Part One: Errors in Everyday Reasoning (22 points)
In class we discussed errors in everyday reasoning. You are to locate an example of one type of error in either the news or social media (note: you may not do anything with eye witness misidentification, as this will be the focus of part two). Helpful tips: consider politics and politicians, statements on crime/deviance, letters to the editor or op-ed pieces in newspapers (e.g., USA Today, Seattle Times), or polarizing topics/debates. Identify the type of reasoning error it is, as well as why this error is problematic/potentially problematic. Be sure you provide the link to the source.
Part Two: Eye Witness Misidentifications (22 points)
For this part of the assignment, read through this page and watch this clip on eyewitness misidentifications. Then you are to find two cases of wrongful conviction due to eye witness testimony. You may locate these cases however you would like, but here is a great resource: Innocence Project. You are to 1) reflect on eye witness misidentification as a whole, 2) summarize the two cases that you found, and 3) discuss some similarities and differences between these two types of misidentification. Please provide links to the cases.
Part Three: Law Enforcement (22 points)
Read this article Science and Pseudoscience in Law Enforcement (Lilienfeld & Landfield, 2008). Then discuss four indicators of pseudoscience, as well as an example of each from police work. Briefly discuss how/why the use of pseudoscience in policing is problematic.
Part Four: Evaluating Sources (34 points)
Capital punishment is a hotly contested topic that generates a lot of scholarly research. There are countless sources filled with “facts” and “evidence” related to capital punishment. As you know, not all “evidence” available on this topic is equal. More support/consideration/weight should be given to works that are empirical or scientific in nature, while less support should be given to editorials, political sources, pseudoscience, etc. Using the materials provided below, identify which of the sources contains the most appropriate and relevant scientific data. You are to 1) evaluate these sources by completing a CRAAP analysis for each source and then 2) use the more reliable sources to briefly address whether capital punishment in America deters crime.
· Sources to evaluate:
1. How the death penalty fails to deter crime
2. Deterrence and the death penalty
3. Capital punishment works: It deters crime
4. How and why the death penalty deters murder in contemporary America