1.
"When I turn on the radio, my dishwasher stops
working." What would you have to add to this to make it an example of the
False Clause Fallacy?
A) I like listening to loud music vs. soft music.
B) It must be that the radio somehow affects the dishwasher.
C) I should call the dishwasher repairman.
D) I hate it when I can't get my dishwasher to work.
Correct Answer(s): B
2.
Which of the following statements about generalizations is
true?
A) They are always accurate and unbiased.
B) They are always based on systematically gathered data.
C) They can be deceptively fallacious.
D) They are most accurate when based on personal
observations.
Correct Answer(s): C
3.
"I always wear my lucky necklace. Even though I don't
always have a good day when I wear it, if I don't, I just know I'll have a bad
day." This is an example of which of the following?
A) Dilemma Fallacy
B) Gambler's Fallacy
C) Constructive Fallacy
D) Aesthetic Fallacy
Correct Answer(s): B
4.
"If you skip a class in college..." How would you
finish this sentence to make it an example of the Slippery Slope Fallacy?
A) you should ask a classmate for the notes.
B) you must attend the exam.
C) you will never finish your degree.
D) you can't drop it after a certain date.
Correct Answer(s): C
5.
Karl is notorious for playing with numbers when presenting
information to his colleagues. Which of the following would he be most likely
to say?
A) A total of 50% of all Americans own a home. That means
half of all Americans own a home.
B) The box says 8 out of 10 doctors approve it. That means
80% of all doctors approve it.
C) Nine out of 10 of our colleagues who were polled approve
of the new human resources policies.
D) The average male makes 20% more than the average female
in the same job. That means men are paid more than women.
Correct Answer(s): B
6.
Each time Gary eats peanuts, his face swells. This is an
example of a
A) coincidental event.
B) chance occurrence.
C) biological illusion.
D) causal relationship.
Correct Answer(s): D
7.
Which of the following statements about evaluating
generalizations is true?
A) To evaluate generalizations, one must examine if the
sampling of cases is adequate to support the inferences drawn.
B) To evaluate generalizations, the only thing that needs to
be done is to find a counterexample.
C) When evaluating generalizations, assume that they are
correct if they are stated by your superior.
D) When evaluating generalizations, you only need to ask two
key questions to find out if they are accurate.
Correct Answer(s): A
8.
Patricia often falls victim to the Gambler's Fallacy. Which
of the following things would she be most likely to say?
A) Random events do not correlate.
B) Random events are never connected.
C) Random events are typically planned.
D) Random events can be causally connected.
Correct Answer(s): D
9.
At the same moment Jim was in a car crash, his wife Linda
was struck by lightning. This is an example of a(n)
A) incident.
B) cause.
C) accident.
D) coincidence.
Correct Answer(s): D
10.
What is the definition of a coincidence?
A) one event following another event
B) two planned events happening at the same time
C) two events happening together by chance
D) one event happening a week before another
Correct Answer(s): C
11.
"Gambler's Fallacy" helps us remember that
A) random events are not correlated.
B) random events can be causally related.
C) random events should never be trusted.
D) random events rarely occur.
Correct Answer(s): A
12.
Karl is a strong critical thinker. He explains to his friend
that a fallacy of division is one that typically falls under the category of
A) mathematical fallacies that pervade society.
B) fallacies that can sometimes be truthful, depending on
the context.
C) fallacies masquerading as valid deductive arguments.
D) arbitrary fallacies that call for further investigation.
Correct Answer(s): C
13.
What do correlations describe?
A) the amount of chance needed for something to occur
B) the relationship between stereotypes and outcomes
C) the degree to which two different sets of events are
aligned
D) the power of critical thinking in various circumstances
Correct Answer(s): C
14.
What is the definition of an inductively justified argument?
A) an argument such that if all of its premises were false,
then its conclusion would most likely be true
B) an argument such that if all of its premises were true,
then its conclusion would most likely be false
C) an argument such that if all of its premises were true,
then its conclusion would most likely be true
D) an argument such that if all of its premises were false,
then its conclusion would most likely be false
Correct Answer(s): C
15.
Marise is teaching a critical thinking course. She explains
to her class that ________ is a type of argument that fails the test of
relevance.
A) an appeal to the mob
B) a numbers modification
C) a steep slope
D) a truthful fallacy
Correct Answer(s): A
16.
Which of the following statements about documenting a causal
relationship is true?
A) Documenting a causal relationship is important and
intellectually challenging work.
B) Documenting a causal relationship simply involves
demonstrating a correlation between two events.
C) Documenting a causal relationship is not useful, because
it can't help us predict future events.
D) Documenting a causal relationship is the most difficult
task in the field of critical thinking.
Correct Answer(s): A
17.
Right after I ate a strawberry, my mom called. My eating the
strawberry must have caused my mom to call. This is an example of
A) post haste reasoning.
B) post action reaction.
C) post hoc, propter hoc.
D) post consumption fallacy.
Correct Answer(s): C
18.
Inductive reasoning depends on the
A) evidence at hand.
B) original claim.
C) final conclusion.
D) facts put forth.
Correct Answer(s): A
19.
Elise pays a lot of attention to coincidences. Which of the
following is an example of something she would say?
A) Every time I answer the door, a cold draft enters the
house. These two events are connected.
B) When I meet new people, I make sure to always create a
rhyme to remember their name.
C) As soon as I called my friend, she dialed me. My calling
her must have caused her to call me.
D) I didn't receive my allowance this week, so I won't be
able to go to the movies this weekend.
Correct Answer(s): C
20.
Crystal is teaching a critical thinking class. Which of the
following would she give her class as an example of erroneous generalization?
A) Only female students drop my course after the first day.
So, my course must be too difficult for female students.
B) A female student dropped my course. The next day her car
was broken into. It must have been the result of dropping my course.
C) Female students drop my course most frequently. I sign
more drop slips from female students than from male students.
D) Whenever I assign homework, at least one female student
drops my course. I should assign more homework.
Correct Answer(s): A
