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Study Guide for the Fall 2002 NS4/NS4H Final Exam
Preliminary for both sections taught by Dr. Zellmer
For NS4, TuTh 4-5:15 Section:
Comprehensive: Chapters 1 through 5 of Moore. New material
since HE2 is on Causality, including Chapter 5 of Moore. Presentations on (HE1):
UFOs and Poltergeists; (HE2): Homeopathy, ESP, Freudian Psychoanalysis, NDE,
Astrology, and Psychokinesis; (New): Bermuda Triangle and Ancient Astronauts;
Creationism, Baloney Detection Kits. Assigned Readings from Weird Things and
Hines on all the presentations.
For NS4H, MWF, 8 am Section:
Comprehensive: Chapters 1 through 5 of Moore. New material
since HE2 is on Causality, including Chapter 5 of Moore and the philosophical
and other information in the Causality material. Presentations: (HE1): Psychoanalysis,
Poltergeists; (HE2): UFO, Bermuda Triangle, ESP, PK, and Chiropractic; (New:)
Creationism, Baloney Detection Kits. Assigned Readings from Weird Things and
Hines are also included, as well as material from the Special Assignments. (See
Honors Assignments at the NS4 web site.)
The following information will appear on the first page
of the Final Exam.
Information: A list of the Informal Fallacies and
some related critical tools and concepts introduced in this course:
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Formal Arguments: The Issue, The Premises,
the Conclusion.
Opinions, claims, and evidence.
Begging the Question (tautology)
False Dilemma
Equivocation (2 word meanings)
Composition (parts --> whole)
Division (whole --> parts)
Genetic Fallacy
Hasty Generalization
Faulty Analogy
Appeal to Authority
Appeal to the Masses
Appeal to Tradition
Appeal to Ignorance (Appeal to Lack of Evidence)
Appeal to Invincible Ignorance
Appeal to Baloney (psuedoscientific jargon, AKA "the Snow Job")
Appeal to Fear
Appeal to the Person (ad hominem)
Fallacy of False Cause (post hoc ergo propter hoc
)Confirmational Bias (cherry picking)
Subjective Validation
Reconstructed Memories
Burden of Proof
Inductive & Deductive
Argument by Analogy
reductio ad absurdum
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Universal Generalizations
Statistical Generalizations
Fallacy of Hasty Generalization (in space or in time)
Fallacy of Assumed Linearity
Appeal to Innumeracy
Fallacy of Biased Sample
Fallacy of Anecdotal Evidence
Fallacy of Specificity (Too Exact to Be True)
Shooting Yourself in the Foot
Fallacy of Confirming Evidence (Includes Cherry Picking and Subjective
Validation)
Superstition
Fallacy of Label Slapping
Observations, Questions, and Multiple Hypotheses
"Why is That?": the Good Question
Rules of Inference (p's and q's)
Troubleshooting Trees and Strong Inference
Modus Tollens and Disconfirmation
Criteria of Adequacy: Testability, Fruitfulness, Scope, Simplicity, and
Conservatism
"if and only if"; "Necessary and Sufficient"
Null Hypothesis - the true story
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Single Cause (A causes B)
Multiple Cause (A1, A2, ... cause B)
Statistical inference of causation
Mechanistic explanation of causation
Legal assignment of causation
Mill's Methods: Agreement, Difference, and Concomitant Variation.
Fallacies of False Cause:
Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy,
Coincidence Fallacy,
Common Cause Fallacy,
Backwards (Chaotic) Fallacy.
False Patterns in Random (or Vague) Data
Correlation does not prove Causation
Randomized Experimental Design: Experimental Group, Control Group, Double
Blind, Significance Testing.
Prospective Designs
Retrospective Designs
Strong and Weak Evidence
Statistical Null Hypothesis Dis-confirmation, including Chi Squared
Chaotic Systems, Strange Attractors
Computer prediction models
Creationism: Young Earth, Old Earth, and Intelligent Design.
Baloney Detection Revisited
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