WGU D265 Critical Thinking: 300
Must-Know Questions & Answers
with Rationales Already Graded
A+[MOST RECENT!!]
Q1: All bears are wild. Smokey is a bear. Therefore, Smokey is wild.
Which term describes this argument?
• Answer: Deductive
• Rationale: This is a classic deductive syllogism. If the premises are
true, the conclusion necessarily follows.
Q2: A student states: "Road A is straight. Road B is winding. Roads A
and B intersect." Which term describes this type of argument?
• Answer: Non-argument
• Rationale: The statement contains no conclusion being drawn
from premises. It is simply describing facts without making an
inferential claim.
Q3: A professor of logic stated: 1 + 1 = 2, 4 - 2 = 2, hence 1 + 1 = 4 -
2. What structure represents the premise?
• Answer: A+B=C, D+E=C
• Rationale: Both calculations equal the same result (2), establishing
equivalence.
Q4: A mother tells her child, "Because I said so." Which fallacy is
this?
• Answer: Appeal to Unqualified Authority / Begging the Question
, • Rationale: The mother provides no actual reason beyond her own
authority.
Q5: A hiker claims that Big Foot is real. When asked for evidence,
the hiker replies, "prove Big Foot is not real." Which fallacy is
committed?
• Answer: Appeal to Ignorance (Burden of Proof fallacy)
• Rationale: The hiker shifts the burden of proof onto the skeptic
rather than providing positive evidence.
Q6: "Since you have not been able to prove you did not steal the
bicycle, I will assume you are guilty." Which fallacy is this?
• Answer: Appeal to Ignorance / Burden of Proof fallacy
• Rationale: This incorrectly places the burden of proof on the
accused to prove innocence.
Q7: "I am a scientist, then I am intelligent. I am not a scientist.
Therefore, I am not intelligent." Which fallacy is this?
• Answer: Denying the Antecedent
• Rationale: This is a formal fallacy: If A, then C. Not A, therefore not
C.
Q8: Which of the following is an example of confirmation bias?
• Answer: A person ignores new studies that contradict their beliefs,
while accepting new studies that agree with their beliefs.
• Rationale: This is the classic definition of confirmation bias—
seeking and favoring information that confirms pre-existing beliefs.
Q9: Which sentence is a non-proposition? Where are the keys to my
car?
• Answer: Where are the keys to my car?
, • Rationale: A non-proposition is a sentence that cannot be
classified as true or false, such as a question.
Q10: Which sentence expresses a complex proposition? The cat ate
the food, but did not like it.
• Answer: The cat ate the food, but did not like it.
• Rationale: This combines two simple propositions ("The cat ate the
food" and "It did not like it") with the connector "but".
Q11: Which sentence is a proposition? Mangino's has the best pizza.
• Answer: Mangino's has the best pizza.
• Rationale: This is a statement that can be either true or false.
Q12: Which term is indicated by these words: because, for, given
that, as, since?
• Answer: A premise
• Rationale: These are premise indicator words, signaling a reason
or evidence supporting a conclusion.
Q13: What term is indicated by these words: therefore, so, it follows
that, thus, we may conclude that?
• Answer: A conclusion
• Rationale: These are conclusion indicator words, signaling the
main point the argument is trying to prove.
Q14: Which of these consists of one or more premises and one
conclusion?
• Answer: An argument
• Rationale: By definition, an argument is a set of premises intended
to support a conclusion.
, Q15: Which of these contain premises/reasons which provide
evidence that its conclusion is (probably/likely) to be true?
• Answer: An inductive argument
• Rationale: Inductive arguments aim for probability; the premises
make the conclusion likely but not certain.
Q16: Which of these terms demonstrates when a conclusion follows
from the premises/reasons, and is based on the structure of the
argument and not about whether the statement is realistically true?
• Answer: Valid
• Rationale: Validity is a property of the argument's structure. A
valid deductive argument's conclusion must be true if the premises
are true.
Q17: Which of these relies on an argument being valid first, and
then also having true premises?
• Answer: Sound
• Rationale: A sound argument is a valid argument with all true
premises.
Q18: What is an argument that contains bad reasoning?
• Answer: A fallacy
• Rationale: A fallacy is a common error in reasoning.
Q19: What is the tendency to accept evidence that agrees or
supports our existing thoughts and beliefs, while rejecting evidence
that disagrees or challenges them?
• Answer: Confirmation bias
• Rationale: This is the definition of confirmation bias.
