CCTST Inductive Reasoning 5

Question 1

In a statistical syllogism, the argument form is: 'X% of F are G; a is F; therefore, a is probably G.' This argument is stronger when:

Accepted Answer

X is very high or very low

Answer

Statistical syllogisms are stronger when the percentage is far from 50%, giving clearer probabilistic support for the conclusion.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of hasty generalization?

Accepted Answer

Concluding all teenagers are irresponsible after one teenager makes a mistake

Answer

Hasty generalization draws a sweeping conclusion from an insufficient number of cases.

Question 3

Which principle best explains why inductive conclusions can never be proven with absolute certainty?

Accepted Answer

Hume's problem of induction

Answer

Hume's problem of induction shows that past observations cannot logically guarantee future events, making certainty impossible.

Question 4

A public health official observes that neighborhoods with more fast-food restaurants have higher obesity rates. To establish a causal claim inductively, the next best step is:

Accepted Answer

Control for confounding variables like income and exercise habits

Answer

Controlling for confounding variables is essential to move from a mere correlation toward a defensible causal conclusion.

Question 5

A wine expert correctly identifies grape varieties in 95 out of 100 blind tastings. An observer concludes the expert can reliably distinguish grape varieties by taste. This inductive argument is:

Accepted Answer

Strong because the sample is large and the success rate is very high

Answer

A 95% success rate across 100 trials constitutes strong inductive evidence for the expert's ability.

(CCTST) California Critical Thinking Skills Test Practice Test

(CCTST) California Critical Thinking Skills Test Practice Test

CCTST Inductive Reasoning 5