Controversial Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Which claim is most clearly testable and falsifiable?
This policy is morally wrong in every possible sense
This is unquestionably the best approach anyone could choose
Within one year of implementation, average reported wait times will fall by at least 10%
Anyone who understands the issue already knows the answer
2. A short video clip appears to show a public figure making an inflammatory remark. What is the strongest next step before interpreting it?
Assume the clip is complete because the speaker is visible
Locate the longer recording or transcript and check the surrounding context
Read the most-liked reaction posted beneath the clip
Judge it by whether the remark fits the speaker's reputation
3. In a policy discussion, one participant shares a vivid personal story. How should that anecdote generally be treated?
As irrelevant because personal experiences never contribute to discussion
As a potentially useful illustration that does not by itself establish a general pattern
As stronger evidence than systematic data because it is firsthand
As proof that everyone in a similar situation has the same experience
4. You encounter an unfamiliar website making a dramatic claim about a controversial issue. What does “lateral reading” suggest doing?
Leave the page temporarily and check what independent sources say about the site and claim
Read every page on that website before consulting anything else
Judge credibility mainly from the site's design and writing style
Search only within the website for statements supporting its claim
5. A speaker proposes limiting car traffic on two downtown streets. A critic replies, “My opponent wants to ban every car in the entire city.” Which reasoning error is this?
Straw man
Appeal to popularity
Circular reasoning
False cause
6. A headline says, “Shocking study proves a popular habit is dangerous.” Before sharing it, what should you examine most closely?
Whether the headline uses a quotation from a public figure
Whether the conclusion matches your previous experience
How many times the headline has already been shared
The study's design, sample, limitations, and actual reported results
7. People disagree about what happened during a city council vote. Which source would be the most direct primary source for the vote itself?
An opinion column published the following week
A campaign advertisement discussing the decision
A textbook chapter about local government
The council's official vote record and meeting transcript
8. A writer cites three studies supporting a position while omitting several comparable studies with conflicting findings. What practice does this most clearly illustrate?
Random sampling
Operational definition
Steel-manning
Cherry-picking
9. What does it mean to “steelman” another person's argument?
Repeat it using more emotionally forceful language
List every possible objection before they can respond
Present its strongest reasonable form before evaluating it
Treat the argument as correct to avoid disagreement
10. During a debate, a person claims that an unobserved organization secretly controls all news coverage. Others say the claim needs evidence. Who generally carries the burden of proof?
The person making the claim
Whichever participant has fewer supporters
Anyone who doubts the claim
No one, because claims about hidden activity cannot be assessed
11. A viral post cites a survey claiming that 60% of residents support a disputed policy but provides no link. What is the best initial way to verify the claim?
Find the original survey and examine its sample, wording, date, and sponsor
Check whether the post has more supportive than critical comments
Look for another social post that reports the same percentage
Accept the number if it appears precise rather than rounded
12. A chart shows that two trends increased during the same decade. What can be concluded from that information alone?
The trend that began first must have caused the other
The trends are correlated, but the chart alone does not establish causation
A hidden third factor definitely caused both trends
The trends must continue increasing at the same rate
13. A commentator says, “Either you support this bill exactly as written, or you do not care about the problem.” What flaw does this illustrate?
Hasty generalization
Appeal to authority
False dilemma
Red herring
14. Someone dismisses an argument about tax policy solely by saying, “The person making it is an overpaid celebrity.” What fallacy is most clearly present?
Slippery slope
Equivocation
Appeal to tradition
Ad hominem
15. Which statement best describes expert consensus?
It is established whenever most people in an online poll agree
It is broad expert agreement based on the available evidence, without requiring unanimity
It means every qualified expert holds an identical view
It makes further investigation unnecessary
16. A discussion becomes tense after someone says their view has been misrepresented. Which response best demonstrates active listening?
Change the subject before either person clarifies the disagreement
Repeat your own conclusion more firmly so your position is unmistakable
Summarize their position in neutral words and ask whether you understood it correctly
Ask other participants to vote on whose interpretation is correct