Lesson Eleven

1
Lesson 11

• What Significant Information is Omitted?

2
Introduction

• Sometimes people try to hide important
  information.
• As critical thinkers we understand that it is
  very important that we gather as much information
  as possible before making a decision.

3
Introduction

• People generally tell us only the information
  they want us to know. They focus on the positive
  characteristics.
• They will omit (or leave out) the more negative
  characteristics.
• Critical thinking requires that we search for the
  omitted (or hidden) information.
• How?
• By asking the questions, and applying the skills,
  we have learned in the previous lessons.

4
Introduction

• We react to an incomplete picture of an argument
  when we try to judge it based only on its stated
  parts.
• To react to the complete picture of an argument
  we must get all of the important information that
  we need.
• Information that would affect whether or not you
  should accept or reject a particular argument.

5
Introduction

• The critical question What significant
  information is omitted?
• Benefits of detecting omitted information.
• Most of the information we encounter on a daily
  basis has a purpose.
• Its organization was chosen and organized by
  someone who hoped that it would affect your
  thinking on something.
• Always slow down and think about what the
  communicator has not told you.

6
Introduction

• The certainty of incomplete reasoning
• We encounter incomplete reasoning every day of
  our lives. Why?
• Limitations imposed on people by space and time.
• Most people have limited attention spans.
  Therefore communicators will often abbreviate
  their information.
• Nobody knows everything about everything. The
  communicator is always limited in his/her
  knowledge.

7
Introduction

• The certainty of incomplete reasoning
• We encounter incomplete reasoning every day of
  our lives. Why? (cont).
• Certain individuals (advertisers, salesmen,
  politicians, etc) advantage by not providing all
  of the important information.
• Peoples values, beliefs, and attitudes will
  affect the information people give you and what
  information they will omit.

8
Asking the Right Questions To Identify Omitted
Information

• The questions you need to ask are
• questions that will help you decide what
  additional information you need.
• questions that will reveal that information.
• There are many different kinds of questions you
  can use.
• You can ask questions about ambiguous (unclear)
  words or phrases, about the assumptions that are
  being made in the argument, etc.

9
Asking the Right Questions To Identify Omitted
Information

• Lets examine some of the more common types of
  omitted information and some questions that might
  help us uncover that information.
• Open your textbooks to page 151.
• This is a very helpful series of omissions and
  questions.

10
Importance of the Negative View

• The potential negative character of, or
  consequences of, a particular action or product.
• Often the negative view is omitted because it
  goes against the promotion.
• Often omitted.
• Look on pages 152-153 for example.

11
The Missing Information

• Sometimes omitted information cannot be
  uncovered.
• Can we make a decision based on the available
  information?
• Since reasoning is always incomplete, we are
  always forced to do this .

12
Group Work

• Passage 3 Page 154.

13
Homework

• Watch a TV. commercial
• Make a list of important information that was
  omitted.
• If you can find it on YouTube, email the link to
  the instructor and we will watch the commercial
  in class.
• Read Chapter 13.

14
THE END