Cognitive Bias and Logical Fallacies, Critical Thinking: A Master List of Resources

I’ve been working on a hand out for my first class teaching the Cultural Record at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto.  I’ve loved every teaching experience there and I’m so excited about the next generation of information, library, records, archives, and museum professionals.

Since ‘culture’ is a loaded term, I decided to start in this foundations course with from framing education and skills training on cognitive bias, logical fallacies, and critical thinking.  We are not unbiased, it is important to explore that.  We are biased towards quality, correctness, etc.  Culture is also not a stagnant thing.  It is a growing organism and chronology changes viewpoints.  Culture can also attract political attention, policy frameworks, etc. In today’s world we must prepare our new professionals with the best skills and filters for addressing the ‘record.’  Bias identification is not a reason to stop collecting something.  It’s the awareness that counts. Also, these skills are essential to masters level understanding of the information literacy and fluency required for our professions.

I thought this post was maybe worth wider sharing, so here is my progress so far.  Of course, the real 3 hour workshops will involve the Socratic method, discussions, and facilitated debate.

Cognitive Bias and Logical Fallacies

Debates & Arguments: Summary Post Cognitive Bias, Logical Fallacies, and Critical Thinking

https://stephenslighthouse.com/2019/03/04/debates-arguments-summary-post-cognitive-bias-and-logical-fallacies/

WHAT IS A COGNITIVE BIAS?

Humans tend to think in certain ways that can lead to systematic deviations from making rational judgments.

These tendencies usually arise from:

• Information processing shortcuts
• The limited processing ability of the brain
• Emotional and moral motivations
• Distortions in storing and retrieving memories.
• Social influence

Cognitive biases have been studied for decades by academics in the fields of cognitive science, social psychology, and behavioral economics, but they are especially relevant in today’s information-packed world. They influence the way we think and act, and such irrational mental shortcuts can lead to all kinds of problems in entrepreneurship, investing, or management.

You might be interested in this online book.  It can be read online but you’d need to buy one for a copy of your own.  It summarizes all of the ways that people argue or debate badly and use bad argumentation techniques to support their positions.

An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments

https://bookofbadargume*nts.com/

The 12 cognitive biases that prevent you from being rational

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5974468/the-most-common-cognitive-biases-that-prevent-you-from-being-rational

1. Confirmation Bias
2. Ingroup Bias
3. Gambler’s Fallacy
4. Post-Purchase Rationalization
5. Neglecting Probability
6. Observational Selection Bias
7. Status-Quo Bias
8. Negativity Bias
9. Bandwagon Effect
10. Projection Bias
11. The Current Moment Bias
12. Anchoring Effect

Rhetological Fallacies [INTERACTIVE]

An interactive list of logical fallacies & rhetorical devices with everyday examples.

Now in nine languages. Floss that brain. Never be duped again!

Logical fallacies poster

via @mrbadexample)

https://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/logical-fallacies-poster.html

Here are 24 cognitive biases that are warping your perception of reality.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/12/24-cognitive-biases-that-are-warping-your-perception-of-reality/

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2019/01/03/here-are-24-cognitive-biases-that-are-warping-your-perception-of-reality/

Want to see more on cognitive biases? Here are 188 of them in one infographic.”

“Every Single Cognitive Bias in One Infographic

View the high resolution version of today’s graphic by clicking here.

50 Cognitive Biases in the Modern World

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/50-cognitive-biases-in-the-modern-world/

12 Cognitive Biases Explained – How to Think Better and More Logically Removing Bias

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEwGBIr_RIw

50 Cognitive Biases to be Aware of so You Can be the Very Best Version of You

https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/lifestyle/50-cognitive-biases-to-be-aware-of-so-you-can-be-the-very-best-version-of-you/

The Fallacy of Information Overload

http://www.briansolis.com/2012/05/the-fallacy-of-information-overload/

How you can avoid committing the “conjunction fallacy”

http://boingboing.net/2016/08/25/how-you-can-avoid-committing-t.html 

download (size: 26 MB)

3 Lessons on Critical Thinking & Logical Fallacies

Lessons on Critical Thinking & Logical Fallacies

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/07/lessons-on-critical-thinking-logical.html

Check out Richard Byrne’s list:

50 Cognitive Biases in the Modern World

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/50-cognitive-biases-in-the-modern-world/

How cognitive bias can explain post-truth.

Our built-in biases help explain our post-truth era, when “alternative facts” replace actual facts.

https://www.salon.com/2021/01/23/how-cognitive-bias-can-explain-post-truth_partner/

Unconscious Biases That Get in The Way of Inclusive Design

Throughout the research and design processes, our unconscious biases are the greatest risk to delivering inclusive experiences. From whom we include and exclude in our research to how we plan and conduct research, it’s crucial that we understand how our unacknowledged biases can perpetuate systems of exclusion.

