PSYC 100: Foundations of Psychology (HC) Spring 2024 - Media Assignment

John Oliver on scientific studies

What criteria could you use to evaluate what you see on the news, read in a magazine, or see posted on social media?

A = Author and accuracy

• Who wrote or otherwise created the material?
  • Are they an expert in the field?
  • What are their credentials?
  • Do they work for an organization?
    • Is the organization reliable?
       
• Are there any glaring factual errors?
• Grammatical or spelling errors?

B = Bias

• People create materials for various reasons: to provide information/education, to push an opinion, to sell something, or just to be funny. 
  • What is the purpose of this material, and does that tell you anything about possible bias?
  • Does the author present a balanced point of view? 
  • Are there any obvious conflicts of interest?
  • Is the tone objective, or is it emotional?
     
• Recognize your own bias, too!
  • Do you believe what you're seeing/hearing/reading simply because you want to? Because it fits in with your preconceived notions?

C = Currency, coverage, and credibility

• How current is the material? What is an acceptable date range for your topic area?
   
• Is coverage of the topic in depth, or is it shallow? Does information seem to be missing?
   
• For research studies, is the methodology sound? What does that say about the credibility of the findings?

D = Documentation and duplication

• Does the author cite his or her sources? Are they credible? 
   
• Can you find the same information in any other source? If you read it first on social media, can you also find it on the news or in a journal article?
   
• If research findings, have they been replicated?

​​​​​Healthy skepticism is a good thing.

If you can't answer any of these questions, investigate further!

You have to determine what is appropriate for your topic area or assignment.