Critical Thinking Flashcards
6 cards from real Mettl practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Critical Thinking flashcards as text
An advertisement claims: '9 out of 10 dentists recommend Brand X toothpaste.' What is the most important question to ask before accepting this claim?
Answer: How many dentists were surveyed and how were they selected?
The key critical thinking question is about sample size and selection — a survey of just 10 dentists (with 9 choosing Brand X) is statistically meaningless.
A manager concludes: 'Our customer satisfaction scores rose after we changed the packaging. Therefore, the new packaging caused the improvement.' What logical fallacy is this?
Answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc (correlation as causation)
Post hoc ergo propter hoc ('after this, therefore because of this') incorrectly assumes that because B followed A, A caused B. Other factors may have caused the improvement.
You are reviewing a project proposal. The author has extensive credentials but the methodology has clear flaws. How should you evaluate the proposal?
Answer: Evaluate the methodology on its merits, separate from the author's credentials
Critical thinking requires evaluating arguments on their merits, not the authority of the source. This avoids 'appeal to authority' bias.
A study finds that employees who drink coffee are more productive. A company therefore decides to provide free coffee to boost productivity. What is the critical flaw in this reasoning?
Answer: Correlation between coffee drinking and productivity doesn't establish that coffee causes productivity
Correlation does not imply causation. Coffee drinkers may be more productive for other reasons (e.g., they work longer hours, have different roles, etc.).
Which question best exemplifies higher-order critical thinking (as per Bloom's Taxonomy)?
Answer: How would you redesign this process to eliminate the identified inefficiency?
Bloom's higher-order thinking involves analysis, evaluation, and creation. 'Redesigning a process' requires synthesis, evaluation, and creation — the top levels.
A report presents two options: Option A saves 200 lives, Option B has a 1/3 probability of saving all 600 lives and 2/3 probability of saving no one. Most people choose Option A. This is an example of:
Answer: Framing effect / risk aversion in gains
Both options have equal expected value (200 lives). People prefer the certain outcome (Option A) over the risky one in the gain frame — demonstrating risk aversion and the framing effect (Kahneman & Tversky).