Asking the Right Questions, A Guide to Critical Thinking, 8th Ed

174 Chapter 12
differ from tests performed in a laboratory on the interactions of chemicals in
energy drinks and alcohol? Would a double-blind study giving people various
drinks involving mixes of alcohol, stimulants, or a placebo liquid accurately
provide statistics on risks from mixing energy drinks and alcohol?
We also know nothing about the author. It is relevant to find out any possible
associations the author has with energy drink companies or providers of
alcohol as these connections might bias the research. Also, if the author is a
doctor unattached to either energy drink or alcohol companies, this information
might lend credibility to the author's claims. The author has presented us
with a very incomplete picture. Unless you complete the picture, your decision
about the safety of mixing energy drinks and alcohol will be very uninformed.
The Importance of the Negative View
There is one type of omitted information that we believe is so important to
identify and so often overlooked that we want to specifically highlight it
for you: the potential negative effects of actions being advocated, such as the use
of a new medication, the building of a large new school, or a proposed tax cut.
We stress the negative effects here because usually proposals for such action
come into existence in the context of backers' heralding their benefits, such
as greater reduction of a certain medical problem, better appearance, more
leisure, more educational opportunities, increased length of life, and more
and/or improved commodities. However, because most actions have such
widespread positive and negative impacts, we need to ask:
• Which segments of society do not benefit from a proposed action?
Who loses? What do the losers have to say about it?
• How does the proposed action affect the distribution of power?
• Does the action influence the extent of democracy in our society?
• How does a particular action affect how we view the world: What we
think, how we think, and what we know and can know?
• What are the action's effects on our health?
• How does the action influence our relationships with one another?
With the natural environment?
• Will the action have a slow, cumulative impact?