Bcom 3950 Logical Fallacies/Logical Inconsistencies and Positive Writing, Chapter 5 Logical Inconsistencies and Positive Writing

Which statements are the most effective business messages?

-I am looking forward to resolving any issues at our meeting tomorrow. -We have many new staff members who are enthusiastic about getting started.

Using an outline or diagram to form the logic of a business message typically leads to which two results?

-Issues can be written about more effectively. -Thinking about the issues becomes tighter.

The framing of the primary business message is important for which of the following reasons?

-It emphasizes the message's premises. -It gives focus to an important argument. -It highlights support for the message's key ideas.

The frame of a primary business message should be which of the following?

-memorable -short

In business messages, a can-do attitude has which of the following qualities?

-optimism -confidence -enthusiasm

Which of the following are likely effects of slanting the facts in business messages?

-potential loss of author credibility -reader doubt about message logic

An effective, logical business message includes which of the following characteristics?

-research-backed ideas -applicability of research -supported facts

Unsupported Generalizations

Involve unfairly stating all people or parts of a group or category possess a certain characteristics.

When writing a business message, a key component of credibility comes from demonstrating

interest in others.

When structuring a business message, its ideas should have a basis in

strong reasoning.

In a business message that involves information mainly focused on the reader of the massage, which of the following voices is favored?

you-voice

In terms of tone, which two of the following do readers respond to most positively?

-Concern for others -The projection of positivity

Which of the following are the effects of a positive workplace attitude?

-It provides motivation. -It improves work performance. -It enhances creativity.

Which of the following statements about the goals and stages of writing effective business messages are true?

-The three stages of effective business writing are planning, writing, and reviewing. -The stages of business writing often overlap each other. -Effective business writing is divided into three stages.

Which of the following are characteristics of effective and compelling business message frames?

-They are memorable. -They use rational and emotional appeal.

The description of products and services in a business message is more effective when it emphasizes their traits

-as assets. -in a positive manner.

Writing effective messages in business helps

-drive collaboration. -boost productivity.

Which of the following are part of planning the basic message structure?

-finding and framing the primary message -arranging the logic of the primary message

Business writers who effectively craft their message do which of the following?

-foresee the reaction of their audience -keep the needs of secondary audiences in mind -remember the values of their audience

Which of the following should be avoided in business writing?

-implication of adversarial positions -emphasis on differences

Using exaggeration in a business message can affect the credibility of which of the following?

-the author -the message itself

Readers interpret the tone of a business message primarily as a reflection of the writer's attitude toward which two of the following?

-the readers of the message -the message content

Order from first to last, with the first step at the top, the following steps as they typically occur in developing sound business ideas. Instructions

1. identification of questions and problem2. research to gather information3. making conclusions or finding solutions

For an effective frame, the primary business message should be approximately ______ words in length.

10 to 15

Faulty Cause and Effect

Claims that involve unsupported and unsubstantiated statements about how one thing causes another.

Weak Analogies

Comparisons that lack sufficient similarities to support conclusions. In other words, this is comparing apples and oranges.

The decision to upgrade the software is a question of investing wisely in our operation or letting the business fail.

Either/Or Logic Presents two options and declares that one of them must be correct while the other must be incorrect. This is a false dichotomy because it ignores other options that are available.

We encourage you to apply for the training program so that you avoid staying in the same position without making career progress.

Either/Or Logic Presents two options and declares that one of them must be correct while the other must be incorrect. This is a false dichotomy because it ignores other options that are available.

Demand among Women "With 45% of women stating a preference for preparing food at home after 9pm, roughly half of the female students would not be interested in our service."

Either/or logic

Dissatisfaction "Since 84% of the survey respondents say they are dissatisfied with food near campus, we must act now. Otherwise, we will lose the opportunity to penetrate this market.

Either/or logic;

Demand for pastries "With 22% of the respondents saying they wanted delivery of pastries, we definitely found extremely high support for pastries as menu items."

Exaggeration

About 10 percent of trainees become regional directors eventually. Employees from this elite group are those who show perseverance and determination to reach their professional goals.

