Logical Fallacy Test UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
fallacy - CORRECT ANSWER - an error in reasoning
accent - CORRECT ANSWER - distortion in figures or facts to make the offer seem more
affordable/attractive
accent example - CORRECT ANSWER - the SUV costs $24999
accident - CORRECT ANSWER - occurs when a general rule is misapplied to a particular
situation
accident example - CORRECT ANSWER - the Bible says, "thou shalt not kill," but every
time you eat meat you are killing an animal
ad baculum - CORRECT ANSWER - appeal to force- the attempt to support a belief or
proposition by threatening one who refuses to believe; the idea that someone is powerful does
not warrant the conclusion that they are right
ad baculum example - CORRECT ANSWER - you had better agree that the new company
policy is the best bet if you expect to keep your job; NAFTA is wrong, and if you don't vote
against NAFTA then we will vote you out of the office
ad hominem - CORRECT ANSWER - "to the man"; when, instead of attacking a person's
position or argument, the arguer attacks the person on irrelevant grounds. The attempt to
discredit an idea or proposition by pointing to some flaw or fault in the behavior or character of
the person who is the source of the idea or proposition
ad hominem examples - CORRECT ANSWER - you may argue that God doesn't exist, but
you are just following a fad; we should discount that Premier Klein says about taxation because
he won't be hurt by the increase; we should disregard Share B.C.'s argument becasue they are
, being funded by the logging industry; you say I shouldn't drink, but you haven't been sober for
more than a year
ad ignorantiam - CORRECT ANSWER - arguments of this form assume that since
something has not been proven false, it is therefore true; conversely, if something has not been
proven true, it is therefore false
ad ignorantiam examples - CORRECT ANSWER - since you cannot prove that ghosts do
not exist, they must exist; since scientists cannot prove that global warming will occur, it
probably won't; Fred said that he is smarter than Jill, but he didn't prove it, so it must be false
ad misericordiam - CORRECT ANSWER - appeal for sympathy
ad misericordiam example - CORRECT ANSWER - pictures of starving children in
Ethiopia and Kenya
ad populum - CORRECT ANSWER - the arguer appeals to the popularity of an idea or of
an attitude as a justification
ad populum examples - CORRECT ANSWER - if you were beautiful, you could live like
this, so buy Buty-EZ and become beautiful; Polls suggest that the Liberals will form a majority
government, so you may as well vote for them; everyone knows that the Earth is flat, so why do
you persist in your outlandish claims
ad vericundiam - CORRECT ANSWER - appeal to authority
ad vericundiam example - CORRECT ANSWER - nine out of ten dentists agree; buy
Lebron James shoes to bring your basketball game
affirming the consequent - CORRECT ANSWER - if you assert a hypothetical proposition
and you also assert the consequent of that hypothetical, and think that these two assertions prove
the conclusion; If A then B, B, therefore, A
Questions and CORRECT Answers
fallacy - CORRECT ANSWER - an error in reasoning
accent - CORRECT ANSWER - distortion in figures or facts to make the offer seem more
affordable/attractive
accent example - CORRECT ANSWER - the SUV costs $24999
accident - CORRECT ANSWER - occurs when a general rule is misapplied to a particular
situation
accident example - CORRECT ANSWER - the Bible says, "thou shalt not kill," but every
time you eat meat you are killing an animal
ad baculum - CORRECT ANSWER - appeal to force- the attempt to support a belief or
proposition by threatening one who refuses to believe; the idea that someone is powerful does
not warrant the conclusion that they are right
ad baculum example - CORRECT ANSWER - you had better agree that the new company
policy is the best bet if you expect to keep your job; NAFTA is wrong, and if you don't vote
against NAFTA then we will vote you out of the office
ad hominem - CORRECT ANSWER - "to the man"; when, instead of attacking a person's
position or argument, the arguer attacks the person on irrelevant grounds. The attempt to
discredit an idea or proposition by pointing to some flaw or fault in the behavior or character of
the person who is the source of the idea or proposition
ad hominem examples - CORRECT ANSWER - you may argue that God doesn't exist, but
you are just following a fad; we should discount that Premier Klein says about taxation because
he won't be hurt by the increase; we should disregard Share B.C.'s argument becasue they are
, being funded by the logging industry; you say I shouldn't drink, but you haven't been sober for
more than a year
ad ignorantiam - CORRECT ANSWER - arguments of this form assume that since
something has not been proven false, it is therefore true; conversely, if something has not been
proven true, it is therefore false
ad ignorantiam examples - CORRECT ANSWER - since you cannot prove that ghosts do
not exist, they must exist; since scientists cannot prove that global warming will occur, it
probably won't; Fred said that he is smarter than Jill, but he didn't prove it, so it must be false
ad misericordiam - CORRECT ANSWER - appeal for sympathy
ad misericordiam example - CORRECT ANSWER - pictures of starving children in
Ethiopia and Kenya
ad populum - CORRECT ANSWER - the arguer appeals to the popularity of an idea or of
an attitude as a justification
ad populum examples - CORRECT ANSWER - if you were beautiful, you could live like
this, so buy Buty-EZ and become beautiful; Polls suggest that the Liberals will form a majority
government, so you may as well vote for them; everyone knows that the Earth is flat, so why do
you persist in your outlandish claims
ad vericundiam - CORRECT ANSWER - appeal to authority
ad vericundiam example - CORRECT ANSWER - nine out of ten dentists agree; buy
Lebron James shoes to bring your basketball game
affirming the consequent - CORRECT ANSWER - if you assert a hypothetical proposition
and you also assert the consequent of that hypothetical, and think that these two assertions prove
the conclusion; If A then B, B, therefore, A
