STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Evaluating Written Arguments Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An advertisement for a new sports drink features a famous and well-respected musician. The musician claims the drink is the most effective for post-workout recovery. What is the most significant flaw in this argument for the drink's effectiveness?
- The musician may have been paid for the endorsement.
- The effectiveness of a sports drink is a matter of personal opinion.
- The musician's expertise is in music, not in sports science or nutrition. (Correct answer)
- The advertisement does not mention the price of the sports drink.
Correct answer: The musician's expertise is in music, not in sports science or nutrition.
This argument uses the 'appeal to false authority' fallacy. While the musician may be famous and respected, their expertise is in music, not in a field relevant to the product's claims (like sports science or nutrition). Therefore, their endorsement is not credible evidence of the drink's effectiveness.
Question 2: A community group is arguing against the construction of a new factory. Their spokesperson states: 'Our opponent claims this factory will bring a few jobs. What they really want is to pave over all our green spaces, pollute our air, and leave a toxic legacy for our children.' Which argumentative fallacy is most clearly demonstrated in this statement?
- Appeal to Emotion
- Straw Man (Correct answer)
- Hasty Generalization
- Ad Hominem
Correct answer: Straw Man
The spokesperson is using a 'Straw Man' fallacy. They are misrepresenting the opponent's argument (which is about jobs) by exaggerating it into a much more extreme and easily attackable position (paving green spaces, polluting air, etc.). This tactic avoids engaging with the actual, more moderate, argument presented by the factory's proponents.
Question 3: A university research paper studied the dietary habits of 200 undergraduate students at a single city campus and found that 75% consumed unhealthy levels of processed food. The paper's conclusion states: 'The modern Australian diet is overwhelmingly unhealthy and dominated by processed foods.' What is the primary weakness of this conclusion?
- The conclusion is based on correlation, not causation.
- The term 'unhealthy levels' is not clearly defined.
- The conclusion over-generalizes from a specific, non-representative sample to a much larger population. (Correct answer)
- The study should have included at least 1,000 participants to be valid.
Correct answer: The conclusion over-generalizes from a specific, non-representative sample to a much larger population.
The conclusion commits the fallacy of 'hasty' or 'faulty generalization'. The study's sample (200 students from one city campus) is not representative of the entire Australian population, which includes people of all ages, locations, and lifestyles. Therefore, it is a logical flaw to extend the findings for this specific group to the whole country.
Question 4: Read the following passage: 'Employee burnout is a significant issue. Companies that have introduced mental health days report lower staff turnover. These companies also note that productivity remains stable, or even improves. Therefore, to enhance employee retention and maintain productivity, companies should consider implementing a policy of offering dedicated mental health days.' Which of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the passage?
- Employee burnout is a serious problem in the modern workplace.
- Companies with mental health days have lower staff turnover.
- Productivity does not necessarily drop when staff take time off.
- Companies ought to adopt a policy of providing mental health days. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Companies ought to adopt a policy of providing mental health days.
The main conclusion is the central claim or recommendation the author is trying to prove. The first three statements are premises or pieces of evidence (the problem, a supporting fact, another supporting fact) used to build the argument. The final sentence, which offers a direct recommendation based on that evidence, is the main conclusion of the passage.
Question 5: An argument is presented: 'The new traffic calming measures on Main Street have successfully reduced accidents. Therefore, the city should implement the same measures on all major roads to improve city-wide road safety.' Which of the following is an unstated assumption upon which this conclusion depends?
- The traffic calming measures were expensive to install.
- There were a significant number of accidents on Main Street before the measures were introduced.
- The traffic conditions and driver behaviours on all major roads are similar to those on Main Street. (Correct answer)
- Residents living on Main Street have complained about the new measures.
Correct answer: The traffic conditions and driver behaviours on all major roads are similar to those on Main Street.
The argument assumes that what worked in one specific context (Main Street) will work in all other contexts (all major roads). For this to be a valid conclusion, it must assume that the conditions—such as traffic volume, road design, speed limits, and pedestrian activity—are comparable across all these different roads. If other roads have vastly different conditions, the measures might not be effective.
Question 6: In a debate about a proposed sugar tax, one speaker argues: 'We must implement this tax to combat the obesity crisis. My opponent, who argues against the tax, owns a chain of bakeries.' In evaluating the argument, the comment about the opponent owning bakeries is:
- A valid point, as it proves the opponent's argument is wrong.
- A logical fallacy, because it attacks the person rather than their argument. (Correct answer)
- Strong evidence that a sugar tax would be effective.
- Irrelevant, because the obesity crisis is not a real problem.
Correct answer: A logical fallacy, because it attacks the person rather than their argument.
This is an example of an 'ad hominem' fallacy. The speaker attacks the opponent's personal circumstances (owning bakeries) to suggest a conflict of interest, rather than addressing the merits or flaws of the opponent's actual argument against the tax. The opponent's potential bias does not automatically invalidate their reasoning or evidence.
STAT - Special Tertiary Admissions Evaluating Written Arguments Questions and Answers
An advertisement for a new sports drink features a famous and well-respected musician.
The musician claims the drink is the most effective for post-workout recovery.
What is the most significant flaw in this argument for the drink's effectiveness?