Perceptual Errors

The part of this chapter that I thought was interesting was that of perceptual errors. It explained how our minds aren’t quite as accurate or precise in collecting information as a say a camera or video recorder. They actually filter out our perceptions and fill in missing information with our expectations. The filling in of missing information with expectations is what leads to perceptual errors. A good example would be the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast. The broadcast featured a play based on the novel and, when listeners heard it, they actually believed the world was being invaded by aliens. Many people panicked in the wake of the broadcast and claimed they could smell the poisonous gas and feel the heat rays that had been mentioned. As they had no true empirical evidence to back up what they believed, their minds filled in the gaps with perceptual errors. I thought this was interesting because it showed how our strong belief in something can overrule the reality in regards to perception.

Question 2 (UFOs)

Condon claims that the reason there has been so little study of UFOs and their sighting is because it is not a field that will lead to fruitful scientific discovery. Although he does encourage the continued study of it by those with adequate training and experience, he doesn't approve of their writing and spreading unsubstantiated claims. Hynek believes that the study of UFOs needs to increase their efforts. He says they should categorically compare large groups of sightings and investigate further into eye witness accounts. Hynek believes all of the confusion about the topic has prevented proper data collection and essentially kept them from making more progress. Paynter, although skeptical about the matter, believes it should be conducted in accordance with the highest standards of scientific inquiry. I believe that Paynter makes the best argument. As there is not enough evidence, he doesn’t claim that UFOs to be real but he doesn't discount the possibility either. He says that they need more research before they can know for certain.

Question 1 (Knowledge and Wisdom)

Knowledge is information or experience that we believe to be true and for which we have justification or evidence. Wisdom is our using knowledge or experiences to make good decisions. I believe I've been acquiring both knowledge and wisdom from my time here at San Jose State. I've found that, in most cases, what I learn in the classroom broadens my understanding of the world and thus leads me to make better decisions in my life. In essence, the knowledge I'm acquiring here is making me wiser. I think, in general, the information age has made people more knowledgeable but not necessarily wiser. Although the answers to our questions are almost always a few clicks away with search engines, it is still up to us to use whatever we might have learned to make wiser decisions. Having all the answers doesn’t necessarily change the person you are, that is up to us.

The Use of Language to Manipulate

The part of this chapter that I thought was very interesting was the use of language to manipulate people. I never really thought of all the ways in which we use words to make people think or feel a certain way about something. The chapter explained how manipulation can be carried out through the use of emotive language, rhetorical devices, or deliberate deception. Emotive language is used to elicit certain emotional impacts, which basically means you use certain words or phrases in your speech to invoke either positive or negative emotions in people. There are several rhetorical devices but, similar to emotive language, they use psychological persuasion to sway others thoughts. Deception can be described as the use of misinformation to affect someone’s thoughts or feelings on a matter. I think what I really enjoyed about this chapter was that it got me to think twice about the things I say. I’m going to try to be more mindful of how I might be using language to manipulate others.

Question 2 (Rhetorical Devices)

Rhetorical devices use psychological persuasion, rather than reason, to persuade others to accept a particular position. They include euphemisms, dysphemism, sarcasm and hyperbole. I've used both sarcasm and hyperbole this week. Sarcasm uses ridicule, insults, taunts, and or caustic irony in order to create a sense of disapproval towards an intended target. I was being sarcastic when I told my friend, who had kept me waiting for twenty minutes, that "it was cool how he was always on time". My tone of voice told him I did not actually think this and, as is the way with sarcasm, it was intended to make him feel bad. I used hyperbole, which is the use of exaggeration in describing something, when I explained the football game I had watched. I told my friend it was "the best game we had played this season" when it was actually a pretty disappointing game for my team. I guess making it seem better for us was easier than admitting how let down I was.

Question 1 (Critical Thinking Qualities)

I think the way in which Ride most exemplified the qualities of a critical thinker was in her analytical skills and effective communication. Her college friends described her as being the sort of person who can quickly think, figure out and crystallize something. Their description of her suggests she is the kind of person who has the ability to back up her beliefs with logic which is an important part of critical thinking. Critical thinking requires communication and literacy skills as well. Ride's majoring in English as well as Physics in college shows that she does have communication skills. I think that, most of all, her critical thinking skills were displayed in how she approached what seems to be her entire life with careful reasoning. She knew what she wanted and did everything she needed to make it happen for her. Her story was truly inspirational. It has made me want to take a closer look at what I need to do in order to make my own dreams possible.