In chapter 3 of Vaughn’s Power of Critical Thinking, he discusses the differences between deductive and inductive arguments and how to judge the validity of them. He goes through 4 steps individuals must evaluate in order to fully understand an argument. The steps include asking oneself questions such as “is it the case that if the premises are true the conclusion must be true?” and “is the the argument intended to offer conclusive or probable support for its conclusion but fails to do so?”

Vaughn further emphasizes the importance of such a step process by shedding light on the fact that public figures often promote mystifying information and consumers blindly swallow it. As a journalism student, I believe Vaughn’s ideals and practices are applicable and practical to all situations. Individuals must take the time to slow down, ask questions, and evaluate texts/situations before jumping to conclusions. After all, the conclusion may not even be true if they haven’t evaluated the premises.