TalentLens Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manager notices that sales dropped 20% after a new pricing policy was introduced last month. A colleague concludes the pricing policy caused the drop. What is the main flaw in this reasoning?
- The drop is too small to be significant
- Correlation does not establish causation without ruling out other factors (Correct answer)
- The manager should not question the policy
- Sales data is always unreliable
Correct answer: Correlation does not establish causation without ruling out other factors
Assuming causation from correlation ignores other possible explanations such as seasonal trends or competitor actions.
Question 2: Which of the following is the strongest argument for implementing a four-day workweek?
- Employees prefer shorter weeks
- Studies show equivalent productivity with reduced burnout and absenteeism (Correct answer)
- It is trendy in many tech companies
- Fridays are generally unproductive
Correct answer: Studies show equivalent productivity with reduced burnout and absenteeism
Evidence-backed outcomes like maintained productivity and reduced burnout provide the strongest objective support.
Question 3: A problem-solver uses trial and error to find a solution. This approach is MOST appropriate when:
- The problem is well-defined with a known algorithm
- The search space is small and testing options is low-cost (Correct answer)
- Time pressure demands a perfect solution immediately
- The consequences of each failed attempt are severe
Correct answer: The search space is small and testing options is low-cost
Trial and error is efficient when the number of options is limited and failures are cheap to recover from.
Question 4: In a Watson-Glaser style argument evaluation, a 'strong' argument is one that:
- Is emotionally compelling and widely believed
- Directly and substantially addresses the question with relevant evidence (Correct answer)
- Is stated confidently by an authority figure
- Uses complex vocabulary and statistics
Correct answer: Directly and substantially addresses the question with relevant evidence
Strong arguments are directly relevant to the issue and supported by substantive, logical reasoning.
Question 5: A team must decide between two project plans. Plan A has a 70% chance of a $100K gain and 30% chance of $0. Plan B guarantees $60K. Using expected value, which plan is preferable?
- Plan B, because it is guaranteed
- Plan A, because its expected value of $70K exceeds Plan B's $60K (Correct answer)
- Plan B, because risk should always be avoided
- Neither plan has a clear advantage
Correct answer: Plan A, because its expected value of $70K exceeds Plan B's $60K
Plan A's expected value (0.7 × $100K = $70K) is higher than Plan B's certain $60K, making it preferable on pure expected value grounds.
Question 6: Which thinking skill is most critical when evaluating whether a news headline accurately represents a research study?
- Creativity
- Memorization
- Inference and interpretation of evidence (Correct answer)
- Speed reading
Correct answer: Inference and interpretation of evidence
Inference skills allow you to judge whether the headline's claim is actually supported by the study's methodology and findings.
Question 7: An analyst builds a conclusion based solely on five positive customer testimonials. This reasoning is BEST described as:
- Deductive reasoning from a representative sample
- Anecdotal evidence leading to hasty generalization (Correct answer)
- A valid inductive argument with sufficient evidence
- An appeal to authority
Correct answer: Anecdotal evidence leading to hasty generalization
Five hand-picked testimonials are not a representative sample, making the generalization hasty and unreliable.
TalentLens Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving 2
A manager notices that sales dropped 20% after a new pricing policy was introduced last month.
A colleague concludes the pricing policy caused the drop.
What is the main flaw in this reasoning?