Faulty Cause/Effect Claims Confuses correlation with cause. This is a common problem with scientific studies in which the fact that two events are correlated implies that one causes the other.

Many trainees eventually become upper-level executives, showing that hands-on training is better than getting a business degree.

Faulty Cause/Effect Claims Confuses correlation with cause. This is a common problem with scientific studies in which the fact that two events are correlated implies that one causes the other.

Health Consciousness "On weekdays, women eat after 9 pm just 1.2 times compared to 1.8 times for men. This is due to higher health-consciousness among women.

Faulty Cause/effect claims

Demand for tacos "Nearly 72% of our respondents say they order pizza often and about 9% say they regularly order tacos. as a result the key menu item that will lead to success will be tacos. "

Faulty cause/effect claims

Exaggeration

Involves overstating the value or significance of something

Slanting of Facts

Involves presenting those facts that are favorable to your position. Some people refer to this as cherry-picking the facts.

Either/or Logic

Involves unnecessarily reducing or constricting issues to two options or viewpoints.

Jim Edison, a recent graduate from the local university, wants to start a late-night food delivery service targeting students at the university. He and his friends were always dissatisfied with options for food at night during college, so he views this as a unique opportunity. To help him decide how to develop and market his business, he conducted a survey of approximately 300 students. He found the following:

N/A

Roll over each phrase to see an illogical statement based on the survey results. Then drag the item to the most appropriate type of logical inconsistency.

N/A

Which of the following statements about workplace priorities is not true?

Priorities are more constant than values.

Restaurant managers make approximately $35,000 to $40,000 per year. The annual salary has grown at approximately 5 percent per year during the past three years, far outpacing income growth for restaurant managers at McDonald's or Burger King. So, reaching the restaurant manager stage places you in a better economic position than you would be in at competing restaurants.

Slanting the Facts Presenting only those facts that are favorable to your position. Correct

What attitude do effective business writers take toward members of their reading audience?

They attempt to understand them.

Which of the following are means that business professionals employ to draw out superior ideas?

They brainstorm with team members. They draw diagrams. They write out notes.

Which of the following are characteristics held by outstanding business thinkers?

They can solve complex problems. They have the ability to state important questions.

True or false: Business messages can be strengthened to counteract issues concerning low credibility.

True Reason: If a crafter of a business message has low credibility, there are means to strengthen a message to overcome that lack of credibility.

Demand among students "Nearly all university students want late-night delivery services."

Unsupported Generalization

Late-night hours "Late-night food delivery business thrive where many of the local residents study or work through the night."

Unsupported generalization

Because just 5 percent of Jim's employees are selected for the training program, your acceptance in the program shows that you have great leadership potential.

Unsupported generalizations The claims are not supported by facts.

If the CEO of Google says it is a good idea, then we should follow suit.

Unsupported generalizations The claims are not supported by facts.

Twenty-one is the best age limit for drinking because people do not mature until they are 21.

Unsupported generalizations The claims are not supported by facts.

Demand for restaurants "The fact that many restaurants near campus including Denny's and IHOP, have adopted 24-hour service indicates a strong demand for for food delivery at all hours of the night."

Weak Analogies

Employees are like puppies. Just as puppies need an alpha dog to constrain them, so do employees.

Weak Analogies Comparisons are poorly made, with little relevance or similarity between the ideas or things being compared.

Pizza Delivery "Much like other food delivery services such as Domino's our business would rely on effective mass advertising to drive brand recognition."

Weak analogies

Which of the following qualities are likely to be attached to a business message that continually uses the I-voice?

aggressive egotistical

A listener-centered approach to business messages focuses on the input of which of the following?

colleagues clients

In a business message, ______ words emphasize positive, harmonious relationships and positions.

constructive

In writing business messages, the planning stage focuses on ensuring excellent

content

An audience's assessment of a business communication message is largely based on the author's

credibility

Average and poor business writers are more likely than excellent writers to focus on the _____ stage first.

drafting

Which of the following are aspects of the analysis step of business idea development?

drawing conclusions discovering related facts adopting a position

In the business world, ______ are statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty.

facts

Which are part of identifying business problems as a first step to solving them?

gathering information asking questions understanding company objectives

Which of the following are identified to help create solid business ideas?

gathering relevant information and facts making sense out of often complex and confusing pieces of information determining the business issues and objectives

When solving business problems the first step is to

identify the problem.

