Bias and Fallacy

How to recognize it in others’ work And

Avoid it in your own

Bias Bias means holding opinions about a

person or group that are stereotypical, prejudiced, or judgmental.

Types of BiasType of Bias Example

Political bias Republicans are the reason gay marriage laws will not pass.

Gender bias Men take all the good jobs and always make more money than women do.

Racial or ethnic bias Our country has so many economic problems because of all the illegal immigrants from Mexico.

Religious bias Muslims believe in killing others for eternal reward.

Age bias Senior citizens do not know how to drive properly and should not have driver’s licenses.

Bias Academic writing requires you to be

unbiased. your reader does not feel offended or excluded you emerge as a fair and accurate researcher

and writer.

Bias use caution to avoid bias in your own

writing avoid using research that is biased or one-

sided

Fallacy Using emotion the wrong way can create

what is known as a fallacy. Fallacies occur when you use an illogical argument.

Types of Fallacy Scapegoating:

Blaming a group or a person for a problem

Scare tactics: Using fear to try to scare readers

Ad hominem: Attacking a person rather than attacking an argument

Example: Racial quotas are the reason I cannot find a better job.

Example: If you sit too close to the television set, you will go blind.

Example: The president is stupid for proposing a tax cut at this time.

Types of Fallacy Straw man: Creating a

position that is easy to refute and then attributing that position to someone else (such as a source that is arguing the opposite of what you are arguing)

Example: Person One’s argument:

I do not think children should have a rigorous academic schedule all day.

Person Two’s misuse of Person’s One’s argument: You cannot allow children to play all day and not study.

Types of Fallacy False dilemma: Presenting

two choices as the only choices available when there are other options that have not been revealed

Slippery slope: Suggesting an action will cause a chain of bad events

Apple Polishing: Appealing to reader’s vanity.

Example: You are either for us or against us.

Example: Once everyone owns a gun, no one will be safe.

Example: All intelligent people will vote for Bruce.

Examples of Bias and FallacyCitizen Kane Speech Scapegoating: Kane blames

Boss Gettys for the political and economic problems in the state, accusing Gettys of being a man who does not keep his promises or care for ordinary citizens.

Scare tactics: Kane implies that no one will watch out for the interests of the working class or underprivileged if Gettys continues to control the state.

Slippery slope: Kane implies that no one will watch out for the interests of the working class or underprivileged if Gettys continues to control the state. The eventual decline if Gettys remains in office is a dangerous and frightening look into the future.

Examples of Bias and FallacyCitizen Kane Speech Ad hominen: Kane refers to the downright villany of Boss

Gettys. Nowhere during the speech does he explain what Gettys has done to earn this title or discuss Gettys political viewpoint or decisions.

False dilemma: Kane offers only two choices to voters: Continue under the evil reign of Gettys’ political machine and his total control of the state or vote for Kane to solve all of their problems.

Apple polishing: Kane appeals to the vanity of the listeners by implying all decent, hardworking people should agree with him.