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2022/09/unconscious-biases-inclusive-design/

A Primer on Algorithms and Bias

The growing influence of algorithms on our lives means we owe it to ourselves to better understand what they are and how they work. Understanding how the data we use to inform algorithms influences the results they give can help us avoid biases and make better decisions.

https://fs.blog/2020/09/algorithms-and-bias/

Cognitive Bias and Innovation: How Can We Combat Instinct?

http://philmckinney.com/archives/2016/05/cognitive-bias-and-innovation-how-can-we-combat-instinct.html

5 cognitive traps to avoid in Discovery.

https://www.dto.gov.au/blog/cognitive-bias-in-discovery/

Infographics Lie. Here’s How to Spot The B.S.

INFOGRAPHICS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE NOWADAYS. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONES TO TRUST? FOLLOW THESE THREE EASY STEPS TO SAVE YOURSELF FROM GETTING DUPED.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3024273/infographic-of-the-day/infographics-lie-heres-how-to-spot-the-bs

18 Cognitive Bias Examples Show Why Mental Mistakes Get Made

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/18-cognitive-bias-examples-mental-mistakes/

Cognitive biases and brain biology help explain why facts don’t change minds.

It can feel safer to block out contradictory information that challenges a belief.

https://www.salon.com/2022/08/14/cognitive-biases-and-brain-biology-help-explain-why-facts-dont-changeminds_partner/

Exploring Bias and Library of Congress Subject Headings

https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2021/08/04/exploring-bias-and-library-of-congress-subject-headings/#.YS_qKI5KjIU

The Bias Hiding in Your Library: The ways libraries classify books often reflect a “straight white American man” assumption.

https://www.citylab.com/life/2019/03/bias-hiding-your-library/585364/

24 Cognitive Biases That Are Warping Your Perception of Reality

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/24-cognitive-biases-warping-reality/

18 Cognitive Bias Examples Show Why Mental Mistakes Get Made

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/18-cognitive-bias-examples-mental-mistakes/

11 Cognitive Biases That Influence Political Outcomes

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/11-cognitive-biases-influence-politics/

Recognizing cultural bias in AI

Camille Eddy explains what we can do to create culturally sensitive computer intelligence and why that’s important for the future of AI.

https://www.oreilly.com/ideas/recognizing-cultural-bias-in-ai

This is a keynote highlight from OSCON in Portland 2018. Watch the full version of this keynote on O’Reilly’s online learning platform.

20 Cognitive Biases That Affect Your Decisions

http://mentalfloss.com/article/68705/20-cognitive-biases-affect-your-decisions

The 12 cognitive biases that prevent you from being rational

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5974468/the-most-common-cognitive-biases-that-prevent-you-from-being-rational

1. Confirmation Bias
2. Ingroup Bias
3. Gambler’s Fallacy
4. Post-Purchase Rationalization
5. Neglecting Probability
6. Observational Selection Bias
7. Status-Quo Bias
8. Negativity Bias
9. Bandwagon Effect
10. Projection Bias
11. The Current Moment Bias
12. Anchoring Effect

The Cognitive Biases That Convince You the World Is Falling Apart

https://lifehacker.com/the-cognitive-biases-that-convince-you-the-world-is-fal-1822620516

Study: We’re all prone to “bias blindness”

Research suggests we retain our unwarranted faith in our capacity to be objective, despite evidence to the contrary.

http://www.salon.com/2014/02/28/study_were_all_prone_to_bias_blindness_partner/

A cognitive bias cheat sheet

http://kottke.org/17/02/a-cognitive-bias-cheat-sheet

This Graphic Reveals 10 Cognitive Biases That Shape Our Thinking, With Examples

https://www.towergateinsurance.co.uk/liability-insurance/cognitive-biases

Resources to Help Students Recognize Logical Fallacies and Cognitive Biases

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2021/08/resources-to-help-students-recognize.html

Your Logical Fallacy Is

“I frequently recommend Your Logical Fallacy Is. It is a website that provides short explanations and examples of twenty-four common logical fallacies. Visitors to the site can click through the gallery to read the examples. Your Logical Fallacy Is also provides free PDF poster files that you can download and print.

Your Bias Is

The same people that produced Your Logical Fallacy Is also hosts a website called Your Bias Is. Your Bias Is provides an interactive guide to understanding 24 cognitive biases and how those biases affect how we interpret information that we find. Your Bias Is also offers free PDF poster files that you can download and print.”

“The Guide to Common Fallacies is a series of videos produced by the PBS Ideas channel. Each video covers a different common fallacy. Included in the series are lessons about Strawman, Ad Hominem, Black and White, Authority fallacies.”

Wireless Philosophy offers 35 videos that explain various logical fallacies and how they are employed by authors and public speakers.

