The Little Blue Reasoning Book - Brandon Royal [34]
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Tip #24: Changes in definition destroy the ability to make valid comparisons.
Problem 13: Hyperactivity
Viewing children as more hyperactive today than they were ten years ago, many adults place the blame squarely on the popularity of video games and multimedia entertainment.
Which of the following revelations would most undermine the argument above?
A) Even if children today are more hyperactive than they were ten years ago, they are widely viewed as more spontaneous and creative.
B) The claim that children are more aggressive today is a more serious charge than their being considered more hyperactive.
C) Children’s books published in recent years contain on average more pictures than do children’s books published in the past.
D) More types of behavior are deemed hyperactive today than were ten years ago.
E) Incidences of ailments such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are reported to be on the increase in recent years.
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Tip #25: If a situation involves a “survey,” check to see if the survey is based on a sample which is both quantitatively and qualitatively representative.
Problem 14: Movie Buffs
According to a recent survey, any sequel to the movie Victim’s Revenge will not fare well. Respondents to a recent survey of moviegoers leaving Sunday matinees around the country indicated that movies based on serial killers with psychopathic tendencies have fallen out of vogue with current movie buffs. Therefore, if movie studios want to produce films that are financially successful, they should avoid producing such films.
Which of the following would most weaken the idea that film studios should stop production of stories and dramas based on serial killers with psychopathic tendencies?
A) Movie stars have a significant following of people who see their every film.
B) People who attend Sunday matinees are not representative of the views of the moviegoing population as a whole.
C) The film Psycho, originally directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was a big hit in 1960 and was remade in 1998.
D) Both student enrollment in college criminology courses and book sales based on the lives of real-life serial killers are up.
E) The cost of making such movies requires skillful actors who can portray emotional conflict and intellectualism, and these actors demand high salaries.
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Tip #26: Representativeness assumptions are based on the idea that some smaller factor is representative of the larger whole.
Problem 15: Bull Market
“Wow, the economy of India sure is strong. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has gone up by more than 1,000 points since the beginning of the year.”
Which of the following would lend the strongest support for the speaker’s comments above?
A) The National Stock Exchange (NSE) is a fair indicator by which to judge the strength of the overall Indian economy.
B) The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) index has also gone up nearly 500 points since the beginning of the year.
C) The National Stock Exchange (NSE) index was actually down during this exact time last year.
D) During the same time period in which the Indian economy was considered strong, the economies of Asia and Europe were also considered strong.
E) The National Stock Exchange (NSE) Index, historically, is subject to great fluctuations.
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Tip #27: Broadly speaking, representativeness assumptions occur anytime that we argue from the particular to the general.
Problem 16: Putting
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Someone who accepted the reasoning in the advertisement