Logical Fallacies Quiz

Imagine Abigail and Grace are debating in class. Abigail quickly concludes that all teenagers love video games after seeing just a few of her friends playing. What logical fallacy is she committing?

• Making a broad conclusion based on the limited evidence of a few instances.

• Dismissing an argument due to the speaker's background.

• Assuming a cause and effect relationship without sufficient proof.

• Generalizing a population's behavior based on a single event.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Imagine David and Liam are discussing events at a magic show. David insists that because the magician pulled a rabbit from the hat right after waving his wand, the wand waving must have caused the rabbit to appear! What is this an example of in terms of logical fallacies?

• Assuming that because one event follows another, the first event caused the second.

• Claiming something is true because it has always been done that way.

• Blaming an external factor without evidence for a negative outcome.

• Using emotional appeal to manipulate opinions.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Imagine you're in a heated debate club meeting at school. Evelyn is passionately arguing her point, but instead of using logical reasons, she starts appealing to everyone's emotions. Which fallacy is Evelyn using?

• Straw man

• Ad populum

• Slippery slope

• Red herring

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Imagine you're in a lively debate club meeting at school. Isla raises a fascinating point: According to Aristotle, how can the "argument from outrage" be used in persuasion?

• By using rational evidence to support an argument.

• By making the audience feel pity or sadness.

• By provoking anger to persuade without critical evaluation.

• By appealing to the audience's sense of justice.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Imagine Ava, Nora, and Lily are debating in class. Ava uses a strategy called "ad misericordiam". What does this term refer to in logical arguments?

• Using fear to persuade

• Using pity to persuade

• Using facts to persuade

• Using humor to persuade

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.8

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.11-12.8

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Imagine Elijah, Zoe, and James are debating fiercely in class. Suddenly, Elijah uses an "ad baculum" argument. What is the primary characteristic of his argument?

• It appeals to the audience's sense of humor.

• It appeals to the audience's sense of fear.

• It appeals to the audience's sense of justice.

• It appeals to the audience's sense of hope.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.8

CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.11-12.8

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Imagine Priya and Nora are debating fiercely in a school competition. Priya cleverly exaggerates Nora's argument to make it easier to attack. Which fallacy is Priya using?

• Slippery slope

• Straw man

• Red herring

• Either/or

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Imagine you're in a lively debate club meeting at school. Daniel, Maya, and Rohan are discussing various fallacies. Suddenly, the topic of the "ad hominem/genetic fallacy" comes up. This type of fallacy is best described as attacking:

• The current political system.

• The argument's lack of evidence.

• The person presenting the argument.

• The logical structure of the argument.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Imagine Isla and Maya are debating in class when suddenly Abigail throws in a completely unrelated topic. What does this scenario best illustrate?

• Distracting by changing the subject.

• Creating a false sense of urgency.

• Simplifying the argument to two possibilities.

• Attacking the opponent's character.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Imagine Benjamin and Noah are debating, and Benjamin says, 'If we allow students to redo their tests, next they'll want to redo entire courses!' What's the main issue with Benjamin's 'slippery slope' argument?

• It relies on unquestionable facts.

• It assumes one action will lead to an extreme outcome.

• It focuses on irrelevant details.

• It provides a balanced view of possibilities.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1