Group Discussion Number Two

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Stratton goes to his first day at classes at PCC and concludes he is going to like his anthropology
course. You can just tell, he says to his girlfriend later, its gonna be a great course. The
teacher brought up all these interesting subjects, and it was just the first day!
o Argument Type: Inductive Generalization (Stratton is making the general statement that
his going to like his anthropology course based on the interesting subjects the teacher
brought up on the first day of class.)
o Sample: First day at classes at PCC
o Target: The teacher brought up all these interesting subjects
o Property in Question: Stratton is going to like his anthropology class.
The cocktail Betsy that orders before dinner is watery, so she decides not to eat at the
restaurant after all. I dont think they can make a decent dinner if they cant even make a
decent martini, she mutters.
o Argument Type: Inductive Generalization (Betsy decided not to eat the restaurant
because on a cocktail she ordered that was watery and made a general assumption that
they wont know how to make a decent dinner)
o Sample: Betsys watery cocktail before dinner
o Target: Decent dinner
o Property in Question: Betsys decision not to eat at the restaurant
Stortz has heard from his friends that the folks in North Carolina are pretty friendly, so he
looks forward to going through there on his bike trip.
Argument Type: Analogical Argument
Sample: Stortzs friends opinion of the folks of North Carolina.
Target: Whether the people from North Carolina are friendly or not.
Basis of Comparison: Stortz has hear from his friends that the folks in North Carolina are pretty
friendly. Since Stortz friends think they are friendly then they must be friendly.
Agnes has read that fair-skinned, blonde, blue-eyed people are more likely to develop
problems from over-exposure to the sun, but she discounts these reports. After all, she
reasons, my Uncle Bob works outside all day on a boat, and Ive never heard of him having
problems with sun exposure, even though he is blonde, blue-eyed, and fair-skinned.
o Argument Type: Analogical Argument
o Sample: fair skinned, blonde, blue eyed people are more likely to develop problems
due to over exposure to sun.
o Target: Agness uncle Bob who is blonde, blue eyed and is fair skinned.
o Basis of comparison: Agnes has read an article where it states that fair-skinned, blonde,
blue-eyed people are more likely to develop problems from over-exposure to the sun,
but disregards it because her uncle Bob has the same qualities and has not had
problems, but it doesnt mean it will not happen.
Mr. Al C. Holic reads a report in the newspaper that a daily glass of wine or two might be good
for the heart, so he decides to get hammered. Why in hell not, he says. If one glass of wine
is good for you, then surely five or six is really good for you!
o Argument Type: Inductive Generalization
o Sample: A daily glass of wine

o Target: Mr. Al C. Holic getting hammered

o Property in question: Whether a glass of wine or two are good for the heart.
o Fallacies: Mr. Al C. Holic has a weak analogy in thinking that a glass or two of wine will
make him have a healthier heart and he makes the general assumption that the more
wine he drinks the healthier he will be.
Overheard: You dont think this country is in a slump? Get real. George here was laid off
before Memorial Day, and Howies wife and a whole bunch of other people lost their jobs
when the Safeway over on Jeffrey closed down. These are tough times.
o Argument Type: Analogical Argument
o Sample: This country
o Target: Gorge, Howies wife, and a whole bunch of other people being laid off.
o Feature in question: The countries bad situation
Fewer than 20% of college professors think of themselves as shy, according to a new study by
two psychologists. We were surprised by this result because other studies have reported
almost 50% of adult Americans think of themselves as shy, said Jane Smalley, professor at
Chico State University. College professors are sometimes considered an introverted group
and so we expected perhaps a majority to think of themselves as shy, she said. Smalley and
her associate John Mason interviewed 150 college professors who were identified by their
deans and other administrators at 25 American universities as typical faculty. The
universities were selected by a random procedure from a list of American colleges and
universities.
o Argument Type: Inductive Generalization
o Sample: 150 college professors interview by Smalley and her associates
o Target: All professor of and other administrators from American colleges and
universities.
o Property in question: The percentage of college professors who think of themselves
as being shy.
o Fallacies: If they want to get the percentage of professors who think of themselves as
shy from all American colleges and universities the sample size is too small. This
would be considered a hasty generalization because the sample is too small to be
representative.
Juanita has taken six courses at Valley Community College, and she has a grade average of B
so far. All the courses she has taken have been in sociology and psychology. Shes thinking of
enrolling in another course next term, and she expects to make at least a B in whatever she
takes. Suppose that when she took the previous courses, Juanita had done all her studying
alone because she didnt know any of the other students at Valley but that now she knows
several good students and plans to study with them when she takes her next course. Would her
argument be stronger or weaker than if she were planning to study alone? Discuss.
o Argument type: Analogical Argument
o Sample: Juanita has taken six courses in sociology or psychology.
o Target: Juanita is thinking to enroll in another course
o Basis of comparison: The six courses she has taken are in sociology or psychology
whereas the one she will be taken is unknown.
o Feature question: Whether Juanita can keep up her B grade average.
o Would her argument be stronger or weaker if she studies alone? Her argument

would be weaker if she studies alone since she is trying to maintain a grade average
of a B she can use the help studying so she can be successful. The 6 courses she has
taken are in sociology and psychology so she must be knowledgeable in the material
or just enjoys those subjects but the 7th course might be in a new area that maybe one
of the people from her study group has taken before or just understands and can help
her with so she does not become too overwhelmed.
A random survey of 1000 callers to a drug-help hotline produced the following results: 535 of
the callers were heavy users of cocaine freebase, amphetamines, or heroine; 220 were
recreational users of cocaine or marijuana, 92 were not drug users at all, and the remainder
refused to answer. This survey proves that most people who use drugs are not of the
recreational type.
o Argument type: Inductive Generalization
o Sample: Random survey of 1000 callers to a drug help hotline
o Target: All drug users
o Property in question: Whether people are recreational drug user or not.
Goldman may have won the Supervisor of the Year award, but that just means they didnt look
very hard for a winner. I know a couple of people who work in Goldmans division and they
say that hes a real pain to work for. Id sooner trust my friends than some awards committee.
o Argument type: Analogical argument
o Sample: Awards committee decision to give Goldman the awards
o Target: People that work in Goldmans division
o Attribute of interest: Whether Goldman deserved the award for Supervisor of the
Year or not.