GMA GMA Critical Thinking and Assumptions 2

Question 1

Evidence: 'Ice cream sales and drowning incidents both increase in summer.' What is the most logical interpretation?

Accepted Answer

Both are caused by hot weather increasing outdoor activity

Answer

Both trends share a common cause — summer heat — which increases both swimming and ice cream consumption; this is correlation, not causation.

Question 2

Claim: 'Since crime dropped after the new police chief took office, the chief's policies are working.' Which reasoning error does this argument make?

Accepted Answer

Post hoc ergo propter hoc (assuming causation from sequence)

Answer

Assuming that because crime dropped after the chief arrived, the chief caused the drop, is a post hoc fallacy — other factors may be responsible.

Question 3

Argument: 'Either we cut the budget or we raise taxes; we cannot cut the budget, so we must raise taxes.' This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Valid disjunctive syllogism

Answer

This is a valid disjunctive syllogism: given A or B, and not A, therefore B.

Question 4

Passage: 'All of our top-performing sales reps attended the new training. Therefore, anyone who attends the training will become a top performer.' The flaw in this reasoning is:

Accepted Answer

Correlation is confused with causation, and selection bias is present

Answer

The top performers may have attended training because they were already high achievers; the argument confuses correlation with causation and ignores selection bias.

Question 5

Statement: 'We should not invest in renewable energy because it is more expensive than fossil fuels today.' Which counter-argument most directly weakens this?

Accepted Answer

Renewable energy costs have dropped 70% in the past decade and are projected to fall further

Answer

Showing that renewable energy costs are rapidly declining directly challenges the premise that it is costlier and undermines the argument.

(GMA) General Mental Ability Practice Test

(GMA) General Mental Ability Practice Test

GMA GMA Critical Thinking and Assumptions 2