WGU D265 Critical Thinking: Reasoning and
Evidence - Exam 2025/2026
1. If a new study found that red cars are not statistically more likely to receive
speeding tickets than cars of other colors, how should one reassess the
initial conclusion about red cars encouraging fast driving?
The conclusion should be dismissed entirely without further
investigation.
The initial conclusion should be reassessed to consider that the
correlation may not imply causation, and other factors may
influence speeding behavior.
The conclusion should be accepted as valid since it was based on a
report.
The conclusion should be modified to state that all car colors
encourage fast driving.
2. What is the unstated assumption in this argument?
Students who do homework and study for exams get good grades.
Students like and respect Mrs. Murdock.
A teacher is good if the teacher gives good grades.
Mrs. Murdock's class is lacking in educational rigor.
3. What type of reasoning is exemplified when an individual concludes that a
pencil will fall based on the observation of hundreds of objects falling?
Deductive
,Valid
Cogent
, Inductive
4. If Jordan were to strengthen his argument, what type of evidence should he
include to support his claim of being the best student?
Quality of his car
Academic performance metrics
Popularity among peers
Personal achievements in sports
5. What is the name of the logical fallacy that occurs when one assumes that if
the antecedent is false, the consequent must also be false?
Begging the question
Straw man
Denying the antecedent
Affirming the consequent
6. "All cats are sneaky. Mittens is a cat. Therefore, Mittens must be sneaky."
What kind of reasoning is represented by these statements?
Inductive
Deductive
7. What type of bias is demonstrated when someone makes a judgment about
a person's political views based solely on their clothing and vehicle?
Representativeness bias
Availability bias
Confirmation bias
, Anchoring and adjustment bias
8. If the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises, the argument is
__________.
inductive
vacuous
deductive
fallacious
9. All dogs are cute. Ginger is a dog. Therefore, Ginger is cute.
Deductive
Inductive
Abductive
Invalid
10. There is a conversation in which a woman expresses disappointment with
her friend for not picking her up at the airport. In response, the friend says,
"Well, you never returned the wheelbarrow I let you borrow."
Straw figure
Genetic fallacy
Red herring
Irrelevant appeals
11. Describe how the reasoning in Reese's argument exemplifies a hasty
generalization fallacy.
Evidence - Exam 2025/2026
1. If a new study found that red cars are not statistically more likely to receive
speeding tickets than cars of other colors, how should one reassess the
initial conclusion about red cars encouraging fast driving?
The conclusion should be dismissed entirely without further
investigation.
The initial conclusion should be reassessed to consider that the
correlation may not imply causation, and other factors may
influence speeding behavior.
The conclusion should be accepted as valid since it was based on a
report.
The conclusion should be modified to state that all car colors
encourage fast driving.
2. What is the unstated assumption in this argument?
Students who do homework and study for exams get good grades.
Students like and respect Mrs. Murdock.
A teacher is good if the teacher gives good grades.
Mrs. Murdock's class is lacking in educational rigor.
3. What type of reasoning is exemplified when an individual concludes that a
pencil will fall based on the observation of hundreds of objects falling?
Deductive
,Valid
Cogent
, Inductive
4. If Jordan were to strengthen his argument, what type of evidence should he
include to support his claim of being the best student?
Quality of his car
Academic performance metrics
Popularity among peers
Personal achievements in sports
5. What is the name of the logical fallacy that occurs when one assumes that if
the antecedent is false, the consequent must also be false?
Begging the question
Straw man
Denying the antecedent
Affirming the consequent
6. "All cats are sneaky. Mittens is a cat. Therefore, Mittens must be sneaky."
What kind of reasoning is represented by these statements?
Inductive
Deductive
7. What type of bias is demonstrated when someone makes a judgment about
a person's political views based solely on their clothing and vehicle?
Representativeness bias
Availability bias
Confirmation bias
, Anchoring and adjustment bias
8. If the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises, the argument is
__________.
inductive
vacuous
deductive
fallacious
9. All dogs are cute. Ginger is a dog. Therefore, Ginger is cute.
Deductive
Inductive
Abductive
Invalid
10. There is a conversation in which a woman expresses disappointment with
her friend for not picking her up at the airport. In response, the friend says,
"Well, you never returned the wheelbarrow I let you borrow."
Straw figure
Genetic fallacy
Red herring
Irrelevant appeals
11. Describe how the reasoning in Reese's argument exemplifies a hasty
generalization fallacy.
