CT

Expert

Someone who is more knowledgeable in a particular subject area or field than most others are.

Method of Proof

A way to confirm the validity of an argument by deducing its conclusion from its premises using simple, valid argument forms

Gambler’s Fallacy

The error of thinking that previous events can affect the probabilities in the random event at hand.

Background Information

huge collection of very well supported beliefs that we all rely on to inform our

actions and choices. A great deal of this lore consists of basic facts about everyday things, beliefs based on

very good evidence (including our own personal observations and the statements of excellent authorities),

and strongly justified claims that we would regard as "common sense" or "common knowledge." Background

beliefs include obvious claims such as "the sun is hot," "the Easter bunny is not real," "humans are mortal,"

"fire burns," and "George Washington lived in the eighteenth century."

Fallacious Appeal to Authority

The fallacy of relying on the opinion of someone deemed to be an expert who in fact is not an expert.

Argument

A group of statements in which some of them (the premises) are intended to support another of them (the conclusion)

Explanation

A statement or statements intended to tel why or how something is the case

Logic

The study of good reasoning, or inference, and the rules that govern it.

Conclusion

In an argument, the statement that the premises are intended to support

Indicator Words

Words that frequently accompany argument and signal that a premise or conclusion is present

Premise

In an argument, a statement, or reason, given in support of the conclusion

Critical Thinking

The systematic evaluation or formulation of beliefs, or statements, by rational standards

Inference

The process of reasoning from a premise or premises to a conclusion based on those premises

Statement

As assertion that something is or is not the case

Illusion of Truth Effect

A phenomenon in which you come to believe that a false claim is actually true simply because it is familiar

Appeal to common practice

The fallacy of accepting or rejecting a claim based solely on what groups of people generally do or how they behave

Philosophical Skepticism

The view that we know much less than we think we do or nothing at all

Stereotyping

Classifying individuals into groups according to oversimplified or prejudiced attitudes or opinions

Appeal to popularity

The Fallacy of arguing that a claim must be true merely because a substantial number of people believe it

Dunning Kruger Effect

The phenomenon of being ignorant of how ignorant we are

False Consensus Effect

The tendency to overestimate the degree to which other people share our opinions, attitudes, and preferences

Homophily

The tendency to give more credence to a statement if it comes from our friends

Mere Exposure Effect

The idea that just being exposed repeatedly to words or images can induce a favorable or comfortable feeling towards them, whether or not there is any good reason for doing so

Motivated Reasoning

Reasoning for the purpose of supporting a predetermined conclusion, not to uncover the truth

Philosophical Skeptics

Those who embrace philosophical skepticism

Subjectivist Fallacy

Accepting the notion of subjective relativism

Social Relativism

The view that truth is relative to societies

Worldview

A philosophy of life; a set of beliefs and theories that helps us make sense of a wide range of issues in life

Peer pressure

Group pressure to accept or reject a claim based solely on what one’s peers think or do

Analogy

A comparison of two or more things alike in specific respects

Argument by Analogy

An argument making use of analogy, reasoning that because two or more things are similar in several respects, they must be similar in some further respect

Biased Sample

A sample that does not properly represent the target group

Confidence Level

In statistical theory, the probability that the sample will accurately represent the target group within the margin of error

Enumeration Induction

An inductive argument pattern in which we reason from premises about individual members of a group to conclusions about the group as a whole

Hasty Generalization

The fallacy of drawing a conclusion about a target group based on an inadequate sample size

Margin of Error

The variation between the values derived from a sample and the true values of the whole target group

Random Sample

A sample that is selected randomly from a target group in such a way as to ensure that the sample is representative. In a simple random selection, every member of the target group has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

Relevant Property

In enumeration induction, a property, or characteristic, that is of interest in the target group

Representative Sample

In enumeration induction, a sample that resembles the target group in all relevant ways

Sample

In enumeration induction, the observed members of the target group

Target Group

In enumeration induction, the whole collection of individual under study