AWA Critical Thinking & Argument Analysis 5

Question 1

A study finds that people who own pets live longer on average. A columnist concludes: 'Get a pet to live longer.' What is the most significant flaw?

Accepted Answer

Healthier, more active people may be more likely to own pets, reversing the causal direction

Answer

Reverse causation is possible: healthier people may seek pets, not pets cause health—the argument mistakes correlation for causation.

Question 2

Which of the following best distinguishes a 'fact' from an 'inference' in argument analysis?

Accepted Answer

A fact is directly observable or verifiable; an inference is a conclusion drawn from facts that goes beyond what is directly stated

Answer

Facts are empirically verifiable; inferences extend beyond the evidence and may or may not be valid.

Question 3

An argument claims that a school's test scores improved because the principal was replaced. Which question is most important to resolve before accepting this conclusion?

Accepted Answer

Whether any other changes (curriculum, funding, teaching staff) occurred at the same time as the leadership change

Answer

Without ruling out simultaneous changes, the argument cannot isolate the principal change as the causal factor.

Question 4

In AWA scoring, which element most distinguishes a score-6 essay from a score-4 essay in argument analysis?

Accepted Answer

Insightful identification of multiple logical flaws with specific, well-developed reasoning

Answer

Score-6 essays demonstrate depth of critical analysis—identifying nuanced flaws and developing each point thoroughly—not merely surface correctness.

Question 5

An argument concludes that walking meetings increase creativity based on one executive's report. What type of evidence would most strengthen this argument?

Accepted Answer

Controlled experiments comparing creativity output in walking vs. seated meetings across multiple organizations

Answer

Controlled experiments with multiple organizations isolate the walking meeting variable and make the causal claim far more defensible.

(AWA) Analytical Writing Assessment Practice Test

(AWA) Analytical Writing Assessment Practice Test

AWA Critical Thinking & Argument Analysis 5