List five conditions under which visual perception is not reliable. Do the same for our sense of touch.

We learned that our senses are reliable for some topics but not others. List some topics for which vision but not touch is reliable. List some for which hearing and sight are both reliable. List some on which no sense is ever reliable.

Sometimes, our different senses provide us with conflicting evidence. Describe such a case. Which sense should we trust in a case like that? If you can, think of a general rule or principle that can be used to always decide which sense to trust when senses conflict.

Comprehension Questions

a. Under what conditions is testimonial evidence acceptable?

b. What is the difference between being trained and being informed? Illustrate your answer with an example.

c. If a witness is biased, does this make their testimony false? Give an example to illustrate.

d. If a witness is testifying about his own personal observations, what are the critical thinking questions that we should ask before accepting his evidence?

e. Under what conditions is testimonial evidence overridden and undermined? Use examples to illustrate your answer.

f. What are some sources of media bias?

g. What is passive reporting? Is it a form of bias? Why or why not?

h. When are claims made in advertisements acceptable?