CRITICAL THINKING

Critical Thinking is one of the most important skills we can acquire. Defined by Ennis (2011) as “Reasonable and reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do," and by Carroll (2007) as “Thinking that is clear, accurate, knowledgeable, and fair in deciding what to believe or do," critical thinking is a cognitive tool that allows us to separate emotion from logic, and to make good decisions in life.

Below are some resources for understanding, teaching, and evaluating critical thinking. They are especially useful for those who teach, but are also useful for laypersons who are interested in honing their own critical thinking skills.

Click Here to download the Powerpoint slides from my presentation at The Amaz!ng Meeting 2014, "Teaching Skepticism 101 (at College)."

Click Here to download the references for the talk above.

 

Below are the three video clips used in the talk above. Feel free to download them, then add them to the Powerpoint file above after downloading.

PSYCHOLOGICAL PSEUDOSCIENCE

The field of psychology is one of the most fascinating of all sciences. Although relatively young, it has provided us with a wealth of knowledge about how we think, learn, form relationships, etc., and continues to provide relief for millions suffering from various disorders that have plagued mankind for millennia.

Still, psychology (like all sciences) suffers from the infiltration of various pseudosciences. Of equal concern is the fact that some research shows that psychology is more susceptible to these quack theories because the public is less likely to have the skill and knowledge necessary to spot them.

Below are some resources that introduce a few examples of Psychological Pseudoscience. They provide a framework for understanding how to spot pseudoscience in the field of psychology, and a good jumping off point for a discussion on how to prevent them. 

Click here to download the Powerpoint slides from my presentation on "Psychological Pseudoscience."

Below are the four clips used in the talk above. Feel free to download them, then add them to the Powerpoint file above after downloading.

A 20/20 expose on a then-new psychotherapeutic technique called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Its claims of efficacy have been widely called into question by those in the field.
Formerly known as the Callahan Technique, Thought Field Therapy proposes that negative thoughts and memories create an invisible (and apparently undetectable) field of energy around us. Proponents of the therapy believe that tapping on the body in specific areas breaks up this energy field, and relieves the psychological and emotional suffering. It is considered "lacking in a scientific basis" by the APA.
Alcoholics Anonymous is the largest and most successful self-help organization in history, with over 85,000 chapters worldwide. Although leaders maintain that it is not a religious organization, many others disagree. Here, a former member of AA discusses her experiences with the group, and tells how she maintains her sobriety without them, and without the help of any god.
One of the most controversial studies in the history of modern psychology, the Milgram Obedience Study demonstrated how a Yale psychologist succeeded in creating just the right conditions to convince everyday people to act against their better judgement and hurt (possibly kill) an innocent man.

GAY CONVERSION THERAPY

As our country tackles the issue of marriage equality, gays in the military and other forms of inclusion of gays and lesbians into mainstream society, and as Russia and other countries enforce laws limiting the rights of their gay and lesbian citizens, fringe religious and therapeutic organizations have operated mostly in the shadows, attempting to "convert" their homosexual clients to heterosexuality through a mixture of prayer and pseudoscience. In this talk, I describe the history of attempts to define homosexuality as an illness and to make gays go straight.

Some forms of gay conversion therapy have been outlawed in California and New Jersey, and one of the primary institutions that promoted it has announced its closure, but what are the real stories behind these announcements, and do they go far enough?

Click here to download the Powerpoint slides from my presentation on "Gay Conversion Therapy."

Below are the seven clips used in the talk above. Feel free to download them, then add them to the Powerpoint file above after downloading.