Question 1

Comparative reasoning can captivate our imaginations and move us emotionally. But, comparative inferences are notoriously weak and unreliable, from a __________________ point of view.
A) logical
B) heuristic
C) rhetorical
D) conversational

Accepted Answer

Comparative reasoning is often based on subjective and emotional factors, and not on objective and logical analysis. Therefore, its inferences are weak and unreliable from a logical point of view. Heuristics refer to mental shortcuts that people use to make decisions, and rhetorical and conversational are not relevant to the question.

Question 2

Words like apt, insightful, vivid, silly, and superficial are better for evaluating sentences that assert comparisons than words like ________.
A) simple or complex
B) testable or untestable
C) true or false
D) comprehensive or incomplete
E) familiar or obscure

Accepted Answer

Words like apt, insightful, vivid, silly, and superficial are qualitative and subjective, making them suitable for evaluating the style or depth of comparisons. In contrast, "true or false" is used for evaluating the factual accuracy of a statement, not its qualitative aspects or the manner in which comparisons are made.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of an argument based on comparative reasoning?
A) I think John is Susan's younger brother. So, they have the same mother or the same father.
B) John's mother always drives John and Susan to school, but she does not pick them up after school.
C) John and Susan both have hair the color of harvest wheat on a sunny day. They must be brother and sister.
D) Every day after school John and Susan walk to the bus stop together.
E) Although younger, John is taller than Susan, but Susan is tall compared to her classmates.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

In court when a lawyer argues that a legal precedent applies, the lawyer is using what kind of reasoning to make his or her point?
A) comparative
B) ideological
C) empirical
D) causal
E) correlational

Accepted Answer

The lawyer is comparing the current case to a previous case that has established a legal precedent, and is using this comparison to argue that the same ruling should apply in the current case. This is known as comparative reasoning.

Question 5

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called testability refers to is the ________.
A) measure of the relative absence of complexity of the comparison
B) extent to which a comparison captures a greater number of central or essential features
C) degree of knowledge the listener has about the object to which the unknown is being compared
D) capacity to project consequences that have the potential to be shown to be false, inapplicable, or unacceptable
E) capacity to suggest consequences that go beyond those mentioned in the initial comparison

Accepted Answer

Testability refers to the ability to test or verify the projected consequences of a comparative inference. This means that the projection should have the potential to be shown to be false, inapplicable, or unacceptable, allowing it to be confirmed or refuted.

Question 6

Comparative reasoning is the process of ____________.
A) culling the most viable options for a solution from a pool of both good and bad options
B) creating lists of pros and cons in order to compare two different options or ideas
C) comparing one expert's opinion on a subject to another expert's opinion on the same subject
D) using what is more familiar to make interpretations, explanations, or inferences about what is less familiar

Accepted Answer

Comparative reasoning involves using familiar concepts to understand or make inferences about less familiar ones.

Question 7

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called comprehensiveness refers to is the ________.
A) measure of the relative absence of complexity of the comparison
B) extent to which a comparison captures a greater number of central or essential features
C) degree of knowledge the listener has about the object to which the unknown is being compared
D) capacity to project consequences that have the potential to be shown to be false, inapplicable, or unacceptable
E) capacity to suggest consequences that go beyond those mentioned in the initial comparison.

Accepted Answer

Comprehensiveness refers to the extent to which a comparison captures a greater number of central or essential features. It is not related to the absence or complexity of the comparison, the degree of knowledge the listener has or the capacity to project consequences that may be false or unacceptable. It can suggest consequences beyond those mentioned in the initial comparison, but that is not the primary focus of comprehensiveness.

Question 8

Which of the following does not primarily depend upon comparative reasoning?
A) Comparisons are like a fine set of carpentry tools-you have to know a tool's purpose, or else it will be useless to you.
B) Just as there are myriad flowering plants in a well-tended garden, people cultivate an exceptional variety of ways to express comparative reasoning.
C) Using comparative reasoning as the firm foundation for logically strong arguments is like trying to build a house out of straw in a swamp.
D) "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all," said Hypatia of Alexandria more than fifteen hundred years ago.

