WGU D265 – W- CRITICAL THINKING EXAM
READY QUESTION AND VERIFIED ANSWERS A+
PROPOSITIONS - ANSWER✔️Are statements that can be true or false
NON-PROPOSITONS - ANSWER✔️Are sentences that are not statements about matters of fact
or fiction. They do not make a claim that can be true or false.
SIMPLE PROPOSITIONS - ANSWER✔️Have no internal logic structure, meaning whether they
are true or false does not depend on whether a part of them is true or false. They are simply true
or false on their own. (Example: Harry Potter wears glasses. The sky is blue.)
COMPLEX PROPOSITIONS - ANSWER✔️Have internal logic structure, meaning they are
composed of simple propositions. Whether they are true or false depends on whether their parts
are true or false. (Example: The sky is blue, but it does not look blue to me right now. The cat ate
the food, but he did not like it. The GDP of Canada is either $3 trillion or $12 trillion.)
Alex notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and other information she
sees on the internet reinforce her belief that the government is conspiring against her. Based on
this information, which conclusion can Alex reasonably have regarding her view on the issue? -
ANSWER✔️Her suspicion is correct. & She cannot conclude anything.
,Why do strong critical thinkers monitor their own biases? - ANSWER✔️To minimize their biases
& To understand how their biases influence their thinking
A person notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and other information
he sees on the internet mirror his personal likes and dislikes. Based on this information, what can
this person reasonably conclude? - ANSWER✔️Algorithms may be linking him with like-minded
information.
95% of American citizens are billionaires. Sam is an American citizen. Therefore, Sam is a
billionaire. Which set of terms classify this argument? - ANSWER✔️Valid and unsound &
Strong and uncogent
A person is considering what transportation to use when visiting a friend in a different city. The
first thing that comes to mind is a recent news story about a train crash. They decide that the train
is not a safe travel option. What kind of bias are they exhibiting? - ANSWER✔️Availability bias
"Peyton is an excellent dentist, so she sings well." Which statement represents the hidden
assumption that would make this argument valid? - ANSWER✔️All excellent dentists sing well.
Which argument contains the general-specific pattern? - ANSWER✔️Dogs are a subspecies of a
wolf and collie is a breed of dog, so collies are wolves.
Ren is an excellent barista, so he is a master chess player. Which statement represents the hidden
assumption that would best complete this argument? - ANSWER✔️Ren is very analytical. &
Anyone who is an excellent barista must be a master chess player.
Traces of ammonia have been found in Mars' atmosphere. So there must be life on Mars.Which
statement summarizes the hidden assumption in the given argument? - ANSWER✔️Only living
things produce ammonia.
"All dogs have four legs. Grover is a dog, because Grover barks like a dog. So Grover has four
legs." Which statement represents indirect support? - ANSWER✔️Grover barks like a dog.
"If magicians can pull rabbits out of hats, then magic is real. Magicians can pull rabbits out of
hats. Therefore, I know that magic is real." Which two statements represent conjoint support
when mapping this example to a body of propositions? - ANSWER✔️If magicians can pull
rabbits out of hats, then magic is real. & Magicians can pull rabbits out of hats.
Which two sentences reflect strong critical thinking? - ANSWER✔️My opponent's position is
contrary to mine; my opponent, however, raises some good questions. & I am unsure of the
answer; I will need to research the issue further.
,Which two statements best characterize the following argument?"Coffee has caffeine; therefore,
it has stimulating effects." - ANSWER✔️The argument includes a single premise. & The
argument includes a single conclusion.
"There are not any good seafood restaurants in this city. I tried two, and they were both terrible."
Which fallacy of weak induction best describes this example? - ANSWER✔️Hasty generalization
A flight attendant accidentally spills a drink on a passenger. The passenger tells a friend that the
flight attendants for the airline are incompetent.Which fallacy of weak induction best describes
this example? - ANSWER✔️Hasty generalization
A teacher talks with a student about failing to turn in homework. The student replies by
expressing a desire to dress up as a superhero for Halloween. Which response best matches this
fallacy of relevance? - ANSWER✔️Red herring
Either everyone will devour this pecan pie, or they will choose another dessert. Which two
statements accurately describe this proposition? - ANSWER✔️The proposition mistakes
causation for correlation. & The proposition contains black and white thinking. & The
proposition includes a false dichotomy.
Which fallacy of weak induction best describes the following example? "If we allow the children
to stay home from school today, they will expect to stay home every time it snows. Next they
will expect to stay home whenever it rains, when it is too cold, too hot, or even too nice outside.
