Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Flashcards

Passage: 'Every student who joined the tutoring program improved their grades.' Which of the following conclusions is BEST supported?

Answer: The tutoring program was associated with grade improvement for all participants

The passage only establishes what happened for those in the program; broader claims about all programs or non-participants are unsupported.

Which of the following arguments contains a slippery slope fallacy?

Answer: If we allow students to redo one exam, soon they'll demand to redo every assignment, and grades will become meaningless

The argument assumes a chain of increasingly extreme consequences without evidence that each step will lead to the next.

In Watson-Glaser's 'Evaluation of Arguments' section, a strong argument is one that is:

Answer: Directly relevant to the question and supported by substantial reasoning

Watson-Glaser defines strong arguments as those that are both relevant to the issue and based on solid, substantive reasoning.

A manager says: 'Our top salesperson uses an aggressive pitch style, so all sales staff should adopt that style.' What flawed reasoning is present?

Answer: Generalizing from a single case without considering individual differences or context

Inferring a universal rule from one success case ignores the many factors that may make that individual uniquely effective.

Which statement MOST accurately describes the difference between a fact and an opinion?

Answer: A fact can be verified through evidence; an opinion expresses a personal judgment or value

The defining criterion is verifiability: facts can be confirmed objectively, while opinions reflect subjective evaluation.

Argument: 'Organic food is more expensive, so only wealthy people eat healthily.' A critical thinker would identify which flaw?

Answer: It assumes organic food is the only path to healthy eating

The argument conflates organic food with all healthy eating, ignoring many affordable healthy options.

You are told: 'If it rains, the game is cancelled. The game was not cancelled.' What can you logically conclude?

Answer: It did not rain

This is modus tollens: if P→Q and not-Q, then not-P; therefore it did not rain.