Week 4 Knowledge Check Study Guide

Concepts

Mastery

Terms Relating to
Credibility
Credibility

Score: 7 / 7

Questions

100%

100%

Concept: Terms Relating to Credibility

Mastery

100%

Questions

1.
What term would you use to describe the broad and vague collection of our general and
specific beliefs about the world, typically arrived at through years of education and
experience, and typically without our ability to say where it came from?

A.

Bias

B.

Background information

C.

Initial plausibility

D.

Personal observation

Correct:
The Correct Answer is: B.
What we know from our experiences, our upbringing, our observations, and facts
from others results in the background information, through which we filter what we
encounter.
2.
What term would describe an inappropriate personal motive that casts doubts on one's
own observations, the firsthand observations reported by someone else, or the claims of
an expert?

A.

Bias

B.

Background information

C.

Initial plausibility

D.

Personal observation

Correct:
The Correct Answer is: A.
Bias is what allows beliefs to color our perception of facts. Bias skews
understanding based on personal experiences.
3.
What term describes the immediate perception of a thing or event, which, other things
being equal, produces the most solid grounds for accepting a claim?

A.

Bias

B.

Background information

C.

Initial plausibility

D.

Personal observation

Correct:
The Correct Answer is: D.
When someone has observed something firsthand, in spite of peoples tendencies
toward bias, this personal observation is usually considered solid grounds for
accepting a claim.

Concept: Credibility
Mastery

100%

Questions

4.
Which of the following statements regarding credibility is FALSE?

A.

It is generally reasonable to accept an unsupported claim

if it does not conflict with your own observations, your
background knowledge, or with other credible claims and
if it comes from a credible source that you do not suspect
of bias.

B.

It is fair to say that some people, because of their

particular training, are better than the average person at
making reliable observations.

C.

In general, the more knowledgeable a person is about a

given subject, the more reason there is to accept what the
person says about it.

D.

In general, it is safe to assume that claims made by the

news media can be accepted as true without being
suspicious.

Correct:
The Correct Answer is: D.
Interested parties influence, and often manipulate, the news media. Advertisers,
owners, and managers may pressure reporters to report in a biased way. Also,
people in the news (like everyone) have personal biases and make mistakes.
Therefore, reserving judgment, at least in controversial cases, is a prudent tactic
when consuming news media.
5.
A claims "initial plausibility" is assessed by which of the following?

A.

By assessing how well the claim fits with your

background information

B.

By assessing your gut reaction to the claim

C.

By assessing the credibility of the person making the

claim

D.

By assessing the first one or two arguments that are

presented for the claim

Correct:
The Correct Answer is: A.
Typically, the first response we have to a claim comes from evaluating it against
beliefs and knowledge we already have (especially since the beliefs we've justified
in the past fit into a whole "web of beliefs"). For a new claim to "fit" reasonably well
with these provides initial plausibility.
6.
Does the following claim have any initial plausibility; and if not, what is the conflict?
"Vomiting is your bodys way of getting rid of something harmful."

A.

Some initial plausibility; conforms to our observations

and/or background information

B.

Low initial plausibility; conforms to our values

C.

No initial plausibility; conflicts with background

information

D.

No initial plausibility; conflicts with both observation

and background information

Correct:
The Correct Answer is: A.
This claim has some initial plausibility from our personal observation and
backgroundbut its not a perfect fit because it may conflict with other background
information about causes of vomiting that work independently of the presence of
harmful substances in the stomach, such as motion sickness.
7.
Does the following claim have any initial plausibility; and if not, what is the conflict? "Cold
weather alone does not make someone catch a cold."

A.

Some initial plausibility; conforms to our observations

and/or background information

B.

Low initial plausibility; conforms to our values

C.

No initial plausibility; conflicts with background

information

D.

No initial plausibility; conflicts with both observation

and background information

Correct:
The Correct Answer is: A.
This claim has some initial plausibility, but the claim also conflicts with other
background information about causes of catching a coldsometimes it does seem
like weather has something to do with it.