Logical Fallacies

In teaching a math-literacy-type class, I cover a unit on basic logic. What follows are the dismal results of a quiz on logical fallacies. 23 students total took the quiz.

• "Classes go more smoothly when the students and the professor are getting along well. Therefore, grading this class on a curve would be the fairest thing to do." - correctly identified as red herring by 4 students (17%).
• "Every swan I have seen is white, so it must be true that all swans are white." - correctly identified as hasty generalization by 11 students (48%).
• "I should receive an A in this class. After all, if I don't get an A I won't get the scholarship that I want." - correctly identified as appeal to emotion by 3 students (13%).
• "More cows die in India in the summer months. More ice cream is consumed in summer months. Therefore, the consumption of ice cream in the summer months is killing Indian cows." - correctly identified as false cause by 10 students (43%).
• "Most people approve of gun control laws. If most people approve of them, then they must be good." - correctly identified as appeal to majority by 16 students (70%).
• "Paul must be telling the truth, because I have heard him say the same thing many times before." - correctly identified as begging the question by 5 students (22%).
• "Senator Jones says that we should not fund the attack submarine program. I disagree entirely. I can't understand why he wants to leave us defenseless like that." - correctly identified as straw man by 9 students (39%).
• "Since you cannot prove that ghosts do not exist, they must exist." - correctly identified as appeal to ignorance by 11 students (48%).
• "Tobacco company representatives should not be believed when they say smoking doesn't seriously affect your health, because they're just defending their own multi-million-dollar financial interests." - correctly identified as ad hominem by 5 students (22%).
• "You're either part of the solution or part of the problem." - correctly identified as false dichotomy by 6 students (26%).

What is truly disturbing is that this is the generation that voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Given their ineptness in spotting bad arguments and logical fallacies, I suppose that goes a long way towards explaining why they fell for that Chicago pol hook, line, and sinker.

But it still doesn't inspire confidence in the judgment of the next generation.