Question 1

Imagine you are out shopping for sneakers with your eight-year-old child.He says to you, "We have to buy Nike sneakers because that's what Michael Jordan wears." What form of "fallacy of relevance" would this be?
A)Begging the question
B)Appeal to authority
C)Appeal to flattery
D)Red Herring

Accepted Answer

This is an appeal to authority because the child is appealing to the authority or expertise of Michael Jordan to argue for the superiority of Nike sneakers.

Question 2

Let's assume you explain to your friend that you are against the death penalty, and your reason is that there are too many people in the world, anyway.What form of "fallacy of relevance" would this be?
A)Appeal to authority
B)Straw Man
C)Red herring
D)Appeal to flattery

Accepted Answer

This statement is a Red Herring fallacy because the argument against the death penalty has nothing to do with there being too many people in the world. This statement is irrelevant and distracting from the actual issue at hand.

Question 3

What type of causal fallacy exists when someone presents a causal relationship for which no real evidence exists?
A)Post hoc ergo propter hoc
B)Slippery slope
C)Misidentification of cause
D)Questionable cause

Accepted Answer

When someone presents a causal relationship for which no real evidence exists, it is referred to as a questionable cause fallacy. This fallacy assumes that one event caused another without any actual evidence to support it.

Question 4

The fallacy of questionable cause occurs when someone presents a causal relationship for which no real evidence exists.

Accepted Answer

The fallacy of questionable cause, also known as post hoc ergo propter hoc, occurs when someone assumes that one event caused another, without providing sufficient evidence to support that claim. This is a common logical fallacy that can lead to incorrect conclusions and faulty reasoning.

Question 5

What do we call a general statement about an entire group made on the basis of observing some members of the group?
A)Fallacy of relevance
B)Causal reasoning
C)Inductive reasoning
D)Empirical generalization

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning is a type of logical reasoning that makes a general statement about an entire group based on observing some members of the group.

Question 6

There are three key criteria for evaluating inductive arguments: Is the sample known? Is the sample sufficient? Is the sample representative?

Accepted Answer

These are the three key criteria for evaluating inductive arguments.

Question 7

Scientists use a reasoning strategy called controlled experiment that can be set up in three ways:cause-to-effect, effect-to-cause, and cause-to-cause.

Accepted Answer

Controlled experiments are primarily designed to test cause-to-effect relationships, not effect-to-cause or cause-to-cause.

Question 8

There is an argument form in which one reasons from premises that are known or assumed to be true to a conclusion that is supported by the premises but does not necessarily follow from them.What do we call this argument form?
A)Deductive reasoning
B)Inductive reasoning
C)Inferential reasoning
D)Invalid argument

Accepted Answer

This argument form is called inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning involves making generalized conclusions based on specific observations or evidence. While the conclusion may be supported by the premises, it is not necessarily guaranteed to be true.

Question 9

What do we call unsound arguments that are often persuasive and appearing to be logical because they usually appeal to our emotions and prejudices, and because they often support conclusions that we want to believe are accurate?
A)Fallacies
B)Irrational beliefs
C)Biases
D)Public opinion

Accepted Answer

These are called fallacies, which are errors in reasoning that can make an argument unsound or invalid. Fallacies can manipulate emotions and biases, therefore appearing persuasive, but ultimately they undermine the credibility of an argument.

Question 10

Consider the following scenario: a mother tells her child that if he doesn't do his homework, he will get failing grades.Then he will probably drop out of school and be unable to get a job, so he will become homeless.What type of "Causal Fallacy" is this?
A)Questionable cause
B)Post hoc ergo propter hoc
C)Slippery slope
D)Misidentification of the cause

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a slippery slope fallacy because it presents an exaggerated chain of events that are not necessarily inevitable or logically connected. The argument suggests that not doing homework will inevitably lead to dropping out of school, unemployment, and homelessness, when in reality there are many factors that contribute to these outcomes and not doing homework may not be the sole cause.

Question 11

The author identifies the following thirteen types of "fallacies of relevance": appeal to authority, appeal to tradition, bandwagon, appeal to pity, appeal to fear, appeal to flattery, special pleading, appeal to ignorance, begging the question, Straw Man, Red Herring, appeal to personal attack, and two wrongs make a right.Suppose you were with your best friend and you happened to mention that your favorite type of music was classical.However, your best friend convinces you that only losers enjoy classical music.So, you stop listening to it.What type of fallacy of relevance would this?
A)Appeal to tradition
B)Appeal to personal attack
C)Bandwagon
D)Appeal to ignorance

Accepted Answer

The answer of The author identifies the following thirteen types...

Question 12

Empirical generalization is a form of inductive reasoning in which a general statement is made about an entire group based on observing some members of the group.

Accepted Answer

Empirical generalization is a form of inductive reasoning where a general statement or conclusion is made about a whole group based on observations made on a sample or subset of the group.

Question 13

What do we call a possible explanation that is introduced to account for a set of facts and that can be used as a basis for further investigation?
A)Conclusion
B)Hypothesis
C)Controlled experiment
D)Insight

Accepted Answer

A possible explanation that is introduced to account for a set of facts is called a hypothesis. It can be used as a basis for further investigation by designing experiments and collecting evidence to support or refute the hypothesis.

Question 14

In the fallacy of special pleading, a person argues that a practice or a way of thinking is "better" or"right" because it has 'always been done that way."

Accepted Answer

The fallacy described is an appeal to tradition, not special pleading. Special pleading involves making an exception to a general rule without proper justification.

Question 15

According to ethical theorists, autonomy is one of the first virtues.People should be free to make their own decisions about things that pertain to them.Therefore, voluntary euthanasia is morally correct.This is an example of what type of generalization?
A)Hasty generalization
B)Empirical generalization
C)Sweeping generalization
D)False dilemma

Accepted Answer

This is a sweeping generalization because it makes a broad and unsubstantiated claim that autonomy is always the first virtue and that voluntary euthanasia is always morally correct, without taking into account any potential exceptions or counterarguments.

Question 16

What do we call a form of inductive reasoning where a student believes that her softball team's recent winning streak is due to the fact that she has been wearing her good luck jersey?
A)False dilemma
B)Empirical generalization
C)Sweeping generalization
D)Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Accepted Answer

The form of inductive reasoning described is post hoc ergo propter hoc, which means "after this, therefore because of this." It assumes that because one event follows another, the first event must be the cause of the second. In this case, the student assumes that wearing her good luck jersey is the reason for the softball team's winning streak, simply because the team has been winning since she started wearing it. This is an example of faulty reasoning, as there could be many other factors contributing to the team's success.

Question 17

If you had a disagreement with a teacher, and the teacher said, "If you continue to disagree with my assessment, I am afraid you won't get a very good grade in my class," what form of "fallacy of relevance" would this be?
A)Appeal to authority
B)Appeal to tradition
C)Red Herring
D)Appeal to fear

Accepted Answer

The teacher's statement is using the fear of receiving a poor grade as a way to persuade the student to accept their assessment. This is an example of the appeal to fear fallacy of relevance.

Question 18

What do we call a form of inductive reasoning in which it is claimed that an event (or events) is the result of the occurrences of another event (or events)?
A)Causal reasoning
B)Deductive reasoning
C)Inferential reasoning
D)Empirical generalization

Accepted Answer

Causal reasoning is a form of inductive reasoning in which it is claimed that an event (or events) is the result of the occurrences of another event (or events). The other options are not the correct terms for this type of reasoning. Deductive reasoning is the process of reaching a conclusion by starting with a general principle or premise and applying it to a specific case. Inferential reasoning is the process of drawing conclusions from available evidence, often using statistical analysis. Empirical generalization is a conclusion drawn from a specific set of observations that is believed to apply to a wider population or situation.

Question 19

Often I have heard female students saying something like, "My boyfriend has never shown any real concern for my feelings; therefore, all men are selfish, insensitive, and emotionally superficial!" What form of generalization would this be?
A)Sweeping generalization
B)Hasty generalization
C)False dilemma
D)Empirical generalization

Accepted Answer

This is a hasty generalization because it draws a broad conclusion about all men based on the limited experience with one individual, without sufficient evidence to support such a universal claim.

Question 20

There are three general guidelines to keep in mind when testing a plausible hypothesis; they are
A)explanatory power, economy, and predictive power.
B)predictive power, reasonability, and precision.
C)explanatory power, reasonability, and precision.
D)reasonability, economy, and predictive power.

Accepted Answer

The three general guidelines for testing a plausible hypothesis include explanatory power (how well the hypothesis explains the phenomena in question), economy (the simplicity of the explanation, also known as Occam's Razor), and predictive power (the ability of the hypothesis to predict future or unseen phenomena). These criteria help in evaluating the effectiveness and reliability of a hypothesis.

Quiz 11: Reasoning Critically

Imagine you are out shopping for sneakers with your eight-year-old child.He says to you, "We have to buy Nike sneakers because that's what Michael Jordan wears." What form of "fallacy of relevance" would this be?

Let's assume you explain to your friend that you are against the death penalty, and your reason is that there are too many people in the world, anyway.What form of "fallacy of relevance" would this be?

What type of causal fallacy exists when someone presents a causal relationship for which no real evidence exists?

The fallacy of questionable cause occurs when someone presents a causal relationship for which no real evidence exists.

What do we call a general statement about an entire group made on the basis of observing some members of the group?

There are three key criteria for evaluating inductive arguments: Is the sample known? Is the sample sufficient? Is the sample representative?

Scientists use a reasoning strategy called controlled experiment that can be set up in three ways:cause-to-effect, effect-to-cause, and cause-to-cause.

There is an argument form in which one reasons from premises that are known or assumed to be true to a conclusion that is supported by the premises but does not necessarily follow from them.What do we call this argument form?

What do we call unsound arguments that are often persuasive and appearing to be logical because they usually appeal to our emotions and prejudices, and because they often support conclusions that we want to believe are accurate?

Consider the following scenario: a mother tells her child that if he doesn't do his homework, he will get failing grades.Then he will probably drop out of school and be unable to get a job, so he will become homeless.What type of "Causal Fallacy" is this?

Empirical generalization is a form of inductive reasoning in which a general statement is made about an entire group based on observing some members of the group.

What do we call a possible explanation that is introduced to account for a set of facts and that can be used as a basis for further investigation?

In the fallacy of special pleading, a person argues that a practice or a way of thinking is "better" or"right" because it has 'always been done that way."

According to ethical theorists, autonomy is one of the first virtues.People should be free to make their own decisions about things that pertain to them.Therefore, voluntary euthanasia is morally correct.This is an example of what type of generalization?

What do we call a form of inductive reasoning where a student believes that her softball team's recent winning streak is due to the fact that she has been wearing her good luck jersey?

If you had a disagreement with a teacher, and the teacher said, "If you continue to disagree with my assessment, I am afraid you won't get a very good grade in my class," what form of "fallacy of relevance" would this be?

What do we call a form of inductive reasoning in which it is claimed that an event (or events) is the result of the occurrences of another event (or events) ?

Often I have heard female students saying something like, "My boyfriend has never shown any real concern for my feelings; therefore, all men are selfish, insensitive, and emotionally superficial!" What form of generalization would this be?

There are three general guidelines to keep in mind when testing a plausible hypothesis; they are