Decision Making and Problem Solving Question
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Course Introduction
This course explores the theories, models, and practical tools used in effective decision making and problem solving in both personal and organizational contexts. Students will analyze cognitive processes, identify common biases and errors in judgment, and apply structured approaches to complex problems. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, creativity, group dynamics, and ethical considerations, with opportunities to practice skills through real-life scenarios, case studies, and simulations. By the end of the course, students will have developed the ability to systematically assess situations, generate alternatives, evaluate risks, and implement solutions to drive successful outcomes.
Recommended Textbook
Critical Thinking A Users Manual 1st Edition by Debra Jackson
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10 Chapters
215 Verified Questions
215 Flashcards
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2
Chapter 1: Recognizing Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Mark was late to work today because he overslept.
A) Argument
B) Explanation
C) Neither an argument nor an explanation
Answer: B
Q2) An enormous ash cloud from a remote Icelandic volcano caused flight disruptions last weekend. The flights were disrupted because small particles from the ash could cause engine failure.
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
Answer: C
Q3) Roger never ate unless he was hungry, and he seldom is hungry.
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
Answer: C
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Analyzing Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Rhinoceros herds must be protected, so you ought to support the Save African Rhinos campaign.
Answer: P: Rhinoceros herds must be protected. \(\therefore\) You ought to support the Save African Rhinos campaign.
Issue: Whether you ought to support the Save African Rhinos campaign
Q2) "Healthy. Delicious. Drink Ovaltine!" Which of the following claims represents the implied conclusion of this argument?
A) Ovaltine is healthy.
B) Ovaltine is delicious.
C) You should drink Ovaltine.
D) None; this is not an argument.
Answer: C
Q3) "The defendant should be acquitted insofar as the evidence is weak and the witnesses are unreliable." Which of the following claims represents the conclusion of this argument?
A) The defendant should be acquitted.
B) The evidence is weak.
C) The witnesses are unrealiable.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Diagramming Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Leakage of fluid from the site of a spinal tap can lead to severe headache, and for this reason, the patient is asked to remain lying down for 8 to 24 hours after the procedure to minimize the leakage of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) from the puncture site.
-Gerard Tortora, Principles of Human Anatomy
Answer: This passage from Gerard Tortora's Principles of Human Anatomy contains an explanation. The explanandum is that the patient is asked to remain lying down for 8 to 24 hours after a spinal tap to minimize the leakage of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) from the puncture site. The explanans is that leakage of fluid from the site of a spinal tap can lead to severe headache.
Q2) If the economy doesn't improve soon, there will be large scale unemployment within the next few months. Because it won't improve soon, many people will be out of work by the end of the year. As a result, expect a bleak Christmas.
Answer: 1. If the economy doesn't improve soon, there will be large scale unemployment within the next few months. Because 2. it won't improve soon, 3. many people will be out of work by the end of the year. As a result, 4. expect a bleak Christmas. 4. You should expect a bleak Christmas.
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5
Chapter 4: Detecting Fallacies
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Sample Questions
Q1) We are constantly hearing about the need to pay teachers based on their performance. What a terrible idea! Teachers are people who unselfishly give time and energy to their pupils. They also serve as important roles models for young people. Furthermore, they all have invested time and money in earning their college degrees.
A) begging the question
B) appeal to ignorance
C) appeal to illegitimate authority
D) ad hominem
E) strawman
F) red herring
G) no fallacy committed
Q2) Cell phones will probably replace the traditional phones throughout the world for they allow for access anywhere, not just at home. As a consequence, you would be wise to begin investing in cell phone manufacturers. At least, that's my advice.
Q3) The CEO of the new green energy firm that recently moved into town gave a talk at the Town Hall meeting where he argued that building green will actually save the city money in the long run. Yet, this can't be true. After all, he's just going to say what is in his company's best interest, isn't he?
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Chapter 5: Preparing to Evaluate Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) What evaluative language should you use for causal arguments?
A) valid/invalid; cogent/uncogent
B) valid/invalid; sound/unsound
C) strong/weak; cogent/uncogent
D) strong/weak; sound/unsound
Q2) What evaluative language should you use for truth-functional arguments?
A) valid/invalid; cogent/uncogent
B) valid/invalid; sound/unsound
C) strong/weak; cogent/uncogent
D) strong/weak; sound/unsound
Q3) What evaluative language should you use for inductive generalizations?
A) valid/invalid; cogent/uncogent
B) valid/invalid; sound/unsound
C) strong/weak; cogent/uncogent
D) strong/weak; sound/unsound
Q4) What evaluative language should you use for categorical arguments?
