Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Recognizing Unstated Assumptions Questions and Answers 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Statement: 'If you want to save money on groceries, shop at discount stores.' Proposed assumption: Discount stores sell the same quality of groceries as regular stores. Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE?
- Made
- Not Made (Correct answer)
- Partially Made
- Cannot Determine
Correct answer: Not Made
The assumption is NOT made; the advice only assumes discount stores offer lower prices, not necessarily equivalent quality.
Question 2: Statement: 'Schedule your dental checkup every six months to prevent serious problems.' Proposed assumption: Regular dental checkups can help prevent serious dental problems. Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE?
- Cannot Determine
- Not Made
- Partially Made
- Made (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Made
The assumption IS made because advising checkups to 'prevent serious problems' directly assumes checkups have a preventative benefit.
Question 3: Statement: 'The defendant must be guilty; three witnesses saw him at the scene.' Proposed assumption: Eyewitness testimony is always reliable. Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE?
- Made (Correct answer)
- Cannot Determine
- Not Made
- Partially Made
Correct answer: Made
The assumption IS made because concluding guilt solely from witness accounts assumes those accounts are reliable enough to establish guilt.
Question 4: Statement: 'Study in a quiet environment to absorb information more effectively.' Proposed assumption: Noise is the only factor that affects how well people absorb information. Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE?
- Not Made (Correct answer)
- Made
- Partially Made
- Cannot Determine
Correct answer: Not Made
The assumption is NOT made; the advice implies noise hinders learning but does not claim it is the sole factor.
Question 5: Statement: 'Install smoke detectors on every floor to keep your family safe.' Proposed assumption: Smoke detectors reduce the risk of fire-related harm. Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE?
- Made (Correct answer)
- Not Made
- Partially Made
- Cannot Determine
Correct answer: Made
The assumption IS made because recommending smoke detectors 'to keep the family safe' requires assuming they provide a safety benefit.
Question 6: Statement: 'We lost the game because our best player was injured.' Proposed assumption: The team would have won if the best player had not been injured. Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE?
- Not Made
- Partially Made
- Cannot Determine
- Made (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Made
The assumption IS made because attributing the loss to one player's absence implies their presence would have changed the outcome.
Question 7: Statement: 'Use sunscreen daily to protect your skin from damage.' Proposed assumption: Daily sun exposure causes skin damage without protection. Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE?
- Cannot Determine
- Made (Correct answer)
- Not Made
- Partially Made
Correct answer: Made
The assumption IS made because daily sunscreen use to prevent skin damage assumes that daily exposure without it leads to damage.
Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Recognizing Unstated Assumptions Questions and Answers 5
Statement: 'If you want to save money on groceries, shop at discount stores.' Proposed assumption: Discount stores sell the same quality of groceries as regular stores.
Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE?