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So, in order to process this huge amount of information, our brain starts to develop ‘filters’ that help to deal with the vast amount of information. We learn to accept information from sources that we trust and become more wary of information coming from people whom we think have vested interest.
Reliability Question Type
The skill of checking reliability or the trustworthiness of a source is important in helping you establish the quality of the source.
In this section you will learn the technique to examine a source at different levels to ascertain its degree of reliability. You will also understand the concept of reliability and how a source’s reliability is dependent on several factors.
Read Illustration 1 to understand the example that is being used to illustrate the skill.
The skill of checking reliability or the trustworthiness of a source is important in helping you establish the quality of the source.
In this section you will learn the technique to examine a source at different levels to ascertain its degree of reliability. You will also understand the concept of reliability and how a source’s reliability is dependent on several factors.
Read Illustration 1 to understand the example that is being used to illustrate the skill.
Illustration 1
Tom
John
Leadership Qualities / Behaviour
Class monitor. Well-behaved and has always been a responsible student.
Has accumulated multiple demerit points and will be asked to leave the school if he commits another offence. Track record of being late regularly and being rude to peers and teachers.
Proximity to school
Lives close to school. Bus ride is less than 20 minutes. School starts at 7.30am.
Lives close to school. Bus ride is less than 20 minutes. School starts at 7.30am.
Imagine both Tom and John were late to school on one of the days and they had to explain to their teacher. Their reliability can be examined at different levels. Click on the various scenarios to learn more about the techniques.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 1
Before Tom even explained to the teacher, his teacher said, “Tom, it’s all right. I know you must have a good reason for being late. You’re the class monitor and I trust that whatever reason you give, you will not lie. You may go back to your class now.”
Now, consider these:
Now, consider these:
What made the teacher believe in Tom so much that he didn’t even consider whether the reason was good enough? On what basis did the teacher believe in Tom?
Think about what the teacher had said and why the teacher chose to believe in him without even asking for a reason before you read the explanation.
Think about what the teacher had said and why the teacher chose to believe in him without even asking for a reason before you read the explanation.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 1 Explanation
The teacher believed in Tom because Tom was the class monitor. The teacher trusted him simply because of the position that Tom occupied in the class. The teacher assumed that as a student leader, Tom would not lie as he was expected to uphold the good value of honesty. Checking reliability at this level simply stops at the stage of knowing who said it. No extra effort was put in to check if Tom was telling the truth. Checking reliability in this manner is risky. This is checking reliability based on provenance.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 2
Tom:
“I was late because I overslept. I normally wake up at 6.30am but this morning I woke up 1 hour late and missed the bus that I usually board to bring me to school on time. That’s why I’m late.”
Consider these:
“I was late because I overslept. I normally wake up at 6.30am but this morning I woke up 1 hour late and missed the bus that I usually board to bring me to school on time. That’s why I’m late.”
Consider these:
Do you think Tom is lying?
The account sounds logical and reasonable. He does not seem to be lying. He missed his usual wake up time and as a result, he missed his usual bus and eventually turned up late for school. The timing of the chain of events was logical and was not inconsistent. But, what if the account had been something like this:
The account sounds logical and reasonable. He does not seem to be lying. He missed his usual wake up time and as a result, he missed his usual bus and eventually turned up late for school. The timing of the chain of events was logical and was not inconsistent. But, what if the account had been something like this:
Tom:
“Well, I am late because the bus that I boarded was late. Normally, I would wake up at 6.30am and board the bus at 6.50am. Even though I overslept by half an hour today, I still managed to catch the usual bus ride. But I don't know why the bus travelled so slowly and that’s why I’m late.”
“Well, I am late because the bus that I boarded was late. Normally, I would wake up at 6.30am and board the bus at 6.50am. Even though I overslept by half an hour today, I still managed to catch the usual bus ride. But I don't know why the bus travelled so slowly and that’s why I’m late.”
Do you think Tom is telling the truth this time? Do you find any problem with what he said? Think about this before you read the explanation.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 2 Alternative Explanation
Tom is lying. How can he possibly wake up 1/2 hour later (=7.00am) and still board the usual bus at 6.50am? This is checking reliability based on content.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 3A
Tom:
"I'm sorry I’m late. I boarded the usual bus to school and should have arrived on time. However, the bus broke down half way to the school. The delay was more than half an hour before the bus company sent another bus to transfer the passengers. I know Celine, James and John from the other class, Class Victory, were also on the same bus with me.”
Consider these:
"I'm sorry I’m late. I boarded the usual bus to school and should have arrived on time. However, the bus broke down half way to the school. The delay was more than half an hour before the bus company sent another bus to transfer the passengers. I know Celine, James and John from the other class, Class Victory, were also on the same bus with me.”
Consider these:
How else can the teacher check Tom’s reliability this time? Are there any other ways to verify the account other than reading the content of what Tom had said? Think about this before you read the explanation.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 3A Explanation
The teacher can ask the other students or check with the bus company to find out if indeed the bus had broken down. This is checking reliability based on cross-referencing to other sources.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 3B
John:
“The usual bus that I board, Bus 111, was late this morning. That’s why I was late. It’s not my fault.”
And the teacher replied, “But John, Bus 111 does not even service the school route. And from what I know, it operates on a totally different bus route.”
Consider these:
“The usual bus that I board, Bus 111, was late this morning. That’s why I was late. It’s not my fault.”
