_4.2 & 4.3 & #6

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4.2 Based on claims you already have good reason to believe, your background information, and your assessment of the credibility of any cited experts, indicate for each of the following claims whether you would accept it, reject it, or proportion your belief to the evidence. Give reasons for your answers. If you decide to proportion your belief to the evidence, indicate generally what degree of plausibility you would assign to the claim. 1. Israeli psychic Uri Geller can bend spoons with his mind. - I would reject this statement since bending the spoon has been a popular ‘magic trick’ involving bending the thinnest part of a spoon through some sort of physical force, not through telekinesis. 2. In Russia, some people live to be 150 years old. - At first I considered the possibility of a single person making it to 150 but I am still very skeptical of this to the point where I barely choose to proportion my belief to the evidence instead of rejecting this claim altogether. I vaguely remember hearing about the oldest person who ever lived reached their 120s but I have never heard of anything higher than that. This would be slightly plausible. 3. Every year in the United States over three hundred people die of leprosy. - In this case, I would easily proportion my belief to the evidence since the U.S. has more than 100,000 residents but 300 is also a fairly large number for a rare disease. This would be fairly plausible. * 4. According to Dr. Feelgood, the spokesperson for Acme Mattresses, the EasyRest 2000 from Acme is the best mattress in the world for back-pain sufferers. - I would reject this claim because it not only makes a huge generalization of the entire world’s population that suffers with back pain, but the statement was made by a spokesperson who is very likely to be paid to say positive things about the product. 5. Some bars in the suburbs of Chicago have been entertaining their nightly patrons with pygmy hippo tossing. - I do not exactly know what a pygmy hippo is so I have to proportion my belief to the evidence. Otherwise, this would have been a claim I could accept. * 6. Every person has innate psychic ability that, when properly cultivated, can enable him or her to read another person’s mind. - I would have to reject this claim because there is zero if not any scientific proof or empirical evidence that there has been a case where reading another person’s mind has occurred throughout recorded history. 7. The prime minister of Canada works with the government of the United States to suppress the economic power of French Canadians. - For this statement, I would not be able to accept nor reject this claim with high confidence. I would have to proportion my belief to the amount of irrefutable evidence to make a decision. Governments are known to operate in their best interest instead of their respective peoples. This claim would be fairly plausible. 8. Molly, a thirty-four-year-old bank manager, says that stock prices will plummet dramatically in two months and will trigger another deep yearlong recession.

- Although at first glance I wanted to agree with this statement, I have to proportion my belief to the evidence since I am not 100% sure whether this banker knows what she is talking about or spreading misinformation for her personal gain. This claim would still be very plausible. 9. Humans use only about 10 percent of the brain’s capacity for thinking and creating. - I have heard this claim before and think it may be true. I know that the brain simultaneously carries out hundreds of other processes without us thinking about them and that may leave only 10% for us to use to think/create. However, I am not sure enough to accept this claim with utmost certainty so I would have to proportion my belief to the evidence. For that reason, this claim is very plausible. * 10. Fifteen women have died after smelling a free perfume sample that they received in the mail. - This claim seems ridiculous upon first reading but I do believe there can be some allergic reactions to certain chemicals or ingredients in the perfumes that may be capable of causing severe injury, and in some cases, death. 15 women is a very small population but this may be the total for these cases around the world. This claim would be slightly plausible. 4.3 For each of the following claims, decide whether you agree or disagree with it. If you agree with it, indicate what evidence would persuade you to reject the statement. If you disagree with it, indicate what evidence would persuade you to accept the statement. In each case, ask yourself if you would really change your mind if presented with the evidence you suggested. 1. Affirmative action should be abolished at all state colleges. - I would disagree with this claim. For this claim, I would require some evidence that there is a significant amount of imbalance in resources or opportunities that seriously affect the majority's chances of receiving the same benefits as minorities. If there is such evidence, It would persuade me to not completely agree with this claim. 2. Same-sex marriage should be legally recognized in all fifty states. - I agree with this claim. Although I have doubts whether such evidence is able to exist, if there was evidence that same-sex marriages cause real physical harm to others around them, then I would rethink my choice. In the case of psychological distress, I believe that there is a deeper personal issue that is subjective to the person it effects, and not necessarily the existence of same-sex marriage to be the causal factor. 3. An alien spacecraft crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947. - Although I want to believe this statement, I would have to disagree since I do not know of any solid evidence. I would be able to change my mind if there was hard evidence proving the fact that something did indeed crash, being an alien spacecraft.

