Fallacy Quiz

What following statements are true about fallacies? Select all that apply.

• Fallacies are reasoning errors that weaken an argument

• Fallacies can be used deliberately in an attempt to influence someone’s thinking, opinions, and actions.

• Fallacies can be committed unintentionally due to sloppiness or a lack of understanding.

• Formal fallacies do not have to be non sequitur.

Two types of fallacies are formal and informal.

• True

• False

Which type of fallacy contains an error in structure?

• formal

• informal

All formal fallacies are non sequiturs, which means that the conclusion is not supported by what preceded it.

• True

• False

Ad Hominem is latin for

• "it's all good."

• "against the man"

• slippery slope

• "wrong side of right"

An abusive attack against someone making the argument, instead of the argument itself, is called a/an

• appeal to false authority

• bandwagon fallacy

• strawman fallacy

• ad hominem fallacy

“He’s not a great athlete; he’s a fraud, a cheat and a liar. That’s why not everybody is ‘happy for Lance.'”

• ad hominem

• strawman

• bandwagon

• appeal to false authority

An irrelevant topic introduced in an argument to divert the attention of listeners or readers from the original issue is called a/an

• sunk costs

• appeal to false authority

• red herring

• hasty generalization

When someone attacks a distorted version of the original argument that they have themselves created is called a/an

• Strawman fallacy

• slippery slope fallacy

• appeal to false authority

• none of the above

Person 1: I think pollution from humans contributes to climate change.

Person 2: So, you think humans are directly responsible for extreme weather, like hurricanes, and have caused the droughts in the southwestern U.S.? If that’s the case, maybe we just need to go to the southwest and perform a “rain dance.”

• Sunk Costs

• Appeal to False Authority

• Bandwagon Fallacy

• Strawman Fallacy