And the teacher replied, “But John, Bus 111 does not even service the school route. And from what I know, it operates on a totally different bus route.”
Consider these:
Do you think John was lying? What did the teacher rely on to determine John's reliability? Did he cross-refer to other sources? Think about this before you read the explanation.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 3B Explanation
The teacher was able to catch John lying because he made use of his own knowledge to determine the accuracy of John’s account. He did not have to cross-refer to other sources to check John’s reliability because he already had some prior knowledge regarding the bus routes. This is checking reliability based on cross-referencing to contextual knowledge.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 4
John:
"It's not my fault that I was late. I even tried boarding the bus at 5.45am but the bus was so crowded that I couldn’t board it at all. Many people cut into my queue and I couldn’t tell them off because I'm a nice person. Finally, when I was able to board a bus, it was moving at such a slow speed. So it’s not really my fault that I’m late.”
"It's not my fault that I was late. I even tried boarding the bus at 5.45am but the bus was so crowded that I couldn’t board it at all. Many people cut into my queue and I couldn’t tell them off because I'm a nice person. Finally, when I was able to board a bus, it was moving at such a slow speed. So it’s not really my fault that I’m late.”
Do you trust what John had said? Do you believe in him? Do you think he was just trying to explain what happened or was he up to something else? Think about this before you read the explanation.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Scenario 4 Explanation
The teacher might not want to believe in John because he might have a reason to lie. John was on the brink on being asked to leave the school and he didn’t want to be seen committing another mistake wilfully. He had a motive to lie so that he would not be given a demerit point. It is very unlikely a bus would be that crowded at such an early timing and he seems to be finding excuses to show that he was not at fault. Furthermore, he sounded like he was exaggerating his situation. This is checking reliability based on detecting motive.
Having said so, there is always a possibility that John was telling the truth. However, the context (having enough demerit points) under which he made his account makes it much more difficult to believe in him. In the absence of a more convincing reason, his account is hard to believe.
Having said so, there is always a possibility that John was telling the truth. However, the context (having enough demerit points) under which he made his account makes it much more difficult to believe in him. In the absence of a more convincing reason, his account is hard to believe.
… underestimate the idea of vested interest at your own peril …
EdFN
Concept of Vested Interest and Bias
What is vested interest? According to the Cambridge Dictionaries Online, vested interest is a strong personal interest in something because one could get an advantage from it. Let me explain this by using an analogy.
Say, if you were to approach a fruits stall owner and asked the seller if the fruits were nice and sweet. What do you think the seller would say? I’m sure you will agree with me that he would most probably reply that they were. Think for a moment why the seller would want to say that. Is it because he was just being honest and his fruits were really nice and sweet? This might be the case. But could it also be due to the fact that he could stand to gain by claiming that his fruits were good? By replying that his fruits were good, he would have a higher chance of selling them to you and earn money in return. So in a way he had vested interest (money) in making sure the fruits were all sold. And the chance of selling them could be increased by simply claiming that the fruits were good whenever he’s asked that question. So we can see that the seller is ‘connected’ to his fruits in such a way that he would gain money by selling them. Thus, vested interest exists in such a relationship.
And because vested interest exists in this relationship, we can expect him to be ‘biased towards’ his fruits. This explains why he would most probably reply that his fruits were good whenever he’s asked that question by a customer.
I’m not saying every businessman is a liar. In fact, there are many honest ones around. What I’m trying to say is that whenever we need to judge the reliability of a source, we cannot afford to ignore the relationship between the source originator and the subject/issue that he is commenting on. The presence of vested interest in a source strongly suggests that the source may be a biased one.
Thus far, I have brought you through four scenarios that illustrate the levels at which you can test the reliability of a source. Can you still remember the four different levels? Hover your mouse over the box below to recap the four levels.
What is vested interest? According to the Cambridge Dictionaries Online, vested interest is a strong personal interest in something because one could get an advantage from it. Let me explain this by using an analogy.
Say, if you were to approach a fruits stall owner and asked the seller if the fruits were nice and sweet. What do you think the seller would say? I’m sure you will agree with me that he would most probably reply that they were. Think for a moment why the seller would want to say that. Is it because he was just being honest and his fruits were really nice and sweet? This might be the case. But could it also be due to the fact that he could stand to gain by claiming that his fruits were good? By replying that his fruits were good, he would have a higher chance of selling them to you and earn money in return. So in a way he had vested interest (money) in making sure the fruits were all sold. And the chance of selling them could be increased by simply claiming that the fruits were good whenever he’s asked that question. So we can see that the seller is ‘connected’ to his fruits in such a way that he would gain money by selling them. Thus, vested interest exists in such a relationship.
And because vested interest exists in this relationship, we can expect him to be ‘biased towards’ his fruits. This explains why he would most probably reply that his fruits were good whenever he’s asked that question by a customer.
I’m not saying every businessman is a liar. In fact, there are many honest ones around. What I’m trying to say is that whenever we need to judge the reliability of a source, we cannot afford to ignore the relationship between the source originator and the subject/issue that he is commenting on. The presence of vested interest in a source strongly suggests that the source may be a biased one.
Thus far, I have brought you through four scenarios that illustrate the levels at which you can test the reliability of a source. Can you still remember the four different levels? Hover your mouse over the box below to recap the four levels.
Check reliability based on:
- Provenance
- Content
- Cross-referencing
- Detecting motive
Recap
(Do not mouse over unless you have an answer in mind)
