03 Jun critical thinking use Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking

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Study Room Forum Week 7

 

This Study Room draws from Exercise 22 in the textbook on pages 144-145.

 

TWO POSTS REQUIRED. Please note that POST 1 has two parts.

 

POST 1

 

PART 1

 

Select TWO of the statistical generalizations below and do the following:

 

If there is a problem with the generalization, specify which of the two conditions (adequate sample size, non-biased sample) are not met, and explain why the condition(s) is not met. Some generalizations may have multiple problems. If so, specify and explain all of the problems you see with the generalization. (Try to select generalizations that other students have not addressed. If all of them have been addressed. Select two generalizations which you believe have not be adequately treated by other students. Also, do not select the generalizations which you believe are the strongest and weakest in your response to Part 1.)

 

THEN,

 

PART 2

 

Identify which of the 14 generalizations provides the STRONGEST ARGUMENT, in your opinion, and which generalizations provides the WEAKEST ARGUMENT. Explain why you think these are the strongest and weakest arguments.

 

SECOND POST

 

Respond to the post of another student. Remember to be courteous and respectful. Focus on one generalization. If you disagree with the analysis, explain why. If you agree, explain why. Try to work together to practice the skills of evaluating generalizations.

 

Here are the statistical generalizations to be considered:

 

1. Tom counts and categorizes birds that land in the tree in his backyard every morning from 5:00-5:20 am. He counts mostly morning doves and generalizes, “most birds that land in my tree in the morning are morning doves.”

 

2. Tom counts and categorizes birds that land in the tree in his backyard every morning from 5:00-6:00 am. He counts mostly morning doves and generalizes, “most birds that land in my tree during the 24-hour day are morning doves.”

 

3. Tom counts and categorizes birds that land in the tree in his backyard every day from 5:00-6:00 am, from 11:00-12:00 pm, and from 5:00- 6:00 pm. He counts mostly morning doves and generalizes, “most birds that land in my tree during the 24-hour day are morning doves.”

 

4. Tom counts and categorizes birds that land in the tree in his backyard every evening from 10:00-11:00 pm. He counts mostly owls and generalizes, “most birds that land in my tree throughout the 24-hour day are owls.”

 

5. Tom counts and categorizes birds that land in the tree in his backyard every evening from 10:00-11:00 pm and from 2:00-3:00 am. He counts mostly owls and generalizes, “most birds that land in my tree throughout the night are owls.”

 

6. A poll administered to 10,000 registered voters who were home- owners showed that 90% supported a policy to slash Medicaid funding and decrease property taxes. Therefore, 90% of voters support a policy to slash Medicaid funding.

 

7. A telephone poll administered by a computer randomly generating numbers to call, found that 68% of Americans in the sample of 2000 were in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana use. Thus, almost 70% of Americans favor legalizing recreation marijuana use.

 

8. A randomized telephone poll in the United States asked respondents whether they supported a) a policy that allows killing innocent children in the womb or b) a policy that saves the lives of innocent children in the womb. The results showed that 69% of respondents choose option “b” over option “a.” The generalization was made that “most Americans favor a policy that disallows abortion.”

 

9.Steve’s first rock and roll concert was an Ani Difranco concert, in which most of the concert-goers were women with feminist political slogans written on their t-shirts. Steve makes the generalization that “most rock and roll concert-goers are women who are feminists.” He then applies this generalization to the next concert he attends (Tom Petty) and is greatly surprised by what he finds.

 

10.A high school principal conducts a survey of how satisfied students are with his high school by asking students in detention to fill out a satisfaction survey. Generalizing from that sample, he infers that 79% of students are dissatisfied with their high school experience. He is surprised and saddened by the result.

 

11.After having attended numerous Pistons home games over 20 years, Alice cannot remember a time when she didn’t see ticket scalpers selling tickets outside the stadium. She generalizes that there are always scalpers at every Pistons home game.

 

12.After having attended numerous Pistons home games over 20 years, Alice cannot remember a time when she didn’t see ticket scalpers selling tickets outside the stadium. She generalizes that there are ticket scalpers at every NBA game.

 

13.After having attended numerous Pistons home games over 20 years, Alice cannot remember a time when she didn’t see ticket scalpers selling tickets outside the stadium. She generalizes that there are ticket scalpers at every sporting event.

 

14.Bob once ordered a hamburger from Burger King and got violently ill shortly after he ate it. From now on, he never eats at Burger King because he fears he will get food poisoning.