Logical Fallacies Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Which argument is circular?
“This rule has two benefits but also creates a cost.”
“This rule is old, so we should examine whether it still works.”
“This rule is fair because it is a just rule.”
“This rule changed before the outcome improved, but other causes are possible.”
2. A manager says, “We can either adopt my exact plan or accept that the project will fail.” What is the clearest flaw?
The manager attacks the people who disagree
The manager presents only two possibilities when others may exist
The manager relies on the plan's popularity
The manager assumes that sequence proves causation
3. A corporation reports very high annual profits. Devon concludes that every employee of the corporation must therefore be wealthy. Which fallacy is this?
Composition
Appeal to nature
Middle-ground fallacy
Division
4. Asked whether its product contains excessive sugar, a company responds, “Our packaging has won three design awards.” Which fallacy best describes the response?
Red herring
Appeal to ignorance
False analogy
Begging the question
5. Consider the argument: “Feathers are light. Anything that is light cannot be dark. Therefore, feathers cannot be dark.” Which fallacy drives the argument?
Appeal to popularity
Division
Equivocation
Red herring
6. A student says, “The school should reduce weekend homework.” A classmate responds, “So you want students to stop studying and learn nothing.” Which fallacy is this?
Straw man
Circular reasoning
Appeal to ignorance
Hasty generalization
7. An award-winning actor claims that a particular supplement prevents colds, so an advertisement concludes that the claim must be medically correct. Which fallacy is most relevant?
Slippery slope
Genetic fallacy
False dilemma
Appeal to an irrelevant authority
8. An advertisement says, “Millions of people use this budgeting app, so it must be the most accurate one.” Which fallacy supports the conclusion?
Ad hominem
Appeal to popularity
Appeal to consequences
Moving the goalposts
9. After receiving poor service from one employee at a large chain, a customer concludes, “Everyone who works for this company is incompetent.” Which fallacy is this?
Appeal to pity
Hasty generalization
Sunk cost fallacy
Circular reasoning
10. A town installs new benches in April, and reported theft rises in May. A resident concludes, “The benches caused the increase in theft.” Which fallacy best describes this inference?
Tu quoque
Appeal to authority
Composition
Post hoc, or false cause
11. A speaker argues, “If we allow employees to work remotely one day a week, soon nobody will come to the office, teamwork will collapse, and the company will close.” Which fallacy is most evident?
Slippery slope
Hasty generalization
Appeal to tradition
Appeal to popularity
12. A team keeps funding an unsuccessful project solely because it has already spent two years and a large sum of money on it. Which fallacy is shaping the decision?
False dilemma
Sunk cost fallacy
Hasty generalization
Appeal to authority
13. During a housing debate, Maya proposes allowing duplexes near transit. Leo replies, “Maya has never even owned a home, so her proposal is worthless.” Which fallacy is Leo using?
Appeal to tradition
Equivocation
False cause
Ad hominem
14. Which description best defines a logical fallacy?
A flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument
Any factual statement that turns out to be false
A conclusion that most listeners dislike
Any argument expressed with strong emotion
15. Someone says, “No one has proved that invisible visitors are not entering this room, so they must be here.” Which fallacy is this?
False equivalence
Appeal to emotion
Appeal to ignorance
Anecdotal fallacy
16. Nina criticizes Omar for repeatedly arriving late. Omar replies, “You were late last month, so your criticism does not count.” Which fallacy is Omar using?
Straw man
False cause
Tu quoque
Composition