Arguments and evidence
Strategy card
Evaluate arguments by their structure, evidence and hidden assumptions.
- Step 1: Identify conclusion, premises and the gap between them.
- Step 2: Name the assumption that bridges the gap.
- Step 3: Test answers: does this strengthen, weaken, or simply restate?
- Step 4: Watch for overgeneralizing, cause-vs-correlation and sampling problems.
Tip: The best answer is the one the passage supports most directly, not the most interesting one.
Worked example
What is the biggest problem with this evidence?
A company says its new app “improves sleep.” Its evidence: 90% of users who answered a survey on the app said they sleep better.
- A: 90% is too high a number to be real.
- B: The app has a nice design.
- C: Sleep can't be measured at all.
- D: Only users who chose to answer were counted, and they may be the happiest users. (the answer)
Why: A self-selected survey can be biased: unhappy users may simply not respond.
Your turn
Your turn 1 of 3
What is the best way to check this claim?
A pretend AI chatbot says: “Penguins live at the North Pole.”
Your turn 2 of 3
Which best describes the flaw?
“Since our town built the new skate park, there have been fewer broken windows downtown. The skate park stopped the vandalism.”
Your turn 3 of 3
Which assumption is the argument making?
“Test scores rose after the school started later in the morning. Therefore, every school should start later.”
Keep practicing
Grown-ups: Debate a topic at dinner using evidence. Parent guide
Next lesson: Checking AI answers