§-Quick questions
NSWInvestigating ScienceModule 7: Fact or Fallacy?
Quick questions on Logical fallacies and cognitive bias: HSC Investigating Science Module 7
15short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are common cognitive biases?Show answer
Confirmation bias. Seeking and remembering information that confirms existing beliefs while ignoring contrary evidence. The most pervasive cognitive bias in scientific reasoning.
What is ad hominem?Show answer
Attacking the person rather than their argument.
What is appeal to authority?Show answer
Accepting a claim because an authority figure said it, without evidence.
What is false dichotomy?Show answer
Presenting only two options when more exist.
What is post hoc ergo propter hoc?Show answer
"After this, therefore because of this." Treating temporal sequence as causal.
What is strawman?Show answer
Attacking a misrepresented version of an opponent's argument.
What is slippery slope?Show answer
Claiming one step inevitably leads to extreme consequences without evidence.
What is naturalistic fallacy?Show answer
Treating natural as good.
What is genetic fallacy?Show answer
Judging a claim by its origin rather than its merits.
What is argument from ignorance?Show answer
Treating absence of evidence as evidence of absence (or presence).
What are confirmation bias?Show answer
Seeking and remembering information that confirms existing beliefs while ignoring contrary evidence. The most pervasive cognitive bias in scientific reasoning.
What is availability heuristic?Show answer
Judging probability by ease of recall. Plane crashes get heavy news coverage, so people overestimate the risk of flying compared with driving.
What is dunning-Kruger effect?Show answer
People with limited knowledge of a topic over-estimate their expertise. People with deep knowledge tend to under-estimate it.
What are survivorship bias?Show answer
Drawing conclusions only from successful examples (the survivors) while ignoring the failures. "Successful companies all do X" ignores all the failed companies that also did X.
What are hindsight bias?Show answer
Believing past events were more predictable than they actually were, after they have happened.