Argument Deconstruction Flashcards
7 cards from real AWA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Argument Deconstruction flashcards as text
An argument says: 'Our competitor's profits fell after they switched suppliers, so we should not switch suppliers.' This reasoning primarily assumes:
Answer: The competitor and our company are similar enough that the same outcome would occur
The argument assumes the two companies are comparable, but differences could invalidate the analogy.
When an AWA argument moves from a specific case to a broad generalization without sufficient evidence, it commits:
Answer: Hasty generalization
Hasty generalization draws a broad conclusion from too few or unrepresentative examples.
Which of the following would most effectively address the assumption in this argument: 'Employees who work remotely are less productive, as shown by their fewer hours logged in our system'?
Answer: Hours logged may not accurately measure productivity output
If logged hours are a poor proxy for productivity, the evidence does not support the conclusion.
An argument claims: 'Violent video games must cause aggression because teens who play them report feeling more aggressive.' The main flaw is:
Answer: Correlation is mistaken for causation; aggressive teens may prefer violent games
The direction of causality is unclear; pre-existing aggression may lead to game choice rather than the reverse.
What does it mean to 'steelman' an argument before deconstructing it in an AWA context?
Answer: Present the strongest possible version of the argument before critiquing it
Steelmanning means charitably reconstructing the argument at its strongest before identifying its flaws.
An AWA argument that relies on anecdotal evidence is most vulnerable to which critique?
Answer: A single story may not represent the broader pattern
Anecdotal evidence may be unrepresentative, making generalization to a wider population unreliable.
Which revision would most strengthen a weak AWA argument claiming that a city's new bike lanes reduced traffic congestion?
Answer: Include traffic data from before and after installation, controlling for other variables
Before-and-after data with controls provides the empirical evidence needed to establish a causal relationship.