D265 Critical Thinking Reason and Evidence
Questions and Answers latest update 2025
"A recent study found that dairy milk is healthier than soy milk. But that finding is obviously false because the
study was conducted by the dairy industry."
Which fallacy of relevance is depicted in this example?
- Post hoc ergo propter
- Irrelevant appeal
- Begging the question
- Genetic fallacy - ansGenetic fallacy
"If you are not at the game rooting for our high school football team, then you must not have any school
spirit."
Which two statements accurately describe this argument? Choose 2 answers.
- The argument includes a false dichotomy..
- The argument assumes the truth of the conclusion in the premise.
- The argument contains black-and-white thinking.
- The argument mistakes causation for correlation. - ans- The argument includes a false dichotomy.
- The argument contains black-and-white thinking.
"Since we cannot go out until the restaurant opens, and given that we are trying to save money, we should just
hang out here until closer to dinner."
Which statements are the premises of the following argument? Choose 2 answers.
- We cannot go out until the restaurant opens.
- We are trying to save money.
- We should just hang out here until closer to dinner.
,- We can have a good time without spending money. - ans- We cannot go out until the restaurant opens.
- We are trying to save money.
A formal fallacy concerns _______, but an informal fallacy concerns _______. - ansthe structure of an argument
By definition, a formal fallacy concerns the structure of an argument and an informal fallacy concerns the
information contained in the argument's structure.
A formal fallacy is a type of _______. - ansBad argument structure
Formality is associated with structure.
A military veteran is engaged in a heated debate about national security with a reporter who has never served
in the military.
Which response best enables the veteran to undermine the reporter's argument?
- Pointing out that the premise of the reporter's argument is flawed
- Pointing out the reporter's well-known reputation for taking faulty positions
- Pointing out the reporter's affiliation with news networks that are known to have a political slant to their
coverage
- Pointing out that the reporter has never served in the military - ansPointing out that the premise of the
reporter's argument is flawed
A pen is a writing utensil. Sometimes, animals are kept in a pen. Thus, sometimes, animals are kept in a writing
utensil.
What fallacy is found in this argument?
- The fallacy of equivocation
- The fallacy of begging the question
,- The fallacy of sweeping generalization
- The appeal to popularity fallacy - ansThe fallacy of equivocation
Ad Hominem Fallacy (Latin for "to the man") - ansA fallacy of logic in which a person's character or motive is
attacked instead of the person's argument
Aircraft and ships have gone missing all over the planet under unknown circumstances, but a number of these
disappearances have occurred in an area of the North Atlantic Ocean known as the Bermuda Triangle. So the
claim that the Bermuda Triangle is haunted must be true.
Which fallacy of weak induction best describes this argument?
- Burden of proof shifting
- Slippery slope
- Appeal to ignorance
- Texas sharpshooter - ansTexas sharpshooter
Algorithm bubble - ansThe curated and personalized version of online reality that a website shows you when
you log on.
Alief - ansAn automatic belief-like attitude that can explain how our instinctual responses can conflict with our
reasoned-out beliefs.
All dogs are cute. Ginger is a dog. Therefore, Ginger is cute.
Which type of reasoning is illustrated in this example?
- Deductive
- Invalid
- Inductive
- Abductive - ansDeductive
, All dogs can fly. Ginger is a dog. Therefore, Ginger can fly.
Which types of reasoning are illustrated in this example? Choose 2 answers.
- Deductive
- Valid
- True
- Sound - ans- Deductive
- Valid
An individual drops hundreds of objects, and each time they fall to the ground. The individual therefore
concludes that if someone drops a pencil, it will fall.
Which terms describe the argument? Choose 2 answers.
- Deductive
- Valid
- Strong
- Cogent - ans- Strong
- Cogent
appeal to authority fallacy - anserror of accepting a claim merely because an authority figure endorses it
appeal to consequences fallacy - answhen one appeals to the bad (or good) consequences of accepting a claim
as a reason to reject (or accept) it as true.
appeal to force (fallacy of relevance) - answhen one uses a threat to compel agreement with one's claim
Questions and Answers latest update 2025
"A recent study found that dairy milk is healthier than soy milk. But that finding is obviously false because the
study was conducted by the dairy industry."
