Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age from Coursera

Most professions these days require more than general intelligence. They require in addition the ability to collect, analyze and think about data. Personal life is enriched when these same skills are applied to problems in everyday life involving judgment and choice. This course presents basic concepts from statistics, probability, scientific methodology, cognitive psychology and cost-benefit theory and shows how they can be applied to everything from picking one product over another to critiquing media accounts of scientific research. Concepts are defined briefly and breezily and then applied to many examples drawn from business, the media and everyday life.

What kinds of things will you learn? Why it’s usually a mistake to interview people for a job. Why it’s highly unlikely that, if your first meal in a new restaurant is excellent, you will find the next meal to be as good. Why economists regularly walk out of movies and leave restaurant food uneaten. Why getting your picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated usually means your next season is going to be a disappointment. Why you might not have a disease even though you’ve tested positive for it. Why you’re never going to know how coffee affects you unless you conduct an experiment in which you flip a coin to determine whether you will have coffee on a given day. Why it might be a mistake to use an office in a building you own as opposed to having your office in someone else’s building. Why you should never keep a stock that’s going down in hopes that it will go back up and prevent you from losing any of your initial investment. Why it is that a great deal of health information presented in the media is misinformation.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction

Individuals and cultures can make themselves smarter. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, people have become enormously smarter. The Information Age requires a brand-new set of skills involving statistics, probability, cost-benefit analysis, principles of cognitive psychology, logic and dialectical reasoning.

Lesson 1: Statistics

Basic concepts of statistics and probability including the concepts of variable, normal distribution, standard deviation, correlation, reliability, validity, and effect size. Concrete examples are drawn from everyday life and show how the concepts can be used to solve ordinary problems.

Lesson 2: The Law of Large Numbers

How to think about events in such a way that they can be counted and a decision can be made about how much data is enough. You will learn about the concept of error variance and how it can be combatted by obtaining multiple observations. Your will learn that your judgments about people’s personalities are prone to serious errors that are largely avoided for judgments about abilities. And you will discover why it’s usually a mistake to interview job applicants.

Lesson 3: Correlation

It can be extremely difficult to make an accurate assessment of how two variables are related to one another; prior beliefs can be more important than data in estimating the strength of a given relationship. You will learn simple tools to estimate degree of association. You will learn about the nature of illusory correlations and how to avoid them. You will learn about the concepts of confounded variable and self-selection error.

Lesson 4: Experiments

You will learn that correlations can only rarely provide conclusive evidence about whether one variable exerts a causal influence on another and why experiments provide far better evidence about causality than correlations. You will be shown how to conduct experiments in business settings and experiments on yourself. You will learn the distinction between within subject designs and between subject designs. You will learn about the concept of artifacts and some tricks for avoiding them. You will learn how to discover natural experiments.

Lesson 5: Prediction

You will learn about the kinds of systematic errors we make when trying to predict the future. You will learn about regression to the mean and why you should assume that extreme values on a variable will be less extreme when next observed. You will learn how to think about observations in terms of true score plus error. You will learn about the concept of base rate and why it must be taken into account when estimating probabilities of specific events.

Lesson 6: Cognitive Biases

We understand the world not through direct perception but through inferential procedures that we are unaware of. Our understanding of the world is heavily influenced by schemas or abstract representations of events. We are prone to serious judgment errors that can be avoided to a degree when we understand their basis. We make guesses about probability and causality by applying the representativeness heuristic based on similarity assessments which can be very misleading. We make judgments about frequency and probability by relying in part on the availability heuristic, judging things as frequent or probable to the degree that instances come readily to mind.

Lesson 7: Choosing and Deciding

How to conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Why you should throw the analysis away after doing it if the decision is personal and very important. How to avoid throwing good money after bad. How to avoid doing something that will prevent you from doing something more valuable. Why it can be expensive to try to avoid the possibility of loss. Why incentives can backfire.

Lesson 8: Logic and Dialectical Reasoning

The distinction between inductive logic and deductive logic. Syllogisms. Conditional reasoning. The distinction between truth of an argument and validity of an argument. The concepts of necessity and sufficiency. Venn diagrams. Common logical errors. When to avoid contradiction and when to embrace it, how to avoid undue certainty about judgments and decisions, and why attention to context rather than form is crucial for analysis of most real-world problems.

