Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Recognizing Unstated Assumptions 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Statement: 'Install a security system at home to protect your valuables.' Proposed assumption: 'The person addressed has valuables worth protecting.' Is this assumption made?
- Assumption not made
- Assumption made (Correct answer)
- The advice concerns security, not valuables
- Valuables are defined in the statement
Correct answer: Assumption made
Recommending a security system to protect valuables assumes the listener possesses items valuable enough to warrant protection.
Question 2: Statement: 'Since Nina speaks three languages, she will be an asset on our international team.' Proposed assumption: 'Speaking multiple languages is useful for international team tasks.' Is this assumption made?
- Assumption made (Correct answer)
- Assumption not made
- The assumption is that Nina is experienced, not multilingual
- Language ability is irrelevant to the conclusion
Correct answer: Assumption made
Calling Nina an asset because she speaks three languages assumes that multilingualism is valuable for the international team's work.
Question 3: Statement: 'Bring an umbrella — the forecast says there's a 60% chance of rain.' Proposed assumption: 'The person will be outside where rain would be a problem.' Is this assumption made?
- Assumption not made
- Assumption made (Correct answer)
- Weather forecasts imply outdoor exposure automatically
- Rain probability is the only relevant assumption
Correct answer: Assumption made
Suggesting an umbrella assumes the person will be outdoors and exposed to rain rather than remaining indoors all day.
Question 4: Statement: 'The candidate who scores highest on the aptitude test should be hired.' Proposed assumption: 'Aptitude test scores reliably predict job performance.' Is this assumption made?
- Assumption made (Correct answer)
- Assumption not made
- Hiring based on test scores is a policy, not an assumption
- The aptitude test is mentioned, so no assumption is needed
Correct answer: Assumption made
Using test scores as the hiring criterion assumes the test is a valid predictor of how well someone will perform on the job.
Question 5: Statement: 'This charity is effective because it spends only 5% on administration.' Proposed assumption: 'Low administrative spending is a valid measure of charitable effectiveness.' Is this assumption made?
- Assumption not made
- Assumption made (Correct answer)
- Administrative spending is a fact, not an assumption
- The effectiveness is proven by the 5% figure alone
Correct answer: Assumption made
Equating low overhead with effectiveness presupposes that the ratio of administrative to program spending determines a charity's impact.
Question 6: Statement: 'Reading fiction improves empathy; therefore, schools should assign more novels.' Proposed assumption: 'Schools aim to develop students' empathy.' Is this assumption made?
- Assumption made (Correct answer)
- Assumption not made
- The link between fiction and empathy is the only assumption
- School goals are stated in the claim
Correct answer: Assumption made
Recommending more novels for their empathy-building effect assumes that developing empathy is a recognized goal of school education.
Question 7: Statement: 'Our product is made in the USA, so you can trust its quality.' Proposed assumption: 'Products made in the USA are of higher quality than those made elsewhere.' Is this assumption made?
- Assumption not made
- Assumption made (Correct answer)
- Country of origin is a fact, not an assumption
- The trust claim is based on branding, not quality assumptions
Correct answer: Assumption made
Linking US manufacture with trustworthy quality assumes that domestic production is associated with superior product standards.
Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Recognizing Unstated Assumptions 4
Statement: 'Install a security system at home to protect your valuables.' Proposed assumption: 'The person addressed has valuables worth protecting.' Is this assumption made?