Which fallacy of relevance is depicted in this example?
- Post hoc ergo propter
- Irrelevant appeal
- Begging the question
- Genetic fallacy - ansGenetic fallacy
"If you are not at the game rooting for our high school football team, then you must not have any school
spirit."
Which two statements accurately describe this argument? Choose 2 answers.
- The argument includes a false dichotomy..
- The argument assumes the truth of the conclusion in the premise.
- The argument contains black-and-white thinking.
- The argument mistakes causation for correlation. - ans- The argument includes a false dichotomy.
- The argument contains black-and-white thinking.
"Since we cannot go out until the restaurant opens, and given that we are trying to save money, we should just
hang out here until closer to dinner."
Which statements are the premises of the following argument? Choose 2 answers.
- We cannot go out until the restaurant opens.
- We are trying to save money.
- We should just hang out here until closer to dinner.
,- We can have a good time without spending money. - ans- We cannot go out until the restaurant opens.
- We are trying to save money.
A formal fallacy concerns _______, but an informal fallacy concerns _______. - ansthe structure of an argument
By definition, a formal fallacy concerns the structure of an argument and an informal fallacy concerns the
information contained in the argument's structure.
A formal fallacy is a type of _______. - ansBad argument structure
Formality is associated with structure.
A military veteran is engaged in a heated debate about national security with a reporter who has never served
in the military.
Which response best enables the veteran to undermine the reporter's argument?
- Pointing out that the premise of the reporter's argument is flawed
- Pointing out the reporter's well-known reputation for taking faulty positions
- Pointing out the reporter's affiliation with news networks that are known to have a political slant to their
coverage
- Pointing out that the reporter has never served in the military - ansPointing out that the premise of the
reporter's argument is flawed
A pen is a writing utensil. Sometimes, animals are kept in a pen. Thus, sometimes, animals are kept in a writing
utensil.
What fallacy is found in this argument?
- The fallacy of equivocation
- The fallacy of begging the question
,- The fallacy of sweeping generalization
- The appeal to popularity fallacy - ansThe fallacy of equivocation
Ad Hominem Fallacy (Latin for "to the man") - ansA fallacy of logic in which a person's character or motive is
attacked instead of the person's argument
Aircraft and ships have gone missing all over the planet under unknown circumstances, but a number of these
disappearances have occurred in an area of the North Atlantic Ocean known as the Bermuda Triangle. So the
claim that the Bermuda Triangle is haunted must be true.
Which fallacy of weak induction best describes this argument?
- Burden of proof shifting
- Slippery slope
- Appeal to ignorance
- Texas sharpshooter - ansTexas sharpshooter
Algorithm bubble - ansThe curated and personalized version of online reality that a website shows you when
you log on.
Alief - ansAn automatic belief-like attitude that can explain how our instinctual responses can conflict with our
reasoned-out beliefs.
All dogs are cute. Ginger is a dog. Therefore, Ginger is cute.
Which type of reasoning is illustrated in this example?
- Deductive
- Invalid
- Inductive
- Abductive - ansDeductive
, All dogs can fly. Ginger is a dog. Therefore, Ginger can fly.
Which types of reasoning are illustrated in this example? Choose 2 answers.
- Deductive
- Valid
- True
- Sound - ans- Deductive
- Valid
An individual drops hundreds of objects, and each time they fall to the ground. The individual therefore
concludes that if someone drops a pencil, it will fall.
Which terms describe the argument? Choose 2 answers.
- Deductive
- Valid
- Strong
- Cogent - ans- Strong
- Cogent
appeal to authority fallacy - anserror of accepting a claim merely because an authority figure endorses it
appeal to consequences fallacy - answhen one appeals to the bad (or good) consequences of accepting a claim
as a reason to reject (or accept) it as true.
appeal to force (fallacy of relevance) - answhen one uses a threat to compel agreement with one's claim
