LosRiosCommunityCollegeDistrictProfessionalTypeA/BLeave

FINALREPORT

UnderstandingCognitiveBiasToImproveCriticalThinking

andAddressEquity

ProfessorTomLogan,Englisha. Describethefocusoftheworkproposedandcompletedduringyourleave.

Asstatedinmyleaveapplication,theworkIproposedwasa“rigorousstudyoftheliteratureoncognitivebias,includinghistoricalandcurrentapplicableresearch,”focusingon“itsusesinpedagogyandinaddressingequity;understand[ing]thetheoreticalandappliedoverlapbetweencognitivebiasandimplicitbias.”Iwasabletocompletethereadingandresearchproposedtosupportmystudy,thoughofcoursemyinitiallistledmetootherworksandresearch,andafewworksonmyinitiallistprovedlessrelevantthanI’dexpected.(SeeattachedlistSourcesConsulted).Iwasabletoprepareaone-hourworkshoppresentationforfaculty,tointroducethekeycognitivebiasconceptsandoverviewhowtheymightbeusedintheirclassroomstoteachandmodelbettercriticalthinking.(Seeattachedslidepresentation.)

b. Whatwasaccomplishedasaresultofyourleave?

Duringmyleave,Iwasabletosuccessfullygainanoverallunderstandingofcognitivebiasesanditspotentialpedagogicalapplications,bothasacriticalthinkingconcepttoteachstudentsandasatooltohelpinstructorsaddressequityintheirclassrooms.IwillalsoconfessthattheresearchthatIdidhumbledmebecause,putsimply,Iunderestimatedboththefoundationalknowledgeintherelatedfields(psychology,behavioraleconomics,cognitivescience,etal.)neededtotrulyunderstand,synthesize,andthenpresentthematerial.ButIwasalsowell-positioned,asanon-specialist,tounderstandwhatmy(mostly)non-specialistaudiencefortheworkshoppresentationswouldneedtograsptheconceptsandapplythemintheirclasses.(ThisstatementispossiblyanexampleofDunning-Krugerbias,whereinoneoverestimatestheirownabilityorskillinaparticulararea,although,inmydefense,mywillingnesstoadmitthispossibilityundercutsthatidentification.Butnowthislastdefenseispossiblyanexampleofself-servingbias…Youseewhatwe’reupagainstaswetrytountanglethematrixofrationalizationsandshortcutsthatpermeatethestreamsofourthinking.)

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ThemosthelpfulframeworkIfoundinmyresearchforunderstandingthepsychologicaldynamicsthatinformcognitivebiasisfromThinking,FastandSlow,byNobel-prizewinningpsychologistDanielKahneman.Kahnemantheorizesamodelofthinkingwithtwomodes,the“fast”modewithintuitivejudgmentsandconclusions,andthe“slow”modewhichrequiresconscious,deliberatethinking.“Fast”isthefirstimpressionwehaveofanewspeakeratthefrontoftheroom;“slow”ismultiplyingtwo2-digitnumbers.Cognitivebiascomesintoplayinthismodelasawaytoassistthefastthinking,toprovideshortcutsandnarrativecoherencetheforwavesofinputaswemovethroughourlives—evenasthoseshortcutsoftenleadustofalseconclusionsormistakenbeliefs.Thechallengewhenmitigatingcognitivebiasisthatthemechanismsoftenservepeopleverywell,evenwhentheyheadtomistakesorinvalidconclusions.Forexample,thepsychologicalbenefitsofparticipatinginingroupbiasaresignificantandaccountforitspervasivepresenceinhumanbehavior:peoplesimplydon’twanttostoprootingforthehometeamandtearingdowntheopposition.Theresearchshowsthatmitigatingcognitivebiasrequiresacomprehensiveapproachthatincludesbutisnotlimitedtoawareness.Thatawarenessisthepedagogicalgoaloftheassignmentsandofmyworkshoppresentations.

c. ExplainhowtheworkcompletedduringyourleaverelatestoARC'sgoalsandfocus

areas,andtothestate'sprofessionaldevelopmentguidelines.

IthinktheworkdoneduringmyleaveparticularlyservesthefollowingARCStrategicGoals.2.ExemplaryTeaching,Learning&WorkingEnvironment.Understandingtheoverlapbetweenimplicitbiasandcognitivebiaswillhelpinstructorsmaketheirclassroomsmoreequitableandinclusive.Itcanalsoserveasafoundationforallstudents(indeed,everyoneinaclassroom)tounderstandandtakeaccountofthebiasesweallhave.4.VibrancyandResiliency.Fortoolong,“criticalthinking”inourEnglishcourseshasbeenlimitedtoalistofconceptsthatarenecessarybutincomplete:inductiveanddeductivereasoning,logos,pathos,andethosasrhetoricaltools,andlogicalfallacies.What’sinnovativeaboutteachingcognitivebiasisthatitisadynamic,psychology-basedmodelthatinformsmostcriticalthinkingdynamics.Forexample,wereachforalogicalfallacywhenourcognitivebiasrequireswesticktoourpre-ordainedconclusion;orweresorttopathoswhenabeliefwedisagreewithgivesuscognitivedissonancethatwemustresolve,regardlessofevidence.Moreover,cognitivebias,forallitsmultifariouscomplexity,canbeeffectivelyoverviewedinanhourandappliedimmediately.

