Transcript Judging Credibility - David Kelsey`s Philosophy Home Page

Critical Thinking
Lecture 6
Judging Credibility
By David Kelsey
Credibility
•
Credible:
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to be believable.
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Sources and Claims
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Credibility from reasons
The credibility of claims
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Claims have credibility
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The credibility of a claim can come in degrees.
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Examples:
Inherent Credibility
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It is reasonable to be suspicious if a claim lacks credibility inherently or
comes from a source that lacks credibility.
– A claim lacks inherent credibility to the extent that it conflicts with
– The Mail example:
Limitations to observations
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Limitations to observations:
– Don’t be so quick to reject claims that conflict with observation
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Unreliable observations:
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Environmental conditions:
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Distracted:
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Impaired:
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Instruments:
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Biases
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Memory
Background information
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A claim also lacks inherent credibility if it conflicts with one’s
background information.
– Background Information:
• that immense body of justified beliefs that consists of facts we learn from our own
observations and facts we learn from others.
– What do you do when a claim conflicts with your background info?
– Example
• Palm trees
The Credibility of sources
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Source:
–
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a person from whom one has obtained some information.
Example
• Bird expert
–
–
Credibility in Degrees
Example
Irrelevant Considerations
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Irrelevant Considerations:
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Examples:
– Physical characteristics
– Certain body gestures and postures
– Gender, age, ethnicity, accent and mannerisms.
– Clothing
Credible sources
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A source can lack credibility for any one of 4 reasons:
• 1. knowledge
• 2. truthfulness
• 3. accuracy
• 4. objectivity
Biases
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Biases:
– To have a bias toward a person, place or thing is to favor that person, place
or thing over others.
– Sharpening and Leveling:
• a report or story occurs when one exaggerates what she thinks is the main point
and drops out or de-emphasizes details that seem peripheral.
What matters when judging credibility?
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There are several factors that matter when judging a source’s credibility:
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Education
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Experience
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Accomplishments
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Reputation
When experts disagree
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When experts disagree:
– We must suspend judgment about which expert to endorse.
• An expert:
– When might we not need to suspend judgment?
The Media
•
•
Editing:
–
–
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Radio and television
Newspapers
The Internet
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News magazines
What sources are credible?
Talk radio
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Talk radio:
– Credibility is questionable because:
• News often based on rumor or hearsay
• Selective presentation of the facts
The news media: private businesses
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News media in this country are private businesses.
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No govt. control
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The Threat of cancelled advertising
The internet
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The internet:
– Use caution
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2 kinds of sites:
– 1) Commercial and Institutional sources:
– 2) Individual and group sites:
Advertising
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Advertisements and Skepticism:
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Just ask:
–
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Advertising firms
Does this ad give us a good
reason to buy this product?
Kinds of Advertisements
•
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There are two kinds of ads:
1) Ads that offer reasons for buying a product.
–
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Kleenex example
2) Ads that don’t offer a reason for buying their product
–
–
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Ads that bring pleasurable feelings
Ads that depict the product being used by people we admire
Ads that depict situations in which we would like to find ourselves.