ETEC 171 Final

List two common techniques that advertisers use to break through our rational defenses. Are these techniques useful for promoting their products? Why or why not?

1. Appeal to Pity 2. Bandwagon Yes, as they catch our attention

Diagram this argument: Look, it's this simple. No one is allowed to serve as President of the Math Club unless he or she has at least a B average. Sturdley has, at best, a D average. Therefore, Sturdley cannot serve as President of the Math Club.

1. Look, it's this simple. 2. No one is allowed to serve as President of the Math Club unless he or she has at least a B average. 3. Sturdley has, at best, a D average. 4. Therefore, Sturdley cannot serve as President of the Math Club. (See Answer Sheet)

Diagram this argument: Sam will come to the party only if Alison comes. Alison will come only if Gretchen comes. But Gretchen probably won't come, because she has a bad cold. Therefore, since Alison probably won't come to the party, Sam probably won't come to the party.

1. Sam will come to the party only if Alison comes. 2. Alison will come only if Gretchen comes. 3. But Gretchen probably won't come, because she has a bad cold. 4. Therefore, since Alison probably won't come to the party, Sam probably won't come to the party. (See Answer Sheet)

The argument "If Elizabeth plays first base, then Laura plays shortstop; if Laura plays shortstop, then Tess plays catcher; so, if Elizabeth plays first base, then Tess plays catcher" is: a. a hypothetical syllogism. b. an argument by elimination. c. an argument by definition. d. a categorical syllogism.

A. A hypothetical syllogism

The argument "Shadowfax is a stallion; it follows that Shadowfax is a male" is: a. an argument by definition. b. an inductive generalization. c. a hypothetical syllogism. d. an argument by elimination.

A. An argument by definition

Arguments in which the conclusion is claimed to follow probably from the premises are: a. inductive. b. abductive. c. plausibility arguments. d. deductive.

A. Inductive

A word whose meaning is fuzzy or blurry is: a. vague. b. ambiguous. c. overgeneral. d. none of the above

A. Vague

The word bald is primarily a. vague. b. ambiguous. c. both of the above d. none of the above

A. Vague

"Frank told Tom he needed a new lawnmower" is primarily a. vague. b. ambiguous. c. overgeneral. d. none of the above

B. Ambiguous

A word that has two or more clearly distinct meanings is: a. vague. b. ambiguous. c. overgeneral. d. none of the above

B. Ambiguous

A(n)__________ is a three-line argument that consists of two premises and a conclusion: a. enthymeme b. syllogism c. trilogy d. categorical argument

B. Syllogism

An argument in which the conclusion is claimed to follow necessarily from the premises is: a. a valid argument. b. an implicative argument. c. a deductive argument. d. an inductive argument.

C. A deductive argument

Teacher: Billy, do you know who the first president of the United States was? Billy: Some guy who wore a wig. Billy's answer is primarily: a. vague. b. ambiguous. c. overgeneral. d. none of the above

C. Overgeneral

How would you argue for or against the following proposition: "For the most part, the news we receive is accurate, timely, informative, and unbiased." Please state your conclusion and list at least two supporting premises and two opposing premises.

Conclusion: The news that we receive is shit. Premises (Pro): The news distorts shit; the news rarely covers things of importance Premises (Con): The news does bring shit to light; The news can have credible sources

True or False? A person is guilty of practical inconsistency when he or she asserts or believes inconsistent things about a particular matter.

False

True or False? A syllogism is a three-line argument in which each premise begins with the words all, some, or no.

False

True or False? Affirming the consequent is a deductively valid pattern of reasoning.

False

True or False? All ambiguous words are vague.

False

True or False? All overgeneral words or phrases are vague.

False

True or False? All personal attacks are fallacies.

False

True or False? Arguments based on mathematics are always deductive.

False

True or False? Conformism is the tendency to see one's own group (e.g., nation, tribe, sect, peer group) as being inherently better than others.

False

True or False? Emotional appeals are always fallacies.

False

True or False? If an arguer precedes his or her conclusion with the phrase "it must be the case that," then the argument is definitely deductive.

False

True or False? If an argument contains a false premise, then it is necessarily fallacious.

False

True or False? In the scare tactics fallacy, an arguer physically attacks an opponent.

False

True or False? In writing argumentative essays, one should include only facts, not opinions.

False

True or False? In writing short argumentative essays, it is usually not necessary to support one's argument with research.

False

True or False? Inductive arguments always proceed from particular premises to a general conclusion.

False

True or False? Logically irrelevant statements should be numbered and included in argument diagrams, but no arrow should be drawn from them to any conclusion or subconclusion.

False

True or False? Statement A is negatively relevant to statement B if Statement A provides no evidence for statement B

False

True or False? The attacking the motive fallacy occurs when an arguer rejects another person's argument or claim because that person fails to practice what he or she preaches.

False

True or False? There are two statements asserted in the sentence "Either Paul walks to school or he rides his bike to school".

