critical thinking quiz 2
. The famous quote "Juliet is the sun!" from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is an example of a: a. metaphor. b. simile. c. comparative relationship. d. causal relationship.
a
Unsound arguments that seem to be logical and are often persuasive because they usually appeal to our emotions and prejudices and often support conclusions that we want to believe are accurate are called: a. fallacies. b. irrational beliefs. c. biases. d. public opinion.
a
A(n) __________ is a comparison between things that are basically dissimilar, for the purpose of illuminating our understanding of the things being compared.
analogy
In a(n) __________ argument, the supporting reasons are designed to make us feel sorry for the person involved and therefore agree with the conclusion out of sympathy.
appeal to pity
A mother tells her child that if he doesn't do his homework, he will get failing grades, probably drop out of school, be unable to get a job, and then 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
c
Stated very simply, a(n) _________ is anything that is responsible for bringing about something else—usually termed the effect.
cause
A(n) __________ is a statement that asserts itself as true; it's the statement in an argument that you are trying to prove using reasons.
conclusion
A form of inductive reasoning in which a general statement is made about an entire group (the target population) based on observing some members of the group (the sample population) is called __________.
empirical generalization
The two major types of argument forms are passive and dominant arguments.
false
Whereas the fallacy of __________ deals with errors in the process of generalizing, the fallacy of __________ focuses on difficulties in the process of interpreting.
hasty generalization; sweeping generalization
A(n) __________ is a possible explanation introduced to account for a set of facts and that can be used as a basis for further investigation.
hypothesis
In a(n) __________ pattern of causes, different factors can relate to one another through reciprocal influences that flow back and forth from one to the other.
interactive
A(n) __________ is an implied comparison between basically dissimilar things, made for the purpose of illuminating our understanding of the things being compared.
metaphor
Performing a(n) __________ typically involves trying to achieve one or both of two goals: giving step-by-step instruction in how to perform an activity and giving information about a process.
process analysis
. When an argument includes both true reasons and a valid structure, the argument is considered to be __________.
sound
. Selective comparisons are a problem because they occur when you take a one-sided view of a comparative situation.
true
. The concept of validity requires that we assume that all the reasons in the argument are true and then determine whether they prove the conclusion.
true
Causes can act simultaneously to produce an effect.
true
If a deductive argument proves to be invalid, then it is considered unsound and you don't have to evaluate whether the premises are true.
true
The first step of the scientific method is to identify an event or a relationship between events to be investigated.
true
When you construct an argument, you are relating to the world by means of your ability to infer.
true
__________ modes of thinking relate things in the same general category in terms of their similarities and differences, while __________ modes of thinking relate things in different categories in terms of their similarities.
Comparative; analogical
. All of the following are reasons we construct arguments EXCEPT: a. to infer. b. to decide. c. to predict. d. to persuade.
a
. Causal statements do not always use which of the following words? a. "Cause" b. "Effect" c. "Because" d. "As a result"
a
Consider the following argument: Premise: Either I left my credit card in my car or I have lost it. Premise: The credit card is not in the car. Conclusion: Therefore, I must have lost it. What form does this argument follow? a. Disjunctive syllogism b. Modus tollens c. Modus ponens d. Application of a general rule
a
The __________ pattern of thinking organizes something into a series of events in the sequence in which they occurred. a. chronological b. causal c. critical d. comparative
a
The three general guidelines to keep in mind when testing a plausible hypothesis 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.
a
To construct effective arguments, you must evaluate both the structure of an argument (how the reasons/premises relate to the conclusion) and the truth of the reasons/premises. Which of the following is NOT one of the questions you should ask yourself when evaluating the truth of the reasons/premises? a. What evidence exists that this reason is commonly held by others? b. Does each reason make sense? c. What evidence is being offered as part of each reason? d. Is each reason based on a source that can be trusted?
a
What are the two major pitfalls that you should avoid when making comparisons? a. Incomplete and selective comparisons b. Erroneous and unsubstantiated comparisons c. Hasty and frivolous comparisons d. Unsubstantiated and hasty comparisons
a
The fallacious argument of __________ gets its effectiveness from ignoring the issues of the argument and focusing instead on the personal qualities of the person making the argument.
appeal to personal attack
A(n) __________ is a form of reasoning in which certain statements (reasons/premises) are offered in support of another statement (the conclusion).
argument
. A comparison between things that are basically dissimilar, for the purpose of illuminating our understanding of the things being compared, is called a(n): a. causal relationship. b. analogy. c. comparative study. d. allegory.
b
. Although learning to discuss ideas with others in an organized fashion is crucial for thinking critically, it is equally important to be able to present your ideas: a. through a premise. b. in written form. c. before other people present theirs. d. in cue words.
