ISAT Argument Evaluation and Flaws 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A company claims its product is best because it has won 'awards' but does not specify which awards. What logical problem does this create?
- It commits a false dichotomy
- The claim is vague and unverifiable, weakening the argument (Correct answer)
- It uses an ad hominem attack
- It commits the gambler's fallacy
Correct answer: The claim is vague and unverifiable, weakening the argument
Unspecified or unverifiable evidence cannot be assessed and therefore does not support the conclusion.
Question 2: Which of the following is the best description of an 'argument from ignorance' (ad ignorantiam)?
- Concluding something is true because it has not been proven false (Correct answer)
- Attacking the character of the person making the argument
- Using emotional language to persuade rather than evidence
- Applying a general rule to a case where it does not fit
Correct answer: Concluding something is true because it has not been proven false
Ad ignorantiam treats the absence of disproof as proof, which is a logical fallacy.
Question 3: Two students debate homework. Student A says, 'Homework helps consolidate learning.' Student B replies, 'That's what teachers say because they enjoy making students miserable.' Which flaw does Student B commit?
- False analogy
- Ad hominem (attacking motive rather than the argument) (Correct answer)
- Equivocation
- Hasty generalisation
Correct answer: Ad hominem (attacking motive rather than the argument)
Dismissing an argument by attributing bad motives to the arguer rather than addressing the argument itself is an ad hominem.
Question 4: An editorial argues: 'Studies show students who eat breakfast score higher on tests; therefore, schools should provide free breakfast.' Which additional piece of information would most strengthen this argument?
- Students who skip breakfast report feeling tired
- The association holds even after controlling for socioeconomic status (Correct answer)
- Breakfast is a traditional meal in most cultures
- Some students prefer to skip breakfast
Correct answer: The association holds even after controlling for socioeconomic status
Controlling for confounders like socioeconomic status strengthens the causal link between breakfast and test scores.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of equivocation?
- Using the word 'right' to mean both 'morally correct' and 'legal entitlement' in the same argument (Correct answer)
- Assuming that what is true of the whole is true of each part
- Claiming an event caused another merely because it preceded it
- Offering only two options when more exist
Correct answer: Using the word 'right' to mean both 'morally correct' and 'legal entitlement' in the same argument
Equivocation exploits ambiguous terms by shifting their meaning mid-argument.
Question 6: A health authority states: 'No conclusive evidence shows that this supplement is harmful, so it is safe to use.' This is an example of:
- Slippery slope
- Appeal to ignorance (Correct answer)
- False dichotomy
- Circular reasoning
Correct answer: Appeal to ignorance
Concluding safety from the absence of proven harm is an appeal to ignorance.
Question 7: Which question most directly tests whether a statistical correlation in an argument implies causation?
- How large was the sample used?
- Could a third variable explain both the cause and the effect? (Correct answer)
- Was the study published in a peer-reviewed journal?
- Did the researchers have funding from industry?
Correct answer: Could a third variable explain both the cause and the effect?
Identifying a potential confounding variable is the most direct way to challenge a causal inference from correlation.
ISAT Argument Evaluation and Flaws 3
A company claims its product is best because it has won 'awards' but does not specify which awards.
What logical problem does this create?