False

True or False? This chapter recommends taking notes in a notebook or legal pad, rather than on index cards.

False

True or False? Two premises, A and B, are linked just in case A and B, taken together, provide more support for the conclusion than either premise provides by itself.

False

True or False? Words such as excessive, inappropriate, and unreasonable are primarily ambiguous.

False

Determine whether the following arguments are deductive or inductive. If the argument is deductive, determine whether it is valid or invalid. If the argument is inductive, determine whether it is strong or weak. Ninety percent of students at Central Tech University wear sandals to class, even in the winter. Ted is a student at Central Tech University. So, Ted likely wears sandals to class, even in the winter.

Inductive, Strong

Determine whether the following arguments are deductive or inductive. If the argument is deductive, determine whether it is valid or invalid. If the argument is inductive, determine whether it is strong or weak. There is loud music blaring from Matt's house, lots of cars are parked out front, and I just saw two frat brothers of mine carrying kegs of beer into the house. Let's check it out. Matt must be having a party.

Inductive, Strong

Determine whether the following arguments are deductive or inductive. If the argument is deductive, determine whether it is valid or invalid. If the argument is inductive, determine whether it is strong or weak. Jennifer was a brunette when she was freshmen, and she was a blonde when she was a sophomore. It follows that she will be redhead when she is a junior.

Inductive, Weak

Statement or Nonstatement? Would you like fries with that?

Nonstatement

Identify the main conclusion and the premises: We must never consider suicide. This act will only cause us to lose opportunities for further development while here on earth. And afterwards, in reflecting back on these lost opportunities we would feel much pain and sorrow.

Premise 1: Committing suicide will only cause us to lose opportunities for further development while here on earth. Premise 2: Afterwards, in reflecting back on these lost opportunities [in the afterlife], we would feel much pain and sorrow. Conclusion: We must never consider suicide.

Identify the main conclusion and the premises: Yogurt and other sour milk products—like the more liquid kefir and even cultural buttermilk—are good for several reasons. They are high in protein, of course, being milk products. They are lower in fat than whole milk. Their lactic-acid content gives them an interestingly tangy flavor that adds sparkle to dishes, making them good substitutes for sour cream or whole milk or even mayonnaise in salads, dressings, sauces and baked goods.

Premise 1: They are high in protein, of course, being milk products. Premise 2: They are lower in fat than whole milk. Premise 3: Their lactic-acid content gives them an interestingly tangy flavor that adds sparkle to dishes, making them good substitutes for sour cream or whole milk or even mayonnaise in salads, dressings, sauces and baked. Conclusion: Yogurt and other sour milk products—like the more liquid kefir and even cultural buttermilk—are good for several reasons.

Identify the main conclusion and the premises: There exists, it is true, a group of criminals, born for evil, against whom all social cures break as against a rock—a fact which compels us to eliminate them completely, even by death.

Premise: There exists a group of criminals, born for evil, against whom all social cures break as against a rock. Conclusion: We should eliminate these criminals completely, even by death.

Identify the main conclusion and the premises: He's Pig-Headed. He must be a Taurus

Premisis: He's pig-headed Conclusion: He must be a Taurus

Statement or Nonstatement? 2 + 2 = 5

Statement

Statement or Nonstatement? God created the Earth in 6 days.

Statement

Statement or Nonstatement? I wouldn't ride without a helmet if I were you.

Statement

Statement or Nonstatement? I'm so jealous of Fred!

Statement

True or False? Statement A is logically irrelevant to Statement B if Statement A provides no evidence either for or against statement B.

True

True or False? A bandwagon argument is an argument that illegitimately plays on a person's desire to be popular, valued or accepted.

True

True or False? A fallacy is an argument that contains a mistake in reasoning.

True

True or False? A good method for generating ideas for an argumentative paper is to organize your argument around one of the standard developmental patterns for writing essays (e.g., narration, illustration, definition).

True

True or False? A paraphrase is generally more detailed than a summary.

True

True or False? A summary of an argument or essay contains only the main idea of the argument or essay and, depending on the purpose of the summary, the main premises or supporting points.

True

True or False? A writer commits plagiarism if he or she paraphrases material from an outside source with no acknowledgment given to the source.

True

True or False? According to the principle of charity test, we should never attribute to an arguer a weaker argument when the evidence reasonably permits us to attribute to him or her a stronger one.

True

True or False? According to the strict necessity test, if an argument's conclusion follows with strict logical necessity from the premises, then the argument should always be treated as deductive.

True

True or False? Certainly, conclusively, and it logically follows that are common deduction indicator words and phrases.

True

True or False? Every argument consists of at least two statements.

True

True or False? In writing argumentative essays, one should consider and rebut opposing points of view.

True

True or False? Inductive generalizations always proceed from particular premises to a general conclusion.

True

True or False? Modus tollens is a deductively valid pattern of reasoning.

True

True or False? Much of what we know and think does not have to acknowledged or documented in our writing.

