On Critically Evaluating Inductive Arguments

question 147

Short Answer

On critically evaluating inductive arguments. Read the following arguments and carry out the instructions below.
-Read the following argument and list of additional items. Would the addition of each item strengthen the argument, weaken the argument, or leave the strength of the argument unchanged? Consider each addition separately from the rest.
The Ace Widget Company needs a new delivery truck. The truck must be capable of hauling heavy crates of widgets, and it must be adequate for heavy city driving. The company next door, the Ajax Bakery, has a delivery truck for sale. The Ajax Company's president says the truck worked extremely well for its purposes. The president of Ace concludes that the Ajax truck will make an excellent delivery truck.
a. The Ajax Company never hauled heavy loads.
b. The Ajax Company used its truck mainly on the open highway.
c. The conclusion is changed to: The truck will make a good delivery truck.
d. The conclusion is changed to: The truck will be OK, though not always perfect.
e. The Ajax Company plans to install a new widget-painting machine.
f. The conclusion is changed to: The truck will make an absolutely perfect delivery truck.

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Definitions:

Serotonin

A neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in mood regulation, appetite control, and sleep cycles.

Antidepressants

Medications used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, and some other conditions by influencing neurotransmitter levels in the brain.

Action Potential

A short-lasting event in which the electrical membrane potential of a cell rapidly rises and falls, occurring in nerve cells.

Agonists

Substances that initiate a physiological response when combined with a receptor, often referring to drugs that mimic the action of the body's own chemicals.