4. Earth is only ten thousand years old. - I have watched various videos and taken a few classes in geography which led me to reject this claim since I can remember that the Earth is at least a few billion years old. Although I highly doubt the possibility of any real evidence that can persuade us to believe otherwise since there are many other things on this planet that are older than 10,000 years (fossils, rock formations, mountain formations, etc). This makes it harder for me to change my mind even if there is such evidence presented. 5. There is life on Mars. - I reject this claim but only on the fact there is no obvious evidence suggesting that there is life on Mars. If there were evidence brought to light proving that there is in fact some form of life, I would be persuaded and accept this claim for the possibility is small but not impossible. 6. Some people can twist their heads around on their necks a complete 360 degrees. - I reject this statement. I firmly believe that human anatomy prevents anyone from turning their heads in a complete 360 degrees. I am almost 100% sure that no human has ever been able to do this and continue to live . If evidence arises that there can be a mutation where flexibility of the spine and cervical region is increased dramatically, then I most likely will change my mind to accept this statement. 7. On Tuesday, a new computer virus will shut down every network and every PC in the world. * - At first, this claim does seem plausible due to my lack of knowledge regarding how easily it can be for a computer hacker to make their way through cyber security and accomplish. However, I will reject this claim since I do not know of or have witnessed a virus of this scale to ever occur. If there was such a computer virus or evidence showing that there can be an attack that is capable of doing so, I would not hesitate to accept this claim. 8. Meditation and controlled breathing can shrink cancerous tumors. - I will reject this statement. I do know of some instances where controlled, intention filled breathing is able to calm one’s nervous system or center their thinking but I have not heard its utility in shrinking cancerous tumors. If some scientific evidence was shown to me proving that such techniques do in fact shrink tumors, I would accept this claim although still a little suspicious. 9. All swans are white. - I will reject this statement. Although I have not seen enough swans to completely deny this claim’s validity, I do know there is always a possibility of mutation and variations in color of various animals. If there was evidence where not a single non-white swan has ever been discovered, I would have to accept this statement or better yet proportion my belief to the evidence, although be it a little skeptical. 10. “Corporate welfare”—tax breaks and other special considerations for businesses—should be discontinued. - I have to reject this claim because I do not know exactly what other implications corporate welfare poses. I do not know much about this topic so I cannot agree or accept the claim being given. If I were to be shown evidence that proves that these

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benefits for corporations also harm the public or working class, then I would be very likely to accept this claim. #6 1) Resisting contrary evidence refers to the human tendency to reject or ignore information that contradicts our existing beliefs or opinions. It is somewhat logical since it can be psychologically comforting as the book stated. This cognitive bias poses a significant problem in how we form our beliefs as it disrupts open-mindedness and critical thinking. When we encounter evidence that challenges our established views, instead of critically assessing it, we tend to dismiss or rationalize it away, clinging to our original beliefs and viewpoints. This behavior holds back our ability to arrive at well- informed and objective conclusions. Several reasons contribute to our inclination to resist contrary evidence. Cognitive dissonance, the discomfort caused by holding conflicting ideas, often leads us to minimize or discredit contradictory information to maintain internal consistency. Additionally, confirmation bias, the tendency to favor information that confirms our preconceptions, skews the way we seek out and interpret evidence, reinforcing our existing beliefs while disregarding opposing viewpoints. Emotional attachment to our beliefs and social influences can further entrench this resistance, making it challenging to accept evidence that challenges what we already hold to be true. 2) Resisting contrary evidence is often exacerbated through people's use of the internet and social media due to several factors. First, these platforms are designed to personalize content based on a user's preferences and past behavior. For example, when I use instagram and go into the ironically named “explore” page, I will be shown content and posts from users with similar interests, preferences, and opinions on certain topics. This leads to the creation of filter bubbles or echo chambers, where individuals are exposed predominantly to information that aligns with their existing beliefs. As a result, people may find it easier to encounter and accept information that confirms rather than challenges their viewpoints, reinforcing their existing beliefs while shielding them from diverse or opposing perspectives. In addition, social media amplifies confirmation bias by showing information within the context of social circles, where individuals interact and share similar ideas. This creates an environment where diverging opinions may be ridiculed or ignored, further entrenching the resistance to contrary evidence. The rapid spread of misinformation and the echo-chamber effect in online communities contribute to a distorted perception of reality, making it challenging for individuals to critically evaluate opposing viewpoints. As a consequence, people tend to become more steadfast in their beliefs, even in the face of conflicting evidence, deepening the resistance to considering alternative perspectives. 3) I believe that the rate at which social media is growing combined with how younger users are is making this problem expand rapidly. Information is spread rapidly without much rational thinking or actively questioning whether a claim is worth believing. This abundance has made it easier for individuals to self-select the content they consume,

inadvertently reinforcing their existing beliefs and contributing to the formation of echo chambers. Moreover, the speed and volume of information shared on these platforms often prioritize sensationalism and clickbait over accuracy and good reasoning, making it more challenging for individuals, especially the younger ones, to separate reliable sources from misinformation. To reduce the impact of the resisting contrary evidence trap, several strategies can be used. Actively seeking out diverse sources of information, including those that challenge your viewpoints, can help in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of a topic. Practicing critical thinking skills, such as questioning sources, verifying information before accepting it, and being aware of one's own biases, can aid in evaluating evidence more objectively.

_4.2 & 4.3 & #6

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