Credibility: Critical Thinking (Enhanced DVD)

In order to evaluate the credibility of any information resource it is important to determine if there is any bias in the motive of those providing the information. Advertising is essentially biased towards to point of view of those trying to sell things. Medical research studies also can be biased in spite of appearing to make scientific and truthful claims. Eyewitness accounts are naturally unreliable because the individuals cannot maintain neutrality. Medical studies are often biased, sometimes employing selective bias. Judges and juries can be biased in their interpretation of evidence presented in legal cases. This DVD examines a murder trial where a woman named Edith Thompson was accused of persuading a man named Frederick Bywaters, with whom she had an affair, to kill her husband Percy Thompson. Letters that Edith Thompson wrote to Frederick Bywaters were used as proof in the trial that she wanted her husband dead. In one of her letters, she said she wanted to poison her husband. Upon her encouragement, Bywaters attacked Edith’s husband and killed him. There was no question about the guilt of Bywaters, but the trial was focused on determining the guilt of Edith Thompson in convincing Bywaters to kill her husband. The evidence supporting her guilt was based on the interpretation of cryptic messages her letter to Bywaters contained that could be interpreted many ways. Nevertheless, based on the bias of the judge and the jury, Edith Thompson was found guilty. She was executed for her role in the murder of her husband by Bywaters. This case shows that with incomplete information and lack of neutrality makes it impossible to have reasonable criteria for the evaluation of credibility.

Credibility: Critical Thinking

• Enhanced DVD
• ISBN: 978-1-61753-450-8
• Run Time: 39 Minutes
• Copyright Date: 2009
• CC