Fallacious Reasoning
Flashcard 1:
Q: What is a fallacy?
A: A fallacy is a deceptive or false argument that seems strong due to psychological persuasion but is flawed under reasoning and examination.
Flashcard 2:
Q: What are the two types of fallacies?
A: Formal fallacies and Informal fallacies.
Flashcard 3:
Q: What is a formal fallacy?
A: A formal fallacy is an argument with errors in structure, form, or context.
Flashcard 4:
Q: What is an informal fallacy?
A: An informal fallacy is an argument with irrelevant or incorrect premises.
Flashcard 5:
Q: Why is understanding fallacies important?
A: Understanding fallacies helps distinguish between valid arguments and deceptive ones, aiding in better decision-making.
Flashcard 6:
Q: What is the Straw Man Fallacy?
A: Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack.
Example: John says, “We should hire someone to redesign our website.” Lola responds, “You want to waste money on external resources instead of our team?”
Flashcard 7:
Q: What is the Bandwagon Fallacy?
A: Assuming a belief is true because many people believe it.
Example: “Most people believe billboards are the best advertising, so it must be true.”
Flashcard 8:
Q: What is the Appeal to Authority Fallacy?
A: Over-relying on an authority figure’s opinion, even if they lack expertise on the topic.
Example: “Our CEO says this strategy works, so we should stick with it.”
Flashcard 9:
Q: What is the False Dilemma Fallacy?
A: Presenting two extreme options as the only possibilities.
Example: “We either follow Barbara’s plan or let the project fail.”
Flashcard 10:
Q: What is the Hasty Generalization Fallacy?
A: Drawing a conclusion with insufficient evidence.
Example: “Two employees improved after public speaking class, so all employees should take it.”
Flashcard 11:
Q: What is the Slothful Induction Fallacy?
A: Ignoring strong evidence that supports a conclusion, attributing it to coincidence.
Example: “Brad’s projects are always late due to unfortunate circumstances.”
Flashcard 12:
Q: What is the Correlation/Causation Fallacy?
A: Assuming correlation implies causation.
Example: “Blog views dropped in April after we changed the header color, so the color caused fewer views.”
Flashcard 13:
Q: What is the Anecdotal Evidence Fallacy?
A: Using personal experience as proof for a larger claim.
Example: “A client doubled conversions with red text, so red text works for everyone.”
Flashcard 14:
Q: What is the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy?
A: Cherry-picking data that supports a predetermined conclusion.
Example: “Lisa’s startup success proves she’s a great entrepreneur, ignoring other failed ventures.”
Flashcard 15:
Q: What is the Middle Ground Fallacy?
A: Assuming a compromise between two extremes is always true.
Example: “Redesigning part of the website is best since Lola wants a full redesign and John wants none.”
Flashcard 16:
Q: What is the Burden of Proof Fallacy?
A: Claiming something is true unless disproven.
Example: “The office is haunted because no one can prove it isn’t.”
Flashcard 17:
Q: What is the Personal Incredulity Fallacy?
A: Disbelieving a claim because it’s difficult to understand.
Example: “I don’t understand how the redesign increased conversions, so it must be another factor.”
Flashcard 18:
Q: What is the “No True Scotsman” Fallacy?
A: Changing a generalization to exclude counterexamples.
Example: “No marketer would use two CTAs; if Lola does, she isn’t a true marketer.”
Flashcard 19:
Q: What is the Ad Hominem Fallacy?
A: Attacking the person instead of the argument.
Example: “Barbara wants to check data accuracy; Tim says she’s slow at math.”
Flashcard 20:
Q: What is the Tu Quoque Fallacy?
A: Responding to criticism with criticism, without addressing the claim.
Example: “Lola says John lacks experience; John retorts that Lola also lacks experience.”
Flashcard 21:
Q: What is the Fallacy Fallacy?
A: Dismissing a claim entirely because the argument contains a fallacy.
Example: “John’s argument uses cherry-picked stats, so a redesign must be a bad idea.”
These flashcards cover the basic concepts and examples of each fallacy you listed.