Making a Reasoned Judgement

At the Thinking Skills lesson, we began to study how to analyse a judgment in the correct way. For this, after reading all the theory, we were assessed to apply it by analyzing a case of two boys that killed someone at school. Besides the case itself, he had to base our judgment on the following assignment: “Come to a reasoned judgment as how likely it is that violent films lead to violent behavior”.

To come the reasoned judgment, first we had to read all the information we had about the case. Secondly, we had to begin to analyse that information, and divide it in corroborative or conflicting evidence. Later, we had to do a balance of the evidence so as to make it easier to analyse for the next category which was weight and quality of evidence. In that one, we described the evidence as much as possible and we tried to begin to show what our conclusion was going to be about. Finally, we wrote our conclusion which was the following: “To conclude, after evaluating all the evidences stated in the text, their balance, weight and quality, we can say that there is less likely that violent films lead to violent behaviour. On one way, it can be that it is likely that violent films can have some little effect when it comes to violent behaviour. However, this doesn’t mean that is the only reason or the only cause of these behaviours. For example, violence at home or living surrounded by it (as in school and other places) have a major impact on the consequences and the persons’ behaviour since it is what he or she is experiencing and living. It has a more remarkable impact seeing it daily and in real life rather than on movies, so it can totally influence the violent behaviour in a stronger way.”

Here is my whole activity: Making a Reasoned Judgment-Child's Play