| What is a Claim? |
| Claim |
Statement which can be either true or false, but not both. |
| Facts |
Truths that cannot be disputed. |
| Instructors may challenge you to judge the validity or truthfulness of a
claim. |
| Your three choices: |
- accept the claim
- reject the claim
- suspend judgement until you have more information
|
| When to Accept a Claim. |
| Personal Experience |
Trust your personal experience only if your confidence level is high and there
isn’t a good contradictory explanation. |
| Trustworthy Expert |
If a claim is made by someone with a trustworthy track record or appropriate
expertise, it is reasonable to accept the claim as true |
| Reliable Media Sources |
Unless the media source is going to profit from the claim presented, it is reasonable
to accept the claim from a reliable media source |
| When to Question a Claim. |
- When it comes from an “unnamed source”
- When it confers an advantage
- When it uses personal experience as “proof” (Anecdotes)
- When it appeals to common beliefs and practice
- When it uses language in misleading ways
|
| Tell It Like It Is |
- identify several claims that you have seen in a newspaper or magazine,
- Discuss the validity of the claims, and state your reasoning.
- How often are you faced with doing this kind of evaluation?
|
