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Test Bank

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Facione and Gittens

THINK Critically

Second Edition

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Pearson Education

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ISBN-10: 0-205-88687-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-205-88687-6

iii

Contents Chapter 1 The Power of Critical Thinking 1

Chapter 2 Skilled and Eager to Think 8

Chapter 3 Solve Problems and Succeed in College 15

Chapter 4 Clarify Ideas and Concepts 22

Chapter 5 Analyze Arguments and Diagram Decisions 29

Chapter 6 Evaluate the Credibility of Claims and Sources 36

Chapter 7 Evaluate Arguments: The Four Basic Tests 43

Chapter 8 Evaluate Deductive Reasoning and Spot Deductive Fallacies 50

Chapter 9 Evaluate Inductive Reasoning and Spot Inductive Fallacies 57

Chapter 10 Think Heuristically: Risk and Benefits of Snap Judgments 65

Chapter 11 Think Reflectively: Strategies for Decision Making 73

Chapter 12 Comparative Reasoning: Think “This Is Like That” 80

Chapter 13 Ideological Reasoning: Think “Top Down” 87

Chapter 14 Empirical Reasoning: Think “Bottom Up” 94

Chapter 15 Write Sound and Effective Arguments 101

Supplement Chapters – Actual chapters available through Pearson Custom Library

Chapter A Think Like a Social Scientist 108

Chapter B Think Like a Natural Scientist 115

Chapter C Ethical Decision Making 122

Chapter D The Logic of Declarative Statements 129

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Test Bank for Chapter 1

The following assessment has been created for in-class use. This assessment is available through Pearson’s MyTest website—allowing for easy access for creating your own tests. This assessment is also offered in a Blackboard/Angel/D2L/WebCT package. Please contact your local Pearson sales representative to learn about the options available. Visit http://www.pearsonhighered.com/replocator.

Multiple Choice Questions Difficulty: 1 = Easy; 2 = Medium; 3 = Challenging

Choose the best possible answer for each of the following.

1. What is the definition of critical thinking? A. limited encouragement B. being negative about a situation C. the process of reasoned judgment D. having a critical worldview

Answer: C Difficulty: 1

Bloom’s Taxonomy: Knowledge

2. Which of the following statements about critical thinking is true? A. We all possess the same amount of critical thinking skills and must choose to

use it in our daily lives. B. Some people are born without any critical thinking skills and, therefore,

cannot be expected to think critically. C. We all have some level of skill in critical thinking and we have the capacity to

improve those skills. D. Critical thinking skills cannot be improved over time. You must simply do the

best with what you have.



3. Which of the following statements about risk and uncertainty is true? A. Nobody can escape life’s risks and uncertainties. B. Some people are exempt from risk and uncertainty. C. If you don’t take risks, there will be no uncertainty in your life. D. Men are more prone to risk and uncertainty than women.

Answer: A Difficulty: 1


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4. What is the definition of perception management? A. the provision of technological resources to low-income populations B. the act of presenting equal information regarding all sides of an issue C. the process of helping individuals make their own educated decisions about

issues at hand D. the carefully choreographed manipulation of the beliefs and feelings of large

numbers of people

Answer: D Difficulty: 1


5. What does self-regulation mean? A. an individual’s capacity to monitor his/her own thinking process B. the government’s responsibility to regulate risk C. a boss’s role of overseeing his/her employees D. the practice of reading only information you agree with



6. Poor critical thinking typically results in A. well-reasoned decisions. B. failure to reach one’s goals. C. lucky second chances. D. accurate and educated opinions.

Answer: B Difficulty: 1


7. Understanding the concept of process of judgment is directly related to A. perception management. B. information deregulation. C. judgment deficit disorder. D. outcomes of critical thinking.



8. In general, which of the following is an adjective that can be used to describe critical thinkers?

A. negative B. skeptical C. uninformed D. nitpicky



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9. According to the text, critical thinking can be decisive without being A. forceful. B. evaluative. C. stubborn D. skeptical.



10. To be an effective critical thinker, one must possess critical thinking skills and A. be disposed to use these skills. B. have an adequate income. C. attend a four-year college. D. enjoy a stable home life.



11. When forming an opinion, Jerry is prone to harshly criticizing any opinion he doesn’t agree with. According to the text, Jerry is being too ________ to be an effective critical thinker.

A. evaluative B. wishy-washy C. judgmental D. open-minded


Bloom’s Taxonomy: Understanding

12. Trudy purchased a home with a mortgage payment that was 60% of her monthly income. She is now in foreclosure. It is very likely that this situation could have been avoided had she used which concept discussed in the text?

A. professional subskills B. homeowner conceptualization C. mortgage justification D. critical thinking



13. Tara decides not to vaccinate her child. Tara’s child contracts measles and infects a newborn baby who dies from the disease. This is an example of which concept from the text?

A. effective critical thinking skills B. individual decisions with a far-reaching impact C. the effects of information deregulation D. harmonious social law theory



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14. Phil is trying to choose a college major. He would like to major in music, but he is not sure if he will be able to get a job when he graduates. This is an example of which concept from the text?

A. unlimited information B. arts denial C. an obvious choice D. life’s uncertainties



15. George’s coworker Dave presents information in a very sarcastic, biting tone. However, he usually makes some good points. As a critical thinker, what should George ask himself?

A. Should I tell Dave that he really has to tone it down if he wants me to take him seriously?

B. Can I move offices so I don’t have to listen to Dave’s tone anymore? C. Can I identify Dave’s good ideas and claims despite his off-putting way of

expressing himself? D. Should I express myself in a sarcastic tone in order to be taken more

seriously?



16. Jill’s friend Mary was recently laid off. Mary is crying on the phone with Jill, saying a lot of negative things about her past employer and future job prospects. As a good critical thinker, what is Jill doing?

A. interpreting Mary’s needs B. multitasking while she talks with Mary C. bashing Mary’s employer D. trying to get off the phone



17. Jeff runs a small business that is experiencing financial difficulty. At the height of his stress, he sends out an email to three employees, telling them their services will no longer be needed, without reevaluating his budget. This is an example of

A. good critical thinking. B. poor critical thinking. C. using critical thinking technology. D. critical human resources.



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18. What is one of the characteristics of critical thinking in a free society? A. access to information B. rampant censorship C. limited choices D. government filters



19. In what way is critical thinking similar to playing an instrument? Both require A. money. B. censorship. C. nit-picking. D. practice.



20. Critical thinking thrives in an environment A. in which there is uniformity of belief. B. in which information flows freely. C. in which censorship prevails. D. in which those in authority control information.



21. Jason is a professor at a U.S. university. Which of the following statements is true? A. Jason must avoid references to critical thinking. B. Jason can only teach government-sanctioned information. C. Jason can teach critical thinking in his courses D. Jason’s students are all experienced critical thinkers.


Bloom’s Taxonomy: Application

22. Based on his quote in the text, which of the following scenarios would Thurgood Marshall approve of?

A. the U.S. government controlling what information is posted on the internet B. the U.S. government providing extra funding to libraries in low-income

neighborhoods C. the U.S. government dictating what books can be read in school D. the U.S. government limiting the teaching of critical thinking at the university

level



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23. Ned has not been to the dentist in 5 years. He has a painful tooth, but he has decided not to go to the dentist because he is afraid of drills. He is making his decision based on

A. critical thinking. B. unbiased judgment. C. emotional reasoning. D. health regulations.



24. Kim believes all Mexicans are lazy. Even though she has met several hardworking Mexicans, she refuses to re-evaluate her beliefs. She is lacking in

A. self-regulatory judgment. B. information bias. C. stereotypical thought. D. thought processes.



25. Karla decides to go to work even though she is very ill with pneumonia. Her decision A. may be the result of government regulations. B. is the result of good critical thinking. C. is nobody’s business but her own. D. may impact more people than just her



26. Marlene is a college professor who is teaching a critical thinking course. What is something she would say in her lecture?

A. To be an effective critical thinker, you must be mentally disciplined. B. Effective critical thinking requires you to be judgmental. C. Critical thinking is about finding the Truth (with a capital T). D. Only Americans practice critical thinking.



27. John is a foreign journalist who was expelled from a country led by a totalitarian regime. His expulsion is an example of which concept discussed in the text?

A. the credentialing of international journalists B. the effects of foreign critical thinking C. the limitation of accurate information D. the impact of governmental deregulation



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28. Martha encourages her daughter to audition for the school play, even though her daughter is very nervous to do so. In the context of critical thinking, Martha is teaching her daughter to

A. ignore her fears. B. focus on academics. C. take healthy risks. D. avoid uncertainty.



29. Nathan is in charge of presenting information to a women’s health care committee. As a Christian, he opposes abortion, so he decides to leave out any reference to it. Based on this scenario, Nathan is

A. following where reason leads. B. analyzing alternative points of view. C. identifying salient arguments. D. presenting biased information.



30. Marsha is trying to determine whether or not her colleague is an effective critical thinker. Which of the following tools should she use?

A. The Critical Thinking Scoring System B. The Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric C. The Evaluative Critical Thinking Model D. The Critical Thinking Handbook



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Test Bank for Chapter 2 The following assessment has been created for in-class use. This assessment is available through Pearson’s MyTest website—allowing for easy access for creating your own tests. This assessment is also offered in a Blackboard/Angel/D2L/WebCT package. Please contact your local Pearson sales representative to learn about the options available. Visit http://www.pearsonhighered.com/replocator.



1. What does the critical thinking self-rating form measure? A. your overall disposition toward critical thinking over the past two days B. your aptitude for critical thinking in general, throughout your life C. your overall capacity for being judgmental when making decisions D. your critical thinking skills for the next five years



2. Which of the following statements about critical thinking is true? A. It works 50% of the time. B. It always results in success. C. It is about how you approach problems. D. It only applies to emergency situations.



3. A person with a strong disposition toward critical thinking has A. interest in the supernatural. B. emotional outbursts. C. limited time to read. D. consistent internal motivation.



4. A combination of ______, _______, and ______ forms the habits of mind that dispose a person toward critical thinking.

A. questions, answers, conclusions B. values, beliefs, intentions C. judgments, perceptions, preconceptions D. calculations, assumptions, thoughts



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5. What is one of the seven positive critical thinking habits of mind? A. spiritual B. apologetic C. systematic D. apathetic



6. According to the text, someone who is analytical is A. not a good critical thinker. B. always difficult to speak with. C. predisposed to viewing life negatively. D. habitually alert to potential problems.



7. Good critical thinkers are A. always successful in life. B. not necessarily good people. C. highly moral people. D. not always skeptical.



8. Which of the following is one of the approaches to life that characterizes a good critical thinker?

A. over-confidence in his or her opinions B. open-mindedness to divergent worldviews C. extreme concern with being right at all costs D. unwillingness to discuss options



9. According to the text, strong critical thinkers strive for A. justice. B. regulation. C. precision. D. peace.



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10. According to the text, having a “critical spirit” means one is A. negative. B. skeptical. C. cynical. D. joyful.



11. When Jeanne has a problem, she prefers to trust her instincts rather than research information. Jeanne

A. has weak critical thinking dispositions. B. regularly engages in critical thinking. C. cannot think critically, no matter how hard she tries. D. has never heard of critical thinking.



12. Matt prides himself on being well-informed on a variety of subjects, and he is always seeking out ways to supplement or increase his knowledge. Based on this information, one could say that Matt is a(n) ________ person.

A. emotional B. judgmental C. caring D. inquisitive



13. Jeff really wants to be a good critical thinker. According to the text, to become one, he must be both willing and ________.

A. emotional B. able C. judgmental D. cynical



14. Marlene is in the middle of the critical thinking process. She has just evaluated the problem. Her next step is to

A. use perception to identify the issue at hand. B. use stereotyping to make judgment calls. C. use self-regulation to check herself for accuracy. D. use analysis to do research.



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15. Anna is a college professor teaching a course on critical thinking. If one of her students said that critical thinking could be reduced to a list of skills, how would she respond?

A. That is a misleading oversimplification. B. That is absolutely correct. C. That is complicating the issue. D. That is not a valid thought.



16. Asking a question like “What are some of the known harmful effects of using aerosol cans?” promotes

A. narrow-mindedness. B. self-regulation. C. judgment. D. interpretation.



17. Asking a question like “Does my experience as a pediatrician cause me to have a biased reaction to the research findings?” is an example of exercising

A. free will. B. self-regulation. C. your options. D. freedom of speech.



18. When Jean opens the refrigerator, she hears a humming sound. She remembers she had a similar problem with another refrigerator and it turned out to be the compressor. Therefore, she figures she has a problem with the compressor on her current refrigerator. Jean used _____ to figure this out.

A. interpretive reasoning B. inductive reasoning C. deductive reasoning D. circular reasoning



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19. Jane’s professor asked her to give the definition of “epidemiology.” This is an example of a _________ ___________ question.

A. critical thinking B. quantitative knowledge C. technical term D. inductive reasoning



20. Minnesota is cold in the winter. St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota. St. Paul is in Minnesota. St. Paul must be cold in the winter. This is an example of

A. perceptive reasoning. B. inductive reasoning. C. geographical reasoning. D. deductive reasoning.



21. Marcus has always believed that vaccines cause autism. Recently, he read a scientific article stating all evidence pointed to the contrary. He is willing to revise his previously held belief based on this new information. According to the text, Marcus is a(n)

A. pushover. B. staunch believer. C. truth-seeker. D. advocate.



22. Annabelle is a novelist who has crafted a protagonist with strong critical thinking skills. What is something her protagonist would say?

A. It is possible for problems to have more than one possible solution. B. There is only one right way to view the world. C. All problems are black and white. D. Foresight only serves to confuse the issue.



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23. Jason is a straight-A student. He is very organized in his approach to solving problems (i.e. getting good grades). His approach includes hiring an excellent writer to write his term papers. Jason is an example of

A. an ethical critical thinker. B. an unethical critical thinker. C. a deductive critical thinker. D. an inductive critical thinker.



24. Jessica is always looking for ways to use her critical thinking skills in her job. According to the text, which of the following statements is true about her?

A. She is not serious about critical thinking. B. She is an unethical critical thinker. C. She has externalized values. D. She is actively building positive habits of mind.



25. In Ella’s 5th grade classroom, the students only memorize information and repeat it back to the teacher. This environment is

A. not conducive to critical thinking. B. inspired by critical thinking. C. influenced by ethical decision making. D. not a place where rote learners thrive.



26. Jeff is determined to be more organized in his daily life. He has started making lists and drawing up daily schedules. According to the text, he is working to improve his

A. analyticity. B. flexibility. C. systematicity. D. simplicity.



27. When Michael is faced with a challenge at work, he envisions all of the consequences of various ways in which he could resolve the problem. One could say that Michael is

A. judgmental. B. persuasive. C. closed-minded. D. analytical.



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28. Marianne had decided to take her 1-year-old to see Santa on Saturday. When she wakes up that morning, it is sleeting and snowing heavily. She decides to revise her decision. This is an example of which concept from the test?

A. judiciousness B. open-mindedness C. solubility D. systematicity



29. Geraldine is very open-minded. Given this information, which of the following statements is also most likely true about her?

A. She is a truth-seeker. B. She respects the beliefs of other cultures. C. She does not accept other viewpoints. D. She rarely asks others’ opinions.



30. Jill and Marcia are both systematic people. This means they A. approach problems in an organized way. B. think about the world in the same way. C. are open-minded about others’ views. D. approach questions in exactly the same way.



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1. According to the text, which of the following statements about college students is true?

A. All college students are the same. B. More than 75% of college students are irresponsible. C. There is no one stereotypic kind of college student. D. Most college students drink too much.



2. According to the text, how does the media portray college success? A. in terms of grades B. in terms of service work C. in terms of dorm life D. in terms of graduation



3. What is the definition of problem solving? A. moving from the point at which we realize we have difficulty to the point at

which we consider the difficulty to be resolved B. avoiding dealing with problems that seem too difficult or overwhelming C. calling on someone else to help you figure out a plan to resolve the problems

in your life D. waiting until small problems become big problems before taking action to

solve them on your own



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4. What is IDEAS? A. a liberal arts degree program B. an open-minded way of viewing the world C. a judgmental approach to meeting others D. a general problem solving process



5. What does the A in IDEAS stand for? A. Analyze the problem at hand and make a hypothesis. B. Assess situation and make a preliminary decision. C. Avoid dealing with and conversing with others. D. Ask questions and retain a stereotypical view.



