LSAT Practice Test

Which fallacy involves false assumptions based on the timing of events?

1. Runaway train

2. Denying the antecedent

3. Post hoc fallacy

4. School Counselor Professional Standards

The correct answer is: Post hoc fallacy

The correct answer is C. Post hoc fallacy. This fallacy, also known as "post hoc ergo propter hoc" in Latin, occurs when someone assumes that because one event happened before another event, the first event must have caused the second event. This assumption is false because correlation does not imply causation. In this case, the false assumption is based on the timing of events, making it the correct choice over the other options provided. Option A, the "Runaway train," does not specifically relate to false assumptions based on the timing of events, making it incorrect. Option B, "Denying the antecedent," is a formal logical fallacy that occurs when someone mistakenly concludes that a conditional statement is false because the antecedent is false. This does not directly involve false assumptions based on the timing of events, so it is not the correct answer. Option D, "School Counselor Professional Standards," is unrelated to the concept of false assumptions based on the timing of events, so it is not the correct choice. Therefore, the best answer is C, the Post hoc fallacy, as it directly relates to the false assumptions based on the timing of events.