Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Analyzing Conclusions Questions and Answers 4

Question 1

Statement: The new medication was tested on 500 patients. Of those, 480 showed significant improvement. Conclusion: The new medication is effective for all patients. This conclusion is:

Accepted Answer

False

Answer

20 patients did not improve, so the claim of effectiveness for ALL patients is directly contradicted by the data.

Question 2

Statement: None of the products manufactured at Plant A failed quality inspection last quarter. Conclusion: Plant A's quality control procedures are effective. This conclusion is:

Accepted Answer

Probably True

Answer

A 100% pass rate is strong evidence of effective quality control, though other factors (easy inspection standards, small batch size) cannot be entirely ruled out.

Question 3

Statement: Studies show that countries with higher chocolate consumption per capita have more Nobel Prize winners per capita. Conclusion: Eating more chocolate increases a person's likelihood of winning a Nobel Prize. This conclusion is:

Accepted Answer

False

Answer

This is a classic spurious correlation — both variables are likely linked to national wealth, not to a causal relationship between chocolate and Nobel prizes.

Question 4

Statement: All mammals are warm-blooded. Dolphins are mammals. Conclusion: Dolphins are warm-blooded. This conclusion is:

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

This is a valid deductive syllogism; if all mammals are warm-blooded and dolphins are mammals, it necessarily follows that dolphins are warm-blooded.

Question 5

Statement: The company's revenue increased by 15% after the new CEO took office. Conclusion: The new CEO's leadership caused the revenue increase. This conclusion is:

Accepted Answer

Insufficient Data

Answer

Without knowing whether market conditions, prior initiatives, or other factors contributed to growth, causal attribution to the CEO requires more data.

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Practice Test

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Practice Test

Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Analyzing Conclusions Questions and Answers 4