Logically Fallacious: The Ultimate Collection of Over 300 Logical Fallacies (Academic Edition) (Dr. Bo's Critical Thinking Series)

by Bo Bennett

Conjunction Fallacy (also known as: conjunction effect) Description: Similar to the disjunction fallacy, the conjunction fallacy occurs when one estimates a conjunctive statement (this and that) to be more probable than at least one of its component statements. It is the assumption that more specific conditions are more probable than general ones. This fallacy usually stems from thinking the choices are alternatives, rather than members of the same set. The fallacy is further exacerbated by priming the audience with information leading them to choose the subset as the more probable option. Logical Form: X is a subset of Y. Therefore, X is more probable than Y. Conjunction X and Y (both taken together) is more likely than a constituent X. Example #1: While jogging around the neighborhood, you are more likely to get bitten by someone’s pet dog, than by any member of the canine species.