CRITICAL AND ANALYTICAL THINKING
Dr. Travis Langley
office: McBrien 301-F
langlet@hsu.edu
This course examines how people solve problems through evaluative thinking. Students learn steps in thinking critically and analytically, how to evaluate the accuracy and value of information in everyday life, and how to apply these skills to specific topics. Distinctions will be made for deductive, inductive, transductive, convergent, divergent, and other types of thinking, with discussion as to how they relate to critical, creative, and analytical reasoning. Topics discussed include persuasion, sales techniques, con artists, “psychics,” political techniques, doubletalk, logical fallacies, scientific thinking, debunking pseudoscience, lie detection, and more.
Required textbooks:
Challenging Your Preconceptions: Thinking Critically About Psychology,
by Randy Smith.
Tools of Critical Thinking: Metathoughts for Psychology, by David A. Levy.
TEST 1 emphasis: errors in our thinking Monday, July 14
Smith: chapters 1-2; list of characteristics of critical thinking
Levy: parts one and three
TEST 2 emphasis: thinking critically about research Monday, July 21
Smith: chapters 3-6
Levy: part two
TEST 3 emphasis: thinking analytically Wednesday, July 30
Smith: chapters 7-10
Levy: part four
Analytical reasoning handouts
TEST 4 emphasis: thinking critically in everyday life Monday, August 4
Smith: chapters 11-13
Levy: parts five-six
Video: to be announced
GRADES
1/2 tests
1/4 assignments
1/4 participation (without monopolizing) and progress
Bring #2 pencils for every test. On each test, put your name and ID number on the front of your Scantron answer sheet and on the back of your test.
There will be no makeup tests. Either your lowest test score or a missing test score (if and only if the absence is excused) will be dropped. Anyone caught cheating will receive a course grade of F and will be referred for University disciplinary measures.
GROUP TOPIC ASSIGNMENT
One assignment will
involve dividing into small groups (3-4) to investigate some topic and analyze
it critically.
Grades for the presentations will be based on quality of presentations,
educational value, and amount of work reflected. Each presentation will be worth 40 points,
the same as a test.
Not all members of the group have to get up and talk, as long as
everyone in the group feels that all have pulled their weight. A group grade will be assigned, with adjustments
for individual quality of presentation.
Point value for presentations:
A+ 40 B+
34 C+ 28 D+ 22 E+ 16 F 6
A 38 B 32 C 26 D 20 E 14 0 0
A- 36 B- 30 C- 24 D- 18 E- 12
Examples of past topics include:
chiropractors
cryptozoology
death penalty
feng shui
fibromialgia
hypnosis
I.Q. tests
JFK assassination
multiple personality
Nostradamus
Prozac
psychoanalytic (Freudian) psychology
recovered memories
Ripper diaries
snuff films
spontaneous human combustion
TV news
Uri Gellar
yoga