Flawed ReasoningDiff: Medium

Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: Because experts like to feel important, we shouldn't trust geneticists when they say personality is genetic; they're probably just puffing their chests.

Conclusion: We should be skeptical of geneticists' claims regarding the genetic basis of personality traits.

Reasoning: Specialists generally want to feel that their field is important, so geneticists are likely biased and just trying to increase their own professional standing.

Analysis: The psychologist is guilty of an 'ad hominem' attack, specifically a source bias flaw. Instead of addressing the actual data or research the geneticists might have, the psychologist dismisses the claim entirely based on the *motives* of the people making it. Even if a scientist is motivated by ego, their scientific findings could still be perfectly valid. Look for an answer that describes the error of rejecting a claim based on the character or suspected motivations of the source rather than the evidence itself.

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11.

The reasoning in the psychologist's argument is flawed in that this argument

Correct Answer
E
Correct. The argument undermines the claim by pointing to the geneticists’ supposed motive (amplifying their importance) instead of assessing the evidence for genetic determination.
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