6. According to the text, which of the following statements about social relationships is true?

A. Social relationships are unnecessary. B. Social relationships are black and white. C. Social relationships are complex. D. Social relationships are disrespectful.



7. According to the text, which of the following statements about success in college is true?

A. Everyone defines college success in the same way. B. GPA is the only way to define college success. C. Only successful students graduate in 4 years. D. There are many ways to define success in college.



8. What does the S in IDEAS stand for? A. Socialize frequently and study each night. B. Study before tests and socialize on weekends. C. Stereotypes are good and scrutiny is useful. D. Scrutinize the process and self-correct as needed.



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9. When problem solving, why is it important to gather relevant information? A. Gathering relevant information helps us deepen our understanding of the

problem. B. Gathering relevant information is a great way to distract oneself from the

problem at hand. C. Gathering relevant information helps us view the problem in a stereotypic

fashion. D. Gathering relevant information is a good way to improve one’s computer

skills.



10. When problem solving, why is it important to enumerate options? Enumerating options helps you

A. focus on consequences that have a greater likelihood of occurring. B. hold true to your preconceived beliefs. C. align possible outcomes with pre-existing stereotypes. D. remember why you are trying to solve this process in the first place.



11. Mark is trying to decide whether to be a business major or a Spanish major. This decision falls primarily under which category?

A. physical B. linguistic C. vocational D. spiritual



12. Wendy is using the IDEAS process to solve a problem. She just gathered relevant information. What will she do next?

A. identify the problem and set priorities B. identify options and anticipate consequences C. assess the situation and make a preliminary decision D. scrutinize the process and self-correct



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13. Kari is thinking about majoring in economics. She is in the process of researching the various jobs that economics majors hold. She is participating in which step of the IDEAS process?

A. Step 4 (A)—Assess Situation B. Step 5 (S)—Scrutinize the Process C. Step 3 (E)—Enumerate Options D. Step 2 (D)—Deepen Understanding



14. Sharon is concerned that she is not getting enough protein from her 100% vegetarian diet. This problem falls under which category?

A. spiritual B. academic C. emotional D. physical



15. Hannah is concerned that her boyfriend does not support her in her decisions. This is an example of a(n) ________ concern.

A. academic B. vocational C. social D. spiritual



16. Jill is extremely passionate about being a teacher. It is a large part of her identity. For her, teaching is a

A. necessary evil. B. leisure avocation. C. life vocation. D. temporary job.



17. Devon has a test tomorrow. According to the text, what is the best way for him to prepare for it?

A. Study off and on for 2 hours. B. Study intensely for the entire evening. C. Study for 30 solid minutes and then take a break. D. Study for 5 minutes before the exam.



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18. Marcie spent all weekend out with her friends when she should have been studying for her chemistry exam. She received an F on the exam, her worst grade this semester. Her poor grade is

A. the proof of her lack of chemistry talent. B. the result of her actions. C. an overall problem in her life. D. an unfortunate coincidence.



19. Amy is a college freshman who is trying to better understand her professor’s expectations for chapter exams. What is the best question that she could ask?

A. Can you give me an example of what kind of question might be on the exam? B. Could you tell me exactly what is going to be on the exam? C. Do I really have to take this exam? D. Is it OK if I show up a half-hour late to the test?



20. Anna has a problem. She has been getting Cs and below on her math tests. What is a question she could ask herself to help identify the cause of her low grades?

A. Do I believe in God? B. Am I eating too much protein? C. Does my boyfriend love me? D. Are my study habits effective?



21. Carl is trying to become a better decision maker. He is most likely working on A. making snap judgments. B. heuristic thinking. C. considering all consequences. D. taking reactive risks.



22. Bret was raised in a Catholic home, but never attended college. Mary was raised in a secular home, but has a M.A. degree. According to the information in the text, what could be said about Bret and Mary?

A. Bret most likely knows more about religion than Mary. B. Mary most likely knows more about religion than Bret. C. Bret has read more of the Bible than Mary. D. Mary has never heard of Buddhism, but Bret has.



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23. Brian is in excellent shape and has a good job. Becca struggles financially and is a chain smoker. According to the information in the text, which of the statements about Brian and Becca is most likely true?

A. Becca has a M.A. and Brian has a B.A. B. Brian attended college and Becca did not. C. Neither Brian nor Becca attended college. D. Brian and Becca majored in the same subject.



24. Carol is an 18-year-old who is debating whether or not she should attend college. Her mother encourages her to consider attending, knowing that (according to the text)

A. in college Carol will learn how to manage her problems, a valuable life skill. B. Carol is really not that smart and will not do well in college. C. their family is wealthy, so therefore Carol should go to college. D. Carol could be just as successful in life without a college degree.



25. Nicole is trying to determine her vocation. According to the text, what is the best way to go about this?

A. Focus on making money. B. Ask her roommate. C. Don’t dwell on it. D. Use the IDEAS process.



26. Patrick is thinking about taking a “gap year.” What is one thing he should definitely do as he makes this decision?

A. Consider all the possible consequences of his decisions. B. Socialize a lot with his friends. C. Become a vegetarian. D. Obtain an international passport.



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27. Marcy is a college freshman. She is quickly learning that ________ is the main cognitive skill needed when taking her freshman English essay exams.

A. rote memorization B. critical thinking C. quick calculating D. photographic memory



28. Crystal is shopping for a new car. At the first dealership she visits, they are having a sale on automatics. She had originally intended on buying a car with manual transmission, but this is a really good sale. What would an effective critical thinker advise her to do?

A. Purchase an automatic from the first dealership. B. Research other options before making her final decision. C. Select a car based on color, not transmission. D. Use snap judgment to come to a quick decision.



29. Carson graduated from high school but never attended college. He started an internet business and is now a millionaire. In terms of the information on education and income presented in the book, how would you describe Carson?

A. He is the norm. B. He was not motivated. C. He is the exception. D. He was already wealthy.



30. Kristin is just too busy to eat lunch during the day. As a result, she is very tired in the afternoons, which is usually when she has exams. Based on his quote in the text, what would the Roman poet Juvenal advise her to do in order to perform better on exams?

A. Join a study group. B. Exercise at night. C. Become a vegetarian. D. Eat a balanced lunch.



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1. What is the definition of a language community? A. a community of people who majored in English B. a community of people who all speak different languages C. a community of people who understand the same words and icons D. a community of experienced language professors



2. According to the text, what is the most logical way to finish this sentence? “Critical thinking within a disciplinary language community is like_________.”

A. critical thinking within any community B. talking with someone who doesn’t speak English C. using IDEAS without the “E” or the “S” D. being surrounded by heuristic thinkers



3. Which of the following sentences about wise judgment is true? A. It should not always be used. B. It is a birthright. C. It is worth pursuing. D. It is used by all people.



4. What is the definition of problematic ambiguity? A. a failure to self-regulate and scrutinize B. a word or expression having more than one meaning C. a community that cannot be defined D. a university degree program



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5. What is one of the 5 ways to address problematic ambiguity discussed in the text? A. memorizing B. debating C. compartmentalizing D. contextualizing



6. What is the explanation of “vagueness” given in the text? A. a term that is relative to the context in which it is being used B. an excuse used by high school seniors and college freshmen C. a philosophy created by Plato and studied in universities D. a community in which things are not as they seem



7. According to the text, “everything” is an example of a word that is A. specific. B. sophisticated. C. incoherent. D. vague.



8. According to the text, body language can A. never be used when talking face-to-face. B. be used to strip context from words. C. help us better understand conversations. D. be frowned upon in certain circles.



9. One is one of the advantages of texting/tweeting? A. context B. speed C. translation D. detail



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10. According to the text, in order to think critically about a word, one must consider the A. difficulty. B. spelling. C. cartography. D. context.



11. Jamie is talking to her friend on the phone and says, “Do you want to come over here?” The meaning of the word “here”

A. always means the same thing. B. can vary greatly based on context. C. should have been spelled “hear.” D. is sophisticated terminology.



12. Cara is studying for a linguistics exam. Her study partner says that vagueness is a permanent feature of a word. According to the text, Cara’s study partner

A. is wrong, since vagueness is relative to the context in which a term is being used.

B. is correct, since some words are inherently vague and others are not. C. should not major in linguistics, based on this belief. D. should not be taking a linguistics course, since critical thinking cannot be used

in this field.



13. Professor Wilson tells his students that they should study the important concepts from the chapter. Student A has a different idea of what is important than Student B. This is an example of which concept from the text?

A. syntactical impressions B. studying anxiety C. problematic vagueness D. linguistic formation



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14. Mary strives to be a “fair” teacher. However, the term “fairness” can mean different things to different students. This is an example of which concept from the book?

A. unfair treatment B. problematic ambiguity C. vague teaching D. critical terminology



15. Jerry asks his colleague the following questions: “Who said that? Where were they when they said it? To whom did they say it?” What is Jerry trying to do?

A. confuse his colleague B. establish context C. promote ambiguity D. encourage his colleague



16. Professor Jones is lecturing on vagueness in the context of critical thinking. What is she most likely to say?

A. There is nothing inherently wrong with vagueness and ambiguity unless it introduces a problem in a real-life context.

B. Vagueness and ambiguity can never be resolved; therefore, it is important to avoid them at all costs.

C. There are many things that are wrong with vagueness and ambiguity in the context of critical thinking.

D. Vagueness and ambiguity help to clarify situations in which the context is unknown or unclear.



17. Nancy is trying to explain the term “novice” in the context of being a beginner at something. She explains that she is not talking about a woman who has just entered a convent (which is another meaning of novice). What is Nancy doing?

A. excluding her listeners B. emphasizing vagueness C. confusing her listeners D. clarifying her terminology



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18. Jim is in the process of purchasing a new home. He is going back and forth with the sellers, trying to settle on a price. Jim is engaging in

A. cold negotiation. B. interest-based negotiation. C. positional negotiation. D. altruistic negotiation.



19. Jessie, Marcus and Brian have secret code words that only they understand. The three of them are an example of which concept from the text?

A. group of pranksters B. language community C. propagators of vagueness D. linguistic tribe



20. When drawing up a contract, it is important to be very specific about terminology to make sure that everyone is on the same page. What concept from the text could be applied to this situation?

A. answering each question B. encouraging situational vagueness C. dissipating negotiating stress D. stipulating the meaning



21. Gina and Geoff share an office. Gina wants to decorate it using bright colors and Geoff prefers neutrals. If Gina and Geoff were to engage in interest-based negotiation, how would they handle this issue?

A. They would find a way to make both of their color schemes work together. B. Gina would get her way, since she is the woman. C. Geoff would get his way, since he moved into the office first. D. They would go with a completely different color scheme.



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22. Karen’s hair stylist tells her that the shampoo she uses on Karen is “pure and natural.” Karen is wary of her claim, because “pure” and “natural” are both

A. donkey cart words. B. joker’s wild words. C. vague voice words. D. can-do words.



23. Wanda is researching an aboriginal group in New Zealand. She is making a concerted attempt to learn the group’s symbols and language. She is trying to become part of their

A. religious community. B. critical community. C. language community. D. heuristic community.



24. Jeanine is taking a sociology course in which she is learning about key terms and theories that are used in the field. Given the parameters presented in the text, she is most likely taking a(n) _________ course.

A. high school B. introductory C. advanced D. text-driven



25. Jeremy attempts to answer the question “How are we what we are?” by analyzing 18th century paintings. Karl attempts to answer the same question by studying DNA sequences. Given the information presented in the text, what can we say about Jeremy and Karl’s approaches?

A. Science is more relevant that art. B. Both approaches are valuable. C. Jeremy and Karl are in similar disciplines. D. Art is more accurate than science.



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26. Pamela has been working on her interpretation skills for many years. Based on the information presented in the text, what is most likely true about her?

A. She needs to work on her critical thinking skills. B. She can function within multiple academic communities. C. She is a chemist who focuses only on her career. D. She is notorious for making snap judgments.



27. John impresses his friends by accurately interpreting all sorts of situations. What is the “secret” to his success?

A. He never asks questions. B. He works to resolve problematic vagueness. C. He doesn’t believe in language communities. D. He practices telepathy.



28. Heidi interprets the word “voice” to mean “singing voice” and Kristine interprets it to mean “writing voice.” What could be said about Heidi and Kristine?

A. They are supporters of vague language. B. They do not understand the definition of “voice.” C. They are both singers and writers. D. They belong to different language communities.



29. Jeremiah is a professional translator. When he comes across a word he doesn’t understand, he

A. looks it up in the dictionary and chooses the first definition he sees. B. types only that word into an online translator. C. considers the context and then looks it up in the dictionary. D. ignores the context and takes his best guess.



30. Maria thinks it’s important to address problematic ambiguity in conversations before it becomes a comprehension issue. To do this, she

A. imposes her own meaning on the word. B. relies on problematic vagueness for comprehension. C. cuts to the chase by ignoring the context. D. clarifies the intent of what is being said.



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1. In the context of this chapter, what is “mapping” used for? A. to help understand how someone’s reasoning flows from initial statements to

the conclusion the person regards as being supported by those statements B. to help understand why people always look up the answer for things that they

should be able to figure out themselves C. to help understand how to get from one area of town to another area of town

that may or may not be difficult to find D. to help understand the differences between how children and adults make

decisions



2. What is the definition of a claim? A. the statement the maker of the argument is seeking to show to be true or

probably true B. the statement the maker of the argument knows is false, but wants to

convince his/her audience otherwise C. the statement the maker of the argument wants to be true, but knows that it

is definitely not true D. the statement the maker of the argument knows is false and is seeking to

prove this to his/her audience



3. According to the text, which of these two words essentially mean the same thing? A. reason, argument B. statement, fact C. speaker, idea D. claim, conclusion



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4. What is the definition of reason? A. the basis provided by the argument maker to show that the claim is true or

probably true B. the basis provided by the argument maker to show that the claim is false or

probably false C. the basis provided by the argument maker to show that the audience is not

listening to the statement D. the basis provided by the argument maker to show that the statement is

unreasonable



5. Fill in the blanks. Each ________ is a separate set of ________. A. argument, conclusions B. reason, premises C. claim, laws D. process, truisms



6. Jessica is giving a reason in support of a claim. What is she doing? A. developing a premise B. creating a basis C. arguing a bias D. making an argument



7. What is the definition of a premise? A. the reasons that create the argument B. the statements that comprise an argument’s reason C. the root of critical thinking D. the argument that leads to the conclusion



8. Which of the following statements about premises is true? A. They should never be contextually assumed. B. They are only explicitly asserted. C. They can be explicit or implicit. D. They are never implicitly constructed.



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9. When mapping, what does a hexagon mean? A. It conveys that a line of reasoning has been abandoned. B. It symbolizes that an argument has been completed. C. It represents an imperfect premise that was created. D. It signifies a six-sided argument that was constructed.



10. When mapping, what does a shaded rectangle mean? A. an interesting option B. a plausible option C. a creative option D. a rejected option



11. Wendy uses the term “argument” when speaking about critical thinking. We can assume that this type of argument is

A. destructive and stereotypical. B. stressful and misinterpreted. C. civil and constructive. D. maniacal and dangerous.



12. In the midst of a constructive conversation with a friend, Michael says “Therefore…” Based on the information in the text, what can we assume came after the “therefore”?

A. an analogy B. an insult C. a premise D. a conclusion



13. “France is in Europe and Paris is in France. So, Paris is in Europe.” Is an example of A. a law. B. an analogy. C. a promise. D. a premise.



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14. During a conversation with his colleague, Jeff says “Given that…” What can we assume comes after the “given that”?

A. a conclusion B. a reason C. a negotiation D. a trick



15. Karen draws an oval while mapping. What does this signify? A. a conclusion B. a premise C. a reason D. a solution



16. Micah is analyzing a colleague’s argument. According to the text, what should Micah be doing?

A. diminishing his colleague’s premise B. editorializing his colleague’s reasons C. undercutting his colleague’s conclusions D. describing his colleague’s arguments



17. Which of the following statements about mapping is accurate? A. Mapping helps us understand thought processes. B. Only implicit ideas can be mapped. C. Explicit ideas cannot be mapped. D. Mapping helps us become better mind readers.



