TSA TSA Critical Thinking & Logical Reasoning

Question 1

In TSA critical thinking, what is the primary purpose of identifying an argument's conclusion?

Accepted Answer

To understand what the argument is trying to establish or prove

Answer

The conclusion is the main claim the argument seeks to establish, which all premises are designed to support.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes an 'assumption' in critical thinking?

Accepted Answer

An unstated premise that the argument depends upon to be valid

Answer

An assumption is an unstated premise that must be true for the argument's conclusion to follow from its stated reasons.

Question 3

An argument states: 'All athletes train daily. Maria trains daily. Therefore, Maria is an athlete.' What logical flaw does this contain?

Accepted Answer

Affirming the consequent

Answer

This is affirming the consequent — just because athletes train daily doesn't mean everyone who trains daily is an athlete.

Question 4

In a TSA passage, if new evidence 'strengthens' an argument, what does this mean?

Accepted Answer

It makes the conclusion more likely to be true given the premises

Answer

Strengthening evidence increases the probability that the conclusion follows from the argument's premises.

Question 5

Which critical thinking skill involves recognizing that two situations share the same logical structure?

Accepted Answer

Identifying parallel reasoning

Answer

Identifying parallel reasoning requires recognizing when two arguments share the same logical form, even if the subject matter differs.

TSA - Thinking Skills Assessment Practice Test