Critical Thinking & Logic - Question Set #2

Which of the following are elements of reasoning? Choose three answers. Your Answer a) Purpose b) Clarity c) Question at Issue d) Sufficiency e) Inference

A, C, E.

You recently moved to a new city, and you are now experiencing severe allergy problems. The first doctor you see recommends that you cut dairy, wheat, and eggs from your diet because they can often exacerbate the reaction to air allergens. The second doctor you see says that is poppycock—that you should simply increase your dosage of antihistamines.You want to make the right choice, so you are left to evaluate the biases and assumptions of each of the doctors.Which one of the following statements is correct? a) You should trust your gut instinct on this, and your gut instinct is telling you that bread is not a problem. b) One doctor is making assumptions; the other is not. c) One doctor's assumptions are valid; the other doctor's assumptions are not valid. d) Both doctors are making assumptions that may or may not be valid. e) Once an assumption is discovered, the reasoning becomes invalid.

D.

A charitable organization is suffering from decreased donations. The board of directors holds a meeting to address the problem; however, they cannot reach a consensus on how to address the problem.What critical thinking strategy might they adopt to help them make a decision? Select one. a) They make a decision based on what the chairperson of the board suggests. b) They make a decision to hold off on doing anything until they can all agree on a course of action. c) They make a decision according to the majority vote of the board. d) They make a decision based upon a recent news story that the local public radio station met their goal through a fund drive. e) They make a decision to gather more evidence about the causes of their decreased donations.

E.

Which of the following are standards of critical thinking? Choose two answers. Your Answer a) Concepts b) Clarity c) Purpose d) Sufficiency e) Question at issue

B, D.

A motion in front of the city council in your city would increase the number of streetlights in your neighborhood. The neighbor to your south is appearing before the council to argue in favor of this motion. He would like your support. The neighbor to your north is appearing before the council to argue against this motion. She would also like your support. You have listened to both arguments from your neighbors, and they both seem to make good points. You have decided to do a little research yourself before you reach a decision.Which of the following sources would be relevant to the decision you are making? Choose three answers. Your Answer a) The website of the state chapter of a national astronomy association, which always argues against additional lighting. b) A study showing the latest crime statistics in your neighborhood, which are broken out by "time of day." c) The latest census data showing the demographics of your city and neighborhood. d) The minutes from prior city council meetings discussing the issue and leading up to tonight's vote. e) The mother of your neighbor across the street who was mugged on her way home from church Sunday morning, which is the incident that started the discussion of additional safety measures in the neighborhood.

A, B, D.

Over the past five years, per capita consumption of fast food in America has risen consistently. This proves that Americans care less about their health now than they did five years ago.What assumptions are present in this argument? Choose three answers. Your Answer a) Fast food consumption is a key indicator of attitudes about health. b) People who care about their health don't consume fast food. c) Americans find fast food to be convenient. d) Fast food is unhealthy. e) Americans have less time to prepare food now than they did five years ago.

A, B, D.

You are researching the issue of death caused by prescription use among the elderly. You started out with the preconceived notion that the elderly go to too many doctors who are specialists, and each one prescribes medications without knowing the patient's full medical history. You are convinced that the blame can be placed squarely on the doctors who rush through appointments and don't ask the right questions with the elderly. All of the research you have found thus far supports your theory.Which of the following would help you determine whether you have sufficient evidence to arrive at some solutions to the problem? Choose three answers. Your Answer a) Try to interview doctors who specialize in geriatric medicine to see if they agree with your theory. b) Assert your claim based on the evidence you've found. c) Continue your research in an effort to find other possible causes for the problem. d) Keep the problem focused by concentrating on the cause you've determined. e) Read case studies of those who have died from prescription drug use.

A, C, E.

A recent study published by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute concluded that people who "text" while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in a car accident than drivers who are not distracted in the same way. The study showed that the major factor that makes texting dangerous is driving while taking one's eyes off the road. Therefore, the study concludes that talking on a cell phone while driving is considerably safer than texting while driving.Based on this study, which of the following are plausible solutions to decreasing the number of car accidents? Choose two answers. Your Answer a) Passing laws against texting while driving. b) Passing laws preventing teenagers from texting while driving. c) Enacting educational campaigns on a local, state, and national level to discourage texting while driving. d) Passing laws to make it illegal to have a cell phone activated while driving. e) Create incentives for cell phone companies to charge more for texting, thereby discouraging the practice.

A, C.

Which questions would a student ask to apply critical thinking concepts to the study of psychology? Choose two answers. Your Answer a) What are the main concepts of the field of psychology? b) What is the expertise of the professors in the field of psychology? c) What are the assumptions made about the field of psychology? d) How much homework can I expect in the field of psychology? e) What kind of tests can I expect in the field of psychology?

A, C.

The editor of a newspaper is about to run a story that he knows will offend many readers in the community and many advertisers of the paper. The editor thinks the story is important, but the publisher is concerned about the backlash. The editor wants to use the elements of critical thinking to decide what to do.Based on this information, which elements of critical thinking should the editor consider while making the decision? Choose 3 answers. Your Answer a) The reliability of the information in the story. b) The actions of other newspapers of the same size in other cities. c) The political bent of the newspaper's publisher. d) The consequences of running the story. e) The significance of the information in the story. f) The point of view of the newspaper's advertisers.

A, D, E.

A candidate running for a national office makes the following campaign pitch:"My opponent has said, 'The fundamentals of our economy are strong,' which shows that he is completely out of touch with reality. We have a great challenge ahead of us to get our economy back on track. I believe I have good qualifications for helping our country do this. Keep in mind that my opponent is a good friend of Pastor John Doe, who just last week blamed certain ethnic groups and illegal aliens for dragging our country down. I believe that everyone in this country can make a contribution. Like Teddy Roosevelt, like Abraham Lincoln, like George Washington, I believe we have the greatest country in the world and we should never give up!"Which of the following phrases represent fallacies from the given text? Choose three answers. Your Answer a) My opponent has said, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong..." b) We have a great challenge ahead of us to get our economy back on track. c) I believe I have good qualifications for helping our country do this. d) ...my opponent is a good friend of Pastor John Doe... e) I believe that everyone in this country can make a contribution. f) Like Teddy Roosevelt, like Abraham Lincoln, like George Washington...

A, D, F.

You have read that organic food is safer for your family, so you try to buy only organic whenever possible. However, you recently read an article about organic olives that have been recalled due to a botulism outbreak, which surprised you. Now you are not sure whether or not organic foods are better for your family. You decide to investigate and find the following evidence: Organic products may be more vulnerable to certain toxins because they are usually fertilized with manure. Dangerous spores naturally occur in manure. Foods packed in oil (such as olives) create a sort of Petri dish for certain spores. Most food safety problems come from fresh food. Only 15 percent of the 145 yearly cases of botulism in the U.S. come from food. Most safety outbreaks are related to food handling rather than growing. Most non-organic foods test positive for pesticide residue. Applications of the standards of critical thinking would result in which one of the following conclusions? a) How manure is used in growing both organic and non-organic foods needs further research. b) You should stop buying organic food immediately so you don't put your family at risk. c) It would be safer for your family to consume pesticide residue than to be exposed to botulism. d) Your family doesn't eat olives. e) Pesticide residue consumption is not a problem, or pesticide use would not be allowed by our government.

A.

A newspaper article spotlights three people who are on a waiting list to receive an organ donation. The article also urges readers to register for organ donation. What implications of the proposed solution need to be considered? Choose two answers. Your Answer a) The religious views of organ donors. b) The financial impact of organ donation on health care costs. c) The financial stability of the organ donor registrant. d) The financial stability of the organ recipient. e) The religious views of the doctors involved.

B, D.

A mid-sized company is struggling with the combined effects of higher insurance premiums to cover their employees and higher usages of sick leave by employees. The company maintains a fitness club in the basement of its office building for employees to use before and after work and during the lunch hour. The executives decide to implement a new company policy that would allow employees three hours of paid leave per week to utilize the fitness club.Which of the following could be concluded about the reasoning used to arrive at this decision? Choose three answers. Your Answer a) Sick leave usage will drop in direct proportion to the fitness club usage. b) Assumptions were made regarding employee behavior. c) The company's sick leave policy is specific and clear. d) Employees who have never used the fitness club will now start to use it. e) Insurance premiums will drop in direct proportion to fitness club usage. f) The conclusion was based on an effort to encourage employees to take steps to live healthier lives. g) The executives of the company take some responsibility for the health of their employees.

B, F, G.

A downtown group of restaurants is lobbying the city to close a downtown street to cars along one city block in order to provide outdoor dining for its patrons. They present a business plan to the city council showing increased revenues for participating restaurants, increased parking revenues for the city along side streets, and an overall economic benefit for all of downtown. The source for the information on the business plan is a study done by an independent research group that did a study of 50 major cities that concluded that outdoor dining draws a significantly larger population to downtown areas and helps revitalize struggling downtown businesses. However, a residential neighborhood group is opposed to the idea because they believe it will create more noise and encourage drinking in their neighborhood. At the same city council meeting, the neighborhood group presented a petition signed by 1500 people living in the area who oppose the business plan presented by the restaurants, claiming that people who dine outdoors tend to drink more and speak more loudly than when they dine indoors.Both groups are then interviewed by the local television station. The restaurant group claims that the neighborhood group is racist because one of the restaurants serves ethnic food. The neighborhood group claims that they were in the neighborhood prior to the restaurants getting there.Which of the following statements are true? Choose two answers. Your Answer a) The neighborhood group's presentation contains probable accuracy. b) The restaurant group's presentation contains probable accuracy. c) Both of the groups' presentations contain probable accuracy. d) The neighborhood group's comments in the TV interview are relevant, but the restaurant group's are irrelevant. e) The restaurant group's comments in the TV interview are relevant, but the neighborhood group's are irrelevant. f) Both groups' comments are relevant. g) Both groups' comments are irrelevant.

B, G.

A professor of English believes that the only way people become full citizens of a democracy, with all of the rights and responsibilities thereof, is to have a full command of reading comprehension skills, writing skills, and verbal communication skills.Why is this belief reasonable based on the standards of critical thinking? Select one. a) The stated belief meets the standard of precision. b) The stated belief logically reflects the fundamental point of view of the field of study. c) The stated belief meets includes the points of view of all English professors and therefore meets the standard of breadth. d) The stated belief is fair to all students. e) The stated belief is a complete description of the need for English courses.

B.

A senator in your state is attempting to get the motorcycle helmet law repealed because she believes in individual freedoms and minimal government interference for adults. However, a woman whose husband is on life-support from head injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident while not wearing a helmet is arguing against this repeal. The woman is accusing the senator of having no compassion or empathy for her situation.How does the senator's point of view influence her approach to this issue? Select one answer. a) The senator's point of view does not allow her to have compassion for the woman's situation. b) The senator's point of view values individual rights over possible injury. c) The senator's point of view ignores the number of people injured in motorcycle accidents. d) The senator's point of view ignores the healthcare cost of accidents.

B.

According to a marketing research firm, a person who lives in a mid-sized city sees approximately 5,000 ads per day. Because of "ad overload," many companies are searching for creative ways to get their product names in front of potential customers. One fast-food company offers to buy notebooks for grade school children in low-income areas of the city. The notebooks come with the company's logo and food advertisements on them. The kids love them, and the parents benefit from lower school supply costs, but the school board has made a decision not to accept them.What line of reasoning would soundly lead up to this conclusion? a) Parents are responsible for buying their children's school supplies, and diverting this responsibility teaches a bad lesson to the children. b) Obesity rates among low-income children are higher than average, and obesity rates among the children in the targeted schools continue to climb. c) The fast-food company that sponsors the notebooks doesn't have a restaurant close to the school. d) The school board doesn't understand the needs of the parents and children.

B.

In which of the following situations would critical thinking most appropriately apply? Select one. a) Determining the shortest driving route between two cities. b) Determining the best exercise to lose weight. c) Determining the best restaurant in your city. d) Determining the cheapest meals for your family.

B.

The publisher of a profitable local outdoor magazine has just read an article submitted by a freelance writer. The article is about the decline of back-country skiing due to development, something that the readers of the magazine will be very interested in. However, many of the publisher's advertisers are developers, and the largest advertiser is a developer mentioned in the article.What one scenario demonstrates how bias might influence the approach to this article? a) The publisher shows the article to the developer and gives the company an opportunity to respond within the article. b) The publisher removes the specific mention of the developer and "softens" the tone of the article. c) The publisher includes the positive aspects of development in the area alongside the article. d) The publisher works to balance all perspectives on the issue of development and skiing.

B.

Which of the following problems has a solution that is widely accepted by experts? Select one. a) What is the best way to prevent teen drug use? b) What is the best medical approach for treating alcohol poisoning? c) What can be done to prevent drunk driving? d) What is the best treatment for alcoholism?

B.

You are driving a long distance between cities when you realize that your car makes a funny noise when you accelerate. As you drive, you listen for the noise at 20 mph, again at 40 mph, and again at 60 mph.Which method of causation are you employing? a) The single difference method b) The concomitant variation method c) The common factor method d) The process of elimination

B.

In recent years, scientists have found that the monarch butterfly population has declined significantly from what it was even ten years ago. Although there are many possible causes, scientists have marked the decline of milkweed along the edges of Midwestern farmland as the most likely cause of decline in the butterfly population. With genetically modified crops, farmers are now able to spray the crops (including the milkweed) with pesticides, which kills the milkweed but does not harm the crops. Butterflies lay their eggs in milkweed, which is then fed upon by the larvae.Which one of the following activities helps validate this explanation? a) Compare the number of monarch butterflies now with ten years ago. b) Verify that the genetically modified crops are resistant to pesticides. c) Compare the amount of milkweed found in the Midwest now to that found ten years ago. d) Compare the total acreage of Midwestern farmland now with the total acreage ten years ago. e) Verify that the Midwestern farmers are seeing a decrease in the numbers of monarch butterflies.

C.

Which one statement accurately describes how a critical thinker might employ the elements of critical thinking differently in the fields of sociology and business? a) A critical thinker would make assumptions and draw inferences in sociology but not in business. b) A critical thinker would identify the purpose and question at issue before beginning research in sociology but not in business. c) A critical thinker would consider the concept of profitability in business but not in sociology. d) A critical thinker would consider many points of view in business but not in sociology.

C.

In a history class, the professor begins the lecture on the first day with this statement: "Let's just assume that history matters."How might you go about determining whether or not that assumption is valid? a) Ask yourself whether or not you agree with the assumption. b) Dismiss the assumption since it comes from a historian who is obviously biased. c) See how many of your friends and family agree with the assumption. d) Look for examples and other evidence that support or defy the assumption.

D.

You have been assigned to write a research paper for a class. What essential step will you want to complete early in the process? a) Draft your paper as you research. b) Make an outline. c) Think about your audience. d) Identify your own assumptions on the issue. e) Identify the consequences of your conclusion.

D.