True

True or False? Self-interested thinking is the tendency to accept and defend beliefs that harmonize with one's own self-interest.

True

True or False? Self-serving bias is the tendency to overrate oneself--to see oneself as being better in some respect than one actually is.

True

True or False? Some words are both vague and ambiguous.

True

True or False? The premises in the following argument are independent: "Dogs make better pets thancats. They're smarter, more sociable, and easier to train."

True

True or False? The premises in the following argument are linked: "Lake Jean is at a higher elevation than Lake Wallenpaupak, because Lake Francis is at a higher elevation than Lake Wallenpaupak, and Lake Jean is at a higher elevation than Lake Francis."

True

True or False? The straw man fallacy is committed when an arguer distorts an opponent's argument or claim in order to make it easier to attack.

True

True or False? Vague language is useful and appropriate in some contexts.

True

True or False? Writing takes place in three very broad stages: what you do before you actually begin the first draft, what you do during the writing of the first draft, and what you do after the first draft is completed.

True

Young people, including college students, usually claim that a. advertising does not influence them. b. advertising strongly influences them. c. advertising does influence them, but only to a limited extent. d. advertising is something to which they are totally indifferent.

a. advertising does not influence them.

The view that ads simply passively mirror the attitudes and values of society is a. an overly simplistic view of the relationship. b. a substantially correct view of the relationship. c. a completely erroneous view of the relationship. d. none of the above

a. an overly simplistic view of the relationship.

Which of the following does not have to be acknowledged or documented? a. any generally known facts b. any ideas not your own c. direct quotations d. statistics and the results of surveys

a. any generally known facts

The first rule of all communication is to: a. know who your audience is and adjust your style accordingly. b. know yourself. c. be clear. d. none of the above

a. know who your audience is and adjust your style accordingly.

Two premises are linked if and only if: a. the omission of one of the premises would weaken or cancel the amount of support provided by the other. b. the argument would not be deductively valid if one of the premises were omitted. c. the premises would not provide good reason to accept the conclusion if one of the premises were omitted. d. all of the above

a. the omission of one of the premises would weaken or cancel the amount of support provided by the other.

The goal of a good paraphrase is: a. to capture the essence of the original passage. b. to substitute synonyms for synonyms. c. to summarize briefly the main point of a passage. d. none of the above

a. to capture the essence of the original passage.

To illustrate how to paraphrase a passage, this section paraphrases a passage on reading and pursuing knowledge by: a. John Stuart Mill. b. Francis Bacon. c. Charles Darwin. d. Dave Barry.

b. Francis Bacon.

There are __________ statements in the following argument: "If Jack plays soccer, then Jerry will play soccer and Jill will play soccer. Jerry will play soccer, but Jill won't. Therefore, Jack won't play soccer." a. three b. four c. five d. six

b. four

___________ should be omitted from argument diagrams. a. Logically irrelevant statements b. Redundant statements c. Both a and b d. None of the above

c. Both a and b

__________ in the following argument: "Bill will drive if Heather doesn't drive. But Heather won't drive, because she lost her driver's license and her right leg is in a cast. Therefore, Bill will drive." a. The premises are linked b. The premises are independent c. Some of the premises are linked and some are independent d. None of the above

c. Some of the premises are linked and some are independent

According to the text, plagiarism is wrong because: a. it is a kind of kidnapping or theft. b. it violates the principles of academic integrity. c. both a and b d. none of the above

c. both a and b

Before you write, you should: a. choose and narrow your topic. b. write a sentence that expresses your claim. c. both a and b d. none of the above

c. both a and b

In choosing a topic for an argumentative paper, you should: a. choose a topic that is both controversial and interesting to you. b. pick a topic that you can manage to cover completely in the space allowed in your paper. c. both a and b d. none of the above

c. both a and b

The news media is often criticized because: a. rather than offering an honest and thorough examination of an issue in all its complexity, it often distorts meaning in its presentation of the news. b. it often employs attention-grabbing techniques that do little to increase our knowledge of a topic. c. both a and b d. none of the above

c. both a and b

To illustrate how to summarize an essay or argument, this section summarizes an essay by Anna Quindlen on: a. raising teenaged girls. b. the Clinton impeachment. c. rock-and-roll. d. the Olympics.

c. rock-and-roll.

The central claim of an argumentative essay is called the a. topic. b. subject sentence. c. thesis. d. none of the above

c. thesis.

Every advertisement serves two basic functions: a. to manipulate and persuade. b. to captivate and amuse. c. to inform and motivate. d. none of the above

c. to inform and motivate.

According to the text, in writing the first draft of your argumentative essay, you should: a. read what you've written and revise. b. edit your work. c. both a and b d. none of the above

d. none of the above

Most mass media news stories exhibit a. a strong liberal bias. b. a strong conservative bias. c. a strong pro-business bias. d. none of the above

d. none of the above

A(n) __________ is a detailed restatement of an argument using different words and phrases. a. synopsis b. summary c. outline d. paraphrase

d. paraphrase