Deck 15: Critical Thinking, Argument, Logic and Persuasion

Question 1

To convince readers, an argument is based on

A) evidence.
B) theories.
C) one's own opinion.
D) a literature review.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Critical thinking is important for

A) the development of subjective issues and expression of emotions.
B) the examination and testing of propositions about any subject or problem.
C) the formulation of individual privacy legislation.
D) success in games of chance such as gambling.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Critical thinking has a single definition.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

In critical thinking, what do you need to think about when you are reading?

A) Challenging the author's ideas
B) Questioning the structure, purpose and audience of the text
C) Skimming and scanning the text for the main themes
D) What else the author has written on the subject

Question 5

What is the key to critical thinking?

A) The perception of the speaker or the writer
B) Critical questioning
C) The ability to communicate
D) The ability to organise

Question 6

What is the purpose of critical thinking in academic work? Identify three critical thinking activities you have undertaken in the past week, and discuss why they are examples of critical thinking. How do critical questions help you in your academic studies?

Question 7

Critical thinking activities include establishing cause and effect, analysing and classifying, and identifying problems and solutions.

Question 8

Successful persuasive strategies rely upon a speaker's credibility.

Question 9

When are critical thinking skills required in learning at a university level?

A) In tutorial presentations
B) During the practical component of professional practice
C) During note making
D) All of the above

Question 10

One key purpose of critical thinking is to

A) challenge everything you read.
B) be critical of everything you read.
C) question and evaluate everything you read.
D) check all the facts presented in everything you read.

Question 11

Critical thinking and personal opinion are one and the same.

Question 12

Which activity would usually not require critical thinking?

A) Identifying problems and solutions
B) Listing second-hand information
C) Relating theory to practice
D) Making comparisons and contrasts

Question 13

Population sampling refers to

A) communication with research participants.
B) the statistical data which is used as evidence.
C) a type of research writing.
D) an accepted commonly used research tool.

Question 14

The position taken in the argument is important because it

A) shows the speaker's opinion.
B) shows the speaker's conviction.
C) reveals the knowledge the speaker has.
D) is the starting point for presenting a convincing case.

Question 15

Contrast the features of quality evidence and poor evidence. Describe four problems with research findings. Discuss at least six clues you would look for when evaluating research results.

Question 16

The purposes of critical thinking and questioning are to enable you to examine and test propositions of any kind that are offered for acceptance, in order to find out whether the reasons and conclusions align with the argument.

Question 17

Which of the following is not a question that a critical reader of an academic paper would ask?

A) Are the sources of evidence credible?
B) Is the sample representative of the wider population?
C) Are the results interesting?
D) Are the results verifiable?

Question 18

It is important to question any research findings critically before embracing them.

Question 19

A consequence of persuasion is making good judgements.

Question 20

The purpose of an argument is to

A) encourage the reader or listener in his or her decision.
B) negotiate between the reader and the speaker.
C) convince or persuade the reader or listener to accept a claim.
D) help the reader understand what the reader needs to do.

Question 21

In research writing, those taken-for-granted and often unstated beliefs about the way we think are referred to as

A) reasoning or sampling errors.
B) descriptive assumptions.
C) prescriptive or value assumptions.
D) fallacies and arguments.

Question 22

A reasoning fallacy arises from

A) a thorough examination of an argument.
B) a preponderance of evidence.
C) the bias of the reader or listener.
D) generalisations and interpretations of findings.

Question 23

Syllogisms contain at least two premises leading to a conclusion. They are

A) inductive and deductive premises.
B) major and minor premises.
C) introduction and conclusion premises.
D) exemplary and evidentiary premises.

Question 24

What must be tested for accuracy in research writing?

A) General statements or opinions based on incomplete knowledge
B) Findings based on empirical evidence and study
C) Deductive generalisations
D) Inductive reasoning

Question 25

The purpose of using basic structure, such as 'This because of that …' is to

A) help readers understand the research methods.
B) enable the writer to infer the conclusion.
C) guide the writer to write a conclusion.
D) prepare the writer to use an advanced structure in the future.

Question 26

A proposition is a claim

A) upon which an argument is based, or a conclusion is drawn.
B) in which the reasoning is potentially deceptive.
C) which serves as an interpretation of the evidence.
D) from which evidence is derived.

Question 27

Which type of fallacy implies that an idea is unreliable because of the person holding it?

A) Either/or thinking
B) Ad hominem
C) Appeals to emotion
D) Ad populum

Question 28

Academic studies must be based on

A) predominantly sound arguments.
B) research, credible sources and argument built on evidence.
C) inductive and deductive logic.
D) well-structured syllogisms and convincing conclusions.

Question 29

An unrepresentative sample causes problems because

A) researchers may overgeneralise their findings.
B) the research participants may not have withdrawn their consent.
C) the researchers may not appropriately represent the research.
D) the research may not be considered empirical.

Question 30

Identifying the premise, claim or assertion in the critical reading process is not as important as questioning.

Question 31

What are critical thinkers required to do in relation to assumptions and evidence?

A) To ask leading questions influential in determining the conclusion
B) To seek some logical evidence in key parts of the research
C) To look for some definitions and some findings from surveys
D) To ask questions about the quality and quantity of the evidence

Question 32

The two main types of argument in logic are

A) premise and conclusion.
B) valid and invalid.
C) evidence and examples.
D) deductive and inductive.

Question 33

What leads to false conclusions when the premises are incorrect in a logical argument?

A) Inductive logic
B) Deductive logic
C) Generalisations
D) Random Sampling

Question 34

An opinion, formed through the process of critical thinking,

A) is a claim made after a person has considered the facts they have chosen to take into account.
B) expresses a point of view based on logic and the testing of propositions.
C) is unreliable because it is just that, an opinion.
D) is usually sound and objective.

Question 35

Descriptive assumptions are

A) unstated values about the way the world is.
B) explicit beliefs about the way the world is.
C) assumptions that give a general rather than a specific character to a subject.
D) found in the results section of a research report.

Question 36

A claim that has no statements to support it cannot be taken as a conclusion because

A) no evidence has been offered.
B) external experts have not been cited.
C) a representative sample has not been sourced.
D) it is unethical to omit supporting statements.

Question 37

The relationship between a conclusion and an argument in research writing is that

A) an argument is composed of several premises and the conclusion of a single premise.
B) a conclusion consists of evidence in support of premises.
C) a conclusion is based on the reasoning and evidence in the argument.
D) an argument and the conclusion are both made up of evidence.

Question 38

There is a tendency to overgeneralise, particularly if data contradicts the researcher's premise, in

A) deductive logic.
B) syllogisms.
C) inductive logic.
D) the premises.

Question 39

The basis of arguments is usually based on either inductive or deductive reasoning.

Question 40

Which of the examples below is consistent with the basic structure in writing an argument?

A) 'This because of that …'
B) 'We believe …'
C) 'It is believed that …'
D) 'Dr Shaw said … '

Question 41

A fallacy is a type of logical error that leads to a false statement or belief.

Question 42

What are the characteristics of an argument? Explain the relationship between the premise and the conclusion.

Question 43

A solid argument is based on sound premises and reasoning.

Question 44

Deductive logic allows for sampling of a large target audience to save time and money.

Question 45

Fallacious reasoning in logic is usually a conscious process.

Question 46

A convincing argument is a claim or assertion which shows the relationship between inference and conclusion.

Question 47

The inductive generalisation is a logical fallacy that is based on insufficient evidence.

Question 48

The process of deriving a conclusion is referred to as an assumption.

Question 49

An unsupported claim is simply an opinion.

Question 50

A common form of deductive argument is a syllogism, which is made up of examples or evidence.

Question 51

A conclusion is the claim being made by the evidence.

Question 52

The argument is inductive when the truth of the premises establishes the truth of the conclusion.

Question 53

The premise can be written as a purpose statement or position statement.

Question 54

Conclusions are ideas that require other ideas to support them.

Question 55

Prescriptive assumptions are explicit beliefs about the way the world is.

Question 56

The purpose of the non-sequitur fallacy is to confuse cause and effect by making the assumption that, because one event occurred after the other, the first event caused the later event.

Question 57

Distinguish 'deductive reasoning', 'inductive reasoning' and 'opinion'. What do the terms 'syllogism' and 'generalisation' mean? Give examples of each.

Question 58

A proposition is a claim upon which an argument is based or from which a conclusion is drawn.

Question 59

The criteria for evaluating an argument include logical soundness of the argument and its consistency with other knowledge.

Question 60

The relationship the writer establishes between the premises and the conclusion determines the difference between fallacy and syllogism.

Question 61

Identify three techniques of persuasion. How do techniques of persuasion influence your academic writing? Describe the process of persuasion. What kinds of appeals are used in persuasive messages?

Question 62

Discuss the reasons for achieving a balance between emotional appeals and logical appeals in a persuasive message. Identify four factors that help you achieve this balance.

Question 63

Quality evidence is usually presented as well researched, reliable, credible, non-emotive and logical.

Question 64

Through successful persuasion

A) we effect change in others despite their initial resistance.
B) we affect others and they affect us.
C) we reach our goals irrespective of obstacles.
D) we effect change in others but we remain unaffected.

Question 65

The basic process of persuasion requires that the person making a claim supports it in such a way that the receiver accepts the claim.

Question 66

Any type of persuasive message has the following common components: introduction, body and attachment.

Question 67

An appeal to character is an appeal based on

A) the credibility of the speaker.
B) the credibility of the listener or reader.
C) the image to which the listener or reader aspires.
D) the image projected by the speaker.

Question 68

Any behaviour change as a result of persuasion is

A) the result of skilful communication.
B) more stable than change brought about by coercion or force.
C) successful from the perspective of the communicator.
D) successful from the perspective of the receiver of the communication.

Question 69

In critical thinking, persuasion involves

A) influencing others to change their beliefs or behaviours through moral or logical argument.
B) convincing others of your point of view through the presentation of facts.
C) debating with others about moral issues.
D) appealing to others' emotions to sway them in an argument.

Question 70

What does a credible sender combine in order to build a logical persuasive message in academic writing or speech?

A) Physiological needs, esteem needs and security needs
B) Individual, communicative and social competence
C) Academic, professional and political interests
D) Ethos, logos and pathos

Question 71

The purpose of balancing logic and emotion in academic works is to

A) impress upon readers that a great amount of research has been done.
B) account for the socio-political needs of listeners or readers.
C) enhance the credibility of the speaker and capture the audience's attention.
D) emphasise the psychological needs of listeners and readers.

Question 72

Define the term 'fallacy' and give three examples of common fallacies. Explain the difference between conscious and unconscious fallacious reasoning.

Question 73

The purpose of an effective persuasive message is to

A) discuss an issue with reference to verifiable evidence.
B) create a balance of appropriate emotional and logical appeals.
C) convince others that your argument is correct on moral grounds.
D) convince others that their argument is illogical.

Question 74

Appeal based on the character of the speaker or writer is known as ethos.

Question 75

Reflect upon an occasion when you succeeded in persuading someone to change their perspective on something. Discuss the persuasive strategies you used, e.g. emotional, logical or character-based.

Question 76

The techniques of persuasion include

A) social, security and psychological appeals.
B) historical, theoretical and economic appeals.
C) a rhetorical mix, a features-benefits mix and appeals to emotion.
D) a mix of logical arguments and emotional appeals that influence changes in behaviour.

Question 77

An effective persuasive message balances the relationship between logic and emotion in its appeal.

Question 78

According to Maslow (1954), the hierarchy of needs

A) is a features-benefits mix.
B) provides a way to categorise types of needs from higher-level to lower-level needs.
C) suggests that an unsatisfied need provides the motivation to act in order to satisfy that need.
D) illustrates how persuasive messages can satisfy health and safety needs.