Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Identifying Logical Fallacies Questions and Answers 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A politician says, 'My opponent has never run a business, so his economic policies will ruin the country.' Which fallacy is this?
- Slippery slope
- Ad hominem (tu quoque)
- Ad hominem (circumstantial) (Correct answer)
- False dilemma
Correct answer: Ad hominem (circumstantial)
Circumstantial ad hominem attacks the person's background or circumstances rather than addressing the argument itself.
Question 2: 'Either we pass stricter gun control laws or gun violence will destroy society.' What fallacy does this commit?
- Straw man
- False dilemma (Correct answer)
- Slippery slope
- Begging the question
Correct answer: False dilemma
The false dilemma (or false dichotomy) presents only two options when more alternatives exist.
Question 3: A doctor claims that because she recovered from cancer after eating a special diet, the diet must cure cancer. This is an example of:
- Hasty generalization
- Post hoc ergo propter hoc (Correct answer)
- Appeal to authority
- Composition fallacy
Correct answer: Post hoc ergo propter hoc
Post hoc ergo propter hoc assumes causation from mere sequence in time — recovery followed the diet, so the diet caused recovery.
Question 4: Someone argues: 'You say we should reduce sugar intake, but I saw you eating cake last week.' Which fallacy is this?
- Tu quoque (appeal to hypocrisy) (Correct answer)
- Ad hominem (abusive)
- Straw man
- Appeal to ignorance
Correct answer: Tu quoque (appeal to hypocrisy)
Tu quoque deflects criticism by pointing to the critic's inconsistent behavior rather than addressing the argument.
Question 5: The argument 'No one has ever proven that aliens don't exist, so aliens must exist' commits which fallacy?
- Begging the question
- False cause
- Appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam) (Correct answer)
- Equivocation
Correct answer: Appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam)
Appeal to ignorance treats the absence of disproof as proof of a claim's truth.
Question 6: A school board argues: 'Our top graduate became a CEO, so our school produces excellent leaders.' This best illustrates:
- Slippery slope
- Hasty generalization (Correct answer)
- Red herring
- Appeal to tradition
Correct answer: Hasty generalization
Hasty generalization draws a broad conclusion from an insufficient or unrepresentative sample (one graduate).
Question 7: An advertisement states: 'This supplement has been used for 500 years in ancient cultures, so it must be effective.' Which fallacy is present?
- Appeal to tradition (argumentum ad antiquitatem) (Correct answer)
- Appeal to authority
- Bandwagon fallacy
- Equivocation
Correct answer: Appeal to tradition (argumentum ad antiquitatem)
Appeal to tradition assumes that something is good or correct simply because it has been practiced for a long time.
Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Identifying Logical Fallacies Questions and Answers 3
A politician says, 'My opponent has never run a business, so his economic policies will ruin the country.' Which fallacy is this?