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A LEVEL - Critical Thinking > Section 2 - Credibility > Flashcards

Section 2 - Credibility Flashcards

1
Q

What is a claim?

A

Statements that people make that it’s possible to question or disagree with.

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2
Q

Give some examples of claims.

A
  • Reasons

* Conclusions

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3
Q

What is plausibility?

A

The likelihood of a certain outcome.

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4
Q

What makes a future event or outcome plausible?

A

If it’s likely to happen.

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5
Q

Is a plausible claim necessarily correct?

A

No - just because it seems likely, doesn’t mean it has to be true.

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6
Q

What makes a claim plausible?

A

If it’s reasonable.

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7
Q

Assess the plausibility:

“Tomorrow the Queen will break the triple-jump world record.”

A

Not plausible, because it’s unlikely that this will happen.

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8
Q

Assess the plausibility:

“Raising the speed limit will cause more car accidents.”

A

Plausible, because it’s likely that this will happen.

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9
Q

Assess the plausibility:

“Cabbage is healthier than chocolate.”

A

Plausible, because the claim is reasonable.

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10
Q

Assess the plausibility:

“100% or people prefer cabbage to chocolate.”

A

Not plausible, because the claim is not reasonable.

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11
Q

What is credibility?

A

How much a claim can be believed.

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12
Q

When you are asked to assess credibility of a claim or document, what are you actually assessing?

A
  • The credibility of the writer or organisation that published it
  • But you must still refer to the source in your answer!
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13
Q

Can a claim that is plausible and credible still be false?

A

Yes

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14
Q

What things might you be asked to assess the credibility of?

A
  • Individual
  • Organisation
  • Document
  • Claim
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15
Q

What types of credibility question might you get asked?

A
  • Assessing the credibility of one source

* Comparing the relative credibility of two sources

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16
Q

How can you work out how credible a source is?

A

Using credibility criteria.

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17
Q

How many credibility criteria are there?

A

7

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18
Q

What are the credibility criteria?

A
  • Corroboration / Consistency
  • Reputation
  • Ability to see or perceive
  • Vested interest
  • Bias
  • Experience / Expertise
  • Neutrality
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19
Q

What acronym can be used to remember the credibility criteria?

A

CRAVEN

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20
Q

What does CRAVEN stand for?

A
  • Corroboration / Consistency
  • Reputation
  • Ability to see or perceive
  • Vested interest / Bias
  • Experience / Expertise
  • Neutrality
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21
Q

What is bias?

A

Being prejudiced to one side of an argument.

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22
Q

Is bias intentional?

A

No always - it can be subconscious.

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23
Q

How does bias affect people?

A

It may make them prejudiced for or against a certain point of view.

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24
Q

Why might people be biased?

A

Because of background or experiences.

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25
Q

Give some examples of things that can cause people to be biased.

A
  • Religious beliefs
  • Past experience
  • Family/Friends
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26
Q

How does bias affect credibility and why?

A

It usually decreases credibility because the bias could give them a motive to exaggerate, distort or lie.

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27
Q

What is an easy way to spot bias?

A
  • Lack of a balanced argument

* Selective fact use

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28
Q

What is vested interest?

A

When a person or organisation has something to gain (or can avoid something negative) by an argument going their way.

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29
Q

How does vested interest affect credibility?

A
  • Might decrease credibility -> By giving the source a reason to exaggerate, distort or lie.
  • Might increase credibility -> If someone has a vested interest in telling the truth.
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30
Q

When might vested interest increase credibility?

A
  • When the source has a vested interest in telling the truth.
  • This is common when the source’s career or business depends on their reputation for impartiality and fairness.
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31
Q

When answering a question about vested interest, what questions is it important to ask yourself to get a complete answer?

A
  • What side of the argument is the source likely to support?
  • What do they stand to gain?
  • Does this vested interest make them more or less credible?
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32
Q

What is the difference between bias and vested interest?

A
  • Bias is usually due to background or experienced, whereas vested interest usually refers to future gains or losses.
  • Vested interest can LEAD to biased claims.
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33
Q

What is neutrality?

A
  • The opposite of bias.

* When a source isn’t prejudiced for or against either side of an argument.

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33
Q

How does neutrality affect credibility and why?

A
  • Always increases it.

* Because the source has no motive to exaggerate, distort or lie.

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33
Q

How can you identify a neutral source?

A

Neutral sources:
• Present a balanced account -> Don’t leave out information
OR
• Have no links to either side -> Have no vested interest

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34
Q

How can neutral sources be used in a biased way?

A

They can be manipulated or used selectively, to portray only one side of the argument.

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35
Q

What is expertise?