Eventually the children will stay home from school every day." - ANSWER✔️Slippery slope
A soccer fan buys a jersey with his favorite player's name and number on the back. When the
player's performance decreases, the fan attributes it to the jersey he bought. Which fallacy of
weak induction best describes this argument? - ANSWER✔️Post hoc, ergo propter hoc
A person is buying a car. The car salesperson initially quotes a base price. The buyer relies on
this initial quote to make a purchasing decision despite the subsequent addition of options that
significantly increase the final price. Which cognitive bias is the buyer exhibiting? -
ANSWER✔️Anchoring and adjustment
A university student surveys incoming freshmen to understand how students at the university
feel about a proposed tuition increase. Which statements are true regarding this statistical
sample? - ANSWER✔️It is not representative. & It is not random.
Alex notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and other information she
sees on the internet reinforce her belief that the government is conspiring against her. Based on
this information, which conclusion can Alex reasonably have regarding her view on the issue? -
ANSWER✔️Her suspicion is correct. & She cannot conclude anything.
Why do strong critical thinkers monitor their own biases? - ANSWER✔️To minimize their biases
& To understand how their biases influence their thinking
, A person notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and other information
he sees on the internet mirror his personal likes and dislikes. Based on this information, what can
this person reasonably conclude? - ANSWER✔️Algorithms may be linking him with like-minded
information.
95% of American citizens are billionaires. Sam is an American citizen. Therefore, Sam is a
billionaire. Which set of terms classify this argument? - ANSWER✔️Valid and unsound &
Strong and uncogent
- A story
- - ANSWER✔️An argument
Kinds of Inferences - ANSWER✔️Deduction
Induction
Inference to the best explanation or abduction
Deduction - ANSWER✔️arguments where the premises guarantee or necessitate the conclusion
— mathematical arguments, logical arguments, arguments from definition
Induction - ANSWER✔️arguments where the premises make the conclusion probable
— analogies, authority, causal inferences, scientific reasoning, extrapolations, etc.
Inference to the best explanation or abduction - ANSWER✔️arguments where the best available
explanation is chosen as the correct explanation
Truth - ANSWER✔️A true proposition accurately represents reality.
Validity - ANSWER✔️In a good deductive argument structure, true premises make the
conclusion necessarily true. (If not, it is an invalid structure.)
Soundness - ANSWER✔️The deductive argument is valid and all premises are true premises. (If
not, it is an unsound argument.)
Sound Argument - ANSWER✔️All True Premises + Valid Structure
Strength - ANSWER✔️In a strong inductive argument, true premises make the conclusion
probably true.
Cogency - ANSWER✔️Strong inductive arguments with all true premises are cogent.
Consider the following argument: Smith inspected 990 jellybeans in the jar. Each of the beans
Smith inspected is red. Therefore, all 1000 of the beans in the jar are red.
Which kind of argument is this?
READY QUESTION AND VERIFIED ANSWERS A+
PROPOSITIONS - ANSWER✔️Are statements that can be true or false
NON-PROPOSITONS - ANSWER✔️Are sentences that are not statements about matters of fact
or fiction. They do not make a claim that can be true or false.
SIMPLE PROPOSITIONS - ANSWER✔️Have no internal logic structure, meaning whether they
are true or false does not depend on whether a part of them is true or false. They are simply true
or false on their own. (Example: Harry Potter wears glasses. The sky is blue.)
COMPLEX PROPOSITIONS - ANSWER✔️Have internal logic structure, meaning they are
composed of simple propositions. Whether they are true or false depends on whether their parts
are true or false. (Example: The sky is blue, but it does not look blue to me right now. The cat ate
the food, but he did not like it. The GDP of Canada is either $3 trillion or $12 trillion.)
Alex notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and other information she
sees on the internet reinforce her belief that the government is conspiring against her. Based on
this information, which conclusion can Alex reasonably have regarding her view on the issue? -
ANSWER✔️Her suspicion is correct. & She cannot conclude anything.
,Why do strong critical thinkers monitor their own biases? - ANSWER✔️To minimize their biases
& To understand how their biases influence their thinking
A person notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and other information
he sees on the internet mirror his personal likes and dislikes. Based on this information, what can
this person reasonably conclude? - ANSWER✔️Algorithms may be linking him with like-minded
information.
95% of American citizens are billionaires. Sam is an American citizen. Therefore, Sam is a
billionaire. Which set of terms classify this argument? - ANSWER✔️Valid and unsound &
Strong and uncogent
A person is considering what transportation to use when visiting a friend in a different city. The
first thing that comes to mind is a recent news story about a train crash. They decide that the train
is not a safe travel option. What kind of bias are they exhibiting? - ANSWER✔️Availability bias
"Peyton is an excellent dentist, so she sings well." Which statement represents the hidden
assumption that would make this argument valid? - ANSWER✔️All excellent dentists sing well.
Which argument contains the general-specific pattern? - ANSWER✔️Dogs are a subspecies of a
wolf and collie is a breed of dog, so collies are wolves.
Ren is an excellent barista, so he is a master chess player. Which statement represents the hidden
assumption that would best complete this argument? - ANSWER✔️Ren is very analytical. &
Anyone who is an excellent barista must be a master chess player.
