Mission Critical and Causal Arguments

The Mission Critical website is obviously under construction and definitely needs it.  The Mission Critical link (http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/graphics/main.html) is the homepage, or “main menu” of the site.  This page is organized very nicely… with main topics such as, the basics, the analysis of arguments, and fallacies and non-rational persuasion.  Under these main topics are more specific sections such as parts of an argument and basic relations; which are then broken down further.  The causal argument tab (http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/graphics/induc/causal.html) focuses on the ins and outs of causal arguments.  I like how this page goes into details with a specific example, the bicycle accident.  This page also has an associated page for exercises to help with understanding causal arguments.  Both of these links and pages provide invaluable information to a student in a Comm 41 course, or even any class that deals with critical thinking.  When studying for the final I will definitely be using this site to further my understanding of difficult concepts. 

Investigation!!!

This past week, our family fish tank broke.  There is a plastic piece that surrounds the glass at the top and cuts across the center at the top to support the glass pieces of lid.  The piece that goes across the middle snapped about a week ago, causing the glass lids to dip into the water.  We fixed the issue with the lid by placing a metal grate across the top.  However, this was just the superficial issue.  When my mother and I were looking at the fish tank yesterday, we realized the plastic did not snap due to its age or the weight of the glass covers.  By lifting the plastic piece up to its original place, we realized there was a gap of a half inch or so.  We then realized that the back piece of glass was bending outward!!! Yes, bending :/  !!! My mom ran to Petco to buy a new tank because of the safety issue.  During the transfer of the water and the fish, you could clearly hear the tank creaking.  After all the water was out of the broken tank, there was no more gap between the plastic support and the back of the tank.  So through our initial observation, we were misled to think that it was due to the age of the plastic or the weight of the glass tops.  However, after taking a closer look at the tank, we realized that the back glass was pushing out.   We then, after removing all the water, came to the conclusion that the snapped plastic was not causing the glass to push back but it was instead the other way around.  The glass’s outward force is what broke the plastic. 

Scorpio

The Moon's position in your solar ninth house urges you to expand your horizons today, dear Scorpio. Freedom is likely to be your catch phrase right now, although you're also especially interested in sharing the fun with someone special. Explore new fields of interest or things that excite and uplift your spirit, or you may need to battle a spell of restlessness.     (Cafeastrology.com)

I must admit, I looked through many horoscopes to find a favorite one.  This is probably what most people do.  Some of the predictions were depressing and some were very uplifting.  This one, for example, is very fitting to my life right now.  I am re-evaluating my relationship with my long-time boyfriend, and I am searching for freedom.  So freedom being my catch phrase is right on.  Also, it is very difficult, so I am still spending a lot of time with him, trying to share my new positive attitude and fun with “someone special.”  The prediction is also very true when it says I need to battle a spell of restlessness.  I have been very impatient lately and I need to work on my patience.  This prediction is falsifiable if I was perfectly content with my life and not soul searching, because if I were, there would be no need for “freedom” or needing to find things to “uplift” my spirits. 

Media's Power

What we see in the media has a great influence on our worldviews and our ways of thinking.  My experiences with the media have generally expanded my views because I am open to new ideas, and new perspectives.  For example, the recent uprisings of many suppressed peoples have taught me so much more about other countries and corrupt governments around the world.  I would not have been exposed to this material, outside of a classroom, had it not been for the media buzz surrounding the issues.  My grandfather, a very right-winged republican, only listens and watches FOX News.  The rest of the family knows that this is a biased channel and find him crazy; yet he doesn’t see anything wrong with only listening to and believing one source.  This is why it is important to switch between channels, media sources, and determine who is publishing or sponsoring these outlets so that we are not simply watching programs that contribute to “confirmation bias and narrow-mindedness” (Boss, pg. 358). 