A

Specialist skills and training that give someone knowledge that most people don’t have.

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36
Q

What is experience?

A

Knowledge gained from having done or encounters something, over a log period of time.

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37
Q

What is the difference between expertise and experience?

A
  • Expertise -> Specialist skills and training

* Experience -> Knowledge gained over time

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38
Q

How can you identify expertise or experience?

A
  • Expertise -> Look for job titles and qualifications in someone’s description
  • Experience -> Look for time indicators in someone’s description
39
Q

Is this expertise or experience:
• Mr Clifford, the engineer who designed the turbines…
• Dr Frances, from the University of Melton Mowbray…
• Mrs Clare, who has lived in the shadow of a similar wind farm for five years…
• Sally Hornchurch, a stamp collector for the last 45 years…

A
  • Expertise
  • Expertise
  • Experience
  • Experience
40
Q

How do expertise and experience affect credibility?

A

They increase it, as long as they are relevant.

41
Q

When is expertise or experience not relevant and what is the effect of this?

A
  • When the experience or expertise is in a different field to the argument
  • This means that credibility is not increased
42
Q

What is the name for someone with experience or expertise?

A

Expert

43
Q

Are experts usually neutral? Why?

A
  • Usually neutral -> Portray both sides of the argument + aren’t involved in the argument personally
  • Sometimes not neutral -> If they have a vested interest
44
Q

Why might expert claims not always be the most credible?

A
  • Expert isn’t neutral
  • Someone on the other side has greater expertise/experience
  • Another source has more information (ability to perceive)
  • Someone on the other side has more relevant expertise/experience
  • Someone who seems like an expert might not be (e.g. a journalist)
45
Q

What extra information might you want to ask for to check the credibility of an expert?

A
  • If they’ve had relevant specialist training in their subject
  • If they’ve been in trouble before for misrepresenting information
  • Who they’re paid by or how their company is funded
46
Q

What is reputation?

A

The opinion people have of you.

47
Q

How does reputation affect credibility?

A
  • Positive reputation -> Increases credibility

* Negative reputation -> Decreases credibility

48
Q

What contributes to a person’s credibility?

A

Previous actions (e.g. whether they’ve been truthful in the past)

49
Q

Can an individual have a reputation based off their group’s reputation?

A
  • Yes - e.g. doctors are considered trustworthy, while people are more suspicious of politicians
  • However, this is a generalisation and there may be exceptions
50
Q

How are reputation and vested interest linked?

A
  • Some people may have a vested interest in maintaining a positive reputation - e.g. a competition judge
  • This increases credibility
51
Q

Do you need to be an expert in order for a good reputation to increase your credibility? Give an example.

A
  • No
  • e.g. a vicar might oppose plans to knock down a leisure centre because he thinks it will increase youth crime and people are more likely to believe him due to his reputation
52
Q

Give some reasons why you must be careful when using reputation to judge credibility.

A
  • People can change over time
  • Judging a group’s reputation, we’re making a generalisation and there may be exceptions
  • Reputation isn’t always fair -> Could be based off a lie or second-hand evidence
  • Reputation may be irrelevant
53
Q

Give an example of when reputation may be irrelevant.

A

A salesman may have a reputation for exaggerating when selling cars, but this doesn’t necessarily affect his credibility as the witness of a murder.

54
Q

What does “perceive” mean?

A

Experience with any of the senses, not just the eyes.

55
Q

What is ability to see or perceive?

A

How well as witness can seen or sense a particular event.

56
Q

How does good ability to perceive affect credibility?

A

Always increases.

57
Q

What two main things affect a source’s ability to perceive?

A
  • Seeing or perceiving an event clearly

* Having access to relevant information

58
Q

Give an example of how access to information can affect a source’s ability to perceive.

A

A town councillor in charge of granting planning permission has access to more information about new building developments than a local resident. Their ability to see this information increases their credibility.

59
Q

Give some factors that can reduce a person’s ability to see or perceive.

A
  • Didn’t observe whole event
  • Conditions reduced their ability to see event
  • Distracted by something else
  • Affected by drugs
  • Under physical or emotional stress
  • Medical condition or disability
  • Forgotten details
  • Didn’t understand what was happening
60
Q

What are the two types of evidence?

A
  • Primary

* Secondary

61
Q

What is the difference between primary and secondary evidence?

A
  • Primary -> First-hand evidence from a witness

* Secondary -> Second-hand evidence that has been passed down through sources and people

62
Q

What is more credible, primary or secondary evidence and why?

A

Primary -> Secondary evidence may be changed as its retold by different people.

63
Q

What is hearsay?

A

Another name for second-hand evidence that has been retold.

