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Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills

Series: Great Courses

4.6

(62)

Episodes

Rating

TVPG

Year

2012

Language

English

Publisher

The Great Courses

About

Become a savvier, sharper critical thinker in your professional and personal life. These 24 rewarding lectures immerses you in the science of cognitive biases and thought processes. By immersing yourself in the science of critical thinking, and by learning how to think about thinking, you'll gain concrete lessons for doing so more critically, more intelligently, and more successfully than before.

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Episodes

1. The Necessity of Thinking about Thinking

30m

Start by learning how to think about thinking itself (an act known as metacognition). Dr. Novella reveals how to distinguish good science from bad science; the individual steps involved in the critical thinking process; and how we can use critical thinking to break down topics such as the existence of UFOs.

2. The Neuroscience of Belief

30m

Our brains are hardwired to believe in something. What is the neuroscience that drives this desire? What are the reasons behind the specific things you believe in? How can you use this understanding to mitigate the effects of your need to believe on your critical thinking skills? Find out the answers here.

3. Errors of Perception

30m

A solid understanding of metacognition relies on an understanding of the nature of perception. First, examine the nature of how our brains acquire and process information. Then, investigate the ways we can be deceived by what we think we perceive in phenomena such as attentional blindness, change blindness, and optical illusions.

4. Flaws and Fabrications of Memory

30m

Memory is tricky, to say the least. Here, unpack the vital role that memories - even inaccurate memories - play in critical thinking. Some of the many topics you'll explore: how memory recall works; the roots of source amnesia; the inverse relationship between confidence and accuracy in a memory; and how memories can even be manufactured.

5. Pattern Recognition

30m

Pattern recognition is both a cognitive strength and a weakness; sometimes our brains can perceive patterns that aren't there. By seeing hyperactive pattern recognition at work in everything from data mining to superstitious thinking, you'll be better equipped to sort out what's real from what only appears to be real.

6. Our Constructed Reality

30m

Explore how different parts of your brain work together - and sometimes in conflict with one another - to construct your aggregate consciousness and the illusion of a single reality. In the process, you'll examine a range of interesting topics, including out-of-body experiences, phantom limbs, and altered states of consciousness such as dreaming.

7. The Structure and Purpose of Argument

30m

Focus on one of the most important reasoning tools you can use to override the flaws in neurological function: argumentation. What makes for a true argument? How is an effective argument built? What's the difference between inductive and deductive logic? What common logical fallacies are we most susceptible to - and how can you avoid them?

8. Logic and Logical Fallacies

30m

Delve further into logical fallacies, including the ad hominem argument (attacking the person instead of the argument) and the genetic fallacy (assuming the historical use of something is relevant to its current use). Dr. Novella provides vivid examples to hammer home each fallacy's specific description and damaging implications.

9. Heuristics and Cognitive Biases

30m

The worst biases are the ones you're not aware of. Avoid this pitfall of critical thinking by mastering the common biases in our thinking. After focusing on heuristics (mental short-cuts that can lead to erroneous conclusions), explore other powerful cognitive biases, including confirmation bias, familiarity bias, and optimism bias.

10. Poor at Probability

30m

Unfortunately, our brains are horrible when it comes to probability - and that can often lead to a number of probability-based cognitive biases. See the effects of this flaw, known as innumeracy, in everything from numerology (the supposedly mystical meaning behind numbers) to hot-and-cold streaks in competitive games.

Extended Details

SeriesGreat Courses

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Dr. Steven NovellaWriter

Dr. Steven NovellaActor

Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills

Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills

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