TheworkcompletedduringmyleaveservesthefollowingState’sPDGuidelines:

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GuidelineA:CourseinstructionandevaluationandGuidelineB:Staffdevelopment,in-servicetraining,andinstructionalimprovement.Thecognitivebiasworkshoppresentationswillgiveinstructorsatooltheycanimmediatelyapplyinanycoursethatreliesoncriticalthinking--whichisvirtuallyanycourseARCoffers.Itimprovesinstructormetacognitionaswellbymakingthemawareofcognitivebiasesweallhave.

d. Asaresultofyourleave,whatwillyoutakebackwithyoutoyourcurrent

assignmentsand/ortothecollegeasawhole(includinghowyousharedorplantosharetheresultsofyourproject).

Iwillsharemyleaveresultsbygivingthreeone-hourworkshoppresentationsinFall2019onTeachingCognitiveBias,opentoallARCfaculty.Pleaseseetheslidepresentationthatwillaccompanytheworkshop,attached.(NOTE:Inmyoriginalproposal,IhadexpectedtobegivingtheseworkshopsinFall2018:ThenAB705hit,requiringaonce-in-generationtransformationtoourEnglishcompositionsequence.TocomplywiththelawbyFall2019asrequired,asEnglishCo-Chair,Ihavebeeninundatedwithunexpectedworkthisacademicyearaswetransformourcompositionsequencefromfivelevelstotwo,trainfacultyinanewcompositioncoursemodel(ENGWR300+),convertfourregularclassroomstocomputerclassrooms,writeproposalsforreassignedtimefornumerousfacultyforAB705projects,amongmany,manyothertasksthatdevolvedtotheEnglishchairs.Moreover,whenIsawthattheMisinformationinthePublicSpherepresentationsbyARCfacultyin2018-19wouldhavesomecontentoverlapwithmyworkshopsthisacademicyear,thatreinforcedmydecisionthatFall2019wouldbebetterformyworkshoppresentations.)

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SourcesConsultedBlindSpot:HiddenBiasesofGoodPeoplebyMahzarinR.BanajiandAnthonyG.Greenwald(2016)Blunder:WhySmartPeopleMakeBadDecisionsbyZacharyShore(2008)TheChecklistManifestobyAtulGawande(2011)Choices,Values,andFramesbyDanielKahnemanandAmosTversky(2000)EverydayBias:IdentifyingandNavigatingUnconsciousJudgmentsinOurDailyLivesbyHowardJ.Ross(2014)“JudgmentUnderUncertainty:HeuristicsandBiases”byAmosTverskyandDanielKahneman(1974)MistakesWereMade(ButNotByMe)byCarolTavrisandElliottAronson(2015)PredictablyIrrational:TheHiddenForcesThatShapeOurDecisionsbyDanAriely(2008)ThinkingFastandSlowbyDanielKahneman(2011)Thinking:TheNewScienceofDecision-Making,Problem-Solving,andPredictioninLifeandMarkets,editedbyJohnBrockman(2013)TheUpsideofIrrationality:TheUnexpectedBenefitsofDefyingLogicatWorkandatHomebyDanAriely(2010)VanNunspeet,F.;Ellemers,N.;Derks,B.“Reducingimplicitbias:Howmoralmotivationhelpspeoplerefrainfrommaking“automatic”prejudicedassociations.”TranslationalIssuesinPsychologicalScience,dez.2015.

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EssayAssignment:ACriticalAnalysisofCognitiveBiasinActionLength:1000-1500words

Forthisessay,youwillidentifyandcriticallyanalyzebiases—specifically,cognitivebiases--fromoneoftheseeventsinpopularculture,politics,orhistory:

• TheLanceArmstrongDopingScandal• TheWWIIInternmentofUSCitizensofJapaneseDescent• PresidentTrump’sPost-ElectionVoterFraudAllegations• TheLAPDRampartScandal• TheJosephMcCarthyCongressionalHearings• TheChildSexAbuseScandalsintheRomanCatholicChurch

Themodelforthisanalysiscomesfromtheexamplesgiveninchapters3-5inMistakesWereMade:Wilkormiski’sFragmentsControversy;TheMcMartinPreschoolCase;TheCentralParkJoggerCase.Youressaywillanswerthesequestions:Howdidkeyactorsinyourstoryexhibitcognitivebiases,andhowdidthosebiasescontributewhatwasnewsworthy,historical,orscandalousaboutit?

