Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Flashcards
7 cards from real General practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving flashcards as text
The 'straw man' fallacy occurs when someone:
Answer: Misrepresents an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack
The straw man fallacy involves distorting or exaggerating someone else's position to make it easier to refute, rather than addressing the actual argument.
Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning?
Answer: The sun has risen every morning for millions of years; therefore it will rise tomorrow
Inductive reasoning draws probable conclusions from observed patterns or repeated events, making the sun-rising example a classic case of inductive inference.
When brainstorming solutions to a problem, which approach is MOST effective?
Answer: Generate as many ideas as possible without immediate judgment
Effective brainstorming encourages quantity and suspends judgment during the idea-generation phase so that creative solutions are not prematurely dismissed.
What is the primary purpose of a 'root cause analysis'?
Answer: To identify the fundamental reason a problem occurred
Root cause analysis aims to identify the underlying, fundamental cause of a problem so that it can be permanently resolved rather than just treating symptoms.
The '5 Whys' technique is primarily used to:
Answer: Drill down to the root cause by repeatedly asking 'why'
The 5 Whys technique involves asking 'why' up to five times in succession to move past surface-level symptoms and uncover the root cause of a problem.
Which term describes the cognitive error of overestimating the likelihood of events based on how easily examples come to mind?
Answer: Availability heuristic
The availability heuristic leads people to judge probability based on how quickly related examples come to mind, which can distort risk assessment.
A cost-benefit analysis is used to:
Answer: Compare the total expected costs against the total expected benefits of a decision
Cost-benefit analysis systematically compares the costs and benefits of a course of action to determine whether it is worth pursuing.