Traces of ammonia have been found in Mars' atmosphere. So there must be life on Mars.Which
statement summarizes the hidden assumption in the given argument? - ANSWER✔️Only living
things produce ammonia.
"All dogs have four legs. Grover is a dog, because Grover barks like a dog. So Grover has four
legs." Which statement represents indirect support? - ANSWER✔️Grover barks like a dog.
"If magicians can pull rabbits out of hats, then magic is real. Magicians can pull rabbits out of
hats. Therefore, I know that magic is real." Which two statements represent conjoint support
when mapping this example to a body of propositions? - ANSWER✔️If magicians can pull
rabbits out of hats, then magic is real. & Magicians can pull rabbits out of hats.
Which two sentences reflect strong critical thinking? - ANSWER✔️My opponent's position is
contrary to mine; my opponent, however, raises some good questions. & I am unsure of the
answer; I will need to research the issue further.
,Which two statements best characterize the following argument?"Coffee has caffeine; therefore,
it has stimulating effects." - ANSWER✔️The argument includes a single premise. & The
argument includes a single conclusion.
"There are not any good seafood restaurants in this city. I tried two, and they were both terrible."
Which fallacy of weak induction best describes this example? - ANSWER✔️Hasty generalization
A flight attendant accidentally spills a drink on a passenger. The passenger tells a friend that the
flight attendants for the airline are incompetent.Which fallacy of weak induction best describes
this example? - ANSWER✔️Hasty generalization
A teacher talks with a student about failing to turn in homework. The student replies by
expressing a desire to dress up as a superhero for Halloween. Which response best matches this
fallacy of relevance? - ANSWER✔️Red herring
Either everyone will devour this pecan pie, or they will choose another dessert. Which two
statements accurately describe this proposition? - ANSWER✔️The proposition mistakes
causation for correlation. & The proposition contains black and white thinking. & The
proposition includes a false dichotomy.
Which fallacy of weak induction best describes the following example? "If we allow the children
to stay home from school today, they will expect to stay home every time it snows. Next they
will expect to stay home whenever it rains, when it is too cold, too hot, or even too nice outside.
Eventually the children will stay home from school every day." - ANSWER✔️Slippery slope
A soccer fan buys a jersey with his favorite player's name and number on the back. When the
player's performance decreases, the fan attributes it to the jersey he bought. Which fallacy of
weak induction best describes this argument? - ANSWER✔️Post hoc, ergo propter hoc
A person is buying a car. The car salesperson initially quotes a base price. The buyer relies on
this initial quote to make a purchasing decision despite the subsequent addition of options that
significantly increase the final price. Which cognitive bias is the buyer exhibiting? -
ANSWER✔️Anchoring and adjustment
A university student surveys incoming freshmen to understand how students at the university
feel about a proposed tuition increase. Which statements are true regarding this statistical
sample? - ANSWER✔️It is not representative. & It is not random.
Alex notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and other information she
sees on the internet reinforce her belief that the government is conspiring against her. Based on
this information, which conclusion can Alex reasonably have regarding her view on the issue? -
ANSWER✔️Her suspicion is correct. & She cannot conclude anything.
Why do strong critical thinkers monitor their own biases? - ANSWER✔️To minimize their biases
& To understand how their biases influence their thinking
, A person notices that many of the news articles, blogs, social media posts, and other information
he sees on the internet mirror his personal likes and dislikes. Based on this information, what can
this person reasonably conclude? - ANSWER✔️Algorithms may be linking him with like-minded
information.
95% of American citizens are billionaires. Sam is an American citizen. Therefore, Sam is a
billionaire. Which set of terms classify this argument? - ANSWER✔️Valid and unsound &
Strong and uncogent
- A story
- - ANSWER✔️An argument
Kinds of Inferences - ANSWER✔️Deduction
Induction
Inference to the best explanation or abduction
Deduction - ANSWER✔️arguments where the premises guarantee or necessitate the conclusion
— mathematical arguments, logical arguments, arguments from definition
Induction - ANSWER✔️arguments where the premises make the conclusion probable
— analogies, authority, causal inferences, scientific reasoning, extrapolations, etc.
Inference to the best explanation or abduction - ANSWER✔️arguments where the best available
explanation is chosen as the correct explanation
Truth - ANSWER✔️A true proposition accurately represents reality.
Validity - ANSWER✔️In a good deductive argument structure, true premises make the
conclusion necessarily true. (If not, it is an invalid structure.)
Soundness - ANSWER✔️The deductive argument is valid and all premises are true premises. (If
not, it is an unsound argument.)
Sound Argument - ANSWER✔️All True Premises + Valid Structure
Strength - ANSWER✔️In a strong inductive argument, true premises make the conclusion
probably true.
Cogency - ANSWER✔️Strong inductive arguments with all true premises are cogent.
Consider the following argument: Smith inspected 990 jellybeans in the jar. Each of the beans
Smith inspected is red. Therefore, all 1000 of the beans in the jar are red.
Which kind of argument is this?
