Strayer PHIl210 all week discussions (week 1-11)

WEEK 1

“Thinking About Thinking.” Please respond to the follow:

• Select a quote about “thinking” from Chapter 1 that best describes your own viewpoint and explain why this quote is meaningful to you.
• Identify which of the sources of enculturation has had the most impact on your own thinking and explain why you think this is the case.
• Identify one of the “5 Errors of Thinking” that you recently observed in another or even committed yourself and explain how this affected productive communication.

WEEK 2

“Memory and the Mind-Body Connection” Please respond to the following:

• Describe an example of an episodic memory, perceptual-motor memory, and semantic memory that you have personally experienced.
• Explain which of these memories you feel is most affected by one or more of the senses.

Week 3

Please respond to the follow:

Using and misusing figurative language may make it difficult for others to understand what you write and what you say.

• Choose one (1) of the ten (10) types of figurative language from the list below.
• Define the meaning of the term and provide an example.
• Describe an appropriate circumstance for using the example for the term or a circumstance when using the term might lead to misunderstanding.

TERMS:
1. idiom	6. amphiboly
2. analogy	7. “flame word”
3. metaphor	8. hyperbole
4. simile	9. euphemism
5. cliché	10. colloquialism

Week 4

“Generating Topic Ideas.” Please respond to the following:

1. Choose a topic from the list in Appendix A of the student course guide. NOTE: The topic you choose for this exercise will be the basis of your “Critical Thinking Paper” due in Week 10.
2. On a piece of paper or in a Word document on your computer, use the “brainstorming” technique, “starbursting technique,” and “Five Ws for Journalists” technique to generate ideas for your topic.
3. In the threaded discussion –
• State which topic you chose and the reasons why you chose the topic.
• Identify which of the three techniques was the most productive for you as a way of generating ideas. Explain why.
• State which of these techniques you think you might use for future writing projects. Explain why

Week 5

“Enthymemes in Everyday Life.” Please respond to the follow:

• Identify an example of an enthymeme you encountered this week in the media or in a conversation.
• Create a syllogism based on the enthymeme.
• Determine whether the syllogism is valid or invalid and explain why.
• If invalid, identify the reasoning error that is present in the syllogism.
• Analyze the syllogism of one (1) other student.

Week 6

“Identifying Deductive & Inductive Fallacies.” Please respond to the following:

Locate a piece of advertising that demonstrates one (or more) of the deductive or inductive fallacies listed below.

• Describe the advertisement example that you located.
• Identify the fallacy you observed in the advertisement and describe how this is an example of this type of fallacy.
• Explain whether or not you believe the fallacy is effective in persuading customers to purchase or use the product or service being promoted in the ad.

Informal ductive fallacies Fallacy of division Circular reasoning Either/or fallacy Reductio ad Absurdum

Informal inductive fallacies Hasty generalization Composition Pot hoc ergo propter hoc Extravagant hypothesis False analogy Slippery slope Genetic fallacy Appeal to authority Appeal to tradition Is/ought fallacy Bandwagon Appeal to ignorance

Week 7 Discussion

“Placebo Effect.” Please respond to the following:

Locate a recent example in the media of a scientific study involving the placebo effect.

• Identify and explain the placebo effect’s function in each step of the scientific method: observation, hypothesis, experimentation, verification.
• Describe how the placebo effect impacted the results of the study.
• State whether or not you were surprised by the results and why.

Week 9

“Problem Solving.” Please respond to the following:

Select one (1) of the scenarios below.

Identify the components in the problem.

Explain from how you would get more information to solve the problem.

Provide the best solution for solving the problem.

Explain the reasons why you believe your solution would solve the problem.

Week 10

“Quality Thinking.” Please respond to the following:

• Identify at least one (1) factor which is necessary for evaluating the quality of your thinking.
• Explain whether it is easier to evaluate other people’s thinking than it is to evaluate your own. Why or why not?

Week 11

“Make It Real.” Please respond to the following:

You’ve spent a whole quarter learning how to think more critically, and now it is time to reflect back over the course.

• Identify two (2) or three (3) key concepts or skills you have learned from this course that you think will be helpful to you in your current or future positions.
• Explain why you believe these concepts or skills will be beneficial to you.