Transcript Document

Chapter 9
CRITICAL READING
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Skilled readers are those who can recognize an author’s
point and the support for that point.
Critical readers are those who can evaluate an author’s
support for a point and determine whether that support is
solid or not.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
This chapter will extend your ability to read critically in
three ways:
Separating fact from opinion
Detecting propaganda
Recognizing errors in reasoning
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion
Fact
A fact is information that can be proved true through
objective evidence. This evidence may be physical proof
or the spoken or written testimony of witnesses.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact
Here is another statement of fact.
At least four out of five adults will experience
lower back pain at some point in their lives.
Extensive medical research confirms that this statement is
true.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion
Opinion
An opinion is a belief, judgment, or conclusion that
cannot be objectively proved true. As a result, it is open
to question.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Opinion
Here is a statement that is an opinion:
With the exception only of George Washington,
Abraham Lincoln was the greatest leader our
country has ever had.
Many people might agree with this statement, but others
would not. There is no way to prove it definitively.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Opinion
With the exception only of George Washington,
Abraham Lincoln was the greatest leader our
country has ever had.
Greatest is a value word, a word we use to express a
value judgment. Value words are signals that an opinion
is being expressed. By their very nature, these words
represent opinions, not facts.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Five Points about Fact and Opinion
Value words (ones that contain a judgment) often
represent opinions.
Examples of Value Words
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Five Points about Fact and Opinion
The words should and ought to often signal opinions.
Those words introduce what some people think should,
or ought to, be done. Other people may disagree.
Examples
Adults who molest young children ought to be put to
death.
Women with children should not run for public office.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Five Points about Fact and Opinion
Numbers (dates, percentages, measurements, etc):
Numbers often signify facts, because they can be proven.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Five Points about Fact and Opinion
Don’t mistake widely held opinions for facts.
Much information that sounds factual is really opinion.
An ad may claim that a particular automobile is “the
most economical car on the road today,” a statement that
at first seems factual. But what is meant by economical?
If the car offers the most miles per gallon but the worst
record for expensive repairs, you might not agree that
it’s economical.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Five Points about Fact and Opinion
Much of what we read and hear is a mixture of fact
and opinion.
Our job is to draw upon existing fact and opinion and
to arrive at an informed opinion. The reality is that most
of what matters in life is very complex and cannot be
separated into simple fact and opinion. Our challenge
always is to arrive at the best possible informed opinion.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading
Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion?
A. In 1828, New York became the first state to restrict abortion;
by 1900 it had been made illegal throughout the country.
B. Legalized abortion is the main cause of sexual misbehavior in
the United States.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading
Which statement below is fact?
A. In 1828, New York became the first state to restrict abortion;
by 1900 it had been made illegal throughout the country.
Statement A presents facts that could be looked up
in historical records.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading
Which is opinion?
A. In 1828, New York became the first state to restrict abortion;
by 1900 it had been made illegal throughout the country.
B. Legalized abortion is the main cause of sexual misbehavior in
the United States.
Statement B is an opinion. Some people would
argue, for example, that sexual misbehavior existed
before abortion became an option.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading
Which statement below is fact? Which is opinion?
Which is fact and opinion?
A. Today’s computer-animated films are not as good as the old
hand-drawn animated ones.
B. The first American animated feature film was Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937 by the Disney studio.
C. The 1940 animated film Fantasia, which combined animation
with classical music, is the most imaginative movie ever made.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading
Which statement below is fact?
B. The first American animated feature film was Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937 by the Disney studio.
Statement B is a fact that can be confirmed by
checking film records.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading
Which is opinion?
A. Today’s computer-animated films are not as good as the old
hand-drawn animated ones.
B. The first American animated feature film was Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937 by the Disney studio.
Statement A is an opinion. Many people might
disagree. The value word good is a clue.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Separating Fact from Opinion / Fact and Opinion in Reading
Which is fact and opinion?
A. Today’s computer-animated films are not as good as the old
hand-drawn animated ones.
B. The first American animated feature film was Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937 by the Disney studio.
The 1940 animated film Fantasia, which combined animation
with classical music, is the most imaginative movie ever made.
The first part of C is a fact that can be confirmed in
movie records and by watching the film. The second
part is an opinion; other people might nominate some
other film as the most imaginative one ever made.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
Advertisers, salespeople, and politicians are
constantly promoting their points: “Buy our product,”
“Believe what I say,” and “Vote for me.”
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
Often, they
lack adequate factual support for their points, so they
appeal to our emotions by using propaganda
techniques.
Part of being a critical reader is having the ability to
recognize these propaganda techniques for the emotional
fluff that they are.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
This section will introduce you to six common
propaganda techniques:
Bandwagon
Plain Folks
Testimonial
Name Calling
Transfer
Glittering Generalities
There are other propaganda techniques, but these six
are among the most common. They all use emotional
appeals to distract from the fact they are not providing
solid evidence to support their points.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
1 Bandwagon
The bandwagon technique tells us to buy a product
or support a certain issue because, in effect, “everybody
else is doing it.”
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 1 Bandwagon
Here are two examples of ads that use the
bandwagon appeal:
An ad announces a sale giving us a chance to buy
the most popular SUV in America today.
In a soft drink ad, a crowd of young people follow a
young woman on skates who is drinking a diet soda.
The ads imply that if you don’t jump on the
bandwagon and get on the winning side, the parade
will pass you by.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 1 Bandwagon
Which statement below uses bandwagon appeal?
A. A beautiful woman in a slinky red dress is shown driving the
sponsor’s car.
B. An ad for a weight-loss pill features an attractive couple who
are “just two of the millions” who have decided to get their
bodies back with the new diet formula.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 1 Bandwagon
Which statement below uses bandwagon appeal?
