Student View | Instructor View | Information Center View | Home

Critical Thinking

Student View

	Chapter Outline
	Multiple Choice Quiz
	True or False
	Glossary
	Web Links
	PowerPoint Tutorials

Feedback
Help Center

Science and Pseudoscience

Chapter Outline

Outline/Summary of Objectives in Chapter Fifteen: Science and Pseudoscience

Following are the main learning objectives from the chapter:

Students should become familiar with the basic features of scientific reasoning and pseudoscience and understand the differences between them.

(See 504-511)

The Basic Pattern of Scientific Reasoning (pgs. 504-511)

Students should recognize science as a method of inquiry that seeks to describe, explain, and predict occurrences in the physical world by means of careful observation and experiment. To adequately understand this definition, you should become familiar with the basic pattern of scientific reasoning which consist of . . .

A. identifying the problem to be researched by means of observation or experiment;

B. gathering relevant data, i.e. observational evidence concerning the problem under consideration;

C. formulating hypotheses intended to guide or focus inquiry and experiment;

D. testing hypotheses by considering their implications and then testing those implications with observational evidence;

1. disconfirming or falsifying hypotheses with contrary evidence;

2. supporting hypotheses with presumptive evidence;

3. conducting a controlled study, including the use of one or all of the following:

a. randomized experimental studies

b. nonrandomized prospective studies

c. nonrandomized retrospective studies

E. distinguishing scientific assessments from popular methods for assessing claims such as,

1. the method of personal experience;

2. the method of anecdotal evidence;

3. the method of paid testimonials;

4. the method of ancient practice.

(See 511-513)

The Limitations of Science (pgs. 511-513)

Students should be familiar with the limits of scientific inquiry including,

A. resolving questions of meaning;

B. resolving questions of value;

1. you should be aware of the pitfalls of scientism which asserts that science is the only reliable way of knowing.

How to Distinguish Science form Pseudoscience

Students should learn to recognize characteristics of pseudoscience (unscientific thinking masked as scientific thinking) and distinguish them from characteristics of science. Pseudoscience generally . . .

A. makes claims that are not testable;

B. makes claims that are inconsistent with well-established scientific truths;

C. explains away or ignores falsifying data;

D. uses vague language;

1. often relies on the use of cold readings;

2. sometimes relies on fishing for details;

a. uses multiple-out expressions;

b. uses try-on statements;

E. is not progressive;

F. often involves no serious effort to conduct research.

Science . . .

A. makes claims that are testable, yet . . .

1. a scientific claim need not be directly testable;

2. scientific claims need not be immediately testable;

3. scientific claims must be testable in principle by empirical evidence;

a. scientific claims must be verifiable in principle;

b. scientific claims must be falsifiable in principle;

B. is cumulative and progressive;

C. is self-correcting in that it actively seeks to disprove its own hypotheses;

D. expresses claims in clear, specific language;

E. is a body of well-confirmed facts and is a method, a set of proven techniques, for advancing our understanding.

(See 524-539)

Two Case Studies in Pseudoscience and the Paranormal (pgs. 524-539)

Students should grasp how the characteristics of pseudoscience are shared by astrology and the paranormal explanations of near-death experiences.

Students should become familiar with the arguments and explanations used to support these examples and understand why these examples do not represent scientific thinking.

Note: Many of the definitions, descriptions, and passages in the preceding outlines are reproduced directly from Critical Thinking: A Studentís Introduction. These outlines of chapter objectives are intended to complement the work of the authors (Greg Bassham, William Irwin, Henry Nardone, and James M. Wallace) and are not intended to represent an original written work.

2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies.