TalentLens Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A study shows that employees who attend weekly team meetings report higher job satisfaction. A manager concludes that holding more meetings will increase satisfaction. Which critical thinking error does this illustrate?
- Confusing correlation with causation (Correct answer)
- Hasty generalization from a small sample
- Appeal to authority without evidence
- False dichotomy between meeting frequency options
Correct answer: Confusing correlation with causation
Correlation between meetings and satisfaction does not establish that meetings cause higher satisfaction; another factor may explain both.
Question 2: Premise: All certified accountants passed the CPA exam. Premise: Maria passed the CPA exam. Conclusion: Maria is a certified accountant. This argument is:
- Valid and sound
- Invalid because the conclusion does not follow from the premises (Correct answer)
- Valid but potentially unsound
- Sound but not valid
Correct answer: Invalid because the conclusion does not follow from the premises
The argument commits the fallacy of affirming the consequent; passing the CPA exam is necessary but may not be sufficient for certification.
Question 3: A neighborhood sees crime rise after a new streetlight is installed. A resident argues the streetlight caused the crime increase. What assumption must be true for this argument to hold?
- Streetlights attract criminals who prefer lit environments (Correct answer)
- Crime was already rising before the streetlight was installed
- The neighborhood had no prior crime at all
- Other neighborhoods with streetlights also have high crime
Correct answer: Streetlights attract criminals who prefer lit environments
The causal claim requires assuming some mechanism by which the streetlight leads to more crime.
Question 4: Which of the following is the STRONGEST counter-argument to the claim: 'Social media use causes depression in teenagers'?
- Teenagers who are already depressed may seek more social media use, not the reverse (Correct answer)
- Some teenagers do not use social media at all
- Social media companies deny any link to depression
- Depression existed before social media was invented
Correct answer: Teenagers who are already depressed may seek more social media use, not the reverse
Reverse causation—depressed teens using social media more—directly undermines the direction of the causal claim.
Question 5: A politician states: 'Either we cut the education budget or schools will collapse.' A critical thinker should first question:
- Whether these are truly the only two options available (Correct answer)
- Whether education is important to society
- Whether the politician has personal financial motives
- Whether school collapses have happened before
Correct answer: Whether these are truly the only two options available
The statement presents a false dichotomy; other budgetary solutions may exist beyond the two presented.
Question 6: Read the following argument: 'No studies have proven that this supplement is harmful, so it must be safe.' This is an example of:
- Appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam) (Correct answer)
- Ad hominem fallacy
- Slippery slope reasoning
- Circular reasoning
Correct answer: Appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam)
Absence of evidence of harm is not the same as evidence of safety; this is the classic appeal to ignorance.
Question 7: A company reports that customer complaints dropped 40% after launching a new service portal. The CEO claims the portal solved customer dissatisfaction. What additional information would MOST strengthen this conclusion?
- Customer satisfaction survey scores also improved over the same period (Correct answer)
- The portal was built by an award-winning software firm
- Complaints typically drop in the same quarter each year
- Competitors also launched portals around the same time
Correct answer: Customer satisfaction survey scores also improved over the same period
Independent evidence of improved satisfaction would corroborate the causal link between the portal and reduced complaints.
TalentLens Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking 2
A study shows that employees who attend weekly team meetings report higher job satisfaction.
A manager concludes that holding more meetings will increase satisfaction.
Which critical thinking error does this illustrate?