Setting up the logic of the message consists of

identifying supporting points in the message. identifying the call to action.

In a business message, slanting the facts means to

include only favorable information.

A listener-centered approach to business writing includes a focus on

learning and input from others.

Your goal in framing a business message is to

make it compelling while using rational and emotional appeal.

Entry-level business professionals have low credibility primarily because they are

newcomers

During the message development process, business professionals should identify the ______ their ideas clearly.

objectives of

The professional reputation of entry-level business people can be improved relatively quickly through which of the following?

offering something of value to the work environment being conscious of strengths and weaknesses

In business communications, which of the following generally enhances the writer's beneficial influence over others?

optimism

AIM is a process for ______ the writing of useful business messages.

planning

When excellent business writers craft a message, they focus on the ______ stage first.

planning

The success of expert business writers lies in their placing greater focus on which two of the following stages?

planning reviewing

Which of the following are parts of the process of crafting effective business messages?

planning reviewing writing

Which of the following are part of clearly understanding the outcome a business professional wants to achieve while developing ideas for a business message?

promoting a distinct position based on level of commitment achieving balance between ideal outcomes and work relationships

Understanding the constraints of the audience of a business message means that the message should be crafted to

provide value to the audience.

Expert business writers typically work more ______ than average business writers.

quickly effectively

To demonstrate a can-do attitude in a business message, the writer should use

realistic assertions.

When crafting a business message with strong reasoning, it is important to back claims with

supporting facts.

The writer of a business message gives the impression that she conducted an analysis but does not mention another team member completed the analysis. The writer is

taking credit for the work of others.

Readers will usually interpret a business message containing the repeated use of the we-voice as

team-focused.

Which of the following are typical perceptions that readers have of a business message that includes exaggeration?

that the message is over the top -that the message lacks realism -that the message is unbelievable

For many business messages, the most important step in the planning stage of business communication writing is identifying

the benefits to be gained by the reader.

For someone in business, what does it mean to make a recommendation?

to take a position

When business thinkers are mentally flexible, they possess the ability to

understand contrasting views.

In the context of business messages, workplace ______ are the core beliefs about suitable ways of handling issues and problems.

values

When writing a sentence in a business message that is intended for a work team, the most appropriate voice to use is usually the ______ voice.

we

When the tone of a business message is ______, there is an implied interest in the opinions and needs of the audience.

welcoming

Framing the primary message involves presenting the message

within an overall theme.

When focusing on complex business problems, ______ is generally an essential part of the idea-development process.

writing down ideas

What are constraints that members of your audience might have that keep them from responding to your message as you hope? (Choose every correct answer.)

-They do not have the necessary resources. -They do not have enough time to act on your message. -They do not have the authority to make relevant decisions.

Which of the following are aspects of setting up the logic of a business message? (Choose all that apply.)

-arranging message logic -identifying supporting points -defining a call to action

The AIM process includes which of the following steps?

-audience analysis -information gathering -message development

Which of the following are benefits of recognizing the contributions of others in business messages?

-better working relationships -credit given in return on other projects

When framing the primary message, authors of a business message should complete which of the following? (Choose all that apply.)

-compose a brief, vivid message statement -define the primary message

Which of the following are helpful ways of organizing the logic of a business message?

-diagramming the logic -sketching out the logic

Which of the following actions will contribute to receiving a timely, desired response to a business message?

-respecting the time of others -recognizing others' individualism

In general, which of the following are results an author can expect from a carefully crafted business message with strong logic?

-stronger credibility -increased influence

Jim's Old Fashioned Burgers provides the best management training program in the industry.

Exaggeration Claims are overstated. They are made to appear as larger, more important, or more extreme than is actually the case. Words like all, never, most, and seldom often lead to exaggerated claims.

True or false: If sentences in a business statement are composed in a nonassertive tone, they will always be read as nonassertive by readers.

False