5.3 EQ, Critical Thinking and Project Management
To best prepare students for their independent or group research projects, there is a critical thinking component to the Project Management and English
Composition / International Communication courses in M1 and M2. One
essential component, logical fallacies, are discussed in both Project Management and English Composition. M2 students must be conversant with the short-‐listed logical fallacies in section 5.4.
Other aspects of critical thinking that are addressed throughout the ESH Project Management Program are:
1) Self-‐awareness and self-‐assessment (part of EQ introduced in Orientation and developed in Managerial Communication and Project Management);
2) Fact-‐based evidence for making judgments (research methods, analytical method used in Strategic Human Resource Management and Project Management); and
3) Avoidance of assumptions and faulty thinking (logical fallacies taught in English Composition and Project Management).
Fact-‐based evidence is developed specifically in SHRM to explore case studies using the Analytical Method. All texts are dissected using the worksheet form in Appendix 5.1. This process reinforces the three-‐step process of critical thinking as outlined in section 5.2.
5.4 Logical Fallacies (Pseudo-Reasoning) defined
Ad hominem -‐ The interlocutor attacks the person making a statement rather than the argument puts forth.
Appeal to Authority -‐ The interlocutor dismisses an argument on the basis that there is insufficient proof of authority or relevance of premise, or may use of a title of importance to make you think that you don't know what you are talking about.
Appeal to Tradition -‐ In this fallacy, the false notion that everything in the past is good is put forth to strengthen the argument. There is no proof that this is so.
Begging the Question -‐ The interlocutor makes a statement wherein the conclusion is implicitly or explicitly assumed in one of the premises.
Burden of proof -‐ The person making the argument states that what he has said is true until someone disproves it.
Cherry Picking -‐ In this case, the person putting forth an argument will select only the best or favorable facts or figures to discuss rather than present any facts or figures that may contradict his premise.
False cause and effect (causation is not the same as correlation) -‐ There is no real cause and effect even though the speaker would like to make that connection.
False Dichotomy -‐ Only two choices are offered whereas many others are possible.
False Dilemma -‐ A person presents a problem as though there were only two solutions (either/or) when there are potentially others.
Gambler's Fallacy -‐ This is the incorrect belief that one random event can be affected by or predicted from other.
Generalizations -‐ These are conclusions drawn hastily or based on insufficient information in an effort to characterize the whole based on only partial evidence.
While generalizations may be useful, they may also obscure reality.
Guilt by Association -‐ This is an attempt to taint a man's reputation by falsely linking his moral character to that of the people he knows.
Masked Man Fallacy -‐ a=b Ca therefore Cb
No True Scotsman -‐ This is an unreasoned assertion to counter another statement based on only one example.
Non sequitur -‐ This is a distraction from the core argument resulting from switching from one subject to a totally unrelated subject.
Poisoning the Well -‐ The person making an argument trys to discredit what another person might later claim by presenting unfavorable information (be it true or false) about the person in question.
Red Herring -‐ This is basically a distraction or false lead that diverts the
observer's attention away from something that the interlocutor wishes to remain hidden.
Slippery Slope -‐ This is the assumption that once one thing happens other worse things will happen.
Strawman -‐ This is an oversimplification of an opponent's viewpoint because it is too difficult to address, so that the weaker, hollow argument may be attacked.
Texas Sharpshooter -‐ This maneuver consists of using hindsight by claiming what you were aiming at was exactly the target you hit, even if that was not your original intention.
Questions
1. What is the definition of EQ or emotional quotient?
2. How does EQ differ from IQ?
3. What specific interpersonal skills can be improved by improving your EQ?
4. Why is it important to look out for logical fallacies before, during, and after completing research?
5. What questions should you ask when assessing the validity and credibility of statics for a research project?
6. What questions should you ask when assessing the validity and credibility of a source / author / webpage for a research project?
7. Find and identify five logical fallacies that you find in the press, on television, on Internet or in your environment. Label and explain the fallacies.
Exercise: Logical Fallacy/Faulty Logic
Please name the type of faulty thinking in each of these examples.
1. You do not have a degree in hospitality so you could not know anything about hotels.
2. God exists because the Bible says so and the Bible is inspired, thus God exists.
3. When the rooster crows the sun rises. Thus the rooster causes the sun to rise.
4. Hitler liked dogs. Thus dogs are bad.
5. Don't listen to him because he is a loser.
6. I know your car isn't working right. But, if you had gone to the store one day earlier, you'd not be having problems.
7. We know that evolution is false because man did not evolve from monkeys.
8. We know why it rained today: because I washed my car.
9. You can't call yourself a real Frenchman if you don't drink wine.
10. Oh, I know I am right because I used only the information in the article that supported my point of view.
11. Airplanes are leaving more and more jet streams; farmers are spraying their fields from airplanes with insecticides and herbicides. Therefore, jet streams are really contrails or chemical sprays conspiracy for to poison us .
12. Getting second place is fine with me; I really wasn't aiming for first place.
13. Try, try and try again; you always succeed on the third try.
14. The way we have been doing it for years is obviously still the best way.
15. You can either sink or swim.
16. If you're not with us, you're against us.
17. You can't prove my neighbor is not an alien.
18. If we legalize marijuana, the next thing will be legalized cocaine.
19. If we legalize same-sex marriage we open the door to incest.
20. Right now, it's a choice between the Socialists and the Far Right.
21. Julian Assange (of the Wikileaks scandal) is a rapist and menace to society so I will not consider whether or not he was right to leak state documents.
22. This winter had record-breaking storms so clearly global warming is false.
23. Senator Mourdock of Indiana said that a doctor told him that women who are really raped cannot get pregnant.
24. France may have lost its AAA status but it has more French sailors in the round-the-world sailing race than any other country.
25. I must be a failure in life because I have not become rich and famous.
Figure 54 Exercise on Logical Fallacies
References
Gardner, H. (1983) Frames of mind: the theory of multiple intelligences. New York:
Basic Books.
Gardner, H. (2004) Changing minds: the art and science of changing our own and other people's minds. 8th ed. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.
Goleman, D. (1988) Working with emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
LeBlanc, J. (1998) Thinking clearly: a guide to critical reasoning. New York: W.W.
Norton.
Moore, B.N. and Parker, R. (1998) 5th ed. Critical thinking. London: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Ruggiero, V.R. (2003) Beyond feelings: a guide to critical thinking. Massachusetts:
McGrawHill.
Schmidt, M. (2013) TalentSmart, [Online] At http://www.talentsmart.com [Accessed April 2013]
Weber, R. and Brizee, A., (2013) Logical Fallacies, The Purdue Owl [Online], At
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/ [Accessed 23 August 2013]