Logical Reasoning

PT15 · S2 · Q17 Most people believe that yawning

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Most people believe that yawning is most powerfully triggered by seeing someone else yawn.

Conclusion

Seeing someone else yawn is the most powerful trigger for yawning.

Evidence

Most people believe that , not only today but (supposedly) in the past as well.

Evaluate

Hey, just because most people believe it doesn't mean it's true. Most people believe that there is a God. That doesn't mean that there definitely is a God.

This author is overly reliant on the opinions of most people, when we'd probably like to hear what science has to say.

Does someone with a degree in biology or physiology want to sign off on this concept that ?

Goal

Look for an answer complaining that the author is relying on Opinion instead of science, or an answer that otherwise makes the case that .

17.

The argument is most vulnerable to which one of the following criticisms?

  1. It attempts to support its

    Wrong Flaw

    This refers to the famous Circular Reasoning flaw, in which the conclusion restates the evidence. The conclusion is certainly very similarly stated, but there is a big difference between saying "Most people believe X is true" and saying "X is true". Also, the author has a second premise: "not only do they believe it nowadays, they've believed it throughout history". A circular argument basically means there were no premises. If you can isolate at least one supporting idea that is distinct from the conclusion, then it's probably not circular.

    20% picked this

  2. It cites the evidence of

    Not Accurate

    Does the argument cite the evidence of historians of popular culture? Yes. Is that in direct support of a claim that lies outside their expertise? No, not really. It's adding heft to the idea that most people (currently) believe that seeing someone else yawn is the most powerful trigger of yawning. What people believe in this timeframe or that one, in this area or that one, seems like it would be within the expertise of historians of popular culture. A widely held belief of a given society seems like exactly the sort of thing that historians of popular culture would be studying. Another famous flaw is Inappropriate Appeal (to emotion / to opinion / to a purported expert). This answer is describing that third version. But when that third version is the problem, it would be something weirder like "Do nitrogen and helium form covalent bonds? We asked historians of popular culture".

    20% picked this

  3. It makes a sweeping generalization

    Wrong Flaw

    This describes the famous Sampling flaw, but the argument doesn't go from "because it was true in these cases, it must be generally true". The author is saying "because most people now and in years past believe that X is true, X is true."

    2% picked this

  4. Correct

    It supports its conclusion by

    Why this is right

    Does the author support her conclusion solely by appealing to opinion? Yes. She references the belief (i.e. opinion) of most people nowadays as well as that of people from disparate societies in years past. Is the matter being discussed largely factual? Yeah, it should be. Since yawning is a biological behavior, it's most powerful trigger would be something we would assess by understanding the physiology of how yawning works and what in the body causes it.

    Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    47% picked this

  5. It takes for granted that

    Contradicted

    It never presumes that "seeing someone else yawn" is the only cause of yawning; it's saying that it's the most irresistible cause, implying that there are other causes of yawning that are just less powerful.

    11% picked this

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