Question

...

What is the difference between these two fallacies?

Hi, what is the difference between cherry picking and the texas sharpshooter fallacy ? Many sources i found online say they are the same?
asked on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022 03:22:20 PM by

Top Categories Suggested by Community

Comments

Want to get notified of all questions as they are asked? Update your mail preferences and turn on "Instant Notification."

Grow Intellectually by Taking Dr. Bo's Online Courses

Dr. Bo is creating online courses in the area of critical thinking, reason, science, psychology, philosophy, and well-being. These courses are self-paced and presented in small, easy-to-digest nuggets of information. Use the code FALLACYFRIENDS to get 25% off any or all of Dr. Bo's courses.

View All Dr. Bo's Courses

Answers

...
Ed F
2

They seem similar in that the arguer is choosing which evidence to use and ignoring other data.   But I think the context in. which they arise are different.

The form of cherry picking is:  evidence A, ,B, and C is available in connection with conclusion X all of which may be relevant to the truth of X but only A is favorable evidence.  The arguer then presents A and ignores B and C.

The Texas sharpshooter fallacy is where there is random data about some phenomenon (none of which necessarily is relevant) and the arguer points to some data that is consistent with the conclusion and gives meaning to it where in fact it is random data that happens to correspond to the conclusion given.

Thus in cherry picking relevant data is chosen that favors the conclusion; in Texas sharpshooting random data is chosen that happens to support it.

answered on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022 04:00:18 PM by Ed F

Ed F Suggested These Categories

Comments
...
0
Destone writes:

Yeah I kinda figured this out I think. For example if someone tries to say that there is an ongoing genocide in japan and shows 3 events/pictures that support their statement, that would be the texas sharpshooter because you are making a hypothesis and testing it with something that you already have. While this can also correctly be called cherry picking, the texas sharpshooter seems to be more specific, that all texas sharpshooter fallacies are cherry picking but not all cherry picks are the texas sharpshooter. One example in contrast of cherry picking would be selective attention meaning that you focus only on the good stuff without really making a hypothesis, that is that you use only evidence that is said to have the good stuff, without mentioning the bad stuff, the, "bad stuff" doesn't necessarily have to exist in the texas sharpshooter fallacy, but rather using examples to prove something.

posted on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022 05:17:48 PM
...
Bo Bennett, PhD
0

The texas sharpshooter fallacy is more of a bias and cherry picking is more of a deliberate attempt to mislead. Cherry picking typically refers to picking different facts or studies, where the Texas sharpshooter fallacy typically refers to data points within a system/collection.

They are very similar/
answered on Sunday, Jan 30, 2022 03:28:06 PM by Bo Bennett, PhD

Bo Bennett, PhD Suggested These Categories

Comments
...
1
TrappedPrior (RotE) writes:

Would you say texas sharpshooter is a form of cherry picking, specific to statistics? Basically cherrypicking a data cluster and claiming it is significant, while ignoring wider trends in the data.

 

posted on Monday, Jan 31, 2022 10:56:43 AM
...
0
Bo Bennett, PhD writes:
[To Rationalissimus of the Elenchus]

Yes, I think this is an accurate distinction.

[ login to reply ] posted on Monday, Jan 31, 2022 11:10:47 AM
...
0
Arlo writes:

Each seems related to the what we hear from "spin doctors" who work hard to describe situations in a light that is most positive to their cause.  These two approaches are most useful in that context.

posted on Monday, Jan 31, 2022 11:08:13 AM