Decision Making and Problem Solving Final
Test Solutions
Course Introduction
This course explores the theories, processes, and practical techniques vital to effective decision making and problem solving in organizational and everyday contexts. Students will examine the cognitive, emotional, and social factors that influence how individuals and groups approach complex situations, as well as common obstacles such as bias, uncertainty, and limited information. Through case studies, interactive exercises, and analytical frameworks, students will develop skills in critical thinking, structured problem analysis, creative solution generation, and the evaluation of alternatives. The course also covers models for ethical decision making and provides tools to improve both individual and collaborative decision outcomes in dynamic environments.
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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Chapter 1: Recognizing Arguments
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20 Verified Questions
20 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Be wary of strangers on the Internet.
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
Answer: A
Q2) Roger never ate unless he was hungry, and he seldom is hungry.
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
Answer: C
Q3) The cost of home computers has dropped because production costs are lower.
A) Argument
B) Explanation
C) Neither an argument nor an explanation
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Analyzing Arguments
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25 Verified Questions
25 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Fisher Price has initiated a recall of nearly one million character toys manufactured in 2007, including Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer, because the surface paint on the toys may contain excessive amounts of lead.
Answer: This passage contains an explanation. The explanandum is that Fisher Price has initiated a recall of nearly one million character toys manufactured in 2007, including Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer. The explanans is that the surface paint on the Fisher Price toys may contain excessive amounts of lead.
Q2) The governor has decided to cut funding to the state universities because he is much more concerned about locking up drug offenders than he is about educating the younger generation.
Answer: This passage contains an explanation. The explanandum is that the governor has decided to cut funding to the state universities. The explanans is that the governor is much more concerned about locking up drug offenders than he is about educating the younger generation.
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Chapter 3: Diagramming Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Robert said that he will accept the job transfer offer if the company will pay his moving expenses. Given that he just heard that they will pay those expenses, you know what that means, don't you?
Answer: 1. Robert said that he will accept the job transfer offer if the company will pay his moving expenses. Given that 2. he just heard that they will pay those expenses, 3. you know what that means, don't you?
4. Robert will accept the job transfer offer.
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Q2) People who study history are wiser than those who do not. This is because studying history makes a person less likely to repeat the mistakes of the past, and not repeating past mistakes is a sign of wisdom. And since the primary aim of education is producing wisdom, all schools should require the study of history.
Answer: 1. People who study history are wiser than those who do not. This is because 2.studying history makes a person less likely to repeat the mistakes of the past, and 4. not repeating past mistakes is a sign of wisdom. And since 5. the primary aim of education is producing wisdom, 5. all schools should require the study of history.
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Chapter 4: Detecting Fallacies
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15 Flashcards
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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) Just in the last month I've heard a number of people claiming that one-use plastic bags from grocery stores are terrible for the environment. Hah! Using plastic bags is by far the easiest way to carry groceries, and the cost to the store must be insignificant.
Q3) 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.
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Chapter 5: Preparing to Evaluate Arguments
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20 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Unemployment is probably rising throughout most California counties, for the reason that it has been rising in Kern and Los Angeles counties.
A) categorical argument
B) truth-functional argument
C) analogical argument
D) inductive generalization
E) causal argument
Q2) 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
Q3) What evaluative language should you use for analogical arguments?
A) valid/invalid; cogent/uncogent
B) valid/invalid; sound/unsound
C) strong/weak; cogent/uncogent
D) strong/weak; sound/unsound
Q4) The reason that the number of latch key children has risen in recent months is that more families than ever before have both adults working full time.
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Chapter 6: Evaluating Categorical Arguments
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Shakira is a singer.
Q2) Some sports cars are red.
Q3) 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.
Q4) Denzel is an Academy Award winner, and all Academy Award winners are comedians.
Q5) Some P are not M
Some S are M
Some S are not P
Q6) The bill should be paid by whoever bought the item.
