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 states: 'Sales of our product dropped after we changed the packaging, so the new packaging caused the decline.' What logical flaw is present?
Answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc
The argument assumes causation from mere temporal sequence, which is the post hoc fallacy.
Which question best challenges: 'Our city should ban fast food restaurants because obesity rates have risen in recent years'?
Answer: Are there other factors contributing to rising obesity rates?
Identifying alternative causes of obesity undermines the causal link the argument assumes.
When an AWA argument cites a survey of 50 volunteers at a health clinic to represent the general population's views, the best critique targets:
Answer: The sample's lack of representativeness
Clinic volunteers are not representative of the general population, making the sample biased.
An argument concludes that a policy will work in City B because it worked in City A. Which assumption must be true for this to hold?
Answer: The two cities are sufficiently similar in relevant respects
Transferring a result from one context to another requires that the contexts share relevant characteristics.
The phrase 'either we raise taxes or public services will collapse' exemplifies which fallacy?
Answer: False dilemma
Presenting only two options when more exist is a false dilemma (false dichotomy).
An AWA argument says: 'Expert nutritionist Dr. Smith endorses our supplement, so it must be effective.' The primary weakness is:
Answer: Dr. Smith may be biased or outside her area of expertise
An appeal to authority is weakened when the authority may have conflicts of interest or lacks specific expertise.
Which evidence would most strengthen an argument claiming that longer school days improve student test scores?
Answer: A controlled study showing score gains in schools that extended hours versus comparable schools that did not
A controlled comparison isolates the effect of longer days, providing the strongest causal evidence.