General Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 2

Question 1

The 'straw man' fallacy occurs when someone:

Accepted Answer

Misrepresents an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack

Answer

The straw man fallacy involves distorting or exaggerating someone else's position to make it easier to refute, rather than addressing the actual argument.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning?

Accepted Answer

The sun has risen every morning for millions of years; therefore it will rise tomorrow

Answer

Inductive reasoning draws probable conclusions from observed patterns or repeated events, making the sun-rising example a classic case of inductive inference.

Question 3

When brainstorming solutions to a problem, which approach is MOST effective?

Accepted Answer

Generate as many ideas as possible without immediate judgment

Answer

Effective brainstorming encourages quantity and suspends judgment during the idea-generation phase so that creative solutions are not prematurely dismissed.

Question 4

What is the primary purpose of a 'root cause analysis'?

Accepted Answer

To identify the fundamental reason a problem occurred

Answer

Root cause analysis aims to identify the underlying, fundamental cause of a problem so that it can be permanently resolved rather than just treating symptoms.

Question 5

The '5 Whys' technique is primarily used to:

Accepted Answer

Drill down to the root cause by repeatedly asking 'why'

Answer

The 5 Whys technique involves asking 'why' up to five times in succession to move past surface-level symptoms and uncover the root cause of a problem.

General Practice Test

General Practice Test

General Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 2