A) valid/invalid; cogent/uncogent
B) valid/invalid; sound/unsound
C) strong/weak; cogent/uncogent
D) strong/weak; sound/unsound
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Chapter 6: Evaluating Categorical Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) It is obvious that Proactiv Solution acne treatment system is the best product on the market for achieving clear, blemish-free skin. After all, Kelly Clarkson, famous singer-songwriter and winner of the 2002 American Idol, says so.
Q2) Educated people have good manners, and no one who has good manners can be selfish.
Q3) Wherever you go I will follow.
Q4) Some P are not M
Some S are M
Some S are not P
Q5) Shakira is a singer.
Q6) Every retail store is a small business. Accordingly, given that all companies are small businesses, retail stores are companies.
Q7) If Taliban fighters really shot down two American jets, then American technology is not as good as we thought it was. Therefore, the Taliban couldn't really have shot down the American jets, given that American technology is as good as we thought it was.
Q8) Only students are allowed access to the recreation center.
Q9) Denzel is an Academy Award winner, and all Academy Award winners are comedians.
Q10) Not every six-year old knows how to tie his or her shoes.
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Chapter 7: Evaluating Truth-Functional Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Charles is not cheating and Vincent is deceptive, only if Hank is not aggressive. Now, if Bradley is trustworthy, then Charles is not cheating. Thus, since either Hank is aggressive or Charles is cheating, it's not the case that both Hank is aggressive and Bradley is trustworthy.
Q2) How can you accuse the police chief of bias since he has never treated someone unfairly?
Q3) Either kestrels winter in Mexico and summer in Canada, or they remain all year here in Alabama.
A) (M C) \(\lor\) A
B) (M \(\lor\) C) A
C) M C \(\lor\) A
D) M (C \(\lor\) A)
Q4) Psychologists at the University of Manitoba performed an experiment in which high school students who exercised before school did better in their early morning math class. The exercise was most likely the cause of the improvement in math, given that of the three groups of students in the study, only the students who exercised before math class showed improvement.
Q5) \( \begin{array}{l}A \cdot B \\ \sim \underline{B} \\ \therefore \sim A\end{array} \)
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Chapter 8: Evaluating Analogical Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Octopus defend themselves by ejecting ink from their bodies. We can expect, then, that squid also defend themselves by ejecting ink from their bodies. After all, both octopus and squid are mollusks and have blue blood.
Q2) The quick responses and fast thinking required for video game proficiency are like the responses and thinking required for flying a stealth fighter.
Q3) The Crescent City School District has seen improved overall standardized test scores for Middle School students each year for the past five years. We thus have reason to believe, given the similarities between the Crescent City School District and the Windy City School District, that scores have improved in the Windy City School District as well.
Q4) Which analogical argument is stronger?
A) Oman is a country in the middle east. Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia are also countries in the middle east. Since Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia are large oil producers, Oman is probably a large oil producer.
B) Oman is a country in the Middle East. Iran and Saudi Arabia are also countries in the Middle East. Since Iran and Saudi Arabia are large oil producers, Oman is probably a large oil producer.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Evaluating Inductive Generalizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Juan wants to join a ski club so he can go skiing. He remembers that when he went to college in Pennsylvania, the college had a ski club. The same was correct when he went to college in Arizona and in Colorado. He reasons that since those other colleges had ski clubs, most colleges will have one, too.
Q2) It's clear that college students text a lot. While walking across campus today I noticed five students texting.
Q3) Which inductive generalization is stronger?
A) In a recent survey of 500 people at the Spring Valley mall, the vast majority declared that a college education was a valuable aid to having a good life. Therefore, most Spring Valley residents think that having a college education will help them have a good life.
B) In a recent survey of 25 people at the Spring Valley mall, the vast majority declared that a college education was a valuable aid to having a good life. Therefore, most Spring Valley residents think that having a college education will help them have a good life.
Q4) I've read four novels by Russian authors and each of them was intellectually challenging. This must mean that every Russian novel is intellectually challenging.
Q5) I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there.-Herb Caen
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Chapter 10: Evaluating Causal Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which causal argument is stronger?
A) The swim team had better overall results in their last meet. It seems likely that the reason for the good performance was taking a day off from practice right before the meet. This was the only difference between their practice sessions for this meet and other meets-they maintained the same practice schedule every other day in the week. Thus, taking a day off before the meet must have caused the improved swim team performance.
B) The swim team had better overall results in their last meet. It seems likely that the reason for the good performance was taking a day off from practice right before the meet. This was the only difference between their practice sessions for this meet and other meets. Thus, taking a day off before the meet must have caused the improved swim team performance.
Q2) The peer educator program has been quite effective in reducing the rate of teen pregnancy in two Illinois high schools. This conclusion follows from the fact that the rate of teen pregnancy has fallen in both schools, and both have new peer educator programs.
Q3) Quentin Tarantino's new movie is not doing well at the box office. The cause must be the lack of violence because all his previous movies had loads of violence, and this one has none.
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Page 12