UVIC PHIL 201 CHAPTER 4 AND 5 QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
Confirmation Bias - ANSWER The person in this example is probably
making an error in evaluating evidence. What error are they making?
Di is nervous about getting a flu shot this winter. He visits several websites
and tries to find medical studies showing that there are significant risks to
getting a flu shot. He finds some evidence in these studies that the dangers
may outweigh the benefits, so decides not to get one.
Doubt It - ANSWER If a claim conflicts with other claims we have good
reason to accept, we should probably
A fallacy of appealing to the authority of non-experts - ANSWER The
fallacy of Appeal to Authority is
You see an ad in which a sports star makes a claim that conflicts with your
belief - ANSWER Which of the following is not a clear reason to re-evaluate
a scientific belief that you hold?
When we rely on striking or very memorable evidence - ANSWER The
Availability Error is
popular opinion/celebrity - ANSWER Which of the following is not a good
indicator of expertise?
A man buys a minivan because a football star attests to its high safety
rating. - ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of someone
committing a fallacious appeal to authority?
, A student tells her friend that dogs can have beliefs about beliefs based on
what her Ancient Philosophy professor told her. - ANSWER Which of the
following is a good example of someone committing a fallacious appeal to
authority?
After a conversation with her personal trainer at the gym about it, Maggie
tells a friend that acupuncture is based on the theory of meridians -
ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of someone committing
a fallacious appeal to authority?
1. A man claims that commuting by bike is unsafe, because he saw one
very bad bike accident outside his office window.
2. After watching a TV show about the worst industrial accidents, a man
concludes that all factories are highly dangerous places.
3. Having learned that Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, was a university
dropout, a man concludes that university education is unnecessary. -
ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of someone committing
the availability error?
After watching a documentary about the sinking of the cruise ship Titanic, a
man refuses to travel by boat. - ANSWER Which of the following is a good
example of someone committing the availability error?
When we only look for evidence that agrees with our existing beliefs. -
ANSWER Confirmation Bias is
A man who dislikes dogs routinely scans the news for reports of pit bull
attacks - ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of someone
committing confirmation bias?
1. A man who is afraid of spiders avoids walking in the woods because he
frequently reads articles about poisonous creatures.
2. An activist who lobbies for stronger gun regulation refuses to engage
with gun owners.
3. A parent refuses to let his children play video games because he
consistently reads articles about how video games reduce children's
attention spans. - ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of
someone committing confirmation bias?
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
Confirmation Bias - ANSWER The person in this example is probably
making an error in evaluating evidence. What error are they making?
Di is nervous about getting a flu shot this winter. He visits several websites
and tries to find medical studies showing that there are significant risks to
getting a flu shot. He finds some evidence in these studies that the dangers
may outweigh the benefits, so decides not to get one.
Doubt It - ANSWER If a claim conflicts with other claims we have good
reason to accept, we should probably
A fallacy of appealing to the authority of non-experts - ANSWER The
fallacy of Appeal to Authority is
You see an ad in which a sports star makes a claim that conflicts with your
belief - ANSWER Which of the following is not a clear reason to re-evaluate
a scientific belief that you hold?
When we rely on striking or very memorable evidence - ANSWER The
Availability Error is
popular opinion/celebrity - ANSWER Which of the following is not a good
indicator of expertise?
A man buys a minivan because a football star attests to its high safety
rating. - ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of someone
committing a fallacious appeal to authority?
, A student tells her friend that dogs can have beliefs about beliefs based on
what her Ancient Philosophy professor told her. - ANSWER Which of the
following is a good example of someone committing a fallacious appeal to
authority?
After a conversation with her personal trainer at the gym about it, Maggie
tells a friend that acupuncture is based on the theory of meridians -
ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of someone committing
a fallacious appeal to authority?
1. A man claims that commuting by bike is unsafe, because he saw one
very bad bike accident outside his office window.
2. After watching a TV show about the worst industrial accidents, a man
concludes that all factories are highly dangerous places.
3. Having learned that Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, was a university
dropout, a man concludes that university education is unnecessary. -
ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of someone committing
the availability error?
After watching a documentary about the sinking of the cruise ship Titanic, a
man refuses to travel by boat. - ANSWER Which of the following is a good
example of someone committing the availability error?
When we only look for evidence that agrees with our existing beliefs. -
ANSWER Confirmation Bias is
A man who dislikes dogs routinely scans the news for reports of pit bull
attacks - ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of someone
committing confirmation bias?
1. A man who is afraid of spiders avoids walking in the woods because he
frequently reads articles about poisonous creatures.
2. An activist who lobbies for stronger gun regulation refuses to engage
with gun owners.
3. A parent refuses to let his children play video games because he
consistently reads articles about how video games reduce children's
attention spans. - ANSWER Which of the following is a good example of
someone committing confirmation bias?
