Younger people better than older people at separating fact from opinion

[Jim Owen]

I agree with Rich.

The young people polled differ from the hundreds of young people whom I have gotten to know over the past decade.

I’ve noticed significant slippage in ability to disiguish fact from opinion. Perhaps geezers are slipping, too.

[raysachs]

I just took it, got 10 out of 10, none required a moment's hesitation, and I'm near 60. It's not surprising to me that so many people here got 100%. It's absolutely SHOCKING to me that more than a very very small percentage of imbeciles would get LESS than 100%.

Maybe I don't remember my youth that clearly, but it seems to me that a lifetime of working and both consuming and dispensing information have made me MORE immediately able to differentiate fact from opinion, not LESS able to. I could imagine as a teenager maybe missing a couple of those. That any sentient adult would miss any of them is really alarming and tells me an awful lot about why this nation is in the shape it's in today.

-Ray

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by raysachs

...it seems to me that a lifetime of working and both consuming and dispensing information have made me MORE immediately able to differentiate fact from opinion, not LESS able to...

I think this is interesting both because it's a great point, and sort of the opposite reaction I had. You're right, that does make all the intuitive sense in the world.

My first reaction was more like not being surprised because most folks that age I know consume information primarily from the TV, and from relatively few sources, like nightly/local news, and maybe one information channel. Most younger folks I know consume a variety of media from multiple platforms, and as such are very practiced in discerning the value of any one source in comparison with others. Assumed that would extend to things like fact versus opinion.

Still blown away that any significant number of people had trouble with the quiz. Not intuitive either.

[frankmcr]

I didn't click on the link. But if the proposition is that, overall, mostly, generally speaking, people in say their 60s are less likely to change their opinions on various subjects than people in their teens are, my reaction would be:

- yeah, probably mostly

and

- is that supposed to be surprising?

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

I didn't click on the link. But if the proposition is that, overall, mostly, generally speaking, people in say their 60s are less likely to change their opinions on various subjects than people in their teens are, my reaction would be:

- yeah, probably mostly

and

- is that supposed to be surprising?

No, that’s not the thesis.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

No, that’s not the thesis.

Oh, okay. In that case, if the thread title is the thesis, I agree with the posts that say the very idea is offensive.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

I didn't click on the link. But if the proposition is that, overall, mostly, generally speaking, people in say their 60s are less likely to change their opinions on various subjects than people in their teens are, my reaction would be:

- yeah, probably mostly

and

- is that supposed to be surprising?

If you think this is about who is "likely to change their opinions" I think you've missed the point.
It's got nothing to do with changing one's opinion.
It's about recognizing whether something written is opinion or fact.

The point of all this is, as I wrote above, when we hold strong opinions on controversial topics skillfully written things about such topics can push our hot buttons which may affect some peoples' capacity to identify what's written as fact or opinion.

Manipulative (IMO unfair and irresponsible) writing is all around us.
Why? People with agendas want to, and DO, manipulate and control many of us by writing and speaking using this technique.
Frankly it makes me very angry.

Clear, rational, and critical thinking is the only defense.
But IMO rational critical thinking and skepticism is being gradually but steadily being chipped away.

[Steve DeRosa]

I'm 65, got 10/10 - and any one of my former fifth graders could have done the same...

It's a semantic head game, plain and simple - exact same type written into the Common Core-based State ELA tests BTW, and one that I had to teach my kids how to beat in order to pass; hardly what I would consider a valid "poll," and not surprising that the older population sample - educated in a different time and place - would be less likely to recognize this little mental three-card monty than those whose far-more-recent educational experience incorporates this pedagogical methodology. Don't know whether the article title in fact reflects the thesis, but if it does I've seen better (and more objective) research design in second-grade Science Fair projects - and consequently the term "self-fulfilling prophecy" comes to mind when it comes to the results...

[Scott O]

I got 0/10. I'm going to shave my head and join a cult. Who's with me!?!?! Let's go!!!

[Silurian]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

I'm 65, got 10/10 - and any one of my former fifth graders could have done the same...

It's a semantic head game, plain and simple - exact same type written into the Common Core-based State ELA tests BTW, and one that I had to teach my kids how to beat in order to pass; hardly what I would consider a valid "poll," and not surprising that the older population sample - educated in a different time and place - would be less likely to recognize this little mental three-card monty than those whose far-more-recent educational experience incorporates this pedagogical methodology. Don't know whether the article title in fact reflects the thesis, but if it does I've seen better (and more objective) research design in second-grade Science Fair projects - and consequently the term "self-fulfilling prophecy" comes to mind when it comes to the results...

10/10. 51 yrs old.
I agree. Sounds like we have similar tests here in the UK. My 7 year old would have aced that.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by Scott O

I got 0/10. I'm going to shave my head and join a cult. Who's with me!?!?! Let's go!!!

Have fun.
Just stay away from their Kool Aid.

[Ozzy the dog]

Interesting - but wait a minute...... How do we know the results are FACT and not just made up by the younger generation to make them appear superior

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by Tico

I suspect as we age we become more married to and passionate about our perspectives - inhibiting reasoning in many people.

Precisely. Old, hard, dried up opinions formed 30 years ago.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

Precisely. Old, hard, dried up opinions formed 30 years ago.

This can be codified as "get off my lawn".

Tony

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

I'm 65, got 10/10 - and any one of my former fifth graders could have done the same...

It's a semantic head game, plain and simple - exact same type written into the Common Core-based State ELA tests BTW, and one that I had to teach my kids how to beat in order to pass; hardly what I would consider a valid "poll," and not surprising that the older population sample - educated in a different time and place - would be less likely to recognize this little mental three-card monty than those whose far-more-recent educational experience incorporates this pedagogical methodology. Don't know whether the article title in fact reflects the thesis, but if it does I've seen better (and more objective) research design in second-grade Science Fair projects - and consequently the term "self-fulfilling prophecy" comes to mind when it comes to the results...

So the methodology is flawed because...common core? But everyone here is pointing out how easy the quiz is.