Six Principles of Critical Thinking

Replicability

A finding must be capable of being duplicated by independent researchers following the same "recipe."

Falsifiability

Claims must be capable of being disproved.

Ruling out Rival Hypotheses

Findings consistent with several hypotheses require additional research to eliminate these hypotheses.

Occam's Razor

If two hypotheses explain a phenomenon equally well, we should generally select the simpler one.

Correlation vs. Causation

The fact that two things are associated with each other does not mean that one causes the other.

Extraordinary Claims

The more a claim contradicts what we already know, the more persuasive the evidence for this claim must be before we should accept it.