Critical Thinking & Logic Exam Guide:
Propositions, Arguments, and Cognitive Biases
NON-PROPOSITONS - correct answers ⬛
✓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 - correct answers ⬛
✓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 - correct answers ⬛
✓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.)
,Words used to identify Independent Propositions - correct answers ⬛
⬛AND, OR,
✓
EITHER, BUT, IF, THEN.
CONCLUSION INDICATORS - correct answers ✓
⬛ THE RE FO RE , SO, IT
FOLLOWS THAT, HENCE, THUS, ENTAILS THAT, WE MAY CONCLUDE
THAT, IMPLIES THAT, WHEREFORE, AND AS A RESULT.
PREMISE INDICATORS - correct answers ⬛
✓ B E C A U S E , FOR, GIVEN THAT,
AS, SINCE, AS INDICATED BY.
DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS - correct answers ✓
⬛ A rg u m e n t s where the premises
guarantee or necessitate the conclusion.
-mathematical arguments, logical arguments, arguments from definition.
INDUCTION ARGUMENTS - correct answers ⬛
✓ A rg u m e n t s where the premises
make the conclusion probable.
, -analogies, authority, causal inferences, extrapolations, etc.
INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION OR ABDUCTION - correct
answers ✓
⬛ A r g u m e n t s where the best available explanation is chosen as the
correct explanation.
FORMAL FALLACY - correct answers ⬛
✓ C o n c e r n s the structure of an argument
INFORMAL FALLACY - correct answers ⬛
⬛Concerns the informational content
✓
of an argument
A FORMAL FALLACY IS A TYPE OF - correct answers ⬛
✓Bad Argument
Structure
Which piece of information would be the most helpful to know in assessing the
credibility of a news story? - correct answers ⬛
✓ W h e t h e r the name of the author
and the publication are identified
Propositions, Arguments, and Cognitive Biases
NON-PROPOSITONS - correct answers ⬛
✓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 - correct answers ⬛
✓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 - correct answers ⬛
✓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.)
,Words used to identify Independent Propositions - correct answers ⬛
⬛AND, OR,
✓
EITHER, BUT, IF, THEN.
CONCLUSION INDICATORS - correct answers ✓
⬛ THE RE FO RE , SO, IT
FOLLOWS THAT, HENCE, THUS, ENTAILS THAT, WE MAY CONCLUDE
THAT, IMPLIES THAT, WHEREFORE, AND AS A RESULT.
PREMISE INDICATORS - correct answers ⬛
✓ B E C A U S E , FOR, GIVEN THAT,
AS, SINCE, AS INDICATED BY.
DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENTS - correct answers ✓
⬛ A rg u m e n t s where the premises
guarantee or necessitate the conclusion.
-mathematical arguments, logical arguments, arguments from definition.
INDUCTION ARGUMENTS - correct answers ⬛
✓ A rg u m e n t s where the premises
make the conclusion probable.
, -analogies, authority, causal inferences, extrapolations, etc.
INFERENCE TO THE BEST EXPLANATION OR ABDUCTION - correct
answers ✓
⬛ A r g u m e n t s where the best available explanation is chosen as the
correct explanation.
FORMAL FALLACY - correct answers ⬛
✓ C o n c e r n s the structure of an argument
INFORMAL FALLACY - correct answers ⬛
⬛Concerns the informational content
✓
of an argument
A FORMAL FALLACY IS A TYPE OF - correct answers ⬛
✓Bad Argument
Structure
Which piece of information would be the most helpful to know in assessing the
credibility of a news story? - correct answers ⬛
✓ W h e t h e r the name of the author
and the publication are identified
