Critical Thinking Flashcards

In a UMAT problem-solving question, you are told: 'All registered nurses have completed clinical training. Jane has completed clinical training.' What can you validly conclude?

Answer: Jane may or may not be a registered nurse

Completing clinical training is a necessary condition for being a registered nurse but not sufficient — others may also complete it, so Jane's status cannot be confirmed.

A researcher claims that eating breakfast causes better academic performance because students who eat breakfast score higher on tests. What is the main flaw in this reasoning?

Answer: Correlation is being mistaken for causation

Observing a correlation between two variables does not establish that one causes the other; confounding factors may explain both.

Which of the following is an example of a deductive argument?

Answer: All mammals are warm-blooded; whales are mammals; therefore whales are warm-blooded

A deductive argument moves from general premises to a specific conclusion that must be true if the premises are true, as in the classic syllogism format.

A clinical study shows a new drug reduces symptoms in 60% of patients compared to 40% on placebo. A critic points out both groups improved. The critic is raising the issue of:

Answer: The placebo effect complicating interpretation of results

When placebo groups also improve, it complicates causal attribution because the improvement cannot be entirely attributed to the drug itself.

Which of the following best defines 'ad hominem' reasoning, which the UMAT tests as a logical fallacy?

Answer: Attacking the person making an argument rather than the argument itself

Ad hominem is a logical fallacy where someone attacks the character or credibility of the person making an argument instead of engaging with the argument itself.

In evaluating evidence for a UMAT critical thinking question, which source of information is generally most reliable?

Answer: A peer-reviewed meta-analysis of multiple randomized controlled trials

Peer-reviewed meta-analyses synthesize multiple controlled studies and undergo rigorous expert review, placing them at the top of the evidence hierarchy.