D265 WGU Critical Thinking: Reason
and Evidence OBJECTIVE
ASSESSMENT EXAM
"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 - ANS> Genetic fallacy
"All dogs have four legs. Grover is a dog, because Grover barks like a dog. So
Grover has four legs." Which statement represents indirect support? - ANS>
Grover barks like a dog.
"If magicians can pull rabbits out of hats, then magic is real. Magicians can pull
rabbits out of hats. Therefore, I know that magic is real." Which two statements
represent conjoint support when mapping this example to a body of
propositions? - ANS> If magicians can pull rabbits out of hats, then magic is
real. & Magicians can pull rabbits out of hats.
"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.
,"Peyton is an excellent dentist, so she sings well." Which statement represents
the hidden assumption that would make this argument valid? - ANS> All
excellent dentists sing well.
"Products manufactured in our country are the best because we make the best
automobiles," declared Kennedy. Which two descriptors best characterize
Kennedy's comments? - ANS> An inference & A weak argument & A proposition
"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.
"There are not any good seafood restaurants in this city. I tried two, and they
were both terrible." Which fallacy of weak induction best describes this example?
- ANS> Hasty generalization
95% of American citizens are billionaires. Sam is an American citizen. Therefore,
Sam is a billionaire. Which set of terms classify this argument? - ANS> Valid
and unsound & Strong and uncogent
A flight attendant accidentally spills a drink on a passenger. The passenger tells a
friend that the flight attendants for the airline are incompetent.Which fallacy of
weak induction best describes this example? - ANS> Hasty generalization
A formal fallacy concerns _______, but an informal fallacy concerns _______. -
ANS> the 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 _______. - ANS> Bad argument structure
,Formality is associated with structure.
A FORMAL FALLACY IS A TYPE OF - ANS> Bad Argument 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 - ANS> Pointing
out that the premise of the reporter's argument is flawed
A news outlet issues a correction and an apology for incorrect information it
published. In the absence of further information, what does this news outlet's
action suggest about its credibility? - ANS> The source appears credible
because it is concerned with accuracy.
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 - ANS> The fallacy of equivocation
A person encounters an internet source with a headline of "This is NOT a hoax!"
Which conclusion would be reasonable for this person to make? - ANS> The
content is sensationalized.
A person is buying a car. The car salesperson initially quotes a base price. The
buyer relies on this initial quote to make a purchasing decision despite the
subsequent addition of options that significantly increase the final price. Which
cognitive bias is the buyer exhibiting? - ANS> Anchoring and adjustment
A person is considering what transportation to use when visiting a friend in a
different city. The first thing that comes to mind is a recent news story about a
, train crash. They decide that the train is not a safe travel option. What kind of bias
are they exhibiting? - ANS> Availability bias
A person notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and
other information he sees on the internet mirror his personal likes and dislikes.
Based on this information, what can this person reasonably conclude? - ANS>
Algorithms may be linking him with like-minded information.
A soccer fan buys a jersey with his favorite player's name and number on the
back. When the player's performance decreases, the fan attributes it to the jersey
he bought. Which fallacy of weak induction best describes this argument? -
ANS> Post hoc, ergo propter hoc
A teacher talks with a student about failing to turn in homework. The student
replies by expressing a desire to dress up as a superhero for Halloween. Which
response best matches this fallacy of relevance? - ANS> Red herring
A university student surveys incoming freshmen to understand how students at
the university feel about a proposed tuition increase. Which statements are true
regarding this statistical sample? - ANS> It is not representative. & It is not
random.
Ad Hominem Fallacy (Latin for "to the man") - ANS> A fallacy of logic in which a
person's character or motive is attacked instead of the person's argument
Affirming the Consequent - ANS> is a logical fallacy that involves taking a true
statement and assuming the converse form would be true as well. Formally, we
can represent this fallacy as follows: If X is the case, then Y is also the case. Y is
true, so X must be true as well.
