Logical Fallacies: What They Are and How to Counter Them

  A logical fallacy is a pattern of reasoning that contains a flaw, either in its logical structure or in its premises. An example of a logical fallacy is the false dilemma, which is a logical fallacy that occurs when a limited number of options are incorrectly presented as being mutually exclusive to one another …

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The Factors that Determine Success at Learning

  Whether you’re studying for a college course, practicing a new language, or trying to improve at your favorite sport, there are three factors that determine how successful your learning process will be. These factors are your natural abilities, the amount of effort that you put into learning, and how optimized your learning process is. …

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The Masked-Man Fallacy: Twisting Arguments Through Invalid Substitutions

  The masked-man fallacy is a logical fallacy that is committed when someone assumes that if two or more names or descriptions refer to the same entity, then they can be freely substituted with one another, in a situation where that’s not the case. For example, the masked-man fallacy could occur if someone claimed that, …

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The Protégé Effect: How You Can Learn by Teaching Others

  The protégé effect is a psychological phenomenon where teaching, pretending to teach, or preparing to teach information to others helps a person learn that information. For example, a student who is studying for an exam could benefit from the protégé effect and improve their understanding of the material, by teaching that material to their peers. …

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Authority Bias: Lessons from the Milgram Obedience Experiment

  The authority bias is a cognitive bias that makes people predisposed to believe, support, and obey those that they perceive as authority figures. Most notably, the authority bias is associated with people’s tendency to obey the orders of someone that they perceive as an authority figure, even when they believe that there’s something wrong …

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The Google Effect and Digital Amnesia: How We Use Machines to Remember

  The Google effect and digital amnesia are two related psychological phenomena, which have to do with our tendency to forget information that is available online or stored digitally. For example, the Google effect and digital amnesia could cause someone to forget a certain piece of information, if they know they can find it later by searching the …

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The Benefits of Playing Video Games

  Research shows that there are various benefits to playing video games. These include cognitive benefits, such as improved reaction time, improved mental flexibility, and improved spatial abilities, as well as other types of benefits, such as reduced stress levels, increased self-esteem, and increased prosocial behavior. In the following article, you will first learn more …

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The Appeal to Nature Fallacy: Why “Natural” Isn’t Necessarily Better

  The appeal to nature is a logical fallacy that occurs when something is claimed to be good because it’s perceived as natural, or bad because it’s perceived as unnatural. For example, a person using an appeal to nature might suggest using herbal remedies when treating a serious medical condition, despite what research says on the …

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