64
Q

Give two examples of hearsay.

A
  • Rumour

* Gossip

65
Q

What is corroboration?

A

When two or more sources say the same thing (they agree).

66
Q

How does corroboration affect credibility?

A

It increases it.

67
Q

What type of corroboration question might you be given in the exam?

A

You might be given a claim and told to pick one it corroborates.

68
Q

What is conflict?

A
  • When evidence from two sources disagrees

* It is the opposite of corroboration

69
Q

What is another name for conflicting sources?

A

Inconsistent sources

70
Q

Can sources be conflicting and credible at the same time?

A

Yes, if they agree on most things except a few details, they are generally credible.

71
Q

What is consistency?

A

When two accounts don’t contradict each other (but don’t necessarily say the same thing).

72
Q

What makes two things corroborate or consistent?

A

Corroboration:
• Both sources must say the same thing
Consistency:
• Both sources must not contradict each other, but they don’t have to say the same thing

73
Q

When is a source inconsistent?

A

When it contains two claims that contradict each other.

74
Q

How does consistency affect credibility?

A

Increases it.

75
Q

Make sure you know the difference between corroboration and consistency.

A

Pg 29 of revision guide.

76
Q

Are these claims corroborated, conflicting or consistent:
• “Closing this road will cause long traffic jams.”
• “Traffic will get worse if this road is closed.”

A

Corroborated

77
Q

Are these claims corroborated, conflicting or consistent:
• “Closing this road will cause long traffic jams.”
• “This town has a huge traffic problem.”

A

Consistent

78
Q

What does the C in CRAVEN stand for?

A

Corroboration / Consistency

79
Q

What does the R in CRAVEN stand for?

A

Reputation

80
Q

What does the A in CRAVEN stand for?

A

Ability to see or perceive

81
Q

What does the V in CRAVEN stand for?

A

Vested interest / Bias

82
Q

What does the E in CRAVEN stand for?

A

Experience / Expertise

83
Q

What does the N in CRAVEN stand for?

A

Neutrality

84
Q

What is another word for reasonableness?

A

Plausibility

85
Q

What must you do when asked to assess the plausibility of a single claim?

A
  • Use information from the document to help but also include your OWN IDEAS.
  • Include points why the claim is plausible.
  • Include points why the claim is not plausible.
  • Come to an overall conclusion.
86
Q

Remember to practise assessing plausibility.

A

Pg 30 of revision guide -> Look at the yellow and purple box

87
Q

What must you do when asked to compare the plausibility of a two claims?

A
  • Use information from the document to help but also include your OWN IDEAS.
  • Write about why the first claim is plausible and implausible
  • Write about why the second claim is plausible and implausible
  • Come to an overall conclusion -> Giving a reason why
88
Q

When assessing the plausibility of a claim, what are the ideas you must think of yourself?

A

Sort of like reasons why the claim is plausible or not plausible.

89
Q

Which credibility criteria increase credibility?

A
  • Good reputation
  • Good ability to see or perceive
  • Neutrality
  • Corroboration / Consistency
  • Relevant experience / expertise
90
Q

Which credibility criteria decrease credibility?

A
  • Bad reputation
  • Lack of ability to see or perceive
  • Bias / Vested interest
  • Inconsistency / Conflicting sources
  • Lack of relevant experience / expertise
91
Q

What is the effect of having several positive/negative credibility criteria for one source?

A

They combine to strengthen/weaken the overall credibility.

92
Q

What must you do when asked to assess the relative credibility of the two sides in an argument?

A
  • Assess the credibility of each person or organisation on each side -> Using credibility criteria -> Say what strengthens and weakens their credibility
  • Decide which side is more credible overall
  • Write a conclusion
93
Q

Remember to revise assessing the credibility of two sides in an argument.

A

Pg 32 of revision guide

94
Q

When asked for what extra information you need to judge the credibility of a source, what must you do?

A
  • Look at the credibility criteria you have already applied
  • Pick one
  • Think of information that will reaffirm that conclusion
95
Q

What extra information do you need to confirm this credibility assessment:

“The company says it has a good reputation for making safe toys.”

A

e.g. Information about their track record to know whether their toys are usually safe.

96
Q

What extra information do you need to confirm this credibility assessment:

“The company has a vested interest in the toy staying on sale as they’d lose money if it was removed from shops.”

A

e.g. Whether the company would be ready to possibly compromise safety in order to make more sales.

97
Q

What extra information do you need to confirm this credibility assessment:

“The company has expertise in toymaking - they’ve been doing it for s long time.”

A

e.g. How long they’ve been making toys.

A LEVEL - Critical Thinking (5 decks)

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