Must-Know Questions & Answers
with Rationales Already Graded
A+[MOST RECENT!!]
Q1: All bears are wild. Smokey is a bear. Therefore, Smokey is wild.
Which term describes this argument?
• Answer: Deductive
• Rationale: This is a classic deductive syllogism. If the premises are
true, the conclusion necessarily follows.
Q2: A student states: "Road A is straight. Road B is winding. Roads A
and B intersect." Which term describes this type of argument?
• Answer: Non-argument
• Rationale: The statement contains no conclusion being drawn
from premises. It is simply describing facts without making an
inferential claim.
Q3: A professor of logic stated: 1 + 1 = 2, 4 - 2 = 2, hence 1 + 1 = 4 -
2. What structure represents the premise?
• Answer: A+B=C, D+E=C
• Rationale: Both calculations equal the same result (2), establishing
equivalence.
Q4: A mother tells her child, "Because I said so." Which fallacy is
this?
• Answer: Appeal to Unqualified Authority / Begging the Question
, • Rationale: The mother provides no actual reason beyond her own
authority.
Q5: A hiker claims that Big Foot is real. When asked for evidence,
the hiker replies, "prove Big Foot is not real." Which fallacy is
committed?
• Answer: Appeal to Ignorance (Burden of Proof fallacy)
• Rationale: The hiker shifts the burden of proof onto the skeptic
rather than providing positive evidence.
Q6: "Since you have not been able to prove you did not steal the
bicycle, I will assume you are guilty." Which fallacy is this?
• Answer: Appeal to Ignorance / Burden of Proof fallacy
• Rationale: This incorrectly places the burden of proof on the
accused to prove innocence.
Q7: "I am a scientist, then I am intelligent. I am not a scientist.
Therefore, I am not intelligent." Which fallacy is this?
• Answer: Denying the Antecedent
• Rationale: This is a formal fallacy: If A, then C. Not A, therefore not
C.
Q8: Which of the following is an example of confirmation bias?
• Answer: A person ignores new studies that contradict their beliefs,
while accepting new studies that agree with their beliefs.
• Rationale: This is the classic definition of confirmation bias—
seeking and favoring information that confirms pre-existing beliefs.
Q9: Which sentence is a non-proposition? Where are the keys to my
car?
• Answer: Where are the keys to my car?
, • Rationale: A non-proposition is a sentence that cannot be
classified as true or false, such as a question.
Q10: Which sentence expresses a complex proposition? The cat ate
the food, but did not like it.
• Answer: The cat ate the food, but did not like it.
• Rationale: This combines two simple propositions ("The cat ate the
food" and "It did not like it") with the connector "but".
Q11: Which sentence is a proposition? Mangino's has the best pizza.
• Answer: Mangino's has the best pizza.
• Rationale: This is a statement that can be either true or false.
Q12: Which term is indicated by these words: because, for, given
that, as, since?
• Answer: A premise
• Rationale: These are premise indicator words, signaling a reason
or evidence supporting a conclusion.
Q13: What term is indicated by these words: therefore, so, it follows
that, thus, we may conclude that?
• Answer: A conclusion
• Rationale: These are conclusion indicator words, signaling the
main point the argument is trying to prove.
Q14: Which of these consists of one or more premises and one
conclusion?
• Answer: An argument
• Rationale: By definition, an argument is a set of premises intended
to support a conclusion.
, Q15: Which of these contain premises/reasons which provide
evidence that its conclusion is (probably/likely) to be true?
• Answer: An inductive argument
• Rationale: Inductive arguments aim for probability; the premises
make the conclusion likely but not certain.
Q16: Which of these terms demonstrates when a conclusion follows
from the premises/reasons, and is based on the structure of the
argument and not about whether the statement is realistically true?
• Answer: Valid
• Rationale: Validity is a property of the argument's structure. A
valid deductive argument's conclusion must be true if the premises
are true.
Q17: Which of these relies on an argument being valid first, and
then also having true premises?
• Answer: Sound
• Rationale: A sound argument is a valid argument with all true
premises.
Q18: What is an argument that contains bad reasoning?
• Answer: A fallacy
• Rationale: A fallacy is a common error in reasoning.
Q19: What is the tendency to accept evidence that agrees or
supports our existing thoughts and beliefs, while rejecting evidence
that disagrees or challenges them?
• Answer: Confirmation bias
• Rationale: This is the definition of confirmation bias.