LikeMistakesWereMadeauthorsTavrisandAronson,youshouldresearchyourchosenexampleinordertoclearlypresentthefactsandthestoryinyouressay.Youressayshouldsummarizethestoryandfactsoftheevent.Itwillthenidentifyandanalyzeinstancesofcognitivebias,describinghowtheyfitthedefinitionandanalyzinghowthoseinstancesaffectedthestory.Itshouldassesshowthebiaseswereovercome(iftheywere),whatovercamethebiases,oritshouldofferexplanationsforwhytheyweren’tovercome.Youmaydrawconclusionsaboutwhatkindsofactionsorthinkingmighthavepreventedorminimizedtheharmoftheseevents.Keepinmindthatcognitivebiasmightnotbeexhibitedonlybythemainactorinthestory:LanceArmstrongisfarfromtheonlypersonwhodemonstratedcognitivebiasinhisscandal;sportswriters(amongmanyothers)alsoevincedcognitivebiasintheircoverageofhim.Alsorememberthatyourtaskisnottoadjudicatetheissuestheeventtoucheson,buttoanalyzetheactionsandwordsoftheparticipantsintheeventforcognitivebiases.Alsonotethatcognitivebiasisalsonottheonlyexplanationfortheseevents,sobecarefulofattributingeveryfailureorbadacttoit.YouressayshoulduseatleasttwooutsidesourcesinadditiontoMistakesWereMade,properlycited.

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Small-GroupDiscussionActivity

Instructor:Afteroverviewingmotivatedreasoninggenerallyandthreecommontypesofcognitivebiaswithcurrentevent/popularcultureexamples,havestudentsbreakintogroupsofnomorethan4.Giventhemtheseinstructions:

1) Thinkofanexampleforeachtypeofcognitivebias,whetherfromyourownexperienceorfrompopularculture;

2) Identifythetypeofcognitivebias;

3) Describetheevidencethathelpedyouidentifythebias;

4) Speculatewhatthemotivatedreasoningmightbeforthatbias:Whatpurpose

didthisbiasserve?Asaclass:

• Discussexampleswhereyoudisagreedaboutthetypeofbias;

• Brainstormwaysyouthinktheholderofthesebiasescouldbepersuadedoutoftheirbiasedopinions;

• Discusswhat(ifanything)mightmakeyouchangeyourmindaboutabiasof

yourown;

• Considerwaysthesekindsofbiascouldaffectyourcoursesubjectmatter.

UnderstandingCogni.veBiasToIm

proveCri.calThinkingandAddressEquity

Tom

Logan,English

Cogni0veBiases

• Cogni.vebiasesareerrorsinthinkingdrivenbypsychologicalprocesses

• Commonexam

ples:confirma(onbias,

bandwagoneffect,in-groupbias,haloeffect,

theDunning-Krugereffect.• Dozensoftypesiden0fiedinoversixdecadesofresearchandstudyinpsychology,behavioraleconom

ics,andothersocialsciences.

ThinkingFastandSlow

• ModelofM

ind(DanielKahneman)

• FastThinking:Intui0ve“gut”decision/belief,firstim

pressions,feels“right”andcoherent

• SlowThinking:EfforPul,deliberate

Confirma.onBias

BandwagonEffectBias

IngroupBias

Us

vs

THEM

HaloEffectBias

HindsightBias

Cogni0veBiasExamples:YourTurn!

Ingroupsof3or4,takeabout10minutesto

iden0fyacurrenteventorpersonalexampleofat

leastthreeofthesecommoncogni.vebiases

(listedonthehandout):• Confirm

a(onbias• Bandw

agoneffect• In-groupbias• Haloeffect• Hindsightbias

AddressingEquity

• ImplicitBiasisFastThinking:Intui0ve,

emo0onallysa0sfying&

coherent—ando[en

wrong

• Employsm

ul0plecogni0vebiases(Stereotype&AvailabilityHeuris0c,etal.)forCoherence

andReinforcement

• AwarenessofBiasAloneM

ayBeInsufficient

toMi0gate

ReducingCogni0veBias

• Significantpsychologicalheadwinds

– Iden0tyinvestment

– Coherence(”Butit’ssuchagoodstory!”)• Aw

areness&recogni0on

• Comprehensive,m

ul0-facetedapproach

ThankYou!

HandoutsToTakeWithYou:

• Cogni(veBiasSampleEssayAssignm

ent:CurrentEvents

• Small-GroupDiscussionSam

pleAc(vity• ListofHelpfulSourcesandResources