loaded question
Question with agenda
A loaded question is one that contains a built-in assumption, making it impossible to answer without appearing to accept that assumption.
The classic example is Have you stopped beating your wife? —answering yes or no both imply past abuse.
Loaded questions are common in hostile interviews, cross-examinations, and rhetorical traps.
- ad hominemArgument targeting character
- red herringIntentional misleading distraction
- straw manFake version to demolish
- presuppositionImplicit prior assumption
- logical fallaciesDefects in reasoning structure
fallacy · framing · false dilemma · insinuation · oversimplification · appeal to emotion · equivocation · moving the goalposts · poisoning the well · bad faith argument · baited · misinformation · assumption · biased · ambiguity · trick · cornered · no-win situation
- questionsinquiry, query, interrogatives, what, who
- rhetoricrhetoric, persuasion, oratory, argumentation, debate
- debate tacticsexaggeration, appeal to authority, appeal to emotion, logical fallacy, straw man
- logical fallaciesfallacy, straw man, ad hominem, red herring, false dilemma
- manipulation tacticsgaslighting, guilt trip, guilt-tripping, guilt tripping, emotional blackmail
- propagandapropaganda, brainwashing, disinformation, misinformation, indoctrination
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