Conclusion

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Taught by Richard E. Nisbett, who is known for their work in social psychology

Develops essential skills for personal and professional success, including statistics, probability, scientific methodology, cognitive psychology, and cost-benefit theory

Covers a wide range of topics, from data analysis to decision-making, providing a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter

Provides practical examples and applications, making the learning process engaging and relevant

Emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving, equipping learners with valuable cognitive skills

Requires basic numeracy and logical reasoning skills, making it accessible to a wide range of learners

May require additional resources or support for learners with limited exposure to statistics and probability

Reviews summary

Critical thinking in the modern world

Learners say this course provides an excellent review of critical thinking concepts and introduces new ones. They also say the course is well-organized and easy to follow, with plenty of examples to help illustrate the material. The course covers a wide range of topics, including statistics, logic, fallacies, and biases. learners say Professor Nisbett is an engaging and knowledgeable instructor who presents the material in a clear and concise manner. Overall, learners say this course is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to improve their critical thinking skills.

Introduces engaging lectures.

"This is a must-take course for scientists, academics, and administrators."

"It brings up what we may have thought as distant and unrelated tools together to perform the main task of critical thinking."

"Before this course, I could not have imagined that the interchange of basic statistics, psychology, and philosophy could lead me on the path to find the answer for some difficult questions."

Course offers a solid review of statistics.

"The course should be more dynamic and less monotonous. If it had been longer, I wouldn't have wanted to continue."

"Content should be improved, more in the sense of preparing people to apply critical thinking to their work."

"The course has helped me in imbibing life enhancing skills which I intend to apply heavily in life henceforth and as Professor says in the concluding lesson that the concepts learnt in this course will prove to be beneficial the more we use them in our every day lives."

Teaches critical thinking skills.

"This was an excellent course and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to further their understanding of critical thinking for the new information age."

"The course is perfect for anyone looking to brush up on basic information such as statistics, fallacies, and logic."

"This course is an excellent distillation of what "mental tools" everyone today must have in examining information and dealing with the modern world in general."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age with these activities:

Review probability concepts from high school or introductory courses.

Show steps

Ensure a solid foundation in probability by refreshing your knowledge of basic concepts.

Browse courses on Probability

Show steps

Review notes or textbooks from previous probability courses.
Take practice quizzes or solve problems.
Identify areas where you need additional clarification.

Solve statistics problems from textbooks

Show steps

Enhance your problem-solving skills and master statistical techniques through practice.

Browse courses on Statistics

Show steps

Gather statistics textbooks with practice problems.
Select problems that align with the course material.
Solve the problems and check your answers.
Review incorrect answers and identify areas for improvement.

Follow online tutorials on scientific methodology

Show steps

Strengthen your understanding of scientific methodology by exploring interactive online tutorials.

Browse courses on Scientific Method

Show steps

Search for reputable online resources offering tutorials on scientific methodology.
Select tutorials that cover topics relevant to the course.
Follow the instructions and complete the interactive exercises.
Take notes and revisit the tutorials for future reference.

11 other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all 14 activities

Compile a glossary of key statistical terms

Show steps

Enhance your understanding and retention of statistical concepts by creating your own glossary.

Browse courses on Statistics

Show steps

Identify key statistical terms from the course material.
Define each term clearly and concisely.
Organize the terms alphabetically or by topic.
Review the glossary regularly to reinforce your understanding.

Practice Statistics Problems

Show steps

Increase your comfort with basic statistical concepts by practicing problem-solving.

Browse courses on Statistics

Show steps

Find a practice problem set.
Solve the problems.
Check your answers.

Practice Probability Problems

Show steps

Strengthen your understanding of probability concepts through practice.

Browse courses on Probability

Show steps

Find a practice problem set.
Solve the problems.
Check your answers.

Learn about Cognitive Biases

Show steps

Deepen your understanding of cognitive biases and their impact on decision-making.

Browse courses on Cognitive Biases

Show steps

Find reputable online resources on cognitive biases.
Watch videos or read articles about specific biases.
Reflect on how these biases might influence your own thinking.

Review Thinking, Fast and Slow

Show steps

Reinforce your understanding of behavioral economics concepts by reading Daniel Kahneman's renowned work.

View Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book's introduction and first chapter.
Summarize the book's main arguments and supporting evidence.
Identify the biases and heuristics described in the book and provide examples from your own life.

Organize a study group with classmates

Show steps

Enhance your learning through collaborative discussions and knowledge sharing with peers.

Show steps

Reach out to classmates to form a study group.
Establish a regular meeting schedule and set a clear agenda.
Take turns leading discussions on specific topics.
Collaborate on solving problems and answering questions.

Write a Summary of a Course Lecture

Show steps

Improve your comprehension and retention by summarizing key points from a lecture.

Show steps

Choose a lecture to summarize.
Take notes during the lecture.
Write a summary of the lecture's main points.

Write a blog post on a statistical concept

Show steps

Solidify your understanding of statistical concepts by explaining them in a blog post for a non-technical audience.

Browse courses on Statistics

Show steps

Choose a statistical concept to write about.
Research the concept and gather relevant data and examples.
Write a clear and concise blog post explaining the concept.
Edit and proofread your blog post before publishing it.

Conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis

Show steps

Apply cost-benefit analysis principles to a real-world decision to enhance your analytical skills.

Browse courses on Cost-Benefit Analysis

Show steps

Identify a decision you need to make.
List the costs and benefits of each option.
Calculate the net benefit of each option.
Make a decision based on the net benefits.

Design a Presentation on a Statistical Concept

Show steps

Solidify your understanding of a statistical concept by teaching it to others through a presentation.

Browse courses on Statistics

Show steps

Choose a statistical concept to present.
Research the concept thoroughly.
Create a presentation that explains the concept clearly.
Practice your presentation.
Deliver your presentation to an audience.

Contribute to an open-source statistics project

Show steps

Gain practical experience and deepen your understanding by contributing to real-world statistical projects.

Browse courses on Statistics

Show steps

Identify an open-source statistics project that aligns with your interests.
Familiarize yourself with the project's codebase and documentation.
Propose and implement a feature or improvement to the project.
Submit a pull request and collaborate with other contributors.

Career center

Learners who complete Mindware: Critical Thinking for the Information Age will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Statistician

Statisticians use their skills in statistics and probability to analyze data and draw conclusions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful statistician. You will learn how to collect and clean data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of statistical tools, and how to use them to draw conclusions from data.

See salaries and explore the career path for Statistician

Quantitative Analyst

Quantitative analysts use their skills in statistics and probability to analyze data and make investment decisions. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful quantitative analyst. You will learn how to collect and clean data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of quantitative analysis tools, and how to use them to make investment decisions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quantitative Analyst

Data Analyst

Data analysts use their skills in statistics and probability to analyze data and identify trends. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful data analyst. You will learn how to collect and clean data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of data analysis tools, and how to use them to solve business problems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Operations Research Analyst

Operations research analysts use their skills in statistics and probability to analyze data and improve the efficiency of operations. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful operations research analyst. You will learn how to collect and clean data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of operations research tools, and how to use them to solve business problems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Research Analyst

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts use their skills in statistics and probability to analyze financial data and make investment recommendations. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful financial analyst. You will learn how to collect and clean financial data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of financial analysis tools, and how to use them to make investment recommendations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Risk Manager

Risk managers use their skills in statistics and probability to analyze data and identify risks. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful risk manager. You will learn how to collect and clean data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of risk management tools, and how to use them to identify and mitigate risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Manager

Product Manager

Product managers use their skills in statistics and probability to analyze data and make decisions about product development. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful product manager. You will learn how to collect and clean data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of product management tools, and how to use them to make decisions about product development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Web Analyst

Web analysts use their skills in statistics and probability to analyze web traffic data and make recommendations for improvements. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful web analyst. You will learn how to collect and clean data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of web analytics tools, and how to use them to track and analyze web traffic.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Analyst

Survey Researcher

Survey researchers use their skills in statistics and probability to conduct surveys and collect data about consumer behavior. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful survey researcher. You will learn how to design and conduct surveys, and how to analyze the data you collect. You will also learn about the different types of survey research tools, and how to use them to gather insights about consumer behavior.

See salaries and explore the career path for Survey Researcher

Consultant

Consultants help organizations improve their performance. They use their analytical skills to identify problems and develop solutions. This course can help you develop the critical thinking skills you need to be a successful consultant. You will learn how to collect and analyze data, and how to communicate your findings effectively. You will also learn about the different types of consulting roles, and how to choose the one that is right for you.

See salaries and explore the career path for Consultant

Market Researcher

Market researchers use their skills in statistics and probability to conduct surveys and collect data about consumer behavior. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful market researcher. You will learn how to design and conduct surveys, and how to analyze the data you collect. You will also learn about the different types of market research tools, and how to use them to gather insights about consumer behavior.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Researcher

User Experience Researcher

User experience researchers use their skills in statistics and probability to evaluate user experience and make recommendations for improvements. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful user experience researcher. You will learn how to collect and clean data, and how to use statistical methods to analyze it. You will also learn about the different types of user experience research tools, and how to use them to evaluate user experience.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Researcher

Technical Writer

Technical writers use their skills in communication and critical thinking to write technical documents. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful technical writer. You will learn how to communicate effectively, and how to think critically about the world around you. You will also learn about the different types of technical writing, and how to use them to create clear and concise documents.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Teacher

Teachers use their skills in communication and critical thinking to teach students about a variety of subjects. This course can help you develop the skills you need to be a successful teacher. You will learn how to communicate effectively, and how to think critically about the world around you. You will also learn about the different types of teaching methods, and how to use them to engage students in learning.

See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher