PHL 320 Week 4 Practice: Week 4 Knowledge Check

Complete the “Week 4 Knowledge Check” in Connect®.

Note: You have unlimited attempts available to complete this practice assignment. The highest scored attempt will be recorded. These assignments have earlier due dates, so plan accordingly. Grades must be transferred manually to eCampus by your instructor. Don’t worry, this might happen after your due date.

Materials

“They say Japanese carmakers put out the best cars in the world, all things considered. But that can’t be right—the Toyota I bought last year had to be returned to the shop five times!” The sample is

Multiple Choice

my Toyota.

Japanese cars.

the best cars in the world.

Maude and Clyde are discussing whether to buy this nice little cottage. Using the dropdown menus, classify the fallacies in their conversation (marked in boldface).

• Stunning Federal-style brick home with exquisite appointments throughout
• 20 picturesque acres with lake, pasture, and woodland
• 5 bedrooms and 4.5 baths
• 5800 sq. ft. living space and 2400 sq. ft. basement
• Formal living room; banquet dining with butler’s pantry; and luxurious foyer, gourmet kitchen, and morning room
• 3 fireplaces and 12 chandeliers

Clyde: Maude, look at this place! This is the house for us! Let’s make an offer right now. We can afford it!

Maude: Oh, Clyde, be serious. That house is way beyond our means.

Clyde: Well, I think we can afford it.

Maude: Honey, if we can afford it, pigs can fly.

Clyde: Look, do you want to live in a shack?    Besides, I called the real estate agent. She says it’s a real steal.

Maude: Well, what do you expect her to say? She’s looking for a commission.

Clyde: Sometimes I don’t understand you. Last week you were pushing for a really upscale place.

Maude: Clyde, we can’t make the payments on a place like that. We couldn’t even afford to heat it! And what on earth are we going to do with a lake?

Clyde: Honey, the payments would only be around $5,000 a month. How much do you think we could spend?

Maude: I’d say $1,800.

Clyde: Okay, how about $2,050?

Maude: Oh, for heaven’s sake! Yes, we could do $2,050!

Clyde: Well, how about $3,100?

Maude: Oh, Clyde, what is your point?

Clyde: So $3,100 is okay? How about $3,200? Stop me when I get to exactly where we can’t afford it.

Maude: Clyde, I can’t say exactly where it gets to be too expensive, but $5,000 a month is too much.

Clyde: Well, I think we can afford it.

Maude: Why?

Clyde: Because it’s within our means!

Maude: Clyde, you’re the one who’s always saying we have to cut back on our spending!

Clyde: Yes, but this’ll be a great investment!

Maude: And what makes you say that?

Clyde: Because we’re bound to make money on it.

Maude: Clyde, honey, you are going around in circles.

Clyde: Well, can you prove we can’t afford it?

Maude: Once we start spending money like drunken sailors, where will it end?  line-drawing  Next, we’ll have to get a riding mower, then a boat for that lake, a butler for the butler’s pantry—we’ll owe everybody in the state!

Clyde: Well, we don’t have to make up our minds right now. I’ll call the agent and tell her we’re sleeping on it.

Maude: Asleep and dreaming.

As Harold is driving down the road from Glenn County to Montclair, he crosses into Salem County and notices that the pavement deteriorates. “I guess they don’t keep up their roads very well in this county,” he says. Which of the following best fits the scenario?

Multiple Choice

biased generalization

hasty generalization

neither biased nor hasty

“They say Japanese carmakers put out the best cars in the world, all things considered. But that can’t be right—the Toyota I bought last year had to be returned to the shop five times!” This is

Multiple Choice

a biased generalization.

a hasty generalization.

neither biased nor hasty.

As Harold is driving down the road from Glenn County to Montclair, he crosses into Salem County and notices that the pavement deteriorates. “I guess they don’t keep up their roads very well in this county,” he says. The sample in this passage is

Multiple Choice

roads in Glenn County.

roads in Salem County.

the road he’s driving on now.

“They say Japanese carmakers put out the best cars in the world, all things considered. But that can’t be right—the Toyota I bought last year had to be returned to the shop five times!” The population is

Multiple Choice

my Toyota.

Japanese cars.

the best cars in the world.

To think that what holds true of a group automatically holds true of the individuals in the group is known as the fallacy of

Multiple Choice

composition.

division.

accident.

hasty generalization.

“The legal drinking age should be increased. I’ll bet you can’t think of a reason not to.” Which of the following fallacies is present in this statement?

Multiple Choice

Misplacing the burden of proof

Appeal to ignorance

Perfectionist fallacy

Straw man fallacy