This glossary helps students with words related to critical thinking skills.
assumption
noun
Something that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.
Example: It is easy to make assumptions about the stock market when prices are rising.
fr: supposition
authority
noun
a person or organization with power in a particular political or administrative area
Example: For adults, the Health Education authority currently recommends 30 minutes of exercise (which can include things such as brisk walking) five times a week.
fr: autorité
belief
noun
faith or confidence in someone or something
Example: Most Canadians have a strong belief in democratic principles.
fr: croyance
bias
noun
Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
Example: The news organization had a decidedly conservative bias in its reporting.
fr: biais
claim
noun
assertion of the truth of something that is often based on verifiable proof
Example: He claimed that global climate change is based on human activity.
fr: déclaration
confirmation bias
noun
The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.
Example: A confirmation bias affects the way people view political information
fr: biais de confirmation
disinformation
noun
false information aimed at misleading, often taking the form of propaganda created by the social media
Example: A government intelligence system can easily be manipulated with clever disinformation by a foreign power.
fr: désinformation
dogma
noun
A principle or set of principles handed down by an authority that is considered as true.
Example: A reflective critical thinker rejects extremist political dogma.
fr: dogme
egocentric
noun
self-centred; thinking only of yourself without considering the thoughts or feelings of others
Example: Teenagers have an egocentric tendency to think of themselves as invincible.
fr: égocentrique
evidence
noun
facts or information that indicate if a belief or statement is true
Example: A recent study found a great deal of evidence of systematic discrimination.