Dr. Gass
HCOM 235
Fall 2009
Sample Test Questions
Scroll down to the bottom for the answers
1.
In most everyday arguments, the advocate for change has:
A.
presumption
B.
burden of clash
C.
the burden of proof
D.
burden of rebuttal
2.
In most everyday arguments, the ________________ enjoy(s) presumption.
A.
advocate for change
B.
opponent of change
C.
observer or third party
D.
advocate and the opponent
3.
The requirement that the prosecution in a criminal trial establish the
defendant’s guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt” best
illustrates the concept of:
A.
natural presumption
B.
artificial presumption
C.
burden of clash
D.
burden of proof
E.
burden of rebuttal
4.
Married couples who report high marital satisfaction also tend to report:
A.
that they argue infrequently
B.
that they argue frequently
C.
that they argue frequently, but over specific issues
D.
that they avoid arguing unless there is a major issue
E.
that they postpone arguing until they have multiple issues to argue about
5.
Which type of reasoning can be fallible or infallible?
A.
cause
B.
analogy
C.
sign
D.
generalization
6.
Parents with obese children have only themselves to blame. It isn’t McDonald’s
fault. It isn’t the sch=
ool
cafeterias’ fault. It
isn’t the fault of network TV executives. Parents are responsible for making=
sure
their kids eat healthy, nutritional meals and they shouldn’t use fast
food makers, school cafeterias, or TV as scapegoats. What type of reasoning=
is
involved?
A.
analogy
B.
generalization
C.
sole cause
D.
cause-effect
E.
sign
7.
The “post hoc” fallacy involves:
A.
confusing cause and effect
B.
confusing coincidence with causation
C.
confusing a necessary and a sufficient cause
D.
confusing correlation with causation
8.
Which of the following best exemplifies the concept of natural presumption?=
A.
presumption of innocence in a criminal trial
B.
free speech as an inalienable right
C.
the tie goes to the runner in baseball
D.
hypothesis testing in the sciences
9.
Analogies can be:
A.
valid or invalid
B.
fallible or infallible
C.
literal or figurative
D.
logical or illogical
10. Which of the
following types of evidence is the most suspicious or least trustworthy?
A. controlled
clinical trials
B. testimonials=
C. physical evi=
dence
D. scholarly jo=
urnal
articles
E. statistics
11.
The test of internal consistency for evidence deals with:
A.
whether evidence is consistent with evidence from other sources
B.
whether evidence is self-contradictory
C.
whether important evidence is being suppressed
D.
whether source bias is present
12.
Which of the following forms of evidence would be least important or
relevant in a criminal trial for armed robbery?
A.
fingerprints found on the gun
B.
an eyewitness' testimony about the robbery
C.
a psychiatrist’s report on whether the defendant was sane enough to t=
ell
right from wrong
D.
the defendant’s prior criminal record
13.
“The more elevators a city has, the higher the divorce rate. If we want to preserve marriages i=
n this
country we must stop building elevators!” The best refutation of this
argument is:
A.
elevators don’t cause divorces, divorces cause elevators.
B.
population density results in more high-rise buildings with elevators and
higher divorce rates.
C.
wealthy people live on upper floors and wealthy people have higher divorce
rates.
D.
people who take elevators are less physically fit than people who take the
stairs, and less physically fit people are less attractive to their spouses=
.
14.
One cause of the current housing crisis is that some buyers were purchasing
“spec” homes, hoping to resell them quickly for a tidy profit.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Another cause was lenders offering
sub-prime loans to people who were serious financial risks. Taken together, these can be viewed as=
:
A.
sufficient causes
B.
sole causes
C.
contributory causes
D.
compounded causes
15.
Bubba declares, “The more Baptists who live in a town, the more likely
the town is to be hit by a tornado.”=
What error in reasoning is Bubba making?
A.
he is confusing divine retribution with causation
B.
he is confusing correlation with causation
C.
he is relying on a faulty analogy
D.
he is confusing a necessary cause with a sufficient cause
16.
Bart has been accused of “groping” Lola, a female co-worker.
A.
“Fish are animals and if you touch me again I’ll gut you like a
fish.”
B.
“Humans don’t have paws or a refined sense of smell like animals
do.”
C.
“Animals are incapable of moral reasoning, whereas humans can rise ab=
ove
their animal instincts and follow moral codes of conduct.”