Accepted Answer

Choice D does not mention or rely on comparative reasoning, unlike the other options which all include comparisons or analogies to explain their points.

Question 9

Which criterion for a successful comparison does this example have the most difficulty satisfying? "Like a personal spiritual security detail, each of us has an invisible spirit protector who watches over us, guides us away from danger, and helps us know right from wrong."
A) familiarity
B) simplicity
C) comprehensiveness
D) productivity
E) testability

Accepted Answer

The statement presents a belief or claim that cannot be tested or proven through empirical evidence, making it difficult to compare with other ideas using objective criteria. Therefore, it has the most difficulty satisfying the criterion of testability.

Question 10

Which of the following primarily depends upon comparative reasoning?
A) Randolph knows that John Glenn was a senator. John Glenn was an astronaut. Therefore Randolph knows that John Glenn was an astronaut.
B) The animal rights activists defended themselves by saying: "We did not steal any animals from the lab. We rescued those monkeys because they were the helpless victims of torture."
C) Everyone loves ice cream. Children love ice cream. So, everyone's a child.
D) Either we'll study together tonight for tomorrow's exam, or we will both blow it off. I'm too tired to study tonight. So, we're going to blow it off.

Accepted Answer

Comparative reasoning involves drawing a conclusion based on a comparison. In option B, the animal rights activists are comparing the act of stealing animals versus rescuing them, and arguing that their actions were justified. Options A, C, and D do not rely on comparative reasoning.

Question 11

When scientific investigators develop and apply a theoretical model in the creative search for novel solutions to problems, they are using which kind of reasoning?
A) comparative
B) ideological
C) empirical
D) causal
E) correlational

Accepted Answer

The answer of When scientific investigators develop and apply a...

Question 12

Which criterion for a successful comparison does this example have the most difficulty satisfying? "Asking a member of Congress to explain the income tax code is like asking a fifteen year old to explain their math homework."
A) familiarity
B) simplicity
C) productivity
D) testability

Accepted Answer

The criterion of testability, or the ability to be proven or observed, is difficult to satisfy with this comparison because there is no way to objectively measure or prove how difficult it is to understand the income tax code or a fifteen year old's math homework. It is a subjective comparison based on the speaker's opinion.

Question 13

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called productivity refers to is the ________.
A) measure of the relative absence of complexity of the comparison
B) extent to which a comparison captures a greater number of central or essential features
C) degree of knowledge the listener has about the object to which the unknown is being compared
D) capacity to project consequences that have the potential to be shown to be false, inapplicable, or unacceptable
E) capacity to suggest consequences that go beyond those mentioned in the initial comparison

Accepted Answer

Productivity in the context of comparative inference refers to the capacity to suggest consequences that extend beyond the initial points of comparison, allowing for the generation of new insights or hypotheses.

Question 14

When we humans notice something that looks familiar about the new experience, something, which we believe we can understand because of its familiarity, our natural tendency is to try to expand our understanding of the larger new experience from that initial point. Which mental capacity, woven into our very DNA, enables us to do this?
A) our capacity to go many days without food
B) our capacity to recognize patterns
C) our capacity to enjoy music and poetry
D) our capacity to use, make, and adapt tools

Accepted Answer

Our capacity to recognize patterns is essential for our ability to expand our understanding of a new experience based on familiar aspects. This ability is inherent in our DNA and is responsible for our ability to learn and adapt to new situations. The other options (A, C, and D) are not directly related to this mental capacity.

Question 15

The most useful comparisons are those that are based upon structural, functional, central, and essential features to ____________ how we might understand that which is less familiar based on what we know about that which is more familiar.
A) validly infer
B) determine
C) justify
D) suggest

Accepted Answer

The answer of The most useful comparisons are those that...

Question 16

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called simplicity refers to is the ________.
A) measure of the relative absence of complexity of the comparison
B) extent to which a comparison captures a greater number of central or essential features
C) degree of knowledge the listener has about the object to which the unknown is being compared
D) is the capacity to project consequences that have the potential to be shown to be false, inapplicable, or unacceptable
E) is the capacity to suggest consequences that go beyond those mentioned in the initial comparison

Accepted Answer

The simplicity criterion refers to the relative absence of complexity in the comparison.

