Introduction to Psychology: Critical Evaluation of Information Sources

We are bombarded with information all the time, and not only from our phones. Everywhere we look there is information to take in, or to pass over.

Take a moment and try to list all the places you got information from just today. Here are just a few possibilities:

• the time on your phone
• the weather on the radio
• a calendar alert on your phone
• personal news from a friend's text
• an ad on the bus
• an announcement in Talon.

You could go on and on with this list! Because of this huge volume of information that demands our attention, it makes sense that we have all come up with ways to cope.

One of the ways we cope with information overload is the way our minds automatically filter out information that doesn't seem to be relevant at the time.

For example, have you had the experience when driving along a familiar route of not realizing how far you'd gone? Or of walking right past someone you know when your mind is focused on something urgent? This isn't something we're doing wrong! We develop coping methods for very good reasons. At this point, I just want you to be aware of your own thoughts and habits around what information you give your attention to and also what you don't. That awareness will help you with the next steps. We will be learning new ways to purposefully engage with information sources, and specific tools for evaluating sources before we give them our valuable time and attention.

Many of us think we are good at spotting bad (untrue, manipulative, misleading) information online. Unfortunately we are getting easier and easier to fool as technology improves and businesses battle for our valuable attention. Watch the video below to hear about a fascinating study at Stanford University that tested students, professors, and professional fact checkers on one simple question of which of two sites is reliable and which is not.