What type of logical fallacy occurs when an argument relies on emotional appeals rather than facts?

What type of logical fallacy occurs when an argument relies on emotional appeals rather than facts?

• A. Straw man fallacy
• B. Appeal to emotion
• C. Ad hominem fallacy
• D. Red herring fallacy

Answer: (B)

The type of logical fallacy that occurs when an argument relies on emotional appeals rather than on factual evidence is the appeal to emotion. This fallacy occurs when someone attempts to persuade the audience by invoking feelings instead of presenting logical reasoning or empirical data. For example, a speaker might evoke feelings of pity or fear to sway an audience's opinion without providing substantiated arguments relevant to the topic at hand. In contrast, the other options represent different types of fallacies. A straw man fallacy misrepresents someone else's argument to make it easier to attack. The ad hominem fallacy attacks a person's character rather than addressing the argument they are making. A red herring fallacy distracts from the main issue by introducing irrelevant information. Each of these fallacies diverts from the central point, whereas the appeal to emotion specifically focuses on exploiting emotional responses instead of logical reasoning.

The type of logical fallacy that occurs when an argument relies on emotional appeals rather than on factual evidence is the appeal to emotion. This fallacy occurs when someone attempts to persuade the audience by invoking feelings instead of presenting logical reasoning or empirical data. For example, a speaker might evoke feelings of pity or fear to sway an audience's opinion without providing substantiated arguments relevant to the topic at hand.

In contrast, the other options represent different types of fallacies. A straw man fallacy misrepresents someone else's argument to make it easier to attack. The ad hominem fallacy attacks a person's character rather than addressing the argument they are making. A red herring fallacy distracts from the main issue by introducing irrelevant information. Each of these fallacies diverts from the central point, whereas the appeal to emotion specifically focuses on exploiting emotional responses instead of logical reasoning.