Question 17

What is another term for comparative reasoning?
A) pro-and-con thinking
B) give-and-take thinking
C) this-is-like-that thinking
D) bottom-up thinking
E) top-down thinking

Accepted Answer

Comparative reasoning involves drawing similarities and differences between two or more things. "This-is-like-that thinking" is another way of describing this type of reasoning.

Question 18

Although powerfully persuasive, comparisons are risky. Their soundness, logical strength, and relevance can easily be _______________.
A) demonstrated
B) questioned
C) confirmed
D) validated
E) ignored

Accepted Answer

The sentence suggests that comparisons can be risky because their soundness, logical strength, and relevance can be questioned. This implies that comparisons are not always airtight and can be subject to criticism or doubt. Therefore, the best choice is B, questioned. The other options (demonstrated, confirmed, validated, and ignored) do not capture the uncertain nature of comparisons and how they can be challenged.

Question 19

Which of the following primarily depends upon comparative reasoning?
A) To those who would dismiss evolution as "only a theory," The National Center for Science Education Web site proposes this analogy: "Evolution is only a theory in the same way that Universal Gravity is only a theory."
B) A good number of residents of Iowa enjoy reading popular fiction. Some who enjoy popular fiction also enjoy windsurfing on their local beaches. So, a good number of residents of Iowa enjoy windsurfing on their local beaches.
C) It is in each person's financial interest to cheat a little on his or her income tax return. So, it is financially good for the nation if people cheat on their taxes.
D) Whenever I play the lottery, the number I put in is my birthday. If that's not my lucky number, then I don't have one.

Accepted Answer

Comparative reasoning involves making comparisons between two things or ideas. In this case, the analogy comparing evolution to Universal Gravity is a comparison between two scientific theories.

Question 20

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called familiarity refers to is the ________.
A) measure of the relative absence of complexity of the comparison
B) extent to which a comparison captures a greater number of central or essential features
C) degree of knowledge the listener has about the object to which the unknown is being compared
D) is the capacity to project consequences that have the potential to be shown to be false, inapplicable, or unacceptable
E) is the capacity to suggest consequences that go beyond those mentioned in the initial comparison

Accepted Answer

Familiarity refers to the degree of knowledge the listener has about the object to which the unknown is being compared. This means that the more familiar the listener is with the object being compared, the more successful the comparative inference will be.

Quiz 12: Comparative Reasoning

Comparative reasoning can captivate our imaginations and move us emotionally. But, comparative inferences are notoriously weak and unreliable, from a __________________ point of view.

Words like apt, insightful, vivid, silly, and superficial are better for evaluating sentences that assert comparisons than words like ________.

Which of the following is an example of an argument based on comparative reasoning?

In court when a lawyer argues that a legal precedent applies, the lawyer is using what kind of reasoning to make his or her point?

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called testability refers to is the ________.

Comparative reasoning is the process of ____________.

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called comprehensiveness refers to is the ________.

Which of the following does not primarily depend upon comparative reasoning?

Which criterion for a successful comparison does this example have the most difficulty satisfying? "Like a personal spiritual security detail, each of us has an invisible spirit protector who watches over us, guides us away from danger, and helps us know right from wrong."

Which of the following primarily depends upon comparative reasoning?

When scientific investigators develop and apply a theoretical model in the creative search for novel solutions to problems, they are using which kind of reasoning?

Which criterion for a successful comparison does this example have the most difficulty satisfying? "Asking a member of Congress to explain the income tax code is like asking a fifteen year old to explain their math homework."

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called productivity refers to is the ________.

The most useful comparisons are those that are based upon structural, functional, central, and essential features to ____________ how we might understand that which is less familiar based on what we know about that which is more familiar.

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called simplicity refers to is the ________.

What is another term for comparative reasoning?

Although powerfully persuasive, comparisons are risky. Their soundness, logical strength, and relevance can easily be _______________.

Which of the following primarily depends upon comparative reasoning?

A successful comparative inference will satisfy five criteria, the one called familiarity refers to is the ________.