Plagiarism

Personally, I am against plagiarism.  I think it is a way to cheat your way to a goal and an excuse for laziness.  Many people argue that they were desperate and had other things to do.  This is an invalid excuse because most, if not all, professors give ample notice for papers and due dates. 

Sadler argues that plagiarism is “detrimental to students, to professors, to the university, to the project of higher education, and even to the public perception of the value of higher education” for ten different and valid reasons.  His arguments are clear, credible, relevant, complete, and sound. 

Hunt, on the other hand, argues that plagiarism should be welcomed, more convenient and easier.  Hunt argues that the increase in plagiarism harms certain learning institutions which will improve them down the road.  His argument has the same qualities as Sadler’s, being that it is clear, credible, relevant, complete, and sound.  His argument made me think differently about plagiarism and the benefits it can bring to the educational system. 

Sensationalism

“If it bleeds, it leads.”  This is a slogan that describes the type of stories that make the newspapers and news channels.  Most news stories are told for their entertainment value; for example, the litter of kittens stuck in a storm drain being rescued.   People generally tend to prefer stories about true-crime, disaster, and heart-warming stories than national and inter-national issues.  Newscasters and reporters hone in on this human tendency and report on sensational stories that grab the audience’s attention.  A great example of this tendency can be seen from the weeks following the death of Michael Jackson.  The news outlets ignored other critical newsworthy issues to focus on the circumstances surrounding his passing.  This is damaging citizens perspectives of what really goes on in America; leading us to think certain events happen more frequently than they really do.  When people are asked to rank the number of deaths from certain events, their interpretation of these occurrences is skewed partly due to media reports.  For example, people tend to rank tornado deaths higher than asthma deaths. 

Loss Aversion

I think the concept of escalation of commitment or loss aversion is an interesting topic from this week’s reading.  This is when a company is overcommitted to a decision or strategy.  For example, a company has taken a business move that has cost them money, yet they stick to that plan because they are so determined to make it work, even though they are still losing money.  The best situation would be to cut their losses and move on to a different strategy.  This relates to a term in economics called sunk costs.  My teacher told her that her lecture on sunk costs helped one of her students ditch a negative relationship.  A sunk cost is something you cannot get back, in this example it was the 3 years the girl had been with her boyfriend.  She was better off cutting her losses than losing anymore happiness and wasting more time.  Companies should do the same, cut their losses to minimize the amount of damage a bad decision will create.      

Impressionable Children

According to Wootan, in Regulating Food Advertising to Children, she notes that, “studies show that food marketing attracts children’s attention, influences their food choices, and prompts them to request that their parents purchase products.”  She makes a good point in that companies have stronger ways to influence a child’s food choice than the parents do, which include cartoon characters, celebrities, and toy giveaways.  On the other hand, Liodice argues that it is our first amendment right to free speech and therefore, free advertising.  He cites the Surgeon General’s conclusion in regards to childhood obesity, “there is no simple or quick answer to this multifaceted challenge.”  I think Wootan has the stronger argument because it is simply immoral to advertise harmful things to children.  Liodice is on the defensive and claiming that everyone needs to do their part, but it can start with the food advertisers.  This will make everyone else’s efforts more effective when children do not have the desires to eat this food, or throw temper tantrums in the supermarket over cereal brands. 

Advertisements

It is impossible to go from one place to another and not see many different types of marketing strategies in the society that we live in.  This is also very true if you were to turn on the T.V. or open up an internet page; there are many advertisements throughout the many aspects of our lives.  Some effective advertising strategies are very effective and some not so much.  A few advertisements that are not effective at all for me are the pop up ones that appear in certain apps.  They are more of an annoyance than anything.  I am using the app for one purpose and those ads just get in the way; I do not even look at them, I just x out of them and keep doing what I was doing.  In the past week I’ve noticed that television ads really are the most effective.  I think this is because when watching T.V. we don’t necessarily have a certain objective.  Watching T.V. is an activity for entertainment, therefore we are more likely to just watch what is presented to us because we are in no rush.