The next 4 Thinking Traps I am going to talk about are grouped under the category Arbitrary Inferences. They consist of making interpretations without having examined all the data.

Thinking Traps: Arbitrary Inferences

1. Jumping to Conclusions (also: Inference-Observation Confusion);
2. Fortune Telling;
3. Mind Reading;
4. Labeling (also: Mislabeling)

Antidotes

1. Examine the Evidence
2. Consider Alternate Possibilities
3. Keep a "Don't-Know" Mind
4. Survey Technique
5. Let's Define Terms