WGU D265 Critical Thinking Reason and Evidence Exam 2025

A person is shopping for a new suit. A suit that was originally sold for $1,000 was on sale for $400. Believing this deal was too good to pass up, the buyer purchased the suit, even though they had planned on only spending $300 What cognitive bias did the buyer exhibit? - -Anchoring and Adjusting The buyer first becomes anchored to the original price ($1,000). Because the suit was being sold for only $400 (adjusting) You should only buy used cars because new cars are expensive and often lose the value the moment you drive it off the lot. So, who wouldn't want to save money. What is the conclusion of the given argument? - -You should only buy used cars (who wouldn't want to save money) is actually not a proposition. So it is not a part of the argument. Amanda would probably be a great boss because she was born on a Tuesday. Which descriptor best describes this? - -An inference A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning. Which sentence is a simple proposition? - -WGU is an online school. An individual statement that can be true or false. Whenever I smell hamburgers on the grill, it usually means my neighbor is hosting a party. I am currently smelling hamburgers, so he is hosting a party. Which term best describes this argument? - -Inductive Inductive arguments intend to make their conclusions possible. Abraham Lincoln was 9 feet tall. Which descriptor accurately characterizes this sentence? - -Statement A sentence that can be true or false. She has eaten lunch every day at noon for 45 years. Therefore, she will eat lunch tomorrow at noon as well. Which term best describes this argument? - -Strong Arguments, whose conclusion is a claim about the future, where it is made based on the way things have typically happened in the past, are inductive. Even if the experience provides us a good basis for making predictions, the future is not fully knowable and can always surprise us. All dogs have fleas. Molly is a dog. So, Molly has fleas. Which term best describes the argument? - -Deductive Deductive arguments intend to make a claim 100% guaranteed. WGU D265 WGU D265 Paper is flammable because paper burns. What type of logic error is this an example of? - -Begging the question. A circular argument in which the premise of an argument assumes the truth of the conclusion. Most WGU students take out student loans. You are a WGU student. Therefore, you probably took out a student loan. Which set of terms classify this argument? - -Strong and cogent. Inductive arguments can be intending to present probably conclusions. Suggesting that you probably took out a loan, makes this argument inductive. Inductive arguments are strong. The words valid, sound, and unsound only apply to deductive arguments. Since the premises are actually true the argument is cogent. The argument is also strong because it's structure is still good. When asked if she thought banning guns would make our schools safer, Maria suggested that we should also increase funding for school counselors. Because Maria committed the red herring fallacy, it is clear that banning guns will not make our schools safer. Which type of logic error is this an example of? - -The fallacy fallacy. When someone uses the fact that a fallacy was committed to justify rejecting the conclusion of an argument. If you have a Ferrari, then you are popular. You are popular, so you must have a Ferrari. This is an example of which type of logical error? - -Affirming the consequent. The then clause is called the consequent. You are affirming the then-clause, which is the consequent. Which statement is accurate regarding bias in newspapers? - -All newspapers have bias, but some are more credible than others. Critical thinking perspective teaches that while all sources have bias, some are more credible than others. What statement is most accurate regarding the credibility of information sources? - Sources that apologize for mistakes are more likely credible than those that do not. Sources that consider the possibility that their assessment is wrong, consider the other side fairly, and/or consider counter arguments to their analysis are more likely to be credible than sources that insist they are correct. Before trusting a source, Josue takes time to identify the author. Why is this important? - -It helps Josue determine if the author has relevant expertise. What should a critical thinker do if they are uncertain about the reliability of a source? - They should cross-reference the source with additional source materials. Critical thinking perspective never suggests for us to personally verify every source. WGU D265 WGU D265 "Trust me," the news broadcaster said. "I am giving you just the facts, free from bias." What is a logical reaction to this claim? - -"This can't be true, because all sources contain bias." Which statement illustrates the principle of charity? - -"Rebecca mentioned that she has saved enough for retirement. It's nice to hear that she is feeling confident about her preparedness." In critical thinking we are called to try and interpret other's reasoning in the best possible light. Which is true about heuristics? - -Heuristics help individuals make quick decisions. Also known as "rules of thumbs" or "mental shortcuts" System 1 thinking is fast, automatic. According to the hundreds of people I interviewed at the Daytona 500 NASCAR race, NASCAR is the best sport to watch live. This proves that Americans enjoy going to NASCAR races more than football or baseball games. Which concept does this example illustrate? - -Selection bias. Selection bias happens when the same we generalize from isn't large enough or representative of the total population. Because Noah believes LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of all time, he ignores any sports commentator who argues that Michael Jordan was. Which concept does this illustrate? - -Confirmation bias. Confirmation bias occurs when we seek out or trust information that confirms or supports the beliefs we already have. A ten-story apartment complex surveys everyone on the first floor to understand how they feel about a new law that would restrict pets. Which statement is true regarding this statistical sample? - -The sample is not representative. Because they only interviewed the people on the first floor, they are unable to get an accurate picture of how all of the representatives feel about the law. When scrolling through TikTok, Lawrence notices that most people agree with his political views. Based on this information, what conclusion can Lawrence reasonably have regarding his political view? - -He cannot conclude anything. Social media algorithms often match us with like-minded individuals and/or simply show information/sources that it predicts that we will enjoy. Kristi is asked by her parents what she will do for a job after she graduates. The first thing Kristi thinks of is a presentation she saw earlier that day from a Navy recruiter on how enlisted sailers get to "see the world." Kristi tells her parents that she would probably enlist in the Navy. What kind of bias is Kristi exhibiting? - -Availability bias. This is when an individual uses information that is easily available while not considering unknown information. WGU D265 WGU D265 "Why would you consider buying a Kia? My mom's Kia gave her nothing but trouble. It is clear you can't trust anything Kia makes!" Which fallacy best describes this example? - Hasty generalization. This fallacy occurs when someone generalizes too quickly about a group of people, things, or events. "I know you are upset I'm late for work again. But just look how clean my workspace is!" Which fallacy best describes this example? - -Red herring. This fallacy is committed whenever someone introduces an irrelevant topic or changes the topic. The new action movie will either make a billion dollars or no one will see it. Which fallacy best describes this example? - -False dichotomy. (false choice, false dilemma, or black and white reasoning) Occurs when one presumes there are fewer options than there actually are. If you don't study, then you'll fail the test. If you fail the test, then you'll get kicked out of school. Then, before you know it, you'll be homeless on the streets. I'm sure you don't want that, so you better go study! What fallacy best describes this example? - -Slippery slope. Occurs when someone argues that one event will eventually lead to some further, usually disastrous, event. "Caroline is a nurse, so Caroline should be paid $100,000 a year." Which statement represents the hidden assumption that would make this argument valid? - -All nurses should be paid $100,000 a year. IF it were true that Caroline is a nurse and IF it were true all nurses should be paid 100k a year, would my conclusion HAVE to be true? In this case, yes- which makes this a valid argument. "Henry works in finance, so he probably drives a Porsche." Which statement represents the hidden assumption that would best complete this argument? - -Most people who work in finance drive Porches. This provides strong support for the conclusion. WGU students are night owls. Malik is a WGU student, because he just enrolled. So, Malik is a night owl. Which statement provides indirect support? - -He just enrolled. This is showing indirect support because it does not directly support the conclusion. "If you save your money, then you can retire in comfort. My grandfather saved his money so he can retire in comfort. What an inspiration!" Whic