Why students believe weird things

The Star Trek character Spock was supposedly rational at all times, but the humans in the show were not. As much as we like the idea of reason and rationality, humans often do not think like that. Fortunately, even though we might make mistakes or take shortcuts, humans are able to correct these and understand the best scientific conclusions.

What is a logical fallacy?

When you make an argument based on reasoning that's just plain wrong, it's a logical fallacy.

Common Logical Fallacies

Slippery Slope: This is a conclusion based on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z.

Hasty Generalization: These are conclusions based on insufficient and/or biased evidence.
Post hoc ergo proptor hoc: This is when you make a conclusion that assumes that if A occurred after B, then B must have caused A.
Genetic Fallacy: This conclusion is based on an argument that the origins of a person, idea, institute, or theory determine its character, nature, or worth.
Circular Argument: This restates the argument rather than actually proving it.
Either/or: This is a conclusion that oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to only two sides or choices.
Ad populum/Bandwagon Appeal: This is an appeal that presents what most people, or a group of people, think in order to persuade one to think the same way.
Red Herring: This is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them.

Other Types of Errors in Reasoning

Selective or Inaccurate Observation

- choosing to look only at things that are in line with our preferences or beliefs

When we dislike individuals or institutions, it is all too easy to notice their every failing. If we acknowledge only the instances that confirm our predispositions, we are victims of our own selective observation.

Resistance to Change

-reluctance to change our ideas in light of new information, is a common problem.

It is tempting to make statements that conform to our own needs rather than to the observable facts (“I can’t live on that salary!”). It can also be difficult to admit that we were wrong once we have staked out a position on an issue

Well Known Examples in Science and Society

"Human beings evolved from apes"

The standard evolutionary account is that human beings and the higher apes (gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, etc.) evolved from a common ancestor often referred to as the “missing link.”
Humans did evolve from an ancestor that was far more ape-like than humans. But this is far from saying that humans evolved from apes.
Humans did not evolve from chimps, rather they shared a common ancestor.

"Cracking your knuckles frequently increases your chance of developing arthritis in your hands."

While cracking your knuckles may be annoying for those around you, it has no correlation to arthritis in those joints. Several studies that aimed to find a link between the two found no substantial evidence of any correlation.

Conspiracy Thinking

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse