Deck 6: Evidence and Proof

Question 1

Advertisements that rely on a few users' statements (e.g., "The miracle diet worked for me!" "The pounds melted away.") represent which type of proof?

A) Consensus of expert opinion
B) Preponderance of evidence
C) Testimonials
D) Random sample
E) Suppressed evidence

Answer 1

C

Question 2

When evaluating field-invariant evidence, a common standard of proof is

A) p < .05
B) A reasonable person
C) Balancing test
D) Probable cause
E) Likes, shares, and retweets

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Field-invariant evidence is found:

A) Only in ordinary, everyday conversations
B) Only in specialized fields, such as law or science
C) Only in academic fields, such as history or philosophy
D) In everyday conversations and in all specialized fields

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Evidence presented in support of a claim is represented by which element of the Toulmin model?

A) Claim
B) Grounds
C) Warrant
D) Evidence can represent the claim, ground, or warrant

Question 5

The kinds of arguments and evidence one would find in an Op-Ed essay in a newspaper are usually

A) Field-invariant
B) Field-dependent
C) Scientific
D) Legalistic
E) Logical and valid

Question 6

When a consumer buys a product simply because Oprah mentions it, the consumer is relying primarily on a/an

A) Substantive warrant
B) Logical warrant
C) Emotional warrant
D) Authoritative warrant

Question 7

Which of the following would be the least reliable type of source?

A) Unknown, unidentified source
B) Confidential source
C) Eyewitness
D) Biased source

Question 8

According to the authors, which of the following is one of the most credible, reliable sources of evidence?

A) Celebrity endorsers
B) Anecdotal evidence
C) Eyewitness evidence
D) Testimonials
E) Peer-reviewed journal articles

Question 9

All of the following are reasons why information gathered from scholarly journal articles is superior to information gathered on the World Wide Web except:

A) The information is the most recent available
B) The sources are experts in their field
C) References are provided
D) The articles are peer-reviewed

Question 10

Which of the following sources would tend to be the least biased on the topic of whether capital punishment has a deterrent effect on the homicide rate?

A) A politician who is running on a "law and order" platform
B) A district attorney who has tried more than a dozen capital-punishment cases
C) A defense attorney who has defended clients charged with capital crimes
D) A criminologist whose field of expertise is capital punishment
E) A survey of police officers

Question 11

A parent is looking up information on autism. Which of the following sources would best satisfy the tests of evidence discussed in the text?

A) www.wikipedia.com
B) www.WebMD.com
C) Journal of the American Medical Association
D) http://www.truthaboutautism.com
E) Time magazine

Question 12

Which of the following contexts for arguing relies most heavily on field-invariant (as opposed to field-dependent) evidence?

A) Criminal law
B) Medicine
C) Science
D) Talk radio

Question 13

Which of following is not an effective test for determining whether a study about a new type of diet is credible?

A) The study includes numerous testimonials
B) The study relies on a random sample of participants
C) The study includes a bibliography with recent references
D) The study is published in a scholarly-refereed journal
E) The study is statistically significant

Question 14

According to the website www.gunfacts.info, "92% of the time, simply brandishing a gun or firing a warning shot is sufficient to scare off an attacker." The most likely problem with this statistic is:

A) It is unknowable
B) It is not based on a random sample
C) The margin of error isn't stated
D) It is based on an erroneous extrapolation

Question 15

"Babe Ruth would have hit 1,051 home runs if he had the same number of at-bats as Hank Aaron. Aaron hit 41 more homers than Ruth, but Ruth only had 8,399 at-bats, whereas Aaron had 12,364 at bats." The most serious flaw with this statistic is:

A) Ruth was also an excellent pitcher
B) They used differently-sized bats
C) The margin of error isn't stated
D) It is based on an erroneous extrapolation
E) Hank Aaron had to deal with racial prejudice, too

Question 16

An arguer claims that the U.S. labor force is shrinking and infers that workers can't find jobs. "In 2007," she says, "66% of Americans had a job or were seeking work. In 2019, that number is only 63%." However, she fails to mention that demographic factors, such as an aging population and longer life expectancy, are bound to shrink the size of the labor force. The most likely problem here is:

A) Faulty statistics
B) Suppressed evidence
C) Nonrandom sample
D) Anecdotal evidence

Question 17

The stock market axiom, "past performance is no guarantee of future results," best cautions against which problem with statistics?

A) Faulty statistics
B) Suppressed evidence
C) Questionable extrapolation
D) Wild-ass guesses

Question 18

"A survey of students conducted at one Ivy League school revealed that 40% of students reported binge drinking at least once per month. Thus, it appears that binge drinking on college campuses is a bigger problem now than ever." What is the most notable problem with this statistic?

A) Faulty statistics
B) Anecdotal evidence
C) Biased source
D) Nonrandom sample
E) Unknowable statistic

Question 19

All of the following are unknowable statistics, except:

A) The number of husbands who cheat on their wives
B) The number of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
C) The number of students currently on academic probation at your school
D) The street valuable of narcotics smuggled into the U.S. last year

Question 20

Which of the following would be an unknowable statistic at your college or university?

A) The number of students who have outstanding library fines
B) The number of students who cheat on exams
C) The number of students who carpool to campus
D) The number of students who email their professors
E) The average number of units in which students are enrolled

Question 21

"Parking at our university is not as big a problem as students make it out to be. A survey of 200 students living in the dorms on campus revealed that 73% experienced few parking problems." The main problem with this evidence is:

A) Suppressed evidence
B) Nonrepresentative sample
C) Unknowable statistic
D) Wild-ass guess

Question 22

A polling firm conducts a random, national sample of 4,200 Americans. The poll reveals that 51% of the respondents believe mothers with young children should stay at home to raise them, whereas 49% say mothers should continue to work and place their children in day care. The reported sampling error for the poll is +/- 5%. On a TV talk show, Senator Boswell refers to the poll's results, stating "I'm glad to see the country is starting to embrace family values once again." The primary problem with the senator's argument is:

A) The poll is not based on a random sample
B) The sample was not large enough
C) The poll failed to report the margin of error
D) The sample was nonrepresentative
E) The difference is within the margin of error

Question 23

While opposing physician-assisted suicide, Darrel quotes doctors, lawyers, and clergy who oppose the practice. Darrel is using which type of proof?

A) Confidential sources
B) Triangulation of sources
C) Testimonials
D) Suppressed evidence
E) Preponderance of evidence

Question 24

All of the following are useful tests for evaluating the credibility of websites except:

A) Is the website hosted by an institution, such as a university or government agency?
B) Are the qualifications and credentials of the sources provided?
C) Are references to peer-reviewed (scholarly or professional) publications provided?
D) Are there numerous images, graphics, or video clips?
E) Is the content current and updated regularly?

Question 25

Robert Cialdini warns that deference to authority figures often leads to a "tyranny of authorities." How can people appreciate the need for qualified experts without giving in to blind obedience?

Question 26

Choose a specific field or discipline and identify a rule or requirement for presenting and/or evaluating evidence in that field or discipline. In other words, what standard is relied upon when proving something or challenging another's evidence?

Question 27

Consider the following claim: "Drinking too much water is bad for you because it weakens your bladder over time. Have you seen what water does to pipes?" How might you go about evaluating this claim? What are some specific questions you might ask the person who is making the claim?

Question 28

Years ago, a popular slogan for sugarless gum claimed, "Four out of five dentists recommend Trident (a sugarless gum) to their patients who chew gum." As a critical thinker, what are your thoughts about the statistics presented in this slogan? What questions might you want answered before you agreed with the claim? Be sure to talk about how statistics might be used to misrepresent the truth.

Question 29

List and explain two tests of source credibility. Provide an example of a person you know, or know of, who passes the tests, and one person who does not. Be sure to explain why those people pass or fail the tests of credibility.