b
. Assume that a driver is headed for work on a Monday morning. All of a sudden, she is cut off by another driver, which makes her very angry. She decides to chase the person that cut her off and give that other driver a "piece of her mind." While weaving in and out of traffic to catch her aggressor, the woman is picked up by a police officer's radar and pulled over for speeding and driving recklessly. This is an example of: a. a process analysis. b. interactive causes. c. a chain reaction. d. irrational cognition.
b
. Deductive arguments aim at __________, whereas inductive arguments aim at __________. a. assumption; reality b. certainty; probability c. reality; assumption d. probability; certainty
b
20. Consider the following argument: Premise: If a country is interested in nuclear disarmament, it would not develop or stockpile nuclear weapons. Premise: Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Conclusion: Therefore, Iran is not genuinely interested in nuclear disarmament. What form does this argument follow? a. Disjunctive syllogism b. Modus tollens c. Modus ponens d. Application of a general rule
b
A form of reasoning in which certain statements (reasons/premises) are offered in support of another statement (the conclusion) is called a(n): a. decision. b. argument. c. judgment. d. reflection.
b
A possible explanation introduced to account for a set of facts and that can be used as a basis for further investigation is called a(n): a. conclusion. b. hypothesis. c. controlled experiment. d. insight.
b
All of the following are examples of cue words signaling reasons EXCEPT: a. "because." b. "thereby showing." c. "as indicated by." d. "given that."
b
An argument in which if the premises (reasons) are true, then the conclusion would have to be true as well is called: a. inductive. b. valid. c. disjunctive. d. conclusive.
b
An effective story has all of the following characteristics EXCEPT: a. focus and purpose. b. an emotional appeal. c. a plot. d. a meaningful point of view
b
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
b
Imagine you overhear a female student say, "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
b
The 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 is called: a. deductive reasoning. b. inductive reasoning. c. inferential reasoning. d. an invalid argument.
b
The main goal of an analogy is to: a. compare similar things to make a choice. b. clarify or illuminate a concept. c. provide a sensory image. d. categorize an idea.
b
The fallacy of __________ relies on the uncritical acceptance of others' opinion, in this case because "everyone believes it."
bandwagon
. According to ethical theorists, autonomy is one of the first virtues, and 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
c
. In the chapter's Thinking Passage, Justine Sacco was a victim of: a. reverse racism. b. fraping. c. viral outrage. d. racial profiling.
c
. Suppose you were with your best friend and you happened to mention that your favorite type of music was classical. However, your best friend tells you that only losers enjoy classical music. Since then, you have stopped listening to classical music. What type of fallacy of relevance would this be? a. Appeal to tradition b. Appeal to personal attack c. Bandwagon d. Appeal to ignorance
c
An argument form in which the conclusion is meant to follow necessarily from the premises is known a(n) __________ argument. a. inductive b. persuasive c. deductive d. contradictory
c
An argument in which the reasons do not support the conclusion so that the conclusion does not follow from the reasons being offered is called: a. inductive. b. deductive. c. invalid. d. inconclusive.
c
Assume you explain to your friend that you are in favor of 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
c
If you were to lose your keys, you might go back to a time when you last had your keys and then go through all the things you did in order to determine where you might have put them. This process is known as the __________ pattern of thinking. a. analogical b. causal c. chronological d. comparative
c
In the art of discussing and debating ideas with others, effective discussion includes all the following EXCEPT: a. listening carefully to other points of view. b. supporting views with reasons and evidence. c. assuring that your point of view will be accepted as best. d. responding to the points being made
c
The composing process organizes your world into meaningful patterns and includes all of the following activities EXCEPT: a. believing. b. symbolizing. c. controlling. d. conceptualizing.
c
What are the two basic steps of performing a process analysis? a. Dividing the event or object you are analyzing into stages and testing each stage b. Identifying the event or object you are analyzing and explaining the movement of the stages from beginning to end c. Dividing the event or object you are analyzing into stages and explaining the movement of the stages from beginning to end d. None of these are correct
c
When you study for a test, you get a good grade. When you get a good grade, your family is proud of you. When your family is proud of you, you feel better about yourself. When you feel better about yourself, you perform better at work. This is an example of: a. interactive causes. b. contributory causes. c. a causal chain. d. interlocking causes.
c
__________ is a form of inductive reasoning in which an event (or events) is claimed to be the result of another event (or events).
casual reasoning
The __________ pattern of thinking organizes something into a series of events in the sequence in which they occurred
chronological
. A useful device that provides a visual representation of the frequency at which keywords and concepts occur in a variety of contexts and is used for organizing and categorizing various types of textual information is known as a(n): a. idea tree. b. text generator. c. causal chain. d. word claim.
d
. Certain key words that signal a reason is being offered in support of a conclusion or that a conclusion is being asserted are known as __________ words. a. transition b. reasoning c. predictive d. cue
d
. What type of fallacy of false generalization is also known as the "either/or" fallacy or the "black-or-white" fallacy? a. Sweeping generalization b. Hasty generalization c. Misidentification of the cause d. False dilemma
d
A form of inductive reasoning that is defined as reasoning from a limited sample to a general conclusion based on this sample is known as: a. causal reasoning. b. causal fallacies. c. inferential reasoning. d. empirical generalization.
