Skills Lesson: Types of Evidence and Logical Fallacies

Which of the following is a type of evidence? I. empirical II. statistical III. anecdotal

I, II, and III

Which statement is a fact? Coralline algae, sponges, and other organisms contribute to reef growth. Coral reefs should be protected by environmental laws. Coral reefs are the most diverse and beautiful of all marine habitats. We should respect coral reef researchers like Thomas Goreau, who began working on coral reefs in the 1950s

Coralline algae, sponges, and other organisms contribute to reef growth.

Read the argument and answer the question that follows. That baseball team won the World Series, so the players must be outrageously talented baseball players. Which logical fallacy is present in this argument?

NOT equivocation

What are the two types of statistics? observation and experiment descriptive and inferential observation and sampling illustration and analogy

NOT observation and experiment

Read the excerpt from the eResource below and answer the question that follows. An examination of a school handbook from a local public high school shows that the "expectations" of students are more like laws by which a citizen must abide to live in a society. "Respect the teacher's position as leader in the classroom . . . " sounds like a statement of a tyrant. These "expectations" seem forced upon the students with no freedom. If schools want students to be successful citizens, they should allow students to take the courses they want and let them breathe. Which change would make the evidence stronger?

NOT supporting the analogical evidence with empirical evidence by providing a comparison to a similar situation in a foreign country

Which statement is an opinion? Acanthaster planci, also known as the crown-of-thorns starfish, is a carnivorous starfish that preys on coral. In the reefs off the north coast of Jamaica, one can find a species of Monatrea annularis, which is flat to capture light efficiently. Stony coral is one example of the Hexacoral polyps and has tentacles in groups of six. People must take action now to protect coral reefs by reducing pollution and emissions of noxious gases

People must take action now to protect coral reefs by reducing pollution and emissions of noxious gases.

What is a logical fallacy? a mistake in thinking or reasoning a system of thought analysis a true or false statement a process of reaching conclusions

a mistake in thinking or reasoning

Statistics that are used to draw conclusions about larger groups are called __________. inferential descriptive analogical anecdotal

inferential

Which of the following is a fallacy of syllogism? non sequitur personal attack division argument from the negative

non sequitur

Which logical fallacy often includes a premise that appeals to what is believed or done by the mainstream or the elite? hasty generalization popular appeal faulty analogy equivocation

popular appeal