Q7) It's likely that most people in Boise work out with weights at least twice a week. A survey of people leaving Gold's Gym showed that three-quarters of them work out with weights at least twice a week.
Q8) Not everyone who's tall plays basketball. This is because soccer players are tall, and not every soccer player is a basketball player.
Q9) If you want to be a nursing major, then you must take an anatomy class.
Page 8
Q10) School buses are the only vehicles exempt from seatbelt laws. So, a few private vehicles are not exempt from seatbelt laws.
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Chapter 7: Evaluating Truth-Functional Arguments
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35 Verified Questions
35 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) This spring, Michael will go to Europe or travel through China, and he will keep a daily journal.
A) E \(\lor\) C J
B) (E \(\lor\) C) J
C) E \(\lor\) (C J)
D) (E C) \(\lor\) J
Q2) If superstring theory is proven correct, we will be forced to accept that the reality we have known is but a delicate chiffon draped over a thick and richly textured cosmic fabric. -Brian Greene, The Fabric of the Cosmos
Q3) \( \begin{array}{l}\mathrm{Q} \vee \sim \mathrm{E} \\\underline{ \sim \mathrm{Q}} \\ \therefore \sim \mathrm{E}\end{array} \)
Q4) How can you accuse the police chief of bias since he has never treated someone unfairly?
Q5) Can you believe what is now going on in the art world? If either the art historians are not correct or the artists are not progressive, then retro art is not just a fad. Therefore, neither the art historians or the critics are correct, since Dada is boring and retro art is just a fad.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Evaluating Analogical Arguments
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15 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which analogical argument is stronger?
A) Grease, oil, road tar, and paint thinner are all flammable. Thus paint thinner is a refined product since grease, oil, and road tar are refined products.
B) Grease, oil, and paint thinner are all flammable. Thus paint thinner is a refined product since grease and oil are refined products.
Q2) 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.
Q3) Portugal is a lot like Spain. Since the decriminalization of drugs in Portugal has resulted in a decline of drug use among youth, the decriminalization of drugs in Spain will also decrease drug use among youth.
Q4) Some people claim that stretching before exercising is a waste of time. I disagree. No one has proven that's true.
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Chapter 9: Evaluating Inductive Generalizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which inductive generalization is stronger?
A) In a psychology class experiment to determine how many students suffer from test anxiety, student researchers visited three freshman-level courses and had students fill out survey questionnaires. Since 53% of respondents admitted to having test anxiety, it's safe to conclude that about half of all students on campus have test anxiety.
B) In a psychology class experiment to determine how many students suffer from test anxiety, student researchers visited one freshman-level course, one sophomore-level course, and one senior course and had students fill out survey questionnaires. Since 53% of respondents admitted to having test anxiety, it's safe to conclude that about half of all students on campus have test anxiety.
Q2) According to the writers at Fortune, insider trading is inevitable. However, if that were true, then there wouldn't be laws against it, and insider trading is illegal.
Q3) 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.
Q4) I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there.-Herb Caen
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11
Chapter 10: Evaluating Causal Arguments
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which causal argument is stronger?
A) The population of frogs in three California counties has declined dramatically in the last decade. Loss of habitat must be the cause, since increased demand for housing has eliminated more than half of the available wetlands in all three counties, and this appears to be the only factor all three have in common.
B) The population of frogs in three California counties has declined dramatically in the last decade. Loss of habitat must be the cause, since increased demand for housing has eliminated more than half of the available wetlands in all three counties, and this appears to be the only factor all three have in common. Only one county is rural, and only two counties have experienced an increase in frog predators.
Q2) The stock market lost 10% of its value last week. Why is that? It appears that the cause was the closure of the Suez Canal, since that was the only factor that was different from the previous week where stock prices were at record highs. No major oil exporting nations lowered exports, no major refiners were experiencing slowdowns, and no major crises were taking place elsewhere in the world.
Q3) Painting the Golden Gate Bridge is an ongoing job because the salt air from the ocean rusts and corrodes the steel components.-goldengatebridge.org
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