Critical Thinking Barriers

A woman reads a book for her book club and really enjoys it. When she attends her book club meeting, the other members all disliked the book. Rather than go against the group opinion, she simply agrees with the others that the book was terrible.

• 
  Group bias

• Conformism

• Wishful Thinking

• Stereotype

Aubree is a self-absorbed person who likes to dominate others. She dismisses suggestions and ideas from other people as being inferior. Aubree's behavior reflects

• sociocentrism

• relativism

• egocentrism

• conformism

The tendency to defend beliefs that benefit only oneself and harmonize with one's own needs is also known as:

• wishful thinking

• group-centered thinking

• assumption

• self-interested thinking

________is the tendency to overrate oneself—to see oneself as better in some respect than one actually is.

The term ______ refers to the tendency to see reality as centered on oneself.

A section of the world's population objects to biofuel production from grains; the corporations producing this fuel and government representatives who support them do not agree. This is an example of ______ on both sides.

• sociocentrism

• self-interested thinking

• wishful thinking

• superiority bias

Identify a true statement about self-interested thinking.

• It has no role in shaping attitudes and beliefs.

• It is a major obstacle to critical thinking.

• It is condemned because it is not understandable.

• It is a form of sociocentrism.

Identify the true statement about group bias.

• People are naturally inclined toward group bias.

• Most people manage to outgrow group bias completely.

• Most people absorb group bias consciously.

• Group bias is usually picked up in adulthood.

Superiority bias is an extremely common trait because people:

• have a tendency to underestimate themselves.

• like to feel good about themselves.

• accept and defend beliefs that harmonize with their self-interest.

• look honestly at their personal strengths and weaknesses.

______ can hinder rational thinking by focusing excessively on the group.