The Importance of Critical Thinking and Recognizing Unsubstantiated Claims

Alan Bensley, Psychology Professor and author of two textbooks on critical thinking: “Critical Thinking in Psychology: a unified skills approach” and “Critical Thinking in Psychology and Everyday Life”—from Frostburg State University—joins Bob and Julia to discuss: the most effective ways to teach critical thinking and the biggest challenges students face in mastering those skills. Other topics include: measuring effectiveness of classroom critical thinking instruction; how to identify unsubstantiated claims; and a focus on unsubstantiated conspiracy theories and what we know about the people who are prone to believing and promoting them.