TalentLens Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking 4 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: Passage: 'Every student who joined the tutoring program improved their grades.' Which of the following conclusions is BEST supported?
- The tutoring program was associated with grade improvement for all participants (Correct answer)
- Tutoring programs always improve student grades
- Students who did not join the program would have improved anyway
- The tutoring program is the best available academic intervention
Correct 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.
Question 2: Which of the following arguments contains a slippery slope fallacy?
- If we allow students to redo one exam, soon they'll demand to redo every assignment, and grades will become meaningless (Correct answer)
- Lowering the voting age to 16 may have both positive and negative effects on democracy
- Most employees prefer flexible schedules, but some positions require fixed hours
- The new tax policy should be evaluated based on economic modeling and past data
Correct 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.
Question 3: In Watson-Glaser's 'Evaluation of Arguments' section, a strong argument is one that is:
- Directly relevant to the question and supported by substantial reasoning (Correct answer)
- Emotionally compelling and widely held
- Stated by an expert in the relevant field
- Brief and easy to understand
Correct 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.
Question 4: A manager says: 'Our top salesperson uses an aggressive pitch style, so all sales staff should adopt that style.' What flawed reasoning is present?
- Generalizing from a single case without considering individual differences or context (Correct answer)
- Assuming the salesperson's success is not due to product quality
- Ignoring that sales techniques vary by industry
- Failing to consult the sales team before making the decision
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which statement MOST accurately describes the difference between a fact and an opinion?
- A fact can be verified through evidence; an opinion expresses a personal judgment or value (Correct answer)
- A fact is always widely accepted; an opinion is held by a minority
- A fact is stated by an authority; an opinion is stated by a layperson
- A fact is quantitative; an opinion is qualitative
Correct 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.
Question 6: Argument: 'Organic food is more expensive, so only wealthy people eat healthily.' A critical thinker would identify which flaw?
- It assumes organic food is the only path to healthy eating (Correct answer)
- It correctly links income to diet quality
- It underestimates the importance of food labeling
- It uses a circular definition of 'healthy eating'
Correct 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.
Question 7: You are told: 'If it rains, the game is cancelled. The game was not cancelled.' What can you logically conclude?
- It did not rain (Correct answer)
- It rained but the game was played anyway
- The game cancellation policy changed
- No conclusion can be drawn about the weather
Correct answer: It did not rain
This is modus tollens: if PāQ and not-Q, then not-P; therefore it did not rain.
TalentLens Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking 4
Passage: 'Every student who joined the tutoring program improved their grades.' Which of the following conclusions is BEST supported?