D.
“Some animals mate for life, are you ready for that kind of commitmen=
t?
E.
Some female species kill and eat the male after sex too. Is that what you
want?”
17. The test of recency would be most import=
ant
in an argument over:
A. whether Batman could beat Spiderman in a duel<= o:p>
B. whether the public’s right to know is more important than the individual’<=
span
lang=3DX-NONE style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-ansi-language:X-NONE'>s right to privacy
C. whether Babe Ruth was a better slugger than Ted
Williams or Hank Aaron
D. whether homelessness is increasing, decreasing, or leveling off
18. In a dispute over legalization of marijuana, wh=
ich
of the following illustrates the refutational strategy of reductio ad
absurdum?
A. If marijuana is legalized it will be a stepping
stone to harder drug use
B. legalizing marijuana because existing laws
don’t deter marijuana use, makes as much sense as repealing speed lim=
its
because many drivers exceed the speed limit.
C. hard drug users may have started with marijuan=
a,
but marijuana users don’t necessarily go on to use hard drugs.
D. Placing a social stamp of approval on marijuana
use would result in a huge increase in marijuana use.
19. A realtor is showing a young woman a house. The woman says, “I love the
kitchen, but I hate the drapes in the living room.” The best response to this
objection is for the realtor to say:
A. You’ll get used to the drapes. They’ll grow on you.
B. You’ll be spending more time in the kitc=
hen
than the living room anyway.
C. You can always change the drapes, carpet, and
paint. Worry about the built-=
in
features.
D. Every home purchase involves trade-offs=
.
20. A mother tells her daughter, There are dark clo=
uds
in the sky today, so you should take an umbrella with you to school<=
span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>. What type of
reasoning is the mother using?
A. cause-effect
reasoning
B.
analogy
C.
sign reasoning
D.
generalization
21. Farmer Zeke is talking with Farmer
Zeb. “Every morning, ju=
st
before sunrise, my rooster crows.
Then the sun comes up. How
do you suppose the rooster makes the sun do that?” Farmer Zeke is: A.
confusing a necessary cause with a sufficient cause B.
confusing correlation with causation C.
confusing deductive reasoning with inductive reasoning D.
confusing a sweeping generalization with a hasty generalization 22.
Which of the following is the rarest type of cause in public policy
controversies? A.
necessary cause B.
sufficient cause C.
contributory cause D.
sole cause 23.
A general tells his superiors at the Pentagon, “We must deploy more
troops to Afghanistan. If we send more troops, we still may not win,”=
the
general declares, “but if we don’t send more troops, we will su=
rely
lose.” What type of cau=
sal
argument is the general making? A.
necessary cause B.
sufficient cause C.
contributory cause D.
sole cause 24.
Lulu: “An apple is more like an orange than a banana. Apples are round and have seeds th=
at are
inedible. So do oranges.̶=
1; Naomi:
“Yes, but they are different colors and you can eat the skin of an ap=
ple,
but not an orange.” A.
literal analogy B.
figurative analogy C.
fallible sign D.
infallible sign E.
example 25.
Jurors who are listening to a witness’ testimony decide the witness is
lying, because the witness won’t look the prosecutor in the eye, and =
the
witness keeps shifting in her seat.
In making this inference, the jurors are relying on what type of
reasoning? A.
analogy B.
sign C.
deduction D.
example 26.
“Since I started jogging every morning, I seem to sleep better at
night. I think the exercise is
giving me a better night’s rest.” What is the most likely form of
reasoning being used here? A.
sign reasoning B.
analogy C.
cause-effect D.
generalization E.
example 27.
You must pass the bar exam in order to practice law in California. This is an example of a/an: A.
sufficient cause B.
necessary cause C. sole cause D. alternate cause E.
reciprocal cause 28.
“The health care bill now going through Congress has as much to do wi=
th
real health care reform as a frozen TV dinner does to a real, home-cooked
Thanksgiving meal.” The=
type
of reasoning here is: A.
sign reasoning B.
literal analogy C.
figurative analogy D.
generalization E.
sign reasoning ANSWERS: 1C, 2B, 3D, 4C, 5C, 6C, 7B, 8B, 9C, 10B, 1=
1B,
12D, 13B, 14C, 15B, 16C, 17D, 18B, 19C, 20C, 21B, 22D, 23A, 24B, 25B, 26C, =
27B,
28C