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 - ANS> Texas sharpshooter
and Evidence OBJECTIVE
ASSESSMENT EXAM
"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 - ANS> Genetic fallacy
"All dogs have four legs. Grover is a dog, because Grover barks like a dog. So
Grover has four legs." Which statement represents indirect support? - ANS>
Grover barks like a dog.
"If magicians can pull rabbits out of hats, then magic is real. Magicians can pull
rabbits out of hats. Therefore, I know that magic is real." Which two statements
represent conjoint support when mapping this example to a body of
propositions? - ANS> If magicians can pull rabbits out of hats, then magic is
real. & Magicians can pull rabbits out of hats.
"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.
,"Peyton is an excellent dentist, so she sings well." Which statement represents
the hidden assumption that would make this argument valid? - ANS> All
excellent dentists sing well.
"Products manufactured in our country are the best because we make the best
automobiles," declared Kennedy. Which two descriptors best characterize
Kennedy's comments? - ANS> An inference & A weak argument & A proposition
"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.
"There are not any good seafood restaurants in this city. I tried two, and they
were both terrible." Which fallacy of weak induction best describes this example?
- ANS> Hasty generalization
95% of American citizens are billionaires. Sam is an American citizen. Therefore,
Sam is a billionaire. Which set of terms classify this argument? - ANS> Valid
and unsound & Strong and uncogent
A flight attendant accidentally spills a drink on a passenger. The passenger tells a
friend that the flight attendants for the airline are incompetent.Which fallacy of
weak induction best describes this example? - ANS> Hasty generalization
A formal fallacy concerns _______, but an informal fallacy concerns _______. -
ANS> the 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 _______. - ANS> Bad argument structure
,Formality is associated with structure.
A FORMAL FALLACY IS A TYPE OF - ANS> Bad Argument 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 - ANS> Pointing
out that the premise of the reporter's argument is flawed
A news outlet issues a correction and an apology for incorrect information it
published. In the absence of further information, what does this news outlet's
action suggest about its credibility? - ANS> The source appears credible
because it is concerned with accuracy.
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 - ANS> The fallacy of equivocation
A person encounters an internet source with a headline of "This is NOT a hoax!"
Which conclusion would be reasonable for this person to make? - ANS> The
content is sensationalized.
A person is buying a car. The car salesperson initially quotes a base price. The
buyer relies on this initial quote to make a purchasing decision despite the
subsequent addition of options that significantly increase the final price. Which
cognitive bias is the buyer exhibiting? - ANS> Anchoring and adjustment
A person is considering what transportation to use when visiting a friend in a
different city. The first thing that comes to mind is a recent news story about a
, train crash. They decide that the train is not a safe travel option. What kind of bias
are they exhibiting? - ANS> Availability bias
A person notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and
other information he sees on the internet mirror his personal likes and dislikes.
Based on this information, what can this person reasonably conclude? - ANS>
Algorithms may be linking him with like-minded information.
A soccer fan buys a jersey with his favorite player's name and number on the
back. When the player's performance decreases, the fan attributes it to the jersey
he bought. Which fallacy of weak induction best describes this argument? -
ANS> Post hoc, ergo propter hoc
A teacher talks with a student about failing to turn in homework. The student
replies by expressing a desire to dress up as a superhero for Halloween. Which
response best matches this fallacy of relevance? - ANS> Red herring
A university student surveys incoming freshmen to understand how students at
the university feel about a proposed tuition increase. Which statements are true
regarding this statistical sample? - ANS> It is not representative. & It is not
random.
Ad Hominem Fallacy (Latin for "to the man") - ANS> A fallacy of logic in which a
person's character or motive is attacked instead of the person's argument
Affirming the Consequent - ANS> is a logical fallacy that involves taking a true
statement and assuming the converse form would be true as well. Formally, we
can represent this fallacy as follows: If X is the case, then Y is also the case. Y is
true, so X must be true as well.
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 - ANS> Texas sharpshooter
