Leonard is missing a sock. His sister suggests that a friend of his may have snuck into his room while he was sleeping and took the sock as a practical joke. However, Leonard decides it is much more likely that the sock was simply lost when he last did the laundry. What element of critical thinking most likely influenced his decision?
A) skepticism
B) the principle of parsimony
C) tolerance of ambiguity
D) avoiding overly emotional thinking

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The principle of parsimony, also known as Occam's razor, states that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. In this case, Leonard's assumption that the sock was lost in the laundry is a simpler and more likely explanation than his sister's suggestion that a friend snuck into his room to take it.

Leonard Is Missing a Sock