“Why People Fall for Misinformation is a good TED-Ed lesson about critical thinking. The video does a nice job of helping viewers understand the role of simplistic, narratives in spreading misinformation. The video also provides a good explanation of the differences between misinformation and disinformation.”

Rhetological Fallacies [INTERACTIVE]

An interactive list of logical fallacies & rhetorical devices with everyday examples. Now in nine languages. Floss that brain. Never be duped again!

A Video Guide to Common Fallacies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGZkCPo7tC0&list=PLtHP6qx8VF7dPql3ll1To4i6vEIPt0kV5

Lessons on Critical Thinking & Logical Fallacies

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/07/lessons-on-critical-thinking-logical.html

Logical fallacies poster

A printable .

http://boingboing.net/2012/04/23/logical-fallacies-poster.html

How to (Once and For All) Correct Mistaken Beliefs

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/04/how-to-once-and-for-all-correct-mistaken-beliefs/

Hindsight Is Not 20/20 – The Hindsight Fallacy

https://philmckinney.com/hindsight-is-not-20-20-the-hindsight-fallacy/

How you can avoid committing the “conjunction fallacy”

http://boingboing.net/2016/08/25/how-you-can-avoid-committing-t.html

download (size: 26 MB)

Critical Thinking

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/critical-thinking/

“5 Tips to Improve Your Critical Thinking is a TED-Ed lesson. The introduction to the lesson is a bit long for my liking but once you get past that the tips are solid. The lesson presents critical thinking as a process of five steps. The last step is the one that students will probably struggle to implement, “explore other points of view.”

The Definitive Guide to Winning an Argument

http://lifehacker.com/the-definitive-guide-to-winning-an-argument-1693076653

For more on the art and science of critical thinking, see the excellent primer Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing: A Brief Guide to Argument.

A Critical Thinking Quiz

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2021/09/a-critical-thinking-quiz.html

“The Critical Thinking Quiz is a quiz that presents a series of five scenarios in which a logical fallacy is used in an argument. The quiz gives you two answer choices. Feedback is immediately provided when an answer choice is selected.

Applications for Education
The Critical Thinking Quiz is essentially a promotion for School of Thought’s Your Logical Fallacy Is resources.”

Improve Your Critical Thinking with This Five-Step Process

“In this video from the TED-Ed YouTube channel, chemistry teacher Samantha Agoos explains a simple system for approaching any problem or tough decision in your life. Here are the key takeaways:

1. Formulate your question: Know what you’re looking for specifically. If you’re considering going on a diet, for example, know whether you’re trying to lose weight, have more energy, or just to improve your nutrition. Break things down to their base level.
2. Gather your information: Now that you know what’s relevant to your problem or decision, research it. Reach out to an expert, read up on the subject, or talk to people who have experience with the same subject matter.
3. Apply the information and ask critical questions: What concepts are at work? What assumptions exist? Is your interpretation of the information logically sound?
4. Consider the implications: Look beyond the short-term and think about how your decision will shape things in the long-term. Something that will benefit you now may not benefit you in the future. What’s at stake? What can go wrong?
5. Explore other points of view: By understanding other perspectives, you learn more about the subject. You’re also given an opportunity to reflect on the information you have and how you feel. For example, if you learn why people are against the diet you’re considering, that may affect your decision.

With this approach, you’ll always be approaching decisions with the right amount of thought and logic.”

Critical Thinking Cheatsheet

Useful: A Cheatsheet for Critical Thinking

http://boingboing.net/2017/06/02/useful-a-cheatsheet-for-criti.html

URL: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/07/a-quick-guide-to-21st-century-critical.html

URL: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/265571709249158450/

URL: http://www.teachthought.com/learning/25-critical-thinking-strategies-for-the-modern-learner/

URL: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/learn-the-elements-and-standards/861

Carl Sagan’s tools for critical thinking and detecting bullshit.

https://kottke.org/18/04/carl-sagans-tools-for-critical-thinking-and-detecting-bullshit

Six Vintage-Inspired Animations on Critical Thinking

https://stephenslighthouse.com/2012/03/03/critical-thinking-primers/

Practical Points on Critical Thinking

http://www.innovationinpractice.com/innovation_in_practice/2016/11/practical-points-on-critical-thinking.html

“What exactly is critical thinking? Do we know how to define it, or better yet, to foster it in those we are teaching? In her article, “Teaching Critical Thinking: Some Practical Points,” Dr. Linda B. Nilson aptly describes how critical thinking can be encouraged and successfully practiced in the classroom.

48 Videos and a Poster About Critical Thinking and Logical Fallacies

https://www.freetech4teachers.com/2021/04/48-videos-and-poster-about-critical.html

If you have a favourite link, please share it in the comments.