Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Evaluating Argument Strength Questions and Answers

Question 1

A city's transportation committee is debating a proposal to replace 20% of its public bus fleet with new, all-electric buses.
Which of the following arguments is the STRONGEST in support of this proposal?

Accepted Answer

A peer-reviewed study of five other cities that made a similar switch found an average 15% reduction in fleet maintenance costs and a 30% decrease in public complaints about noise pollution.

Answer

Several influential city residents have publicly stated that electric buses are the future of urban transportation.

Answer

The new electric buses are manufactured in a modern, aesthetically pleasing design that would improve the city's image.

Answer

Switching to electric buses would be a great first step toward the city's long-term, ambitious goal of becoming completely carbon-neutral in 50 years.

Question 2

A large corporation is considering a new policy that would require all employees, including those who work fully remotely, to be fully vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Which of the following is the WEAKEST argument in favor of this policy?

Accepted Answer

Mandating vaccines is a sign of a company that cares deeply about the health and safety of its employees and the broader community.

Answer

Our company's health insurance provider offers a small premium discount for companies that achieve a 90% or higher employee vaccination rate.

Answer

Company data from last year shows that teams with higher rates of sick leave, much of which was flu-related, missed their quarterly targets by an average of 8%.

Answer

Even remote workers may occasionally need to visit an office or attend an in-person company event, posing a risk of transmission to colleagues.

Question 3

In the context of the Watson-Glaser appraisal, which of the following is a defining characteristic of a 'weak' argument?

Accepted Answer

It presents a fact that is verifiably true but is only of minor importance to the central question.

Answer

It logically follows from the premises but leads to an unpopular conclusion.

Answer

It is supported by data from a study that is more than ten years old.

Answer

It directly challenges a commonly held belief about the topic.

Question 4

A software company manager argues, 'We must invest in a new project management tool because our main competitor just adopted it.' This argument is weak primarily because it:

Accepted Answer

assumes the competitor's needs and resources are identical to their own.

Answer

fails to provide the exact cost of the new tool.

Answer

does not name a specific project that would benefit from the new tool.

Answer

relies on past events to predict future outcomes.

Question 5

A school board is debating a proposal to require high school students to complete 100 hours of community service to graduate. Which of the following is the STRONGEST argument AGAINST this proposal?

Accepted Answer

A survey of local non-profits indicates they lack the capacity and staff to effectively manage a large influx of student volunteers.

Answer

Some students already have part-time jobs and adding a 100-hour requirement would be an unfair burden on their time.

Answer

Community service should be something students choose to do out of generosity, not a mandatory requirement.

Answer

The requirement would create significant administrative work for school staff to track all the students' hours.

Question 6

A marketing director proposes discontinuing all print advertising and reallocating the funds to digital marketing. Which of the following is the WEAKEST argument to support this proposal?

Accepted Answer

Print advertising is an old-fashioned method, and our company needs to be seen as more modern and forward-thinking.

Answer

Our website's analytics show that over 80% of our sales leads in the past year originated from digital channels.

Answer

The cost-per-acquisition for customers through digital ads is 40% lower than the cost-per-acquisition through print ads.

Answer

A recent market research report shows that our target demographic's consumption of print media has declined by 60% over the last five years.