A. A beautiful woman in a slinky red dress is shown driving the
sponsor’s car.
B. An ad for a weight-loss pill features an attractive couple who
are “just two of the millions” who have decided to get their
bodies back with the new diet formula.
The phrase just two of the millions alerts us to the
bandwagon technique. The ad suggests that you, too,
should use this pill the way millions of others have.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
2 Testimonial
The idea behind the testimonial approach is that the
testimony of famous people influences the viewers that
admire these people.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 2 Testimonial
Here are two examples of real ads that use the
appeal of testimonials:
A famous actor is shown coping with a swarm of
photographers in order to get a bottle of his favorite
beer.
A popular TV talk show host appears in an ad that
indicates she uses a certain credit card.
The fame of the actor and of the talk show host is
intended to influence us to use the products they are
endorsing.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 2 Testimonial
Which ad below uses a testimonial?
A. Numerous people crowd around the department store door,
waiting for the store to open.
B. A famous actress says that she loves to use a certain hair
coloring.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 2 Testimonial
Which ad below uses a testimonial?
A. Numerous people crowd around the department store door,
waiting for the store to open.
B. A famous actress says that she loves to use a certain hair
coloring.
B is a testimonial because a “famous actress” is
endorsing the product.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
3 Transfer
The most common type of propaganda technique is
transfer, in which products or candidates try to associate
themselves with something that people admire or love.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 3 Transfer
The picture you saw at the beginning of this section
is an example of transfer.
The candidate is hoping that the positive feelings we
have toward the sexy-looking beauty queen and the
patriotism stirred in us by the American flag and the
U.S.A. banner will be transferred to him and get us to
vote for him.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 3 Transfer
Which ad below uses transfer?
A. A beer company sponsors the Daytona 500 auto race with the
line “America’s Race and America’s Beer.”
B. A picture of a can of soda bears the caption, “You know it’s got
to be good.”
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 3 Transfer
Which ad below uses transfer?
A. A beer company sponsors the Daytona 500 auto race with the
line “America’s Race and America’s Beer.”
B. A picture of a can of soda bears the caption, “You know it’s got
to be good.”
The word America’s signals the transfer technique.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
4 Plain Folks
In the plain folks technique, powerful people present
themselves as ordinary, average citizens. Political
candidates often use the plain folks technique. Similarly,
the presidents of some companies appear in their own ads,
trying to show that their giant corporations are just family
businesses run by ordinary folks.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 4 Plain Folks
Here are two examples of real ads that have used the
appeal of plain folks:
Average-looking American kids are shown at home
trying and enjoying a cereal.
The president of a poultry company talks to us as if
he’s an everyday shopper looking for a quick, easy
meal to make, just like us.
In the first ad, the cereal company wants to show us
that its product is enjoyed by average kids just like ours.
In the second ad, the president of the poultry company
wants us to see that he’s just an average guy who shops
for dinner just like we do.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 4 Plain Folks
Which ad below uses a plain folks approach?
A. A famous basketball player wears the sponsor’s sneakers.
B. The president of a car company is shown playing on the lawn
with his young children. He says, “I’m head of this company,
but I’m also a dad who is concerned about automobile safety.”
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 4 Plain Folks
Which ad below uses a plain folks approach?
A. A famous basketball player wears the sponsor’s sneakers.
B. The president of a car company is shown playing on the lawn
with his young children. He says, “I’m head of this company,
but I’m also a dad who is concerned about automobile safety.”
The president of the company is showing that he is a
regular family guy.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
5 Name Calling
Name calling is the use of emotionally loaded
language or negative comments to turn people against
a product or political candidate or cause.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 5 Name Calling
Here are two examples of name calling taken from
real life:
In the 1950s, during the early days of the “cold war”
with the Soviet Union, an exaggerated concern about
communism in this country brought charges of unAmericanism against many.
During a taste test, consumers described the other
leading brand of spaghetti sauce as “too salty” and
“thin and tasteless.”
Saying someone is “un-American” is name calling.
So is saying the sauce is “thin and tasteless.”
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 5 Name Calling
Which ad below uses name calling?
A. A political ad implies that a candidate who does not support the
war in Afghanistan is anti-American.
B. A pastor describes how when his house burned down, his home
insurance company responded quickly and helpfully.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 5 Name Calling
Which ad below uses name calling?
A. A political ad implies that a candidate who does not support the
war in Afghanistan is anti-American.
B. A pastor describes how when his house burned down, his home
insurance company responded quickly and helpfully.
Suggesting someone is anti-American for such a reason
is name calling.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda
6 Glittering Generalities
A glittering generality is an important-sounding but
unspecific claim about some product, candidate, or cause.
The claim uses fine and virtuous words but says nothing
definite.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 6 Glittering Generalities
Here are two examples of real ads that use glittering
generalities:
A room deodorizer exclaims, “Experience the
freshness!”
A canned-food ad boasts of “nutrition that works.”
The statements Experience the freshness and
nutrition that works sound important but tell us
nothing about the products.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 6 Glittering Generalities
Which ad below uses a glittering generality?
A. A car ad claims, “It just feels right.”
B. A movie star looks over her dark sunglasses and says, “Maybe
you can’t be a celebrity. But you can look like one in glasses
like mine.”
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading
Detecting Propaganda / 6 Glittering Generalities
Which ad below uses a glittering generality?
A. A car ad claims, “It just feels right.”
B. A movie star looks over her dark sunglasses and says, “Maybe
you can’t be a celebrity. But you can look like one in glasses
like mine.”
The statement in the car ad tells us nothing definite
about the car.
CHAPTER 9 Critical Reading