Chapter 15 Thinking Amd Speaking Critically

Question 1

Ad hominem

Answer 1

Attacking the person rather than the soundness of his or her argument.

Question 2

Arguing in a circle (begging the question)

Answer 2

An argument that proves nothing because the claim to be proved is used to prove itself.

Question 3

Backing

Answer 3

Evidence that directly supports a warrant.

Question 4

Critical thinking

Answer 4

The process of making sound inferences based on accurate evidence and valid reasoning.

Question 5

Distorted evidence

Answer 5

Significant omissions or changes in evidence that alter its original intent.

Question 6

Fallacy

Answer 6

An argument in which the reasons advanced for a claim fail to warrant acceptance of the claim.

Question 7

False analogy

Answer 7

The comparison of two different things that are not really comparable.

Question 8

False dilemma

Answer 8

A generalization that implies there are only two choices when there are more than two.

Question 9

Grounds

Answer 9

The evidence a speaker offers in support of a claim.

Question 10

Halo effect

Answer 10

The assumption that just because you like or respect a person, whatever he or she says must be true.

Question 11

Hasty generalization

Answer 11

A fallacy that occurs when there are too few instances to support a generalization or the instances are unrepresentative of the generalization.

Question 12

Hyperbole

Answer 12

An exaggeration of a claim.

Question 13

Loaded language

Answer 13

Language that triggers strong emotional and negative responses.

Question 14

Misleading statistics

Answer 14

Statistics that are incomplete or based on faulty data.

Question 15

Mistaking correlation for cause

Answer 15

The assumption that because one thing is a sign of another, they are causally related.

Question 16

Non sequitur

Answer 16

An argument that does not logically follow from its premises.

Question 17

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc

Answer 17

(“After the fact, therefore because of the fact”) The assumption that because one event preceded another, the first event must be the cause of the second event.

Question 18

Pseudo-reasoning

Answer 18

An argument that appears sound at first glance but contains a fallacy of reasoning that renders it unsound.

Question 19

Qualifier

Answer 19

An indication of the level of probability of a claim.

Question 20

Rebuttal

Answer 20

An exception to or a refutation of an argument.

Question 21

Red herring (smoke screen)

Answer 21

An irrelevant issue introduced into a controversy to divert attention from the real issues.

Question 22

Slippery slope

Answer 22

The assumption that just because one event occurs, it will automatically lead to a series of undesirable events even though there is no relationship between the action and the projected events.

Question 23

Stereotyping

Answer 23

The assumption that what is considered to be true of a larger class is necessarily true of particular members of that class.

Question 24

Straw person

Answer 24

An argument made in refutation that misstates the argument being refuted. Rather than refuting the real argument, the other side constructs a person of straw, which is easy to knock down.

Question 25

Unsupported assertion

Answer 25

A claim without any evidence to support it.

Question 26

Verbal aggressiveness

Answer 26

The trait of attacking the self-concept of those with whom one disagrees about controversial claims.

Question 27

Warrant

Answer 27

The connection between evidence (grounds) and claim.