The Scientific Attitude infographic description

The infographic is titled, Thinking Critically About: The Scientific Attitude. The learning objective question P-2 reads, what are the three key elements of the scientific attitude, and how do they support scientific inquiry?

The chart header reads, three basic attitudes helped make modern science possible, and is divided into three columns.

The first column is titled, 1. Curiosity: Does it work? and reads, When put to the test, can its predictions be confirmed? An illustration shows a woman wearing a lab coat with a clipboard in her hand. Two thought bubbles rise from her head. The first bubble shows a woman touching her head and the head of a man next to her. The corresponding text reads, can some people read minds? The second thought bubble shows a boy who looks stressed. The corresponding text reads, are stress levels related to health and well-being? A text at the bottom of the illustration reads, No one has yet been able to demonstrate extrasensory mind-reading. Many studies have found that higher stress relates to poorer health.

The second column is titled, 2. Skepticism: What do you mean? How do you know? and reads, Sifting reality from fantasy requires a healthy skepticism—an attitude that is not cynical (doubting everything), but also not gullible (believing everything). An illustration shows a man with slumped shoulders looking at the ground. The corresponding text reads, do our facial expressions and body postures affect how we actually feel? Another illustration shows a woman pushing her child on a swing and the corresponding text reads, do parental behaviors determine children’s sexual orientation? A text at the bottom of the illustration reads, our facial expressions and body postures can affect how we feel. Chapter 11 explains that there is not a relationship between parental behaviors and children's sexual orientation.

The third column is titled, 3. Humility: That was unexpected! Let’s explore further; and reads, Researchers must be willing to be surprised and follow new ideas. People and other animals don’t always behave as our ideas and beliefs would predict. An illustration shows a woman in a lab coat holding a clipboard. Another illustration shows a mouse in a conditioning chamber pressing a lever and the corresponding text reads, the rat is always right.