definitions: logical fallacies Flashcards
Ad Hominem
Challenging a person’s character rather than an argument; claiming that care from learners, a specific gender, or race is below standard
Hasty Generalization
Claims made without sufficient evidence;
taking a research paper with a low sample size as what should be the standard of care
Slippery Slope
Insisting that one action will lead to a chain of reactions; starting
chemo will mean that all your hair will fall out and you will die.
Loaded Question
An assumption is made in the way a question is asked; “So you
consent to this treatment plan, right?
False Dilemma
Presenting only two options (usually extreme) when more may be available;
“the provider said I either go to long-term care or I die in hospital” (when discharge home was also an option)
Straw man
Changing someone’s argument so that it is easier to attack
To the claim we should provide safe injection sites in hospital - “so you support people using fentanyl for fun?
Circular Reasoning
Creating an argument where the premises fail to establish the conclusion
A is true because B is true, B is true because A is true
Appeal to Authority
When a claim is accepted because a person of authority endorses the claim
Andrew Tate says wearing a mask is useless, so I don’t wear one
Appeal to Nature
An argument that states an outcome is preferred because it is natural;
wearing a mask is harmful because it is unnatural – no mask is
preferred
Anecdotal Fallacy
When one uses limited experience to draw sweeping conclusions;
vaccines are always bad because I knew someone with an adverse
reaction
Appeal to Emotion
Leveraging an emotional plea to win an argument rather than deductive reasoning; doing surgery is the right thing to do as without
it there is no hope
Texas Sharpshooter
Differences in data are ignored and similarities are overestimated (not accounting for randomness); drawing conclusions about data after experiments/treatment have been completed
Ambiguity Fallacy
When unclear phrases are used in an argument which creates
confusion; the patient is ready to leave the OR – they could be dead or
alive, but it is ambiguous
Middle Ground Fallacy
The truth is always ‘between’ two positions; patient says X and
provider says Z, the truth must be Y
Genetic Fallacy
When an argument is discredited because of the source, rather than
the logic; I reject this treatment because it was suggested by a medical student and not a ‘real doctor
Appeal to Tradition
An argument is deemed correct because of it’s historical
reference; “but we have always done it this way”
Quoting out of context
When part of a quote is extracted from the context in a
way that distorts the meaning of the thesis; the nurse said
his kidneys are not doing well so he is dying
Moralistic Fallacy
An argument where one claims something is a particular
way because it should be that way; I don’t have to pay for service because healthcare is supposed to be free in
Canada
Nirvana Fallacy
Occurs when a real thing is held to an idealistic and/or
unrealistic standard; people who are vaccinated still die
of covid so there is no point getting vaccinated
Cherry Picking
Pointing to selective data/cases to justify a point, ignoring a significant portion of relevant data; “The use
of drug X is effective at curing cancer” despite there being multiple clinical trials falsifying this claim.
Psychologist’s Fallacy
when a provider makes an assumption about the way a patient feels,
and states that it is necessarily correct that the person is experiencing these feelings as the provider has described.
Fallacy of the Single Cause
Oversimplifying the cause of an event; I will get good news from my doctor because I am wearing
my lucky hat
Tone Policing
Challenging an argument because of the tone it was
said in, rather than the content of the argument; there is no validity in the protestors position – they
are all just angry
Entitled to my Opinion
When someone dismisses an argument using the
justification that they are ‘entitled to their own opinion’ rather than challenging the argument
presented
