We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Find out more

The Power of Critical Thinking, Third Canadian Edition: Chapter 11

Instructions: For each question, click on the radio button beside your answer. When you have completed the entire quiz, click the “Submit my answers” button at the bottom of the page to receive your results.

Question 1:


a) True
b) False

Question 2:


a) True
b) False

Question 3:


a) True
b) False

Question 4:


a) True
b) False

Question 5:


a) True
b) False

Question 6:


a) True
b) False

Question 7:


a) True
b) False

Question 8:


a) “Persistent fog cover during winter days when one has a sore throat is likely a contributing cause of the sore throat”
b) “The absence of a cold on days when one starts the day with a herbal remedy shows that the herbal remedy prevented the cold”
c) “Several reliable studies have established that the use of the anti-acne medication accutane increases the likelihood of birth defects”
d) “Knee trouble and heart disease are strongly correlated, so heart disease is a cause of knee trouble”

Question 9:


a) when that information has been drawn from a wide spectrum of views, including any dissenting experts
b) when the media responsible for circulating that information is extremely credible and has a proven track record for accuracy
c) when no relevant experts are cited or consulted in the report being circulated
d) when all experts support the same opinion

Question 10:


a) whether the theory is testable
b) whether the theory is fruitful
c) whether the theory is complex
d) whether the theory is broad in scope

Question 11:


a) that the stakes are quite high in legal proceedings, as the freedom of the accused might be lost
b) that the adversarial nature of the system requires competing views that must be critically assessed
c) that oftentimes the task of critically assessing the claims made in the trial fall on ordinary citizens—the jury
d) that both the defense counsel and the Crown attorney are obligated to provide a balanced view of the evidence

Question 12:


a) the approach does not provide conclusions that are logically necessary based on the premises
b) the approach provides conclusions that are logically necessary based on the premises
c) the approach guarantees explanations that are oftentimes unreasonable
d) the approach never works

Question 13:


a) to establish the truth of the premise being used in that argument
b) to demonstrate the guilt or innocence of the accused
c) to provide evidence that the guilty or innocence of the accused is probable
d) to offer an explanation for why the accused did the crime

Question 14:


a) “One should never perform action x”
b) “One should adopt a policy that would achieve consequence y”
c) “Smith has never performed action x”
d) “One should be courageous”

Question 15:


a) in order to better examine the internal structure of the ethical argument
b) in order to more explicitly reflect on the acceptability of its premises
c) in order to consider whether the conclusion follows from its premises
d) all of the above

Question 16:


a) evaluates an action based on a universal standard of duty that prohibits or requires an action apart from its consequences
b) evaluates an action based on the character state of an agent
c) evaluates an action based on the consequences of the action under consideration
d) evaluates an action based on whether the action has the effect of maximizing human dignity