tickets as a form of entertainment and hope you will win (realizing the odds of winning are astronomically small) then you may be wishful, but your are not a victim of wishful thinking.