CCTST Analysis 4 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: An argument contains the phrase 'studies show.' A strong analytical reader should first ask:
- Which studies, conducted how, and with what results? (Correct answer)
- How many studies were cited?
- Were the studies published in English?
- Did the studies occur in the United States?
Correct answer: Which studies, conducted how, and with what results?
Vague appeals to 'studies' lack specificity; an analyst must probe the methodology, source, and findings before accepting the claim.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'parsing' an argument for its logical structure?
- Identifying the premises, the conclusion, and the inferential links between them (Correct answer)
- Summarizing the argument in one sentence
- Evaluating whether the argument is persuasive
- Checking the argument against established authorities
Correct answer: Identifying the premises, the conclusion, and the inferential links between them
Parsing an argument means laying bare its logical skeleton: what claims serve as reasons and what claim they are meant to support.
Question 3: A politician argues: 'My opponent wants to reduce military spendingâclearly, she wants to leave our country defenseless.' This is an example of:
- Straw man fallacy (Correct answer)
- Appeal to tradition
- Slippery slope
- Begging the question
Correct answer: Straw man fallacy
The straw man fallacy misrepresents an opponent's position in an exaggerated or distorted form that is easier to attack.
Question 4: In a deductive argument, if the premises are true and the argument is valid, the conclusion:
- Must be true (Correct answer)
- Is probably true
- Could be true or false
- Requires additional evidence to evaluate
Correct answer: Must be true
In a valid deductive argument, true premises guarantee a true conclusionâthis is the defining feature of deductive validity.
Question 5: Which technique is most useful for identifying whether two seemingly different arguments actually share the same logical form?
- Substituting variables for content words and comparing the resulting abstract structures (Correct answer)
- Checking whether the arguments use the same vocabulary
- Counting the number of premises in each argument
- Determining which argument was written first
Correct answer: Substituting variables for content words and comparing the resulting abstract structures
Abstracting content into variables reveals the underlying logical form, making structural comparisons possible regardless of subject matter.
Question 6: A news article reports that a new drug 'significantly' reduces symptoms. In critical analysis, the most important follow-up question is:
- What does 'significantly' meanâstatistically, clinically, or practically? (Correct answer)
- Who wrote the article?
- When was the drug developed?
- How many countries approved the drug?
Correct answer: What does 'significantly' meanâstatistically, clinically, or practically?
Statistical significance does not equal practical importance; the term 'significant' is often used ambiguously and must be precisely defined.
Question 7: When breaking down a multi-clause conditional statement such as 'If A and B, then C or D,' an analyst should:
- Identify all individual components and determine when the antecedent is satisfied and which consequents follow (Correct answer)
- Accept the statement as a single unit without decomposition
- Focus only on the first clause
- Replace it with a simpler conditional before analyzing
Correct answer: Identify all individual components and determine when the antecedent is satisfied and which consequents follow
Complex conditionals require identifying each component (A, B, C, D) and understanding the logical connectives (and/or) governing them.
CCTST Analysis 4
An argument contains the phrase 'studies show.' A strong analytical reader should first ask: