Question

How does the scientific method aid human critical reasoning processes?

How and why have you made assumptions or inferences on important matters, regardless of data or evidence to the contrary? Examples here might include: fad diets, telepathy, precognition, psychokinesis, vaccinations, UFOs, magnetic therapy, apparitions, cold fusion, Bigfoot, alternative forms of medicines, genetically modified plants, etc. Describe how you have thought about this issue and analyze how you could improve your critical reasoning on this issue using the scientific method.

Answer 1

Critical reasoning is not a commonality although it should be. People do not have a knack for cross checking facts and indulging in deductive and logical reasoning; also, fallacies are short cuts to making blanket statements that seem believable prima face, but are fallacious in their reasoning.

Further, when we reason we don't look for primary data, but go for secondary data and that secondary data can be something as mundane as someones word of mouth. Critic reasoning is an art that follows across various facts and tying them all together in a corollary manner to make sense of them which is precise and logical.

Confirming to fads and misnomer is something most indulge in as they are concluded in the bases of cognitive distortions or heuristics.