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 commentator says: 'My colleague argues we should invest more in renewable energy. Apparently, he thinks we should shut down every fossil fuel plant immediately and destroy millions of jobs.' Which fallacy is this?
Answer: Straw man
The straw man exaggerates the colleague's actual position (more investment) into an extreme version (immediate shutdown) that is easier to attack.
A company defends its labor practices by saying: 'Our overseas workers are paid fairly — they earn more than the average wage in their home country.' Which fallacy may be operating here?
Answer: Relative privation
Relative privation (also called 'appeal to worse problems') dismisses a concern by comparing it to a worse situation rather than addressing it on its merits.
A speaker says: 'Laws must be followed. Jaywalking is against the law. Therefore, jaywalking is seriously wrong.' The argument equivocates on which term?
Answer: Wrong
The equivocation is on 'wrong' — it shifts from 'legally prohibited' (a technical sense) to 'morally wrong' (a normative sense) without justification.
A researcher argues: 'Every expert I've consulted agrees climate change is real and human-caused. Therefore, the science is settled.' In critical thinking terms, what risk does this reasoning carry?
Answer: It relies on selective sampling of experts
Consulting only experts one already agrees with (confirmation bias in sampling) can make a false consensus appear unanimous, even if dissenting experts exist.
A coach tells athletes: 'Pain is weakness leaving the body. So if training doesn't hurt, you're not getting stronger.' Which fallacy underlies this claim?
Answer: Equivocation on 'pain'
The phrase equivocates on 'pain,' conflating productive muscle stress with injury or excessive pain, both of which the word covers.
A financial advisor says: 'Our fund has outperformed the market for the past five years. Based on this track record, you can be confident it will outperform next year too.' This commits which fallacy?
Answer: Hasty generalization
Five years is a limited sample, and past performance does not logically guarantee future results, making this a hasty generalization from insufficient evidence.
An opponent in a debate says: 'We don't need to consider Professor Lin's research on immigration economics — she's an immigrant herself and can't be objective.' Which fallacy is this?
Answer: Genetic fallacy / ad hominem
This combines an ad hominem attack with the genetic fallacy — dismissing the research based on the researcher's personal background rather than evaluating the evidence.