18. Kesha is part of a language community composed of scientists. According to the text, the more specialized vocabulary they develop, the

A. harder it is for non-scientists to understand them. B. more impressive their field seems to others. C. more difficult it is to map thought processes. D. less specific the vocabulary becomes.



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19. Marion is explaining to her neighbor (also a parent) why she chose to send her kids to private school. Based on their shared _______, Marion can leave quite a bit unsaid.

A. premise B. context C. mind D. qualifications



20. Jillian is mapping her coworker’s thought process. She puts a few words in brackets. What does this mean?

A. The brackets are a short-cut. B. The brackets mean it’s important. C. Those words are not in English. D. Those words clarify the tone of a statement.



21. Marilee is very good at interpreting what people are really saying. Given the information in the book, one would assume that she is good at

A. making people feel defensive. B. noticing nonverbal cues. C. rushing conclusions. D. defying language communities.



22. Paula is mapping a debate between two colleagues. What would she use to represent objections that one colleague gives?

A. a double circle B. a green line C. a wide arrow D. a 5-point star



23. Mark is a television host. His colleagues tease him for using the phrase “on the other hand” more than any other host on television. One could safely assume that Mark

A. objects and offers counterarguments often. B. is not confident in his thought process. C. spends most of his time on premises. D. always interviews like-minded people.



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24. Marcia has a big decision to make. She needs some way to visualize all of the pros and cons of each option. What tool should she use?

A. an analytical chart B. a decision map C. a critical thinking notebook D. a circular reasoning chart



25. In the middle of a discussion with her colleagues, Sharon says “never mind…moving on.” We can safely assume that she has

A. canceled the rest of the meeting. B. hung up the phone. C. forgotten how to idea map. D. abandoned a line of reasoning.



26. Gerry is reading a map and can’t figure out what was added by the analyst. He has forgotten that

A. analysts never put notations on maps. B. analysts’ notations go in circles. C. analysts’ notations go in braces. D. analysts’ notations are always in code.



27. Mary’s critical thinking professor asks her to define “argument.” Mary responds that an argument is a claim. She

A. is completely correct. B. is essentially incorrect. C. is partially correct. D. is confused about the question.



28. Emily is explaining mapping to her classmate. She says that one of the purposes of mapping is to strengthen our ability to analyze people’s claims. Emily is

A. confused. B. correct. C. incorrect. D. unintelligent.



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29. Carol is explaining analyzing to her classmate. “It’s the same as evaluating,” she says. Carol

A. is a straight-A student. B. is correct. C. is not a student. D. is incorrect.



30. Brian is an instructor teaching a critical thinking course. When discussing mapping, he tells his students that maps

A. can display lines of reasoning that have been abandoned. B. never display inaccurate lines of thinking. C. are useless when it comes to analysis. D. always show that people are confident about their conclusions.



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1. According to the text, an expert is someone who A. holds at least a master’s degree in his or her field. B. is knowledgeable in a subject matter or professional practice area. C. has worked in the same field for more than twenty years. D. can use critical thinking skills to reason in a variety of areas.



2. What is the definition of tautology? A. the study of what is taught in the U.S. and why it is taught B. a way of viewing the world that relies on ambivalence and stereotyping C. a statement that is necessarily true because of the meaning of the words D. the practice of using critical thinking to debunk commonly held cultural myths



3. What is a self-contradictory statement? A. a sentence that is false because of its grammatical construction and the

meaning of the words in it B. a statement that is necessarily true because of the grammar and the meaning

of the words in it C. a statement that relies on tautological evidence to support the flow of the

assumption being made D. a statement that uses two or more languages to express a central idea or

thought



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4. According to the text, which of the following is a characteristic of a trustworthy source?

A. credentialed in topic X B. interested in topic X C. unclear about topic X D. experienced in topic X



5. The statement “we all start off equal in life” is an example of a(n) A. critical truth. B. explicit truism. C. trustworthy comparison. D. empty tautology.



6. When evaluating the plausibility of claims, it is important to remain A. tautological. B. negative. C. open-minded. D. closed-spirited.



7. What is a loaded expression? A. an expression that forces you to make a decision B. a statement that carries an emotional charge C. a saying that doesn’t add up D. a response that could be positive or negative



8. Which of the following statements about claims is true? A. They can be confirmed or disconfirmed. B. They are always true, especially those by experts. C. They should be taken at face value. D. They are never true, no matter who says them.



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9. According to the text, what is a commercial’s job? A. to cause us to be wary of a product because of its side-effects B. to help consumers make educated decisions C. to lead us to desire a product in spite of its inherent risks D. to convince people to question their purchases



10. According to the text, which of the following statements about commercials is true? A. They can be misleading. B. They are usually straightforward. C. They are always completely false. D. They are only on during the nightly news.



11. When presented with a claim, Carl tends to ask a lot of questions. One could say that Carl has a healthy sense of

A. negativity. B. skepticism. C. tautology. D. expertise.



12. Jason frequently makes claims without supporting reasons. It is probable that he has A. prophetic powers. B. tautological sense. C. ulterior motives. D. critical sophism.



13. Micah insists that vaccines cause autism, even though there is no scientific evidence that proves his point. This is an example of a

A. stubborn refusal to abandon a discredited position. B. healthy skepticism in the face of conflicting information. C. tautological response to a logical problem. D. logical response to a loaded statement.



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14. Charlene is a mentally stable individual who has many years of experience as a nurse. She frequently reads medical journals and can always back up her claims with scientific evidence. According to the text, Charlene is a(n)

A. charlatan expert. B. practiced tautologist. C. altruistic technician. D. trusted source.



15. “Man is either mortal or he is not.” This is an example of a A. critical observation. B. self-contradictory statement. C. tautological statement. D. logical answer.



16. “The current trend in the stock market is trendless.” This is an example of a A. observational response. B. tautological statement. C. critical response. D. self-contradictory statement.



17. Jane tweets, “Blue is the best color.” This is an example of a A. coherent argument. B. reasonless claim. C. true tautology. D. contradictory falsehood.



18. Kaitlin is five, Josh is eighteen, Mary is twenty-five and Sue is sixty. According to the text, which of these people is most trusting of authorities?

A. Sue B. Josh C. Mary D. Kaitlin



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19. According to the text, which of the following statements about Wikipedia is true? A. Wikipedia should never be used as a source. B. Good critical thinkers fact-check Wikipedia entries. C. All students should use Wikipedia as a source. D. Wikipedia is owned by the government.



20. Caryn has already assessed the credibility of the source. As a good critical thinker, what does she need to do next?

A. assess the plausibility of the claim B. approve the tautological statement C. reject all possible options D. remember self-contradictory statements



21. Josh’s colleague frequently makes claims out of context. As a good critical thinker, what should Josh do?

A. believe his colleague and assume he/she is an expert B. never believe what his colleague says C. question the plausibility of his colleague’s claims D. patiently answer his colleague’s questions



22. Marilyn is interviewing potential job candidates. As a good critical thinker, she is wary of candidates who give her

A. resumes without GPAs. B. claims without reasons. C. cover letters without photos. D. heuristics without tautology.



23. Sheila’s mom tells her that she cannot stay out until midnight, but does not give any reasons to support her statement. According to the text, it can be assumed that

A. Sheila’s mom has her daughter’s best interests at heart. B. Sheila’s mom is an untrustworthy source. C. Sheila’s mom failed her freshman critical thinking course. D. Sheila’s mom is an expert on discipline.



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24. Jerome believes that the theory of evolution is just as valid as the theory of creationism. It simply depends on the context in which each is being used. He is a

A. collector. B. sage. C. truth-seeker. D. relativist.



25. Mike holds a Ph.D. in physics and has a strong understanding of science. However, he admits that his vast body of scientific knowledge contains patches of uncertainty. Mike is a

A. truth-seeker. B. collector. C. sage. D. relativist.



26. Marsha has reached the “truth-seeker” stage. Which of the following statements is true?

A. She has not yet reached the highest stage for critical thinkers. B. She has regressed in her critical thinking skills. C. She is a student at a local university. D. She has reached the highest level of critical thinking.



27. Dr. Peterson is a world-renowned physician who is paid by pharmaceutical companies to promote their drugs to his patients. Given this information, which of the following statements about Dr. Peterson is true?

A. He is not an expert. B. He has a conflict of interest. C. He gets his information from Wikipedia. D. He is a trustworthy source.



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28. Richard read on a blog that the world will end in 2012. As a good critical thinker, Richard should

A. believe the claim and act accordingly. B. never visit that blog again. C. approach the claim with a healthy sense of skepticism. D. consider the author of the blog to be an expert.



29. A political ad on TV makes a negative claim about a candidate’s opponent. A good critical thinker would be wary of

A. optimal reasoning. B. coverage. C. running time. D. disinformation.



30. Marius is an authority who frequently appears on television. His employer has made it very clear that there are certain things he cannot say on TV (or else he will lose his job). One could say that Marius is

A. tautological. B. constrained. C. critical. D. unstable.



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1. In the context of this chapter, “sound” is a synonym for A. tautology. B. uncomplicated. C. noise. D. healthy.



2. What is the definition of a worthy argument? A. an argument that merits being accepted as a proof that its conclusion is

probably true B. an argument that is phrased using sophisticated vocabulary and a specific

syntax C. an argument that is devoid of reason or any other extraneous elements D. an argument given by an expert with a conflict of interest



3. According to the text, “good argument” is a synonym for a A. expert argument. B. marked argument. C. worthy argument. D. tautological argument.



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4. What is the definition of a fallacy? A. a deceptive argument that appears logical, but fails to demonstrate its

conclusions B. a sound argument that uses inference and induction, but not reason C. a tautological argument that uses information by conflicted sources to back it

up D. an unclear argument that must be subjected to rigorous analysis



5. Which of the following statements about rote memorization is true? A. It is not a valuable skill. B. It is not a critical thinking skill. C. It cannot be learned. D. It doesn’t actually have to do with memorizing.



6. What is the first test of an argument’s worthiness? A. test of tautological analytical reasoning B. test of overall strength of logic C. test of application of circular reasoning D. test of truthfulness of the premises



7. The truth of the claim depends on the truth of the reason. This is the test condition for

A. test of non-circularity. B. test of truthfulness. C. test of relevance. D. test of logical strength.



8. Which of the following is the best description of circularity? A. when a claim is being relied on as a part of a chain of reasoning to support its

own reason B. when an expert is conflicted in his or her thinking about a particular issue C. when an argument is rational and cannot possibly be debunked by the

experts D. when an claim has so many reasons that one must go through all of them to

confirm its validity



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9. According to the text, what is one of the adjectives that can be used to describe a positive premise?

A. fanciful B. probable C. wise D. circular



10. According to the text, what is one of the adjectives that could be used to describe a negative reason?

A. vague B. irrational C. plausible D. factual



11. After listening to his colleague’s argument, William uses the word “well-applied” to describe which element?

A. a negative premise B. a positive premise C. a positive reason D. a negative reason



12. “But we’ve always had a company holiday party! Why would we change now?” This is an example of a

A. materialized truth. B. argument of options. C. supported reason. D. fallacy of relevance.



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13. Jim’s sister states a claim that seems to be lacking in reason. As a good critical thinker, Jim

A. cannot assume that the absence of a reason should count as a reason for her claim.

B. can safely assume that the absence of a reason can count as a reason against her claim.

C. can no longer engage in critical conversations that include baseless claims. D. can assume that his sister just forgot to list her reasons.



14. “Everyone thinks Christmas is the best holiday around. So, this year our office should have a Christmas party instead of a holiday party.” This is an example of a

A. office collectivity. B. critical tautology. C. bandwagon fallacy. D. expert opinion.



15. “If you don’t vote for X politician, millions of babies will die as a result of his pro-choice stance.” This is an example of

A. an appeal to emotion. B. a reasonable request. C. a heuristic approach. D. a truthful statement.



16. “Julie is a member of the Anderson family, and they’re just a bunch of criminals. Nothing she says should be taken seriously.” This is an example of

A. a legal argument. B. a justifiable statement. C. an appeal to reason. D. an ad hominem attack.



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17. Erica does a lot of debating on online forums. One of her favorite techniques is to pick the easiest of her opponent’s reasons to refute, thereby refuting the entire claim. This is an example of

A. a reason-based fallacy. B. a straw man fallacy. C. a creative fallacy. D. a critical fallacy.



18. Martin often relies on stereotypes and ambiguity when supporting his claims. This is an example of a

A. straw man fallacy. B. constructing arguments fallacy. C. playing with words fallacy. D. constructive criticism fallacy.



19. “George W. Bush says that broccoli is bad for you. Therefore, I won’t make my kids eat broccoli.” This is an example of a

A. straw man fallacy. B. misuse of authority fallacy. C. constructive expert fallacy. D. small claims fallacy.



20. Brad has strong critical thinking skills. One can safely assume that he is good at A. accepting claims at face value. B. supporting straw man fallacies. C. rote memorization. D. evaluating arguments.



21. When evaluating an argument, Jesse uses the four tests. He often does the Test of Relevance before doing the Test of Truthfulness. He should

A. keep doing exactly what he’s doing. B. stop relying on the tests. C. always do the tests in order. D. do the Test of Logical Strength first.



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22. Angie frequently makes ad hominem attacks. What is true about Angie’s claims? A. They assume the person involved has a flaw of some sort. B. The opposite of her claims is always true, especially when they involve an

expert. C. Her claims do not need to be debunked; they should be believed. D. They are always based in critical thought and logical reasoning.



23. “When we were discussing thermodynamics the other day, Dave didn’t say anything. That must mean he doesn’t know anything about the topic.” What would be the most useful question to debunk this claim?

A. Does Dave have a degree in science? B. Is there another reason why Dave remained quiet? C. How long has Dave been working at our company? D. Is Dave known for his critical thinking skills?



24. Elise is teaching a course on critical thinking. Which of the following statements about argument making would she be most likely to say to her class?

A. Making an argument can be used to help one come to a decision. B. Making an argument must always be confrontational. C. Making an argument is pointless unless you are an expert. D. Making an argument is the opposite of truth-seeking.



25. Richard has a driving need to win any debate in which he finds himself. Most likely, Richard’s

A. claims are never backed up by reasons. B. debate opponents are always right. C. competitive needs override his quest for knowledge. D. expertise spans all subject areas.



26. Marlene thinks her colleague’s claim sounds suspicious. As a strong critical thinker, Marlene will

A. reject the claim outright and ignore her colleague’s reasons. B. disprove one of the reasons given in support of the claim. C. debunk all arguments being advanced in support of the claim. D. ask her colleague to come up with a different claim.



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27. Tanya gives two reasons to support her claim. One turns out to be false. As a strong critical thinker, what should you do?

A. Try to come up with a reason to support her claim. B. Dismiss the second reason because the first was false. C. Never believe what Tanya says. D. Test the second reason before dismissing it.



28. Charlene is a strong critical thinker. Right after she applies the Test of Truthfulness of the Premises, she

A. tries to imagine a situation in which all of the premises of an argument are true, but the conclusion is false.

B. provides multiple reasons to support her claim, including statistics and quotes by experts.

C. calls in an expert to confirm her analysis of the situation thus far. D. judges whether accepting the claim depends on support derived from that

reason.



29. Maria is teaching a critical thinking course. What is she most likely to say to her students?

A. There is no such thing as a false claim; there is only falsehood itself. B. The four tests for evaluating arguments must be done in order. C. Relying on emotional impact is an effective way to support logical thinking. D. One of the criteria for a good reason is that it is given by an expert.



30. Which of the reasons given below is most similar in style to this one: “Everybody thinks the blue jerseys look better than the green ones.”

A. If you choose the green jerseys, people will stop coming to your games. B. Baseball tickets are more expensive than basketball tickets. C. It’s widely known that most people prefer Coke over Pepsi. D. Don’t believe anything Marcus says because he’s a liar.



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1. What is the definition of a deductively valid argument? A. an argument such that it is possible for all of its premises to be true and its

conclusion to be false B. an argument such that it is possible for all of its premises to be false and its

conclusion to be true C. an argument such that it is impossible for all of its premises to be true and its

conclusion to be false D. an argument such that it is impossible for all of its premises to be false and

its conclusion to the true



2. Which of the following statements about logic is true? A. The laws of logic can be suspended at times. B. None of us can suspend the laws of logic. C. Only experts can suspend the laws of logic. D. The laws of logic are not really laws.



3. What is an inductive argument? A. an argument that presents its conclusion as true given the truth of the

premises B. an argument that deconstructs its conclusion based on the falsehood of its

premised C. an argument that presents its conclusion as probabilistic given the truth of

the premises D. an argument that constructs itself naturally given the falsehood of its claims



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4. Affirming the antecedent is a type of A. truthful fallacy. B. inductive argument. C. logical fallacy. D. deductive argument.



5. What is a disjunctive syllogism? A. When we are presented with various alternatives and then learn that one or

more of them will not work, it is logical to reduce our options. B. When we are presented with various falsehoods and then learn that we are

looking for a reason, it is logical to dispute the claim. C. When we are presented with various truths and then learn that we are not

interested in truthfulness, it is logical to refute our options. D. When we are presented with various syllogisms and then learn that we want

an analogy, it is logical to drop the line of reasoning.



6. A unless B is a logically equivalent grammatical structure to A. A only if B. B. not A unless B. C. if A then B. D. A or B.



7. Whenever we have a _________ that asserts that a given characteristic applies to each of the members of a class of objects, we can logically assert that a given individual or subgroup of individuals that are members of that class has that characteristic.

A. statistic B. generalization C. inference D. assumption



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8. According to the text, the word ______ has the power to change a sentence depending on where it is placed.

A. before B. because C. after D. only



9. The three relational characteristics we rely on when using deductive reasoning are Transitivity, Reflexivity, and

A. Proximity. B. Activity. C. Identity. D. Passivity.



10. What is a reflexivity relationship? A. If x has a reflexive relationship to y, then y has the same reflexive

relationship to x. B. If x has a reflexive relationship to y, then x also has the same reflexive

relationship to z. C. If x has a reflexive relationship to y, then y cannot have the same relationship

to x. D. If x has a reflexive relationship to y, then y must have a reflexive relationship

to z.



11. “All teachers are mean. Karen is a teacher, so she is mean.” This is an example of A. applying a generalization. B. reasoning a claim. C. avoiding a paradox. D. employing a criticism.



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12. “All crossing guards wear yellow. Jason does not wear yellow. Jason is not a crossing guard.” This is an example of

A. applying a reason. B. applying a generalization. C. applying a paradox. D. applying an exception.



13. “Mary is smarter than Ellen. Ellen is smarter than Carol. So, Mary is smarter than Carol.” This is an example of a

A. reflexivity relationship. B. transitivity relationship. C. identity relationship. D. proximity relationship.



14. “Marcia is Kelly’s classmate. So, Kelly is Marcia’s classmate.” This is an example of a A. transitivity relationship. B. proximity relationship. C. reflexivity relationship. D. identity relationship.



15. “If I am a good person, I will get rich. I am rich; therefore, I must be a good person.” This is an example of which type of fallacy?

A. Denying the antecedent B. False classification C. Affirming the consequent D. Composition and division



16. Which of the following statements about facts and logic is true, according the text? A. Facts and logic are two different things. B. Logic and facts are the same thing. C. Facts are more valid than logic. D. Logic is more trustworthy than facts.



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17. Alana often uses the deductive argument that relies on the grammatical power of “if A, then B” expressions. What deductive argument does she use?

A. Disjunctive syllogism B. Affirming the antecedent C. Grammatical equivalencies D. Applying a generalization



18. Terms like “brother” and “greater than” are examples of A. marked terms. B. transitive terms. C. reflexive terms. D. relational terms.



19. “If you fail the test, it’s because you didn’t study. You failed the test, so you must not have studied.” This is an example of

A. cataloguing the differences B. reflecting the outcome C. affirming the consequent D. declaring the claim



20. “Criminals use the telephone. My mother uses the telephone. My mother is a criminal.” Assuming the mother is not a criminal, this is an example of

A. true causality. B. correct deduction. C. marked terminology. D. false classification.



21. Larry often uses vague subject pronouns such as “it.” This leads to fallacies of A. composition and division. B. mistaken identity. C. false classification. D. denying the antecedent.



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22. “Kylie, age 8, loves the violin. Professional musicians play the violin.” What phrase would we add to make this an example of false reference?

A. Therefore, Kylie wants to be a professional musician. B. Therefore, Kylie is not learning the violin. C. Therefore, Kylie plays in an orchestra. D. Therefore, Kylie cannot read music.



23. Mara is teaching a course in critical thinking. In the deductive templates unit, she lectures on

A. applying an exception. B. false classification. C. affirming the consequent. D. reversing the outcome.



24. Marcie is using the affirming the antecedent template. She must use which of the following grammatical structures when constructing her argument?

A. Neither A nor B B. Both A and B C. If A then B D. Not A and not B



25. Olivia is teaching a course on critical thinking. What example would she give her class to describe applying a generalization?

A. Some students work hard. Mark is not one of these students. B. All students are slackers. Mark is a student, so Mark is a slacker. C. Students never study before the test. Mark does, so he is a student. D. No students like to study. Mark likes to study, so Mark is a student.



26. “Everyone who has worked in a restaurant has made tips. Martin has never made tips.” Which of the sentences below would make this into an example of applying an exception?

A. This means Martin is a mediocre waiter. B. This means Martin works in an office. C. This means Martin has never worked in a restaurant. D. This means Martin has made a salary.



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27. Emily is a strong critical thinker. When she hears the statement “Maggie is Susan’s biological sister,” she

A. calls in an expert to confirm the statement. B. questions the term “sister.” C. does not take the statement at face value. D. infers that they have the same mother.



28. Fred tends to rely heavily on identity relationships when forming arguments. Which of the following would Fred be most likely to say?

A. Jen ate a red fruit. That fruit was a strawberry. Jen ate a strawberry. B. If all strawberries are red, and Jen ate a red fruit, that means Jen ate a

strawberry. C. All red fruits are red. Strawberries are a red fruit. Strawberries are red. D. Strawberries are red. Jen ate a green fruit. Jen did not eat a strawberry.



29. Peggy often affirms the consequent when reasoning with declarative statements. Which of the following would she be most likely to say?

A. Eating vegetables is the same as taking vitamins. So taking vitamins is the same as eating vegetables.

B. If you eat vegetables, you will get strong. You are strong, so that means you ate vegetables.

C. Vitamins are to vegetables as studying is to passing an exam. D. If you take vitamins instead of eating vegetables, you will never get enough

nutrients.



30. “If you run every day, you will lose weight.” Which of the following statements should be added to this to make it an example of affirming the consequent?

A. You lost weight, so you must have run every day. B. You should keep running to lose more weight. C. Losing weight is the only benefit of running. D. Joint pain can be a side effect of running.



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1. What is the definition of an inductively justified argument? A. an argument such that if all of its premises were false, then its conclusion

would most likely be true B. an argument such that if all of its premises were true, then its conclusion

would most likely be false C. an argument such that if all of its premises were true, then its conclusion

would most likely be true D. an argument such that if all of its premises were false, then its conclusion

would most likely be false



2. Inductive reasoning depends on the A. evidence at hand. B. original claim. C. final conclusion. D. facts put forth.



3. Deductions depend on A. the evidence that has been put forth. B. the meanings of words and rules of grammar. C. the last conclusion that has been made. D. the first and third reasons given.



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4. An inductively justified argument is the same thing as a A. common argument. B. converse argument. C. unjustified argument. D. warranted argument.



5. What is the definition of a coincidence? A. one event following another event B. two planned events happening at the same time C. two events happening together by chance D. one event happening a week before another



6. What do correlations describe? A. the amount of chance needed for something to occur B. the relationship between stereotypes and outcomes C. the degree to which two different sets of events are aligned D. the power of critical thinking in various circumstances



7. “Gambler’s Fallacy” helps us remember that A. random events are not correlated. B. random events can be causally related. C. random events should never be trusted. D. random events rarely occur.



8. Post hoc, propter hoc refers to A. answering questions that do not apply. B. confusing temporal proximity with causality. C. beginning the critical thinking process. D. observing random acts from afar.



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9. False cause fallacies are often the result of A. refusing to believe the experts. B. believing in random events. C. asking too many questions. D. confusing outcomes with causes.



10. The _________________ makes the false assumption that discrete events are linked together so that the first step in the process results in a bad event down the road.

A. Random Events Fallacy B. Erroneous Generalization Fallacy C. Slippery Slope Fallacy D. False Dilemma Fallacy



11. “I always wear my lucky necklace. Even though I don’t always have a good day when I wear it, if I don’t, I just know I’ll have a bad day.” This is an example of which of the following?

A. Dilemma Fallacy B. Gambler’s Fallacy C. Constructive Fallacy D. Aesthetic Fallacy



12. What is the difference between a real dilemma and a false dilemma? A. In a real dilemma, all choices are bad. In a false dilemma, one of the choices

is not as bad as we initially imagined it to be. B. In a real dilemma, someone must die. In a false dilemma, death can easily be

avoided. C. In a real dilemma, you have to make a choice. In a false dilemma, you can

avoid making a decision altogether. D. In a real dilemma, all choices are very good. In a false dilemma, at least one

of the choices is really bad.



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13. Which of the following statements about generalizations is true? A. They are always accurate and unbiased. B. They are always based on systematically gathered data. C. They can be deceptively fallacious. D. They are most accurate when based on personal observations.



14. Which of the following statements about evaluating generalizations is true? A. To evaluate generalizations, one must examine if the sampling of cases is

adequate to support the inferences drawn. B. To evaluate generalizations, the only thing that needs to be done is to find a

counterexample. C. When evaluating generalizations, assume that they are correct if they are

stated by your superior. D. When evaluating generalizations, you only need to ask two key questions to

find out if they are accurate.



15. At the same moment Jim was in a car crash, his wife Linda was struck by lightning. This is an example of a(n)

A. incident. B. cause. C. accident. D. coincidence.



16. Each time Gary eats peanuts, his face swells. This is an example of a A. coincidental event. B. chance occurrence. C. biological illusion. D. causal relationship.



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17. Which of the following statements about documenting a causal relationship is true? A. Documenting a causal relationship is important and intellectually challenging

work. B. Documenting a causal relationship simply involves demonstrating a

correlation between two events. C. Documenting a causal relationship is not useful, because it can’t help us

predict future events. D. Documenting a causal relationship is the most difficult task in the field of

critical thinking.



18. John is teaching a critical thinking class. He explains to the course that the “Either/Or Fallacy” is another name for the ____________ Fallacy.

A. Causal Relationship B. False Dilemma C. Remote Generalization D. Emergent Problem



19. Right after I ate a strawberry, my mom called. My eating the strawberry must have caused my mom to call. This is an example of

A. post haste reasoning. B. post action reaction. C. post hoc, propter hoc. D. post consumption fallacy.



20. If you smoke a cigarette, you will end up doing hard drugs. This is an example of the __________ Fallacy.

A. Cause and Effect B. Erroneous Generalization C. Temporal Reasoning D. Slippery Slope



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21. “If you skip a class in college…” How would you finish this sentence to make it an example of the Slippery Slope Fallacy?

A. you should ask a classmate for the notes. B. you must attend the exam. C. you will never finish your degree. D. you can’t drop it after a certain date.



22. “When I turn on the radio, my dishwasher stops working.” What would you have to add to this to make it an example of the False Clause Fallacy?

A. I like listening to loud music vs. soft music. B. It must be that the radio somehow affects the dishwasher. C. I should call the dishwasher repairman. D. I hate it when I can’t get my dishwasher to work.



23. Crystal is teaching a critical thinking class. Which of the following would she give her class as an example of erroneous generalization?

A. Only female students drop my course after the first day. So, my course must be too difficult for female students.

B. A female student dropped my course. The next day her car was broken into. It must have been the result of dropping my course.

C. Female students drop my course most frequently. I sign more drop slips from female students than from male students.

D. Whenever I assign homework, at least one female student drops my course. I should assign more homework.



24. Karl is notorious for playing with numbers when presenting information to his colleagues. Which of the following would he be most likely to say?

A. A total of 50% of all Americans own a home. That means half of all Americans own a home.

B. The box says 8 out of 10 doctors approve it. That means 80% of all doctors approve it.

C. Nine out of 10 of our colleagues who were polled approve of the new human resources policies.

D. The average male makes 20% more than the average female in the same job. That means men are paid more than women.



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25. Marina is a scientist who studies causal relationships. She knows that A. it is not always possible to move from coincidence to correlation to causal

explanation. B. causal relationships are often constructed without regard to cause or effect. C. the answer to a causal question is always the first reason given to support the

claim. D. it is impossible to move from correlation to causal explanation in science.



26. Elise pays a lot of attention to coincidences. Which of the following is an example of something she would say?

A. Every time I answer the door, a cold draft enters the house. These two events are connected.

B. When I meet new people, I make sure to always create a rhyme to remember their name.

C. As soon as I called my friend, she dialed me. My calling her must have caused her to call me.

D. I didn’t receive my allowance this week, so I won’t be able to go to the movies this weekend.



27. Michaela is teaching a course on critical thinking. Which of the following would she give as an example of an “Either/Or Fallacy”?

A. I opened the refrigerator and saw that I either don’t have enough food or need to go shopping.

B. I don’t have any food at home. Either I can go to McDonald’s or not eat tonight.

C. Either I’m not hungry or I’m not hungry at all. So, I should go grocery shopping.

D. Nine out of 10 doctors recommend eating a balanced diet instead of eating at McDonald’s.



28. Patricia often falls victim to the Gambler’s Fallacy. Which of the following things would she be most likely to say?

A. Random events do not correlate. B. Random events are never connected. C. Random events are typically planned. D. Random events can be causally connected.



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29. Marise is teaching a critical thinking course. She explains to her class that ________ is a type of argument that fails the test of relevance.

A. an appeal to the mob B. a numbers modification C. a steep slope D. a truthful fallacy



30. Karl is a strong critical thinker. He explains to his friend that a fallacy of division is one that typically falls under the category of

A. mathematical fallacies that pervade society. B. fallacies that can sometimes be truthful, depending on the context. C. fallacies masquerading as valid deductive arguments. D. arbitrary fallacies that call for further investigation.



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1. What is the definition of System 1 Thinking? A. reactive thinking that relies heavily on situational cues, salient memories, and

heuristic thinking to arrive quickly and confidently at judgments B. reflective critical thinking that is useful for judgments in unfamiliar situations,

for processing abstract concepts, and for deliberating when there is time for more comprehensive consideration

C. reactive thinking that is useful for recalling salient memories and fully supports heuristic thinking at its highest level

D. reflective thinking that relies heavily on preconceived notions and is helpful for coping with unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations



2. What is the definition of System 2 Thinking? A. reactive thinking that relies heavily on situational cues, salient memories, and

heuristic thinking to arrive quickly and confidently at judgments B. reactive thinking that is useful for recalling salient memories and fully

supports heuristic thinking at its highest level C. reflective critical thinking that is useful for judgments in unfamiliar situations,

for processing abstract concepts, and for deliberating when there is time for more comprehensive consideration

D. reflective thinking that relies heavily on preconceived notions and is helpful for coping with unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations



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3. What are cognitive heuristics? A. comprehensive thought processes that rely heavily on evidence, logic, and

research studies B. human decision-making shortcuts people rely on to expedite their judgments

about what to believe or what to do C. a scientific field of study focused on why all human brains function the same

way D. a theory developed by a French philosopher in the 1800s that encompasses

all aspects of critical thinking



4. What is argument making? A. the effort to rely solely on preconceived notions when making our decisions B. the effort to seek expert opinions when making our decisions C. the effort to rely on relevant reasons and facts when making our decisions D. the effort to trust our “gut feeling” about everything when making our

decisions



5. Which great mind called humans “rational animals”? A. Rimbaud B. Shakespeare C. Plato D. Aristotle



6. Which of the following phrases describes heuristics? A. biases and errors that emerge from the misapplication of ordinarily reliable

reasoning maneuvers B. the use of ordinarily unreliable reasoning maneuvers to come to trustworthy

conclusions C. the reasons one gives to support claims that under any other circumstances

could not be trusted D. arguments made in support of logical or reasonable evidence to back up one’s

claims



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7. What are satisficing heuristics? A. deciding that an option is good enough for now B. finding an option that is good enough and taking it C. refusing to accept any option given D. accusing a critical thinker of making a poor argument



8. What are temporizing heuristics? A. deciding that an option is good enough for now B. finding an option that is good enough and taking it C. refusing to accept any option given D. accusing a critical thinker of making a poor argument



9. The affect heuristic can be described as A. returning to square one. B. questioning your instincts. C. calling on an expert. D. going with your gut.



10. When working under the simulation heuristic, one A. runs through all outcomes, not matter how hard they are to imagine. B. physically acts out each outcome to imagine how it would feel to be in that

position. C. estimates the likelihood for a given outcome based on how easy it is to

imagine that outcome. D. refuses to accept that more than one outcome is possible.



11. Which of the following statements about the two-systems approach is true? A. System-1 thinking is based in reason and System-2 thinking is based in “gut

feeling.” B. Most people have used both systems at some time in their lives. C. The two-systems approach should always be subjected to stereotypical

dichotomies. D. System-2 thinking is 90% more effective than System-1 thinking.



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12. Which of the following statements about the simulation heuristic is true? A. It always involves visualizing outcomes. B. It only involves visually positive outcomes. C. It tends to focus on the negative. D. It is an accurate way of predicting outcomes.



13. “One time when I was a kid we went to Mexico and I hated it. Let’s go to Hawaii instead.” This is an example of a(n)

A. simplicity heuristic. B. simulation heuristic. C. location heuristic. D. availability heuristic.



14. “That guy looks just like Ralph. Ralph is a jerk. I bet that guy is a jerk, too.” This is an example of a(n)

A. affect heuristic. B. simulation heuristic. C. personal heuristic. D. representation heuristic.



15. “That dress is green. Green is the color of spinach. I hate spinach. I’m going to get a different dress.” This is an example of a(n)

A. representation heuristic. B. color heuristic. C. simulation heuristic. D. association heuristic.



16. “Annie is a woman. Women only make decisions based on emotion. Annie is not a rational thinker.” This is an example of a(n)

A. personal heuristic. B. stereotyping heuristic. C. simulation heuristic. D. affect heuristic.



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17. “Democrats want higher taxes. Republicans do not. I am a Republican, so I oppose higher taxes.” This is an example of a(n)

A. political heuristic. B. affect heuristic. C. us vs. them heuristic. D. realist heuristic.



18. Matt always agrees with his manager’s ideas. This is an example of a(n) A. power differential heuristic. B. us vs. them heuristic. C. workplace heuristic. D. reason-based heuristic.



19. Maria will only slightly change her view of a situation if she encounters new information. This is an example of a(n)

A. evaluative maneuvering heuristic. B. anchoring with adjustment heuristic. C. adjusting and refining heuristic. D. proven wrong heuristic.



20. Which of the following heuristics has to do with past experiences? A. Us vs. them heuristic B. Childhood heuristic C. Simulation heuristic D. Availability heuristic



21. Karen is never willing to compromise. One could say that she operates under a(n) _______ heuristic.

A. fallacious B. us vs. them C. simulation D. pro vs. con



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22. Jeff automatically agrees with whatever his boss says. Which of the following sentences best describes this situation?

A. This is not a power differential heuristic, since his boss is not pressuring him. B. This is an example of a simulation heuristic. C. Jeff operates under a power differential heuristic. D. Jeff operates under a pressure heuristic.



23. Celia is an adventure traveler. Which of the following statements would indicate that she operates under an optimistic bias heuristic?

A. I am an excellent climber, so I’ll tackle Devil’s Tower today even though it is raining.

B. The last time I climbed Devil’s Tower I was wearing red. I should wear red again this time.

C. When Marie climbed Devil’s Tower, she sang Christmas carols. I don’t like Marie, so I won’t do that.

D. Devil’s Tower is the easiest climb I’ve ever done. Therefore, I’m an excellent climber.



24. When remembering past events, Clara always operates under a hindsight bias heuristic. What would Clara be most likely to say?

A. The reason our Christmas party was so good last year was because Jim brought those great cookies.

B. The reason our Christmas party was so good last year was because I organized it really well.

C. The reason our Christmas party was so good last year was because I forgot to put out the punch.

D. The reason our Christmas party was so good last year was because all of our favorite people were there.



25. Even though she needs more space, Carol refuses to move. Operating under the loss and risk aversion heuristic, she

A. has to consult her friend before she decides to move. B. wants to try something new. C. doesn’t have enough money to move. D. prefers to maintain the status quo.



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26. Kirk only makes reflective judgments. He is A. not like most people, who make a combination of reactive and reflective

judgments. B. not like most men, who only make reactive judgments. C. like most men, who only make reflective judgments as they move through

their daily lives. D. like most women, who are known for their reflective judgment abilities.



27. Amy’s motto is “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Which of the following statements is most likely true about her?

A. She is a baby boomer. B. She is a mechanical engineer. C. She prefers an affect heuristic to a temporal heuristic. D. She operates under a satisficing heuristic.



28. Max is a strong critical thinker. He knows that when he has an affective response, he should

A. go with his gut in all circumstances. B. consult with a series of experts. C. check this response for sound reasoning. D. use temporal heuristics.



29. Ian often uses visualization in his daily life. Which of the following statements about him is most likely true?

A. He is always reflective in his decision making. B. It has helped him improve his performance in many areas. C. He operates under a fallacious heuristic. D. It has hindered him from reaching his goals.



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30. Jeanne’s aunt died from breast cancer when she was 52. Jeanne looks just like her aunt, which means that she will die of breast cancer when she is 52. Which of the following is true about these statements?

A. They assume an analogical relationship that may not be true. B. They are an example of the “Either/Or” heuristic. C. They are reasonable and follow basic logic. D. They were spoken by a strong critical thinker.



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1. What is dominance structuring? A. a computer program designed to help people make decisions when a situation

is unclear B. a common fallacy that strong critical thinkers can recognize immediately C. the physical process through which humans achieve confidence in their

decisions D. the intentional process of changing your believe system with every decision

you make



2. Which of the following is one of the phases of dominance structuring? A. reversing your stereotypes B. comparing your option with others C. consulting with an expert D. identifying one promising option



3. What are decision-critical attributes? A. inherent personal traits that help one come to a logical decision based on

reason B. criteria the decision maker deems important and relevant for evaluating

options C. guidelines given by experts that help a person become an even better critical

thinker D. steps one takes throughout his/her life to become a better critical thinker



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4. What is one of the risks of dominance structuring? A. We can sometimes become locked into an unwise decision. B. Changing one’s mind so much causes mental health problems. C. It is unreliable to use a computer to make decisions. D. It causes us to become something we’re not.



5. What is the sixth critical thinking skill? A. creativity B. self-regulation C. common sense D. stereotyping



6. ________ and open-mindedness need to be cultivated so that we are prepared to revisit our opinions with objectivity and judiciousness.

A. Heuristics B. Creativity C. Common sense D. Truth-seeking



7. Reflective decisions A. frequently involve heuristics. B. always yield the best response. C. are based on instinct. D. are not always good decisions.



8. In the ____________ phase, we start by selecting a group of possible options and attributes.

A. inferring B. referencing C. self-regulating D. pre-editing



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9. In the _______ phase, we compare our options in terms of the set of decision-critical attributes.

A. abandoning preconceived ideas B. recognizing the complexity of the issue C. testing the promising options D. selecting a group of possible options



10. In the fortifying the to-be-chosen option phase, we A. test the promising options. B. restructure our appraisals of the options. C. select a group of possible options. D. choose the most promising option.



11. Which of the following best describes Phase 2 of the search for dominance? A. finding one option that is more attractive than the others B. abandoning judgment for critical instinct and preconceived ideas C. consulting an expert regarding the complexity of the situation D. selecting a group of possible options and attributes



12. Which of the following is true about the fortifying the to-be-chosen option phase? A. It is always rational. B. It always involves restructuring. C. It is never logical. D. It always involves an expert opinion.



13. Mary is wondering whether her husband’s dominance structuring process is complete. Which of the following things would indicate to her that it is?

A. He describes the situation as difficult. B. He describes the choice as easy. C. He describes himself as having decided. D. He describes all of the counter-arguments.



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14. There is a great chance that Becky’s decision will be wise and well thought out. Which of the following things did she do?

A. She was extremely leisurely in making her decision. B. She based her decision on preconceived notions. C. She was not too hasty in making her decision. D. She based her decision on the opinions of others.



15. Jeanne is a cognitive scientist. She knows that humans A. never act on instinct. B. are inadequate problem solvers. C. rely too heavily on reason. D. seek to establish rationale for decisions.



16. Kristin is teaching a course on critical thinking. She explains to her class that dominance structuring is

A. something that must be done in groups. B. best if done prematurely. C. not something most people do. D. something most people just do.



17. Jack is good at monitoring his decisions. One could say he is skilled at A. co-opting. B. self-regulation. C. reverse reflection. D. group talk.



18. Mark is listing a job opening. Which of the following would be an example of a decision-critical attribute in this situation?

A. level of education attained by the applicant B. media through which the announcement is advertised C. timeline from advertising the position to hiring for it D. type of font used in the job opening listing



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19. Jane is in the pre-editing phase of her decision making. She should A. be consulting with an expert about what to do. B. be carefully considering every conceivable option. C. be making a final decision based on her gut feeling. D. be making deliberative judgments regarding her options.



20. Jerry has just begun to consider a problem. It is important that he A. champion the best option to all of his friends. B. assess the strengths and weaknesses of each option. C. become enamored of one specific option. D. call in his friends to help him make the decision.



21. Louise’s children, Bob and Lola, are in a fight. Bob thinks it was Lola’s fault and vice versa. As a disciplined critical thinker, Louise will

A. listen to both sides of the story. B. trust her gut instinct. C. have her children sort it out. D. call her best friend to help her.



22. Marc is trying to decide which car to buy, Car 1 or Car 2. Car 1 is his favored option. What should he do?

A. Flip a coin to decide which car to purchase that day. B. If Car 2 is less expensive, he should buy that one instead. C. Assess if Car 1 has any disadvantages based on his criteria. D. Ask his wife if she likes Car 1 or Car 2 better.



23. Janine is entering the truth-seeking phase of her decision making process. She knows that truth-seeking can be challenging because

A. it always confirms that one’s preferred option is wrong. B. it can potentially lead one away from one’s preferred option. C. it requires one to rely on preconceived notions. D. it cannot be done until three preferred options are identified.



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24. Karla is in the final stages of dominance structuring. It is very possible that she will A. invent other options that reinforce her beliefs. B. pre-edit all possible options and rule out two of them. C. call on an expert to make the final decision. D. de-emphasize some of her decision-critical criteria.



25. Clarence is prone to bolstering his chosen options. What is one of the critical thinking dangers he may run into?

A. using self-regulation throughout the process B. abandoning the problem altogether C. exaggerating his option’s merits D. refusing to consult an expert



26. Clara becomes frustrated in group decision-making situations, because groups have a tendency to decide prematurely. What is something she could suggest the next time she finds herself in this situation?

A. Decide as a group what must be done before a final decision is made. B. Agree to make the final decision during the editing phase. C. Have one person be in charge of making the final decision. D. Call in a group of experts to make the final decision.



27. Jason’s doctor started him on antibiotics to treat his nagging upper-respiratory symptoms. When it became obvious that he was not getting any better, his doctor, being a good critical thinker,

A. continued him on the antibiotic treatment. B. analyzed his symptoms and made a mid-course correction. C. told Jason that he could no longer treat him. D. remained firm on the result of his initial analysis.



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28. Cassie is a 5th grade teacher. She wants to cultivate an environment conducive to critical thinking in her classroom, but she doesn’t know where to start. What advice would you give her?

A. Acknowledge and reward her students when they exhibit critical thinking skills and actions.

B. She should focus on other areas, because 5th grade is too young to be a critical thinker.

C. Tell students that the most important things are getting one’s point across and being right.

D. Make sure students understand that they must always have an adult’s help when thinking critically.



29. Bella is teaching a critical thinking course. Which of the following would she be most likely to say to her students regarding dominance structuring?

A. Dominance structuring is a very simple process. B. Dominance structuring has very few advantages. C. Dominance structuring does not involve self-correction. D. Dominance structuring is a natural tendency for most people.



30. You are giving your colleague advice on how to be a stronger critical thinker. What would you say about truth-seeking and self-regulation?

A. Self-regulation is only important if you are typically wrong. B. Truth-seeking is an unattainable goal in most situations. C. Truth-seeking and self-regulation are key to making good decisions. D. Truth-seeking and self-regulation are optional in most cases.



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1. What is comparative reasoning? A. the process of culling the most viable options for a solution from a pool of

both good and bad options B. the process of placing two elements in front of you and creating a pro/con list

for each of them C. the process of comparing one expert’s opinion on a subject to another

expert’s opinion on the same subject D. the process of using what is more familiar to make interpretations,

explanations, or inferences about what is less familiar



2. In the context of making comparisons, how would one define familiarity? A. the result of consulting with numerous experts about the two objects being

compared B. the process by which one comes to a decision involving both familiar and

unfamiliar elements C. the degree of knowledge the listening person has about the object to which

the unknown is being compared D. the measurement by which a person evaluates only one of the options to a

given issue or problem



3. ___________, in the evaluation of comparisons, is the measure of the relative absence of complexity.

A. Simplicity B. Controllability C. Correctness D. Interpretation



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4. ___________ is the capacity of comparisons to project consequences that have the potential to be shown to be false, inapplicable, or unacceptable.

A. Conjecture B. Negativity C. Analysis D. Testability



5. What is the definition of productivity in the context of comparisons? A. the capacity of a person to generate as many options as possible for a

solution to a specific problem B. the capacity of a comparison to suggest consequences that go beyond those

mentioned in the initial comparison C. the capacity of an issue or problem to essentially solve itself given enough

time D. the capacity of an individual to promote his or her agenda when coming up

with solutions to problems



6. What is another term for comparative reasoning? A. Pro-and-con reasoning B. Give-and-take conjecturing C. This-is-like-that thinking D. Start-from-square-one analysis



7. According to the text, __________ are seldom if ever acceptable proofs of the truth of their conclusions.

A. comparative inferences B. analytical functions C. logical reasons D. veritable conjectures



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8. _______ comparisons are so rich that exploring the comparison more deeply reveals or suggests additional possible implications.

A. Preconceived B. Pre-edited C. Productive D. Post-analysis



9. When engaging in comparisons, the virtue of simplicity must be balanced with the importance of

A. relatedness. B. productivity. C. allegory. D. comprehensiveness.



10. The more persuasive the essential similarities are, A. the more difficult the analysis is. B. the more relevant the comparison is. C. the less convincing the argument becomes. D. the less interesting the options become.



11. If you were asked to list the elements of comparative reasoning, which of the following would be included on the list?

A. Assertion of useful likeliness or similarity B. Consideration of all conceivable options C. Explanation of benefits and deficiencies D. Construction of available evidence



12. Marsha often uses devices like metaphors and similes to communicate A. her insights about what “this is like that.” B. the one correct answer to a situation. C. her background in linguistics. D. the pitfalls of comparative reasoning.



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13. Janice is teaching a critical thinking course. She explains that people who use comparative reasoning often employ

A. mnemonic devices. B. allegoric devices. C. technological devices. D. market devices.



14. Jerrod is evaluating a sentence that asserts a comparison. What should he avoid? A. Using critical thinking skills B. Using metaphors or similes C. Using words like true and false D. Using nuanced terms



15. Words like insightful, vivid, or apt are examples of A. terms that one should avoid when thinking critically. B. ineffective terms for talking about comparisons in any form. C. effective terms for evaluating sentences that assert comparisons. D. terms that are reserved for black or white situations.



16. Julie is a strong critical thinker. She knows that comparative inferences are typically ________ in nature.

A. intellectual B. contradictory C. conservative D. inductive



17. Which of the following statements about the four texts of acceptability is true? A. They do not apply to comparative reasoning. B. They must be refined to use with comparative reasoning. C. They can be used as is with comparative reasoning. D. They have been proven irrelevant for comparative reasoning.



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18. Which of the following statements about comparative inferences is true? A. Superior comparative inferences are comprehensive. B. Comparative inferences cannot be superior or inferior. C. Inferior comparative inferences are simple. D. All comparative inferences are superior.

A Difficulty: 2


19. Anna is trying to determine the superiority of her comparative inference. Which criterion should she begin with?

A. Familiarity B. Simplicity C. Comprehensiveness D. Plausibility



20. Which of the following statements about comparative inferences is false? A. They should not be both simple and comprehensive. B. They should be evaluated according to five criteria. C. They can be useful if used correctly. D. They are typically inductive in nature.



21. Asking Jeff to explain his homework is like asking Rousseau to explain Emile. One could say that this analogy is lacking in which of the five criteria outlined in the text?

A. Testability B. Productivity C. Adaptability D. Familiarity



22. George uses the phrase “hotter than hell” quite regularly. This phrase is A. an analytical catchphrase. B. an obscure reference. C. an overused cliché. D. a unique observation.



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23. Margene asks the following question: “Does the comparison of teaching high school students to arresting criminals capture enough of the critical elements?” She is trying to determine the _______ of the comparison.

A. congeniality B. correlation C. calculation D. comprehensiveness



24. Kathy is a strong critical thinker. She knows that comprehensive comparisons are more likely to be ________ than unfamiliar ones.

A. rejected B. productive C. marginalized D. calculated



25. Ellen is closely examining the comparison of high school students to criminals in the comparison “Teaching high school students in just like wrangling criminals.” What is she most likely doing?

A. Rejecting the comparison B. Pre-editing the comparison C. Simplifying the comparison D. Testing the comparison



26. Martin is a critical thinking instructor who is teaching his students about testing comparisons. What would he most likely tell them to ask?

A. Is element 1 a better choice than element 2? B. Should an expert be called in to test the comparison? C. Are the two elements being compared incongruous in any way? D. Can the comparison be applied to my personal life?



27. As a strong critical thinker, Lois knows that comparing the wind to dancing A. may be effective in some contexts. B. will be effective in all contexts. C. is never an effective comparison. D. does not need to be effective to serve its purpose.



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28. Eli is an engineer. He finds comparative inferences to be effective for A. testing hypotheses. B. making initial assumptions. C. complicating issues. D. serving as a final proof.



29. As a scientific researcher, Louise uses comparative reasoning to A. propose hypotheses. B. make specific recommendations. C. give precise explanations. D. test inductive inferences.



30. Gerard is teaching a critical thinking course. He asks his students to give the five criteria for evaluating comparative inferences. Which of the following responses would be wrong?

A. Testability B. Simplicity C. Productivity D. Marketability



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1. Ideological reasoning is a process of thinking that A. begins with generalizations that express one’s core beliefs. B. begins with science before moving into the abstract. C. begins with an assertion based on hours of reasoning. D. begins with a quote from an expert.



2. Another term for ideological reasoning is A. side-to-side analysis. B. idea mining. C. conjunctive reasoning. D. top down thinking.



3. When engaging in ideological reasoning, the argument maker A. must have reasons to back up the ideological premises. B. allows experts to attempt to sway their opinion. C. takes the ideological premises on faith. D. uses science to convince his or her listeners.



4. Ideological reasoning is ______ and ________. A. deductive, axiomatic B. conclusive, logical C. free, inconclusive D. careful, reasoned



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5. Ideological reasoning is frequently used when discussing issues related to A. marketing. B. sports. C. science. D. ethics.



6. What is the root of the word ideological? A. Logic B. Idea C. Deo D. Log



7. When using ideological reasoning, argument makers frequently use ________ evidence.

A. systematic B. scientific C. proven D. anecdotal



8. What is the definition of deductive reasoning? A. drawing an inference in which it appears that the conclusion cannot possibly

be false if all of the premises are true B. beginning with a scientific reason and working backwards to prove why it is or

is not true C. comparing an unfamiliar element to a familiar element and making a decision

based on this comparison D. using a pro and con chart to come up with reasons why one decision should

be made over another



9. When making ideological arguments, how are outside sources typically used? A. a brief citation from an “authoritative” source is given B. data are compared and closely analyzed C. systematic investigation is conducted D. only evidentiary sources are provided



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10. Which of the following is a feature of ideological reasoning? A. The ideological premises are absent. B. It is unethical. C. It is deductive in nature. D. The general idea is faulty.



11. Which of the following statements about ideological reasoning is true? A. It is the same as comparative reasoning. B. It is widely used. C. It cannot be used to discuss ethical matters. D. It is illegal.



12. Mary often makes assertions that she believes are true, independent of specific circumstances. These are known as

A. circumstantial claims. B. assertive claims. C. metaphysical claims. D. mutable claims.



13. Which of the following statements about how the term ideological reasoning is used is accurate?

A. It refers to the way in which arguments based on ideologies are made. B. It refers to the danger of making arguments with bad ideologies. C. It refers to the merits of making arguments based on good ideologies. D. It refers to the process of making decisions based on comparisons.



14. Gary is an ideological thinker. That means his arguments A. are always backed up by multiple sources. B. move from general ideas to specific applications. C. start with a conclusion and provide multiple reasons. D. tend to be expressed using sophisticated vocabulary.



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15. Marie is an ideological thinker. Her arguments frequently begin with A. data. B. reasons. C. evidence. D. axioms.



16. “Children are fundamentally good” is an example of a(n) A. mutable premise. B. absolute conviction. C. critical conclusion. D. indisputable evidence.



17. Which of the following statements best describes an ideological thinker? A. She seeks the truth in all circumstances. B. He thinks his beliefs cannot be disconfirmed. C. He makes decisions based on comparisons. D. She relies on scientific data for all decisions.



18. Carly is a strong critical thinker. Which of the following sentences most likely describes her?

A. She is committed to her axioms, because she knows they are true. B. She relies on one or two quotes from experts to back up her beliefs. C. She protects herself from being committed to mistaken beliefs. D. She uses heuristic thinking to support her long-held convictions.



19. Kaitlin is evaluating her colleague’s ideological thinking. What question will she do first?

A. Is the argument non-circular? B. Is the argument logically strong? C. Are the reasons relevant to the claims being made? D. Are the ideological premises true?



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20. Bruce is an ideological thinker. He considers the truth of his ideology to be A. self-defeating. B. non-reflexive. C. non-functional. D. self-evident.



21. Mary uses the qualifier “probably” quite often when making arguments. Given this information, what can accurately be said about her arguments?

A. They are most likely ideological in nature. B. They are rarely accurate. C. They are most likely not ideological in nature. D. They are based on faulty evidence.



22. Jesse is testing the strength of her sister’s ideological argument. Which of the following is most likely true?

A. Her sister’s argument did not pass the test. B. Her sister’s argument passed the test. C. Her sister’s argument is irrelevant. D. Her sister’s argument is non-circular.



23. Jeremy is a strong critical thinker. He just discovered that two of his long-held beliefs contradict one another. What will he most likely do?

A. revise or abandon one of his beliefs B. abandon both of his beliefs C. hold strong to both of his beliefs D. ignore the contradiction for the time being



24. When Andrea encounters an idea that runs contrary to her belief system, she ignores it. What does this indicate?

A. Her beliefs are intrinsically true and should not be questioned. B. She is a strong critical thinker in most circumstances. C. She is unable to think critically about her own beliefs. D. Her beliefs are less important that learning the truth.



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25. Keith is a strong critical thinker who is also an ideological thinker. When he encounters an idea that runs contrary to his belief system, he

A. turns to the experts. B. abandons his beliefs. C. abandons the critical thinking process. D. reframes and modifies key terms.



26. Marcie is a proponent of Christianity. Which of the following statements is most likely to be true?

A. She believes Christianity is relevant to all domains. B. She rejects Christianity when it is convenient. C. She is not capable of thinking critically. D. She is a member of the clergy.



27. Kristy is a Marxist and her arguments are always circular. Based on this information and what you read in the text, which of the following statements is true?

A. Kristy is not a strong critical thinker. B. All Marxists argue in a circular manner. C. Kristy is most likely not an ideological thinker. D. Only religious people engage with circular arguments.



28. Catherine is a mother and a firm and unwavering believer that children should not be vaccinated. What is one thing her belief system provides for her?

A. a strong understanding of scientific evidence B. a leg up when it comes to critical thinking C. a sense of belonging to a group of like-minded parents D. an opportunity to re-evaluate her axioms



29. How would the author of the book respond to someone who said that value judgments should never be made?

A. This is absolutely correct. B. This is an unrealistic proposition. C. Value judgments have no place in critical thinking. D. Value judgments should be made only by religious people.



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30. Marcy decided to stand up to her uncle, who frequently issues blanket statements like “Gays should not have the right to marry.” Given this information, which of the following statements applies to this situation?

A. Marcy is courageous for standing up against her ideologue uncle. B. Her uncle is a strong critical thinker and Marcy should not confront him. C. Marcy is an ideologue who cannot keep her thoughts to herself. D. Her uncle always has evidence to back up his claims.



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1. What is the definition of critical thinking? A. adhering to one ideology that guides one’s thinking in all situations B. using primarily heuristics to come to decisions about important topics C. purposeful, reflective judgment in the real world about what to believe or

what to do D. relying on experts to explain why one should believe one thing over another



2. Empirical reasoning is also called A. reasoned thinking. B. lateral thinking. C. top down thinking. D. bottom up thinking.



3. Which of the following adjectives describes empirical reasoning? A. deductive B. illogical C. inductive D. closed



4. The empirical reasoning process begins with A. conclusions based on personal associations with various factors. B. premises describing interpersonally verifiable experiences. C. reasons given in support of unverifiable premises. D. arguments based on ideological components.



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5. Which of the following is a characteristic of empirical reasoning? A. It is open to self-corrective reasoning. B. It is based on overarching ideologies. C. It typically leads nowhere. D. It is circular in nature.



6. When engaging in empirical reasoning, investigative inquiry is A. reserved for experts. B. subject to ideology. C. not permitted. D. a community activity.



7. An empirical investigation begins with a(n) A. answer. B. ideology. C. hypothesis. D. heuristic.



8. What is one of the advantages of creating specific conditions in a lab? A. Influences of extraneous factors can be reduced. B. Ideological thinking thrives in this setting. C. Heuristic thinkers are prone to distraction. D. Deductive reasoning can be carefully controlled.



9. What is one of the ways that a researcher’s empirical reasoning can be evaluated? A. ideological testing B. peer review C. heuristic analysis D. deductive assessment



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10. Which of the following is a step in a scientific investigation? A. Neutralize all factors. B. Choose one ideology to follow. C. Reject the peer review. D. Identify a problem of significance.



11. Jeremy has just formed a hypothesis that describes what we can expect to happen under certain conditions. Which step in the scientific investigation will he do next?

A. Identify all factors related to the hypothesis. B. Identify a problem of significance. C. Review scientific literature related to the hypothesis. D. Assure that experimental conditions can be met.



12. Which of the following statements about the peer review process is true? A. The review process is infallible. B. Only quality research is used in the review process. C. It is possible for poor research to be published. D. The review process cannot be used by students.



13. Kurt is a scientist who frequently uses empirical reasoning. He knows that A. making accurate predictions depends on knowing how to explain causes. B. peer review is not as important as others make it out to be. C. the steps in the scientific process are frequently done out of order. D. errors never occur in empirical reasoning.



14. Maggie assumes that findings that have been established with a high level of confidence can never be rejected. Given the information in the text, how could one describe this situation?

A. Maggie is correct. B. Maggie does not have self-confidence. C. Maggie should always reject findings. D. Maggie is mistaken.



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15. According to the text, what is one of the abilities Ingrid would have to possess to be a strong in empirical reasoning?

A. the ability to be analytical B. the ability to take shortcuts C. the ability to take others at their word D. the ability to be ideological



16. As a scientist, Marcus knows that empirical reasoning has an edge over comparative or ideological reasoning because

A. of its heuristic bent. B. of its built-in capacity for self-monitoring. C. of its ideological nature. D. of its top-down reasoning.



17. Scientific researchers would agree that A. ideological reasoning yields more accurate results than comparative or

empirical reasoning. B. scientists should rely less on the scientific process and more on heuristics in

order to save time. C. science progresses when the entire scientific community can evaluate the

merits of a scientific investigation. D. comparative reasoning is used frequently in science, especially when testing

hypotheses.



18. Aileen is teaching a critical thinking class. She explains to her students that the trajectory of empirical reasoning is

A. top down. B. bottom up. C. sideways. D. circular.



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19. How would a scientist explain the purpose of empirical investigation? A. to come to a decision through careful comparisons between factors B. to generate new knowledge so we can explain and predict future outcomes C. to use heuristics to lead us to a well-reasoned conclusion D. to allow ideologies to lead us to new scientific realities



20. Mary is a strong critical thinker. She knows that A. not all deductive reasoning is ideological. B. all deductive reasoning is ideological. C. all inductive reasoning is empirical. D. not all inductive reasoning is empirical.



21. Matt is teaching a course on scientific inquiry. He explains to his students that the scientific process

A. is exhaustively systematic. B. is full of shortcuts. C. is rarely accurate. D. is heuristic in nature.



22. Kyle is a scientist. He insists that scientific investigation is inductive, which means that

A. there are always two conclusions for each problem. B. the first conclusion reached is the correct one. C. the conclusions reached are probabilistic. D. the comparisons made should be ideological in nature.



23. Catherine, a scientist, has revised her hypothesis several times throughout the investigation. What can be said about this situation?

A. It is indicative of the self-corrective nature of empirical reasoning. B. She is clearly not a good researcher. C. She is definitely not an experienced scientist. D. It is indicative of the fact that she is not using the scientific process.



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24. Mason is a researcher who believes that his premises should be accepted based on the fact that he has a Ph.D. in chemistry. What can be said about this situation?

A. If he has a Ph.D., that must mean he is always correct. B. He is ignoring the important step of independent verification. C. He respects the basic nature of empirical reasoning. D. If he is a scientific researcher, he must be prone to using heuristics.



25. Joseph puts forth the following hypothesis: “If a plant is not watered for three days, it will die.” This hypothesis is phrased as a

A. basic conclusion. B. question. C. general statement. D. hypothetical.



26. Marjorie conducts her experiments in a highly controlled lab. What is one of the possible effects of conducting an experiment in this type of setting?

A. Extraneous factors cannot easily be reduced. B. The scientific method loses its validity. C. The generalizability of the findings may be weakened. D. The researchers become biased.



27. Credit card interest accounts for $3,000 of the Johnsons’ yearly expenses. If they paid off their credit cards, they would reduce their yearly spending by 13%. This can be described as a

A. imagined savings. B. tautological solution. C. measurable manifestation. D. real response.



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28. Reid is a scientific researcher. Which of the following statements about error in scientific inquiry is true?

A. It is possible that Reid could introduce error through a conceptual mistake. B. If Reid uses a lab setting, there is no way error could be introduced. C. Error is introduced into every investigation, no matter who the researcher is. D. If Reid is using the scientific process, it could take a long time before the

error is caught.



29. Miles is teaching a course on empirical reasoning. He explains to his students that the steps in a scientific investigation

A. are not commonly used in “real world” scientific processes. B. take into account the four tests of an argument’s worthiness. C. can only be conducted in a lab setting. D. can be done in reverse if need be.



30. Cassandra is a scientific researcher. She knows that the test for logical strength A. is only relevant if she is using a lab for testing. B. is not a part of scientific inquiry. C. is a specific step in the scientific process. D. is built into the research design of her study.



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1. What is an author’s case in the context of this textbook? A. a conclusion given by an author with little or no evidence to support it B. the way in which an author markets his or her book, independent of a

publishing company C. the pros, cons, and evidence an author presents to establish the truth of a

given statement D. when one author takes another to court to sue for copyright infringement



2. Which of the following is one of the four elements of a rhetorical situation? A. a specific mode of communication B. an undefined audience C. a deductive reasoning process D. an absent author



3. According to the text, to be a good writer, one must A. take an advanced writing class. B. always use MLA style. C. only cite recognizable sources. D. think like an effective writer.



4. What is one of the tests that a worthy argument must pass? A. the test of circularity B. the test of logical strength C. the test of heuristics D. the test of opinion



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5. A decision map helps us determine the ________ of an author’s case. A. multiplicity B. circularity C. conduciveness D. soundness



6. The rubric for evaluating effective argumentation helps us evaluate the ________ of the author’s case.

A. marketability B. applicability C. conduciveness D. effectiveness



7. What is the purpose of persuasive writing? A. to avoid logical reasoning B. to circumvent a solution C. to make the author’s case D. to evaluate an argument’s soundness



8. What is one of the questions an effective writer asks? A. How can I obscure the information? B. Who is the intended audience? C. How can I write this in the shortest amount of time? D. Should I use a pencil and paper or the computer?



9. ________ communicates meaning, passion, and intensity. A. Telepathy B. Anonymity C. Reason D. Voice



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10. The authors one reads A. should not be discussed. B. has little bearing on one’s writing. C. are ultimately unimportant. D. influences one’s writing.



11. After reading the first chapter of a book, Jolene asks herself, “How does the background of the author influence her perspective?” What is Jolene in the process of doing?

A. editing the manuscript B. identifying the author’s voice C. writing a draft D. formatting the chapter



12. Ernest is an experienced writer. He knows that A. the relationship between the writer and author is essential. B. the most important thing is to spell each word correctly in the first draft. C. voice is no longer an important consideration when writing. D. obscurity is privileged over clarity in most contexts.



13. Caroline wants to connect with her audience. Of the choices listed below, what is the most important thing she can do to accomplish this?

A. Answer her audience’s questions before they ask them. B. Use extremely elevated language to impress them. C. Appeal to her audience’s core values. D. Publish an unedited version of her book.



14. You have been assigned to write an essay for your history course. Which of the following is an example of a piece of advice the authors of the text would give you?

A. Reserve judgment about your topic until you have thoroughly researched it. B. Ask your professor to come up with your thesis statement for you. C. Write it as if you were writing a letter to a friend. D. Only read one or two sources while conducting your research.



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15. Marlene asks herself, “How will I convince my audience that marijuana should be legalized?” What does this say about Marlene’s writing skills?

A. She does not have a strong voice. B. She is a poor writer. C. She is not confident in her abilities. D. She is a purposeful writer.



16. Jason wants to write an essay on abortion. He’s not quite sure what he wants to communicate. What piece of advice would the authors of this textbook give him?

A. You don’t always need a purpose to write something. B. Don’t write if you don’t know why you’re writing it. C. Good grammar is more important than communication anyways. D. It’s your audience’s job to figure out why you’ve written something.



17. Anna asks herself, “Which of the three primary arguments for changing the voting age to 16 should I explain first in order to engage and convince my audience?” She is

A. formulating a strategy. B. not thinking about it correctly. C. thinking tactically. D. unclear about her purpose.



18. Jeff has been asked to write an article for an academic journal. He doesn’t know all of the specifics, but he can start to imagine what the final version should be like based on

A. tactics. B. heuristics. C. strategy. D. context.



19. As an effective writer, Jillian knows that her work should typically A. revolve around one main idea or purpose. B. prioritize voice over audience. C. have 5 or more claims. D. abandon tactics for heuristics.



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20. The opening line of Jessie’s paper is “I am going to explain why whales are endangered.” This is an example of a(n)

A. critical opener. B. engaging opener. C. grammatically incorrect opener. D. ho hum opener.



21. Charlene is teaching a college writing course. Which of the following things is she most likely to say to her students?

A. Your voice is not a reflection of you. B. All of your writing should be in MLA format. C. Always write for your audience. D. Grammar is more important than message.



22. Karen is experienced with giving corporate presentations. What piece of advice would she give a junior colleague regarding his upcoming presentation?

A. Plagiarism is fine as long as you don’t get caught. B. Headings and subheadings usually confuse the audience. C. State your thesis early on in the presentation. D. Parenthetical expressions help clarify your ideas.



23. Jennifer is an effective writer. She knows that a thesis A. isn’t always necessary. B. should come near the end of the presentation. C. doesn’t have to be supported by evidence. D. is essentially the same as a claim.



24. Matt teaches a first-year writing course at the local college. What does he tell his students about finding sources?

A. Read through source material before formulating your thesis. B. The best sources come from Google searches. C. Never use Google to search for sources. D. Most sources out there are credible.



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25. Eve has been searching for credible sources online. What is one of the criteria she should use to weed out less credible sources?

A. Can the source be found on Google? B. Is the article in MLA format? C. Is the source unbiased? D. Is the source general enough?



26. Karl is drafting a summary of his argument in support of socialized medicine. He is in what phase of writing an effective essay?

A. editing B. prewriting C. rewriting D. writing



27. In his essay, Keith presented all of pros of being a vegetarian and none of the cons. Given the information in the text, what could be said about his argumentation?

A. It is sound only if he is trying to convince his audience to become a vegetarian.

B. He should include a more balanced discussion to make it sounder. C. If his audience asks questions about the cons, he can answer them at that

point. D. As long as his writing style is concise, his argument will be sound.



28. Maria received a D on her first college essay. What would the authors of this textbook tell her?

A. Keep practicing and your writing skills will improve. B. It is not likely that you will become an effective writer. C. Use spellcheck next time and you will get an A. D. Try putting your thesis in the middle of the essay next time.



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29. Gary has a large vocabulary and understands how to use a semicolon. Given the information in the text, what can be said about his writing skills?

A. His arguments are sound. B. He is not a strong critical thinker. C. He is strong in mechanics. D. He has a strong voice.



30. Jeanne teaches writing courses at a local college. Over the years, she’s come to discover that

A. mechanics are more important than voice. B. not all strong critical thinkers are effective writers. C. you can never have too many thesis statements. D. effective writers are born, not made.



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Test Bank for Supplement Chapter A The following assessment has been created for in-class use. This assessment is available through Pearson’s MyTest website—allowing for easy access for creating your own tests. This assessment is also offered in a Blackboard/Angel/D2L/WebCT package. Please contact your local Pearson sales representative to learn about the options available. Visit http://www.pearsonhighered.com/replocator.



1. What is one of the three important realizations when it comes to the social sciences? A. High levels of confidence always equal certainty. B. Complex human phenomena defy simple explanations. C. Humans are not subjected to societal factors. D. Gender is the most important factor in studying humans.



2. What is the first step in a scientific investigation? A. Identify a problem of significance. B. Form a working hypothesis. C. Consult expert sources. D. Write a summary of your findings.



3. Good investigators always start with the A. review. B. hypothesis. C. conclusion. D. question.



4. What is one of the data gathering techniques used by social scientists? A. isolating B. calculating C. marketing D. interviewing



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5. According to the text, what is something that happens when social scientists publish their research findings?

A. They contribute to a better understanding of the world. B. They close the discussion on that topic. C. They become renowned for their research. D. They isolate other social scientists.



6. Which of the following describes Hawthorne Effect? A. When social scientists observe subjects, the social scientists become self-

conscious. B. When a study is performed, the social scientists control all of the outcomes of

the research. C. When subjects know they are being observed, they alter their normal

behavior. D. When research findings are published, the social scientist is subjected to

criticism from his or her colleagues.



7. Which of the following describes a blind study? A. Social scientists do not know the demographic information about their

research subjects. B. All evidence is hidden from social scientists until after the report is published. C. Participants are not aware of the research questions the social scientist is

aiming to answer. D. The research method is extremely flexible and can be changed at any minute.



8. The empirical reasoning used in social scientific research is inductive, which means that it is

A. circular. B. deductive. C. tautological. D. probabilistic.



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9. According to the text, which of the following statements about drawing conclusions is true?

A. If the methodology is sound, the conclusions drawn will never be incorrect. B. Sometimes social scientists will draw incorrect conclusions, despite sound

methodology. C. If the conclusions drawn are correct, they can never be revised. D. Social scientists rarely use sound methodology when drawing correct

conclusions.



10. Social scientists often use ___________ to answer questions about possible relationships.

A. correlative retrieval B. scientific meters C. relational devices D. statistical tests



11. Crystal has just finished identifying a problem of significance. If she is following the steps in a scientific investigation, what will she do next?

A. Review scientific literature. B. Consult an expert. C. Identify key factors. D. Form a hypothesis.



12. Judy is a social scientist. She often checks the evidence, because A. sometimes she forms strong opinions. B. she doubts her research skills. C. she is usually wrong. D. sometimes she finds surprises.



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13. Rich is explaining to his colleagues why additional research is needed to refine current understandings. He is engaging in which step of the scientific process?

A. conducting appropriate analyses of the data B. interpreting findings and discussing significance C. extending the research by articulating new hypotheses D. constructing reliable measuring devices



14. Louise is teaching a social science research course. She explains to her students that a finding is said to be ______________ if the chances that a statistical mistake are less than 5%.

A. marginally insignificant B. statistically significant C. confidentially conclusive D. confidently evidential



15. Malik is researching how frequently a certain behavior occurs among a group of senior citizens. However, his use of statistics doesn’t go beyond this. It is probable that he is engaging in

A. statistical significance. B. relational perspective. C. narrative analysis. D. correlative investigation.



16. Stefan is teaching an intro to social sciences class at a local college. On the first day, he explains to his students that one of the greatest challenges faced by social scientists is that

A. when trying to explain human behavior, we are a part of the phenomena we are trying to study.

B. there is a shortage of scholarly journals that will publish social science studies.

C. there is never enough time to conduct all of the research one should before publishing the findings.

D. when working with other social scientists, there is no common understanding of the scientific method.



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17. Melanie is a social scientist. She is difference from scientists who study chemistry and physics because, essentially,

A. she never makes mistakes. B. she does not have a Ph.D. C. she does not use the scientific process. D. she is what she studies.



18. Mara often talks about her findings as being practically significant. It is probable that she is engaging in

A. marginal investigation. B. data adaptation. C. correlative measuring. D. narrative analysis.



19. Jenna is a social scientist. She knows that, like all humans, she A. sometimes falls victim to biased thinking. B. has a keen understanding of the scientific process. C. holds a degree in the social sciences. D. can only think critically when she is at work.



20. Roger received a “false positive” during his research. This is also referred to as a A. type II error. B. type IV error. C. type I error. D. type III error.



21. Melissa is a social scientist who is living with a Hmong family in order to learn more about their daily life. According to the text, what is a possible result of this situation?

A. Other social scientists will shun Melissa. B. The family will alter their normal behaviors. C. Melissa will become famous for her research. D. Melissa’s research findings will be too specific.



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22. Patricia is a social scientist who wants to maintain a great distance between herself and her research subjects. What is one thing she could do?

A. Live and “blend in” with her research subjects. B. Interview her subjects face-to-face. C. Make conclusions based on a few observations. D. Use anonymous online surveys.



23. Katie is a participant in a social science study. She fills out an anonymous survey. According to the text, which of the following is true?

A. Even though the data collection is blind, Katie may still alter her behavior, which will affect her answers.

B. Because her name will be on the survey, Katie is embarrassed to answer personal questions.

C. She will only answer questions beginning with “In your opinion,” because the others are pointless.

D. Her personal information will be published along with the research findings of the study.



24. Kathleen is an ethnographic researcher. It is quite probable that she A. will live with the groups she studies. B. has never been to college. C. is prohibited from publishing her research. D. does not use the scientific process.



25. Marlene is a researcher who encountered a piece of evidence that led her to believe there was no correlation between action A and result B, when actually there was. This is also known as a

A. false positive. B. type II error. C. causal error. D. statistical margin.



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26. Patricio is constantly striving to eliminate false positive conclusions from his research. However, in doing so, he

A. decreases the chance of coming to false negative conclusions. B. increases the chances of using the scientific process. C. increases the chance of coming to false negative conclusions. D. decreases the chances of using the scientific process.



27. Marjorie has just published an overarching social science theory about the role of women in manual labor. Throughout her research, she has striven to make the study

A. productive. B. tautological. C. ideological. D. circular.



28. Carl’s study includes several contradictory statements. He needs to work on making his study more

A. testable. B. parsimonious. C. methodological. D. consistent.



29. Barb is teaching a social science course. She explains to her students that social science research

A. is always conducted in a controlled lab setting. B. is useful to many fields outside of the social sciences. C. is not always supposed to be consistent. D. is supposed to be presented in obscure terms.



30. Establishing warranted confidence helps Charlene, a social scientist, A. ensure that none of her subjects’ behaviors will be altered. B. avoid falling victim to her vulnerability as a human. C. use the most complex terms she can to describe her research. D. design a double-blind research environment.



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Test Bank for Supplement Chapter B The following assessment has been created for in-class use. This assessment is available through Pearson’s MyTest website—allowing for easy access for creating your own tests. This assessment is also offered in a Blackboard/Angel/D2L/WebCT package. Please contact your local Pearson sales representative to learn about the options available. Visit http://www.pearsonhighered.com/replocator.



1. Natural science refers to A. the systematic empirical inquiry into the causal explanation for the observed

patterns of natural phenomena. B. the tautological relationship between cause and effect factors and their

genesis. C. the heuristic practice of conducting research in a lab or natural setting. D. the deductive process of understanding why humans act as they do in a

variety of manufactured situations.



2. What is the definition of a null hypothesis? A. Factor A causes result B. B. Two events, factors, or phenomena are not related. C. A certain event or factor causes a negative phenomenon. D. All of natural science can be reduced to two principles.



3. Which of the following is a fundamental assumption of natural science? A. The physical universe is an integrated whole. B. Truths of biology are different than truths of chemistry. C. Sciences are separate denominations. D. Empirical studies should be abandoned.



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4. What is an anomaly? A. one of the inconclusive fundamental assumptions of natural science B. a rarified theory that positions the earth at the center of the universe C. solid scientific findings that are not consistent with prevailing theories D. a scientific conclusion that is in line with pre-existing findings



5. What is the definition of a testable hypothesis? A. a hypothesis that defies the basic and accepted tenets of natural science B. a hypothesis that leads the investigator in the wrong direction C. a hypothesis that can be shown to be false by reference to empirical evidence D. a hypothesis that will inevitably be proven false by tautological findings



6. What is step 2 of the Steps in a Scientific Investigation? A. Review the scientific literature to see what can be learned from the work of

others. B. Form a hypothesis that describes what we can expect to happen under certain

conditions. C. Make each factor measurable by scientific standards. D. Identify a scientific problem of significance.



7. According to the text, the field of science can be described as a(n) A. charismatic profession. B. marketplace of ideas. C. intellectual economy. D. massive collaboration.



8. What is the first step in a scientific investigation? A. Write a summary of your findings. B. Form a working hypothesis. C. Consult expert sources. D. Identify a problem of significance.



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9. What is the definition of statistical significance? A. the odds that the results of a statistical analysis have not come about merely

by chance B. the odds that the results of a scientific study will be published and accepted

by the scientific community C. the odds that a hypothesis is one that can be shown to be false by reference

to empirical evidence D. the odds that a natural scientist wants to undertake a certain kind of

statistical study



10. Reliance on numerical data will A. not automatically eliminate our human vulnerabilities. B. ensure a statistically strategic analysis. C. never make up for observation. D. eliminate the need for research notes.



11. Matt’s research led him to a surprising conclusion, one that he had never expected, given his wide-reaching knowledge of natural science theories. This is an example of a(n)

A. scope. B. analysis. C. hypothesis. D. anomaly.



12. Carol has just finished identifying a problem of significance. If she is following the steps in a scientific investigation, what will she do next?

A. Consult an expert. B. Identify key factors. C. Form a hypothesis. D. Review scientific literature.



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13. Sharon is an experienced investigator. She always starts with the A. evidence. B. question. C. hypothesis. D. conclusion.



14. Julian is teaching a course on natural science research methods. He informs his class that natural science inquiry is __________ in nature.

A. empirical B. sociological C. circular D. unfounded



15. Julia is teaching a natural science research methods course. She explains to her students that the trajectory of a scientific investigation moves

A. from the top down. B. from side to side. C. from the bottom up. D. from back to front.



16. Victor is a natural scientist. What question would he be most likely to ask himself? A. Why are all hypotheses testable? B. What can we do to make the pattern recur or prevent it from recurring? C. What ideology will I use to guide my research in this particular study? D. How can I disprove all other research that has been done on this topic?



