Anecdotal Evidence
One story is not proof.
What it is
Anecdotal evidence is one story treated as proof. A single experience can be real and still prove nothing about the general case.
Stories are vivid. That is why they persuade. Vivid is not the same as representative.
An LSAT-style example
This example is original. It is not a real LSAT question.
My uncle smoked for fifty years and never got sick. So smoking cannot be that harmful.
The flaw: One uncle is not a study. His luck says nothing about the risks for smokers in general.
How to spot it on test day
- Watch for 'I know someone who,' 'in my experience,' 'my uncle.'
- Ask: is this story typical, or just memorable?
- One case can disprove 'always.' It cannot prove 'usually.'
The right answer vs. the trap
The right answer
The correct answer says the argument relies on an unrepresentative personal story instead of real evidence.
The trap
The trap may question whether the story is true. The story can be completely true and still prove nothing general.
Find your weak flaws
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