Activity #15

In an article written for the Skeptical Inquirer, Wayne Bartz outlined a technique for teaching students how to adopt a skeptical approach to knowledge claims in psychology and other disciplines.

Bartz, W. R. (2002, Sep/Oct). Teaching skepticism via the CRITIC acronym and the skeptical inquirer. Skeptical Inquirer, 26(5), 42-44. Retrieved October 15, 2005 from
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_26/ai_91236229

Below are excerpts from the article.

The CRITIC acronym provides neophyte skeptical students with an easy-to-remember, step-by-step format for applied critical thinking. Practice applying this simple method of critical analysis can include writing CRITIC reports on the feature articles found in the SKEPTICAL INQUIRER....

During three decades of teaching college psychology courses and encouraging the development of "amiable skeptics," I devised a practical system of applied critical thought based upon the easy-to-remember acronym CRITIC. It could be used in a variety of courses, is readily understood by most college students, and would probably be effective even with high school and junior high school students. It is basically a simplified application of the scientific method without the complex terminology:

C Claim?

R Role of the claimant?

I Information backing the claim?

T Test?

I Independent testing?

C Cause proposed?

C--Claim: The first task is to describe exactly what is being proposed. Spell it our, define it, make it specific enough to be observable and measurable....

R--Role of the claimant: Who is making the claim and is there something in it for them, e.g., money, fame, power, influence, publicity? If the public accepts the claim, will the claimant profit? Does the claimant appear to be an unbiased observer or a "true believer" with something to sell? Might he or she be motivated to slant things in a specific direction for personal benefit? ...

I--Information backing the claim: What evidence is offered in support of the claim? Is it public information that can readily be verified? Or is it anecdotal or testimonial? ...

T--Test: If there is some reason to doubt the claim, how might we design an adequate test? What would provide rigorous conditions that preclude uncontrolled variables, systematic error, or cheating from biasing the results? 'What is required to conclude that a claim is probably true beyond a reasonable doubt and what is reasonable doubt? The basic ideas of statistical analysis, probability; and significance can be introduced here, along with some introductory concepts of experimental design....

I--Independent testing: Has any unbiased source actually carried out a rigorous independent test of the claim and published the results, ideally in a reputable, peer-reviewed research journal? Does it back up the claimant? If independent tests have failed to confirm the claim, was this reported by the claimant? If not, why not?...

C--Cause proposed: What is held out as a causal explanation for the claim and is it consistent with the physical laws of the universe? (It is not suggested that students can instantly make that judgment-rather, they are alerted to this being an important question that could be pursued, e.g., by asking a reputable astronomer, physicist or biologist.) ... Claimed events that suggest no feasible explanation are unlikely to be true (this provides an opportunity to discuss Occam's razor).

After outlining this CRITIC system for my students we then apply it to a variety of widely accepted claims such as those made by astrologers, mind readers, faith healers, and New Age practitioners, each accompanied by an illustrative, entertaining video example lifted from the electronic media. I encourage students to consider not whether their instructor or psychologists in general accept what is being presented, but rather how they might approach the question critically and answer it for themselves.