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How to disrupt misinformation with the ladder of misinference [Video]

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  • We are all susceptible to misinformation, especially when it stirs our emotions and supports our preconceived beliefs.
  • Keeping your biases and preferences in mind is key to effective critical inquiry.
  • Edmans’ “ladder of misinference” will help you to recognize inflated arguments and not make overblown claims yourself.

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It likely wasn’t long after the first utterances of our ancestors that misinformation was born. It may have been an honest misunderstanding. It may have been a dubious actor trying to get one up on his fellow tribe members. Whatever the case, half-truths and alternative facts are nothing new. Granted, a case can be made that social media and AI have supercharged the spread of misinformation but the age-old, and rather humbling, reason it persists is simple enough: Under the right conditions, everyone is susceptible.

One reason is “decision fatigue.” We …

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