1. By: Brian Glass Speech 104- Fall 2009 Chapter 3Making Decisions

2. Every day we make many decisions. What time will I get up this morning? Will I be late to work if I go to the gym in morning? What will I eat this morning? Will I study today?

5. Authority Figures

6. Peer Influence

7. Groupthink

9. Position of Equilibrium As humans we want to be physically, mentally and socially comfortable. When we get “knocked off” of our stasis we look for companionship to get us back in a state of equilibrium. The only reason we communicate is maintain equilibrium or stasis. In critical thinking we don’t like to change our minds. Once we have made a decision, we get comfortable with that decision. Although new information may come along that contradicts our current thought, we dismiss it so we can maintain our comfort.

13. Define the Problem

14. What evidence supports or refutes this argument and its opposition?

15. Analyze assumptions and biases

16. Control emotional reasoning

17. Don’t oversimplify

18. Consider other interpretations