AWA Argument Deconstruction 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An argument asserts: 'Students who eat breakfast score higher on tests, so schools should provide free breakfast.' Which is the most significant missing piece?
- Whether schools can afford breakfast programs
- Whether the correlation between breakfast and scores is causal (Correct answer)
- How many students currently skip breakfast
- What foods would be served
Correct answer: Whether the correlation between breakfast and scores is causal
A correlation between breakfast and scores does not prove that providing breakfast will raise scores.
Question 2: An argument compares two dissimilar products to draw a conclusion. This is best identified as a:
- Hasty generalization
- False analogy (Correct answer)
- Circular reasoning
- Straw man
Correct answer: False analogy
A false analogy draws conclusions by comparing things that differ in crucial ways.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'begging the question' in an AWA argument?
- Asking the reader to consider a question
- Using the conclusion as a premise without independent support (Correct answer)
- Raising too many questions for the reader
- Ignoring an important question
Correct answer: Using the conclusion as a premise without independent support
Begging the question means the argument assumes what it is trying to prove.
Question 4: An AWA passage argues: 'Most of our survey respondents rated our service highly, so customers are satisfied.' The weakest point is:
- Survey responses can be anonymous
- Dissatisfied customers may have been less likely to respond (Correct answer)
- The survey may have been conducted online
- High ratings always indicate satisfaction
Correct answer: Dissatisfied customers may have been less likely to respond
Non-response bias means dissatisfied customers often skip surveys, skewing results positive.
Question 5: If an argument provides evidence that is true but irrelevant to its conclusion, it commits the fallacy of:
- Straw man
- Red herring (Correct answer)
- False dilemma
- Equivocation
Correct answer: Red herring
A red herring introduces irrelevant information to distract from the real issue.
Question 6: An argument concludes that a medication is effective because patients reported feeling better. Which critique is strongest?
- Patients may have been misdiagnosed initially
- The placebo effect could explain the reported improvement (Correct answer)
- The medication was tested in only one hospital
- Patient self-reports are difficult to record
Correct answer: The placebo effect could explain the reported improvement
Without a control group, improvements might be due to the placebo effect rather than the medication.
Question 7: Which technique is most effective when writing your AWA analysis of a flawed argument?
- Rewrite the argument to make it correct
- Identify specific assumptions and explain how their failure undermines the conclusion (Correct answer)
- List every possible flaw you can think of briefly
- Agree with the argument but note minor reservations
Correct answer: Identify specific assumptions and explain how their failure undermines the conclusion
High-scoring AWA responses focus on specific assumptions and explain their logical impact on the argument.
AWA Argument Deconstruction 4
An argument asserts: 'Students who eat breakfast score higher on tests, so schools should provide free breakfast.' Which is the most significant missing piece?