Critical Thinking Quiz


Answer all questions by clicking on the button next to the answer under each question. Questions without answers will be scored as incorrect. You may review the Critical Thinking course materials at any time (this link will open up another window, which you can close when done to return here).

  1. What does it mean to think critically?
    To criticize things for their shortcomings
    To think actively, with an awareness of potential problems in the information you encounter
    To consider things in a logical manner
    To imagine what it would be like to be criticized

  2. Why is it important to evaluate any information you encounter?
    Information may contain defects or may be incomplete
    Information may contain answers to my questions
    Information may be difficult to understand
    Information may not be helpful

  3. What question should you have in mind when you encounter information?
    Is it current?
    Is it accurate?
    Is the person providing the information an authority
    All of the above

  4. How do you know if information found satisfies your needs?
    I found everything I needed by consulting one source
    It looks like it could be true
    I feel like the author is telling the truth
    After consulting several sources, the information I found completely addresses my research topic

  5. What are we concerned with when we ask if a person providing information is an authority?
    Whether that person is in charge of people
    If that person knows who the author is
    If that person has relevant expertise in the subject being presented
    If the author knows something no other author knows

  6. What does it mean if information is current?
    It's up-to-date
    It's part of a new fad
    It's a hot topic
    It's probably outdated or obsolete

  7. Why might commercial sources of information present problems for researchers?
    Most researchers don't have credit cards
    Advertisements reduce the amount of information you can see on the screen
    You might be asked to buy something you don't want
    You might not get the best information available, only that which some company has paid to have shown to you

  8. What is an example of a motive to providing information?
    Someone might be trying to sell you something
    Someone believes he or she has valuable knowledge or experience worth sharing with other people
    Someone wants to make information freely available in order to help people
    All of the above

  9. Why should you care if the information you're examining is complete?
    You might need to pursue another research topic instead
    You wouldn't be able to list it in a bibliography
    You might not have all the facts
    You really don't need to know all the facts

  10. Why should you always try to find better sources of information?
    Because if you do not seek out superior sources your understanding of a subject might be incomplete or incorrect
    Because you can never use old or historical information
    Because only the newest information available can ever be trusted
    Because inferior sources take too long to document in a research paper


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