Question

Imagine that Shelia is writing a persuasive essay. During her research she finds evidence that supports her claim in her thesis. She also finds data that goes contrary to her claim. During her writing, she decides not to use the data that reveals a fuller picture about the topic and instead only uses the data that supports her claim.

Which type of logical fallacy is described here?

Answer 1

Shelia's selective use of evidence that only supports her claim in her persuasive essay exemplifies the 'Cherry Picking' or 'Confirmation Bias' logical fallacy by not presenting the entire argument.

Step-by-step explanation:

The logical fallacy depicted here, where Shelia decides to use only the data that supports her thesis and ignores evidence to the contrary, is known as Cherry Picking or Confirmation Bias. This fallacy occurs when someone selectively presents only the evidence that confirms their preconceptions, disregarding or downplaying relevant evidence that would offer a more complete picture and potentially challenge their point of view. By not including the counter evidence in her persuasive essay, Shelia risks committing a logical fallacy that weakens her argument because it only shows one side of the issue without fully engaging with the possible objections or alternative perspectives.