17. Jesse is teaching a natural science research methods course. What would she say to her students about the quality of causal explanations?

A. Poor causal explanations are never the fault of the researcher. B. Poor causal explanations often lead to correct hypotheses. C. Good causal explanations make for nonlinear studies. D. Good causal explanations make for good predictions.



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18. Lorie is a natural scientist. One of her professional goals is to A. rise to the top of her field by disproving most pre-existing theories. B. make ideological reasoning the new norm for science research. C. integrate new knowledge with broader scientific understandings. D. abolish the use of the scientific method for problem solving.



19. Marsha is a natural scientist. She has a ________ sense of skepticism. A. fleeting B. robust C. ideological D. heuristic



20. Jesse is a natural scientist who has just established a hypothesis. What should he do next?

A. Systematically gather and objectively analyze documented data. B. Choose an ideological framework for his investigation. C. Market his idea to other scientific researchers. D. Make sure that his hypothesis is circular in nature.



21. Marisa has just published an overarching natural science theory. Throughout her research, she has striven to make the study

A. circular. B. tautological. C. ideological. D. productive.



22. Jason’s study includes several contradictory statements. He needs to work on making his study more

A. interesting. B. consistent. C. approachable. D. tedious.



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23. Malory is practicing thinking like a natural scientist. She is A. letting ideology be her guide. B. relying on circular reasoning. C. answering questions empirically. D. eliminating all hypotheses.



24. Josie is a biologist. Karla is a physicist. They both A. limit themselves to the study of human behavior. B. only analyze physical phenomena. C. explain recurring patterns in the natural world. D. use tautological methodologies.



25. Marlene is teaching a natural science research methods course. What would she say to her students about causal factors?

A. They are not involved in every natural science study. B. They can never be disproven. C. They are at the core of the hypothesis in natural science studies. D. They are not likely to be related to the effect.



26. Cassandra is an experienced scientific researcher. What would she be MOST LIKELY to say?

A. Everything is subject to investigation. B. Circular hypotheses yield the best results. C. An idea must be marketable in order to be researched. D. The scientific method can only be used in the natural sciences.



27. Carson is a highly respected scientific researcher who made an error in his analysis. What is MOST LIKELY to have been the cause of this?

A. a lack of ideology B. a testable hypothesis C. the search for a causal relationship D. malfunctioning measurement tools



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28. Marianne is an engineer and Brian is a natural scientist. According to the text, they are both part of a(n)

A. community of ideological thinkers. B. international language community. C. group of physicists. D. club of philanthropists.



29. Laura is a social scientist and Rolf is a natural scientist. According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Rolf’s expectations of statistical significance are more demanding than Laura’s.

B. Laura isn’t concerned with statistical significance, whereas Rolf is. C. Laura’s statistical margin of error must be smaller than Rolf’s. D. Rolf is less worried about statistical significance than Laura is.



30. Max is a natural science researcher who encountered a piece of evidence that led her to believe there was no correlation between action A and result B, when actually there was. This is also known as a

A. false positive. B. type II error. C. causal error. D. statistical margin.



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Test Bank for Supplement Chapter C The following assessment has been created for in-class use. This assessment is available through Pearson’s MyTest website—allowing for easy access for creating your own tests. This assessment is also offered in a Blackboard/Angel/D2L/WebCT package. Please contact your local Pearson sales representative to learn about the options available. Visit http://www.pearsonhighered.com/replocator.



1. What is the definition of ethics? A. a combination of international religious beliefs and practices B. a set of behavioral ideals or moral principles for determining right from wrong C. the belief that there is no black or white, only variegated shades of gray D. the notion that people will never make the right decision if given freedom of

choice



2. Ethical imperatives are intended to A. punish or reprimand criminals. B. shape or guide behavior. C. isolate and chastise children. D. mark or commemorate events.



3. In general, ethical imperatives A. differ from person to person. B. are universally accepted. C. can never be altered. D. should not be trusted.



4. What is one thing critical thinkers must do when faced with divergent ethical imperatives?

A. cancel negotiations B. identify opponents C. consult authorities D. establish priorities



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5. What is the “Golden Rule?” A. Do not throw stones if you live in a glass house. B. You are what you eat, think, read, and write. C. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. D. You won’t understand someone until you live his or her life.



6. Which of the following statements about ethical decision-making is TRUE? A. It is unreasonable and inefficient. B. It concerns only individuals. C. It is invariable and stagnant. D. It affects entire communities.



7. What are virtues? A. laws by which one must abide at all times B. character traits that impel us to act ethically C. culturally modified ethical imperatives D. unalterable moral justifications



8. Ethical dilemmas are often generated by A. divergent ethical imperatives. B. similar moral standpoints. C. unspoken value systems. D. calculated ethical negotiations.



9. Many people attain their core ethical values from A. ethics professors. B. college textbooks. C. legal infractions. D. their upbringing.



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10. Most people are ____________ their core ethical values. A. noticeably uneasy about B. markedly ashamed of C. unreflectively comfortable with D. curiously elated by



11. Which of the following is an example of an ethical question? A. Is stealing safe? B. Do people steal? C. Why do people steal? D. Is stealing wrong?



12. If a good critical thinker comes across someone who justifies their actions by saying “that’s how I was raised,” he or she will

A. move on to another person. B. not be satisfied by that response. C. lecture that person ad nauseum. D. explain his or her own ethical values.



13. Callie is teaching a course on ethics theory. What is one of the three major approaches she will teach to her class?

A. Think consequences. B. Exclude hypotheses. C. Marginalize culture. D. Create options.



14. Marcie is a strong critical thinker. She knows that ethical decision making that considers only the consequences of our choices

A. always reveals a clear path. B. can leave us uncertain about how to proceed. C. is holistic and comprehensive in nature. D. is only applied by lawmakers and politicians.



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15. Jane knows that children must be protected. Therefore, she always calls social services if she suspects child abuse. This is an example of which of the three major ethical decision-making approaches?

A. Think religion. B. Think consequences. C. Think reputation. D. Think duties.



16. Jack is a strong critical thinker. He knows that ethical decision making by reference to duties

A. connects all ethical decision-making paradigms. B. neglects to consider the groups involved. C. leaves consequences out of the equation. D. encourages pessimism and nepotism.



17. Jean holds a Ph.D. in ethics. She knows that when thinking about ethics in terms of duties rather than consequences

A. candor and compliments cannot be over-emphasized. B. motive and intention play a large role. C. pandering and drumming up support is very important. D. conclusions regarding right vs. wrong are unimportant.



18. In Carrie’s community, the boundaries between ethics, religion, and law are blurry. What type of community does she live in?

A. conservative B. heterogeneous C. diversified D. homogenous



19. Maria is an Italian Catholic and Josef is a Russian Jew. They are living in New York in the early 20th century. If they decided to get married, it would be

A. problematic from an ethical perspective. B. accepted and celebrated by their families. C. unequivocally against the law. D. predictable and often practiced.



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20. Marcella is a virtuous person. She does NOT make ethical decisions by A. doing the right thing. B. thinking of others. C. calculating consequences. D. taking responsibility.



21. Mark is a senator who is trying to decide how to vote on a bill to lower the state’s minimum wage. What is one of the ethical considerations?

A. At what time and where is the vote taking place? B. Will I ever be in a position where I make minimum wage again in my life? C. How will this affect the wellbeing of those who make minimum wage and their

families? D. Will my neighbors be disappointed with me if I vote yes?



22. Johanna always helps a friend in need. One could describe her as a __________ person.

A. conclusive B. virtuous C. materialistic D. heuristic



23. Charlene is faced with an ethical dilemma. She is sixteen years old, pregnant, and trying to decide whether or not to get an abortion. What kind of decision-making process will be most useful to her?

A. System III B. System I C. System II D. System VI



24. Derek wants to become successful as a decision maker in the financial domain. What will BEST help to ensure his success?

A. advertising his services B. focusing solely on critical thinking C. going to business school D. a sense of ethical courage



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25. Charles is a public school superintendent and, therefore, is responsible for making decisions that affect large groups of students. Which of the following statements regarding his decisions is TRUE?

A. The ethical merits of each option should be carefully considered. B. All decisions made in education are ethically neutral. C. The more people affected by the decision, the less ethical it is. D. It is ethically irresponsible to consider financial aspects.



26. Noelle was raised in a conservative Catholic household. Because certain core values were instilled in her throughout her childhood, she has the tendency to react _________ to ethical issues.

A. inductively B. heuristically C. reflectively D. socially



27. When Joel makes ethical decisions, he does so based on what is best for people like him. Joel operates within a(n) ____________ heuristic.

A. quantifiable B. right vs. wrong C. us vs. them D. power differential



28. When Emily is faced with a difficult ethical decision, she always asks her rabbi what to do. Emily operates within a ___________ heuristic.

A. control B. reactionary C. you vs. me D. power differential



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29. Nate’s girlfriend is sick and needs to be taken to the doctor. Nate would do it, but he has an important test at school that day. What is a strategy he could use to resolve this ethical dilemma?

A. apply circular logic B. control the situation C. think heuristically D. establish priorities



30. Carrie’s sister needs to use Carrie’s car to go to a job interview, but Carrie also needs her car to get to work. Carrie knows how important this interview is, so she loans her car to her sister and gets a ride to work from her friend. What strategy did Carrie use?

A. finding common ground B. establishing ethical priorities C. creatively seeking out alternatives D. applying heuristic reasoning



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Test Bank for Supplement Chapter D




1. What is a deductively valid argument? A. an argument in which it is impossible for all of its premises to be true and its

conclusion to be false B. an argument in which it is probable that all of the premises will be true and

the conclusion will be false C. an argument in which it is impossible for all of its premises to be true and its

conclusion to be true D. an argument in which it is probable that all of the reasons are faulty and the

conclusion is still true



2. What is a simple statement? A. a lexically complex statement that ends up sounding simple because of the

grammar used B. a grammatically correct construction in a given language used to assert that

an idea is true C. an intelligent statement that comes across as unintelligent because of faulty

grammar D. a falsified statement that is made to sound true as the result of complex

grammar



3. What is a negation? A. a grammatically incorrect construction that intentionally misleads the listener B. a lexically complex construction that is negative in nature C. a grammatically correct construction used to assert that a statement is false D. a lexically incoherent construction that weakens an argument



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4. What is a conjunction? A. a grammatically correct construction used to assert that two statements are

both true B. a grammatically incorrect construction that is used to derail an argument C. a lexically complex construction used to assert that two statements are both

false D. a simple construction used to mark the passage of time when making an

argument



5. Which of the following words is commonly used to express a conjunction? A. except B. precisely C. furthermore D. instead



6. What is a disjunction? A. a grammatically correct construction used to describe two disparate realities B. a grammatically correct construction used to assert that one or both of two

statements are true C. a grammatically correct construction used to disprove a pre-established

theory D. a grammatically correct construction used to provide a shortcut to ethical

decision making



7. What is a conditional? A. a grammatically correct construction used to assert that if an antecedent

statement is false, then a consequent statement is true B. a grammatically correct construction used to assert that if an antecedent

statement is false, then a consequent statement is false C. a grammatically correct construction used to assert that if an antecedent

statement is true, then a consequent statement is true D. a grammatically correct construction used to assert that if an antecedent

statement is true, then a consequent statement is false



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8. The language of the Logic of Statements is A. nuanced. B. malleable. C. rich. D. stark.



9. When translating to symbolic logic, letters (like A and B) are used as A. equations. B. rules. C. placeholders. D. pawns.



10. What does this describe? A grammatically correct expression that turns out to be true under at least one possible assignment of truth values to its component simple statements and false under another other possible assignment of truth values to its component simple statements

A. a contingent statement B. a falsified statement C. a conditional statement D. a rarified statement



11. Which of the following is an example of a compound statement? A. I am going to the beach today. B. If roses are red, then violets are blue. C. Jane is kind, intelligent, and beautiful. D. Kittens should never be allowed in restaurants.



12. Marlene enjoys cooking, but she also likes gardening. This is an example of a A. misinterpretation. B. disjunction. C. declaration. D. conjunction.



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13. I’ll either go to bed or I’ll watch late night TV. This is an example of a A. disjunction. B. conjunction. C. misnomer. D. calculation.



14. Which of the following is an example of a conditional statement? A. Either I will go to Hawaii or I will go to California this fall. B. If I make enough money this summer, I will go to Hawaii in the fall. C. I want to go to Hawaii, but I also want to go to California. D. Plane tickets to both Hawaii and California are expensive.



15. The statements (p & q), (p v q), and (p à q) are all examples of A. rarified statements. B. heuristic statements. C. contingent statements. D. marked statements.



16. The expression (p & ~p) is an example of a(n) A. conditional statement. B. inconsistent statement. C. audible statement. D. clarified statement.



17. Jessica is testing an argument for deductive validity. What is the second step she will take?

A. Eliminate reasonably suspicious claims. B. Apply tautological reasoning to the argument. C. Examine the statement for consistency. D. Build the truth table for that conditional statement.



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18. Omar is testing an argument with more than two premises for validity. What does he need to do?

A. Expand the antecedent of the conditional so that it is a longer conjunction that includes all of the argument’s premises.

B. Eliminate the antecedent of the conditional so that it is a shorter conjunction that includes all of the argument’s premises.

C. Position the antecedent of the conditional so that it is a simple conjunction that reduces all of the argument’s premises

D. Simplify the antecedent of the conditional so that it is a rarified conjunction that eliminates one of the argument’s premises.



19. When testing an argument, we get this formula (((q v r) & ~r) à q) after we A. build the truth table for the conditional statement. B. form the conditional that uses the comparison. C. add the conjunction of the two premises as its antecedent. D. present the consequent that informs the antecedent.



20. Debbie is building a truth table for testing an argument. The right-most column contains

A. all Os. B. Ps and Qs. C. either As or Bs. D. all Ts.



21. They symbolic logic statement (p & (p&p)) would translate to which of the following in English?

A. If it snows, I will shovel it. B. It is snowing, and it is snowing and it is snowing. C. Most of the time, snow is colder than rain. D. If it snows, then it will continue to snow, and snow.



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22. Kallie is evaluating an argument for deductive validity. She just formed the conditional. What will she do next?

A. Build that conditional’s truth table. B. Approve or reject the antecedent. C. Translate the argument’s premises. D. Remove the argument’s conclusion.



23. Claudine is teaching a logic course. She explains that one of the advantages of natural language over notational language is that natural language is

A. more concise. B. more nuanced. C. more rigid. D. more simplified.



24. Marie is evaluating an argument and she has confirmed that statement A implies statement B in the Logic of Statements. Therefore,

A. the grammatical expression generated by the structure (A -> B) is a tautology.

B. the lexical expression generated by the structure (P˜q) (P + P) is a falsified conclusion.

C. the grammatical expression generated by the structure (A + B = C) is a rarified reason.

D. the lexical expression generated by the structure (Q)(p) is a logical shortcut.



25. Vince wants to test a natural language argument for validity. Before building the truth table, he needs to

A. evaluate the tautological component of the symbolic logic notation. B. assume deductive validity unless (A < B) or (p)(p-q). C. translate natural language premises and conclusion into symbolic logic

notation. D. rewrite the argument’s heuristic and conditional reasons.



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26. The statement Marianne was investigating came out to be true under 5 possible assignments and false under 2. This statement is

A. rarified. B. marked. C. circular. D. contingent.



27. Gabe comes across the following expression: ((p & q) à~q). What is TRUE about this expression?

A. The antecedent is not a conjunction or a tautological statement. B. This expression is a conditional statement. C. The consequent is a simple, logical statement. D. The expression has four distinct statement letters.



28. Paul is building a truth table for a grammatically correct expression in symbolic notation (called B). What is the first step?

A. Count how many different statement letters are used in B. B. Determine the number of rows in B’s truth table. C. Establish whether or not B is a conditional statement. D. Decide if the antecedent to B is a conjunction.



29. Ashley is teaching a course on symbolic logic. She explains to her students that only ______ can be translated into symbolic logic.

A. questions B. assumptions C. assertions D. corrections



30. Anna is teaching a course on symbolic logic. She explains to her students that each _________ is assigned a letter.

A. fabricated reason B. tautological assumption C. logical conclusion D. simple statement



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