WGU D265 DEFINITIONS TEST
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
ANSWERS
Formal Fallacy - Answer-It's an error in the argument's structure, making it invalid.
Example: "All humans are animals (premise); All animals are made of cheese (premise);
Therefore, all humans are made of cheese (conclusion)" — This is a formal fallacy
because the conclusion doesn't logically follow from the premises.
Antecedent - Answer-The "if" part of a conditional statement.
Example: In "If it rains, then I'll bring an umbrella," "It rains" is the antecedent.
Consequent - Answer-The "then" part of a conditional statement.
Example: In "If it rains, then I'll bring an umbrella," "I'll bring an umbrella" is the
consequent.
Modus Ponens - Answer-It's a valid argument form where if the antecedent is true, the
consequent must be true.
A valid deductive argument form: If P, then Q. P is true, so Q is true.
Example: If "It is raining" (antecedent) and "I'll bring an umbrella" (consequent), then "I'll
bring an umbrella" must be true.
Modus Tollens - Answer-It's another valid argument form where if the consequent is
false, the antecedent must be false.
A valid deductive argument form: If P, then Q. Not Q is true, so not P is true.
Example: If "I didn't bring an umbrella" (not the consequent) and "It's not raining" (not
the antecedent), then "It's not raining" must be true.
Affirming the Consequent - Answer-Is like making an incorrect "affirmation"; it's a fallacy
where one mistakenly concludes that the antecedent is true because the consequent is
true.
A formal fallacy: If P, then Q. Q is true, so P is true.
Example: "I didn't get wet (consequent), so it didn't rain (affirming the consequent)" —
This is a fallacy.
, Denying the Antecedent - Answer-"Denying the 'A'"; it's a fallacy where one mistakenly
concludes that the consequent is false because the antecedent is false.
A formal fallacy: If P, then Q. Not P is true, so not Q is true.
Example: "I didn't bring an umbrella (antecedent), so it must be raining (denying the
antecedent)" — This is a fallacy.
The Fallacy Fallacy - Answer-"Falling for Fallacies"; it's a fallacy where one wrongly
concludes that an argument is false just because it contains a fallacy.
Example: "His argument had a logical fallacy, so everything he said must be wrong (the
fallacy fallacy)" — This is a fallacy itself because some parts of an argument could still
be valid or true even if a fallacy is present.
Credibility of an Information Source - Answer-The credibility of an information source is
like assessing if a superhero is trustworthy; it's the measure of how believable and
trustworthy the source is.
Example: Imagine a superhero who has a long history of saving the day (credible)
versus a new, untested hero (less credible).
Reliability of an Information Source - Answer-The reliability of an information source is
like evaluating whether a car starts consistently; it's the measure of how consistently the
source provides accurate and dependable information.
Example: Think of a car that starts reliably every morning (reliable) compared to one
that occasionally fails to start (less reliable).
Proposition - Answer-A statement that can be true or false, like "The sun rises in the
east," think of it as a "truth possibility."
Example: "The Earth is flat" is a proposition, and it could be either true or false.
Non-proposition - Answer-A statement that isn't about truth or falsity, like questions or
commands, think of it as "not about truth."
Example: "What time is it?" is a non-proposition because it's a question.
Argument - Answer-Is like a debate; it's a set of statements aiming to support the
conclusion.
Example: In a debate, "Cats are great hunters (premise), and Fluffy is a cat (premise),
so Fluffy must be a great hunter (conclusion)" is an argument.
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE
ANSWERS
Formal Fallacy - Answer-It's an error in the argument's structure, making it invalid.
Example: "All humans are animals (premise); All animals are made of cheese (premise);
Therefore, all humans are made of cheese (conclusion)" — This is a formal fallacy
because the conclusion doesn't logically follow from the premises.
Antecedent - Answer-The "if" part of a conditional statement.
Example: In "If it rains, then I'll bring an umbrella," "It rains" is the antecedent.
Consequent - Answer-The "then" part of a conditional statement.
Example: In "If it rains, then I'll bring an umbrella," "I'll bring an umbrella" is the
consequent.
Modus Ponens - Answer-It's a valid argument form where if the antecedent is true, the
consequent must be true.
A valid deductive argument form: If P, then Q. P is true, so Q is true.
Example: If "It is raining" (antecedent) and "I'll bring an umbrella" (consequent), then "I'll
bring an umbrella" must be true.
Modus Tollens - Answer-It's another valid argument form where if the consequent is
false, the antecedent must be false.
A valid deductive argument form: If P, then Q. Not Q is true, so not P is true.
Example: If "I didn't bring an umbrella" (not the consequent) and "It's not raining" (not
the antecedent), then "It's not raining" must be true.
Affirming the Consequent - Answer-Is like making an incorrect "affirmation"; it's a fallacy
where one mistakenly concludes that the antecedent is true because the consequent is
true.
A formal fallacy: If P, then Q. Q is true, so P is true.
Example: "I didn't get wet (consequent), so it didn't rain (affirming the consequent)" —
This is a fallacy.
, Denying the Antecedent - Answer-"Denying the 'A'"; it's a fallacy where one mistakenly
concludes that the consequent is false because the antecedent is false.
A formal fallacy: If P, then Q. Not P is true, so not Q is true.
Example: "I didn't bring an umbrella (antecedent), so it must be raining (denying the
antecedent)" — This is a fallacy.
The Fallacy Fallacy - Answer-"Falling for Fallacies"; it's a fallacy where one wrongly
concludes that an argument is false just because it contains a fallacy.
Example: "His argument had a logical fallacy, so everything he said must be wrong (the
fallacy fallacy)" — This is a fallacy itself because some parts of an argument could still
be valid or true even if a fallacy is present.
Credibility of an Information Source - Answer-The credibility of an information source is
like assessing if a superhero is trustworthy; it's the measure of how believable and
trustworthy the source is.
Example: Imagine a superhero who has a long history of saving the day (credible)
versus a new, untested hero (less credible).
Reliability of an Information Source - Answer-The reliability of an information source is
like evaluating whether a car starts consistently; it's the measure of how consistently the
source provides accurate and dependable information.
Example: Think of a car that starts reliably every morning (reliable) compared to one
that occasionally fails to start (less reliable).
Proposition - Answer-A statement that can be true or false, like "The sun rises in the
east," think of it as a "truth possibility."
Example: "The Earth is flat" is a proposition, and it could be either true or false.
Non-proposition - Answer-A statement that isn't about truth or falsity, like questions or
commands, think of it as "not about truth."
Example: "What time is it?" is a non-proposition because it's a question.
Argument - Answer-Is like a debate; it's a set of statements aiming to support the
conclusion.
Example: In a debate, "Cats are great hunters (premise), and Fluffy is a cat (premise),
so Fluffy must be a great hunter (conclusion)" is an argument.
