Detecting Denial Techniques: Quiz 7

 

The following are techniques used to deny science. Some techniques are sub-classes of others (e.g., ad hominem is a logical fallacy, false choice is an oversimplification).


  • Fake Experts: Presenting an unqualified person or institution as a source of credible information.
    • Bulk Fake Experts: Citing large numbers of seeming experts to argue that there is no scientific consensus on a topic.
    • Fake Debate: Presenting science and pseudoscience in an adversarial format to give the false impression of an ongoing scientific debate.
  • Logical Fallacies: Arguments where the conclusion doesn’t logically follow from the premises. Also known as a non sequitur.
    • Ad Hominem: Attacking the person/group instead of addressing their argument.
    • Ambiguity: Using ambiguous language in order to lead to a misleading conclusion.
    • False Analogy: Assuming that because two things are alike in some ways, they are alike in some other respect.
    • Misrepresentation:  Misrepresenting a situation or an opponent's position in such a way as to distort understanding.
      • Straw Man: Misrepresenting or exaggerating an opponent’s position to make it easier to attack.
    • Oversimplification: Simplifying a situation in such a way as to distort understanding, leading to erroneous conclusions.
      • False Choice: Presenting two options as the only possibilities, when other possibilities exist.
      • Single Cause: Assuming a single cause or reason when there might be multiple causes or reasons.
    • Red Herring: Diverting attention to an irrelevant point to distract from the original argument.
  • Impossible Expectations: Demanding unrealistic standards of certainty before acting on the science.
    • Moving the Goalposts: Demanding higher levels of evidence after receiving requested levels of evidence.
  • Cherry Picking: Carefully selecting data that appear to confirm one position while ignoring other data that contradicts that position.
    • Anecdote: Using personal experience or isolated examples instead of sound arguments or compelling evidence.
    • Slothful Induction: Ignoring relevant evidence when coming to a conclusion. Similar to cherry picking but with an emphasis on neglecting inconvenient information rather than highlighting convenient information.
  • Conspiracy Theory: Proposing a secret plan to implement a nefarious scheme such as hiding a truth or perpetuating misinformation.
  • None of the Above: Statement is logically valid and doesn't contain any of the denial techniques listed above.

Identify the denial technique that best matches the arguments below (note that some arguments may not contain a denial technique). You will receive your score after you complete the quiz.

I don’t know why everyone is criticizing the last season of Game of Thrones—that scene with Arya vs. the Night King was cool!
Science may have explained how humans evolved from simpler lifeforms but they still haven’t explained how life began in the first place.
This is an island. Surrounded by water. Big water. Ocean water.
The simplest evidence for a flat Earth comes from relying on ones’ own senses to discern the true nature of the world around us. The world looks flat, the bottoms of clouds are flat, the movement of the Sun; these are all examples of your senses telling you that we do not live on a spherical world. 

Which misleading technique does this paragraph use?
Mercury is the second deadliest toxin on Earth, and a mercury-based preservative, thimerosal, is still found in flu shots. That means we are pumping mercury into children and pregnant women when they are given flu shots. Despite the fact that scientific studies have declared the level of thimerosal in vaccinations is safe, surely it’s not too much to ask that a vaccination injected into a healthy human body is 100% safe. 

Which misleading technique does this paragraph use?
Dr. A. Smith is a professor of biology at the Miskatonic University in Massachusetts. He originally studied at Harvard University, then earned his doctorate at Princeton University. In a recent, Wallstreet Journal (WSJ) opinion piece, he patiently explained why he is convinced that the near-unanimous judgments of climatologists that humans are causing global warming are misguided. 

Please select the option below that best describes the paragraph:
The pharmaceutical industry is a trillion dollar industry with vaccines bringing in $25 billion in annual sales. A lot of scientific research finding that vaccinations are safe are heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. The situation is similar to the tobacco companies’ involvement in lung cancer research. Vaccine research has been designed and written by the industry. 

Please select the option below that best describes the paragraph:
In the following examples, choose the argument that best matches the denialist technique: 
Fake Debate
False analogy