d
Consider the following argument: Premise: All dogs have hair. Premise: Clifford is a dog. Conclusion: Therefore, Clifford has hair. What form does this argument follow? a. Disjunctive syllogism b. Modus tollens c. Modus ponens d. Application of a general rule
d
Suppose that you are having a disagreement with a teacher, and the teacher says to you, "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
d
The three basic types of thinking patterns that cognitively relate and organize concepts are: a. personal, emotional, and chronological. b. personal, hierarchical, and subliminal. c. comparative, theoretical, and emotional. d. comparative, chronological, and causal.
d
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
d
When purchasing a car, what process do you normally use in selecting the "right" car for you? a. Analogical relationships b. Causal relationships c. Financial relationships d. Comparative relationships
d
Which of the following is NOT one of the three key criteria used to evaluate inductive arguments? a. Is the sample representative? b. Is the sample sufficient? c. Is the sample known? d. Is the sample relevant?
d
. An argument form in which the conclusion is meant to follow necessarily from the premises is known as a(n) __________.
deductive argument
A common form of a valid deductive argument is known as a(n) __________, which, in part, means offering several alternatives.
disjunctive syllogism
"Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds a fresh" is an example of a metaphor.
false
. An argument that includes a valid structure yet contains false reasons is considered to be a sound argument.
false
. An invalid deductive form that we commonly use in our thinking goes by the name modus ponens, or "affirming the antecedent."
false
A hasty generalization is one in which the conclusions are hasty because the interpreter of the data does not take the proper precautions in compiling and organizing the data.
false
A process relationship involves relating events in terms of the influence they have on one another.
false
Although generalizing and interpreting are useful in forming concepts, they also can give rise to fallacious ways of thinking, including hasty generalizations, faulty conclusions, and improper interpretations.
false
Analogies have two parts: an original subject and a connected subject.
false
Arguments are statements that support, justify, or make another statement (the conclusion) more probable as well as provide evidence for the conclusion
false
Contributory causes work in isolation, with each cause producing its own series of events leading to the final effect.
false
If we are to generalize with confidence from the sample to the target population, then we have to be sure that the population is large enough to be evenly distributed around a mean, creating a bell-shaped curve in distribution.
false
In terms of arguments, truth and validity are considered the same concepts.
false
In the fallacy of special pleading, a person argues that a practice or a way of thinking is "better" or "right" simply because it is older, it is traditional, or it has "always been done that way."
false
Performing a process analysis involves two basic steps: (1) listing as many contributory factors as possible to eliminate their effect and (2) breaking the process down into its component parts.
false
Reason: Anything that is a threat to our health should not be legal. Reason: Marijuana is a threat to our health. Conclusion: Therefore, marijuana should not be legal. This is an invalid argument because it assumes reasons to be true that are in fact not proven
false
Scientists use a reasoning strategy called controlled experiment that can be set up in three ways: cause-to-effect, effectto-cause, and cause-to-cause.
false
The translation of the Latin phrase post hoc ergo propter hoc is "Because of it, therefore after it."
false
The fallacy of the __________ occurs when we are asked to choose between two extreme alternatives without being able to consider additional options.
false dilemma
A(n) __________ comparison arises when you focus on too few points of comparison, and a(n) __________ comparison occurs when you concentrate on the points favoring one side of the things being compared but overlook the points favoring the other side.
incomplete; selective
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 is called __________.
inductive reasoning
__________ is a thinking process you use to reason based on what you already know (or believe to be the case) in order to form new knowledge or beliefs.
inferring
An argument in which the reasons do not support the conclusion so that the reasons could be true but the conclusion could be false is known as a(n) __________.
invalid argument
One of the valid deductive forms commonly used in our thinking that means "affirming the antecedent" is known as __________.
modus ponens
The valid deductive form meaning "denying the consequent" is called __________.
modus tollens
The __________ is a way of thinking and communicating in which someone tells a story about experiences he or she has had.
narrative
__________ is a selection strategy in which every member of the target population has an equal chance of being included in the sample.
random selection
. A(n) __________ is an explicit comparison between basically dissimilar things, made for the purpose of illuminating our understanding of the things being compared.
simile
. An inductive argument is only as strong as the sample on which it is based.
true
. Fallacies are unsound arguments that seem to be logical and are often persuasive because they usually appeal to
true
Certain key words signal that a reason is being offered in support of a conclusion
true
Not all of the factors you use in comparing are equally important in your decision making.
true
The fallacy of questionable cause occurs when someone presents a causal relationship for which no real evidence exists.
true
The oldest and most universal form of chronological expression is the narrative.
true
The process mode of thinking organizes an activity into a series of steps.
true
An argument that has either false reasons or an invalid structure is said to be __________.
unsound
