Identifying Logical Fallacies Flashcards
7 cards from real Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Identifying Logical Fallacies flashcards as text
A politician argues: 'My opponent has been critical of our national defense budget. Clearly, he doesn't care about protecting American lives.' Which fallacy is present?
Answer: Straw man
The straw man fallacy misrepresents the opponent's position — criticizing budget levels is not the same as not caring about national defense.
An executive says: 'We've always done our annual reviews in December. There's no reason to change it now.' This reasoning exemplifies which fallacy?
Answer: Appeal to tradition
Appeal to tradition argues something is correct or best simply because it has always been done that way, without evaluating its actual merits.
A reviewer writes: 'This movie must be great — it has a 95% score on the review site, and millions of people have seen it.' Which fallacy does this commit?
Answer: Bandwagon fallacy
The bandwagon fallacy assumes something is good or true because many people believe or do it, not because of its actual quality.
A doctor says: 'You should take this supplement — I've personally seen three patients improve after using it.' What fallacy is this?
Answer: Hasty generalization
A hasty generalization draws a broad conclusion from an insufficient sample — three cases are not enough to establish general effectiveness.
Someone argues: 'Either we implement strict gun control laws, or gun violence will continue to spiral out of control.' This is an example of which fallacy?
Answer: False dilemma
The false dilemma presents only two options when in reality there may be a range of policies and approaches between those extremes.
A manager argues: 'We can't trust Jennifer's cost-cutting proposal — she's only been with the company for six months.' Which fallacy is committed?
Answer: Ad hominem
Ad hominem attacks the person's characteristics (tenure) rather than evaluating the actual merits of the proposal.
A parent tells their child: 'If you start skipping breakfast, soon you'll be skipping school, then dropping out, and eventually you'll never hold a job.' Which fallacy is this?
Answer: Slippery slope
Slippery slope assumes a chain of increasingly severe consequences will inevitably follow from one action without justifying each step.