In an Effort to Use Fear to Persuade People to Live

question 165

Multiple Choice

In an effort to use fear to persuade people to live a more healthy lifestyle,the government of Canada went so far as to mandate that

• A)cigarette packs display graphic pictures of diseased gums and body parts.
• B)all bottles of alcohol have pictures of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
• C)every ten kilometers,a roadside billboard shows graphic pictures of car accident victims who did not wear seatbelts.
• D)junk food packages show photos of obese people in the hospital.

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Definitions:

Argumentum Ad Hominem

A logical fallacy that occurs when an argument is rebutted by attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making the argument, rather than addressing the substance of the argument itself.

Gambler's Fallacy

The erroneous belief that if an event happens more frequently than normal during a past period, it will happen less frequently in the future, or vice versa.

Sunk Cost Fallacy

The misconception that one should continue an endeavor because of previously invested resources (time, money, effort) even if current costs outweigh the benefits.

Reductio Ad Absurdum

A logical argument technique where a proposition is disproven by following its implications to an absurd consequence.