FBI Phase I Test flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Modus ponens

A valid inference: if P implies Q, and P is true, then Q must be true. Affirming the antecedent always yields a valid conclusion.

Modus tollens

A valid inference: if P implies Q, and Q is false, then P is false. Denying the consequent is logically valid and reliable.

Affirming the consequent

An invalid inference: from P implies Q and Q being true, concluding P. Q may have other causes, so the conclusion does not follow.

Denying the antecedent

An invalid inference: from P implies Q and P being false, concluding Q is false. Q can still occur through other sufficient conditions.

Contrapositive equivalence

The statement 'not Q implies not P' is logically equivalent to 'P implies Q'. Converse and inverse forms are not equivalent.

Necessary versus sufficient

A necessary condition must hold for the outcome; a sufficient condition guarantees it. Necessary is not automatically sufficient.

Correlation versus causation

Observed association alone does not prove one variable causes another; confounds, reverse causation, and selection bias can produce it.

Strengthening an argument

Adding a premise that rules out alternative explanations or confirms the stated link makes the conclusion more probable.

Percent change formula

Percent change equals new minus old, divided by old, times 100. A 20% increase followed by a 20% decrease is a net 4% loss.

Combined work rate

For two workers completing a job in a and b hours alone, together they finish in ab divided by (a + b) hours.

Harmonic mean speed

Average speed over equal distances equals total distance divided by total time, which is the harmonic mean of the segment speeds.

Compound interest formula

Amount equals principal times (1 plus rate divided by compounding periods) raised to periods times years. Simple interest omits compounding.

Probability addition rule

For events A and B, the probability of either equals P(A) plus P(B) minus the probability of both occurring together.

Independent event product

When two events do not influence each other, the probability both occur equals the product of their individual probabilities.

Weighted average rule

A weighted average multiplies each value by its weight, sums the products, and divides by total weight; it lies between extremes.

Ratio proportion setup

Set two ratios equal and cross-multiply to solve for an unknown, keeping units consistent on both sides of the equation.

Estimation before calculation

Rounding values to one significant figure quickly narrows multiple-choice options, reducing computation time and arithmetic slips.

Distance rate time

Distance equals rate multiplied by time. Rearranged, time equals distance divided by rate, and rate equals distance divided by time.

Least-force principle

Choose the minimum intervention that resolves the threat; escalate only when a specific new fact increases danger.

Priority hierarchy

Rank competing duties: public and officer safety first, legal compliance second, procedural correctness third, interpersonal rapport last.

Duty to report

Misconduct is reported through the chain of command; bypass occurs only when the chain is implicated or unresponsive.

Documentation after deviation

When emergency justifies departing from procedure, act to prevent harm, then record the decision and notify a supervisor promptly.

De-escalation sequencing

Verbal commands, time, and positioning precede physical coercion whenever safety and circumstances allow a lower-force resolution.

Integrity in scenarios

Never select an option that hides an error or misrepresents facts, even when the underlying mistake was minor or unintentional.

Ambiguity response

When a scenario lacks facts, the preferred action is to gather information or request clarification rather than assume worst intent.

Forced-choice consistency

Behavioral inventories compare answers across repeated and reverse-keyed items; contradictory responses lower integrity and reliability scores.

Social desirability distortion

Claiming uniformly extreme virtue across all items signals unrealistic self-presentation; balanced, plausible responding scores better.

Working memory chunking

Grouping items into meaningful units extends effective capacity beyond the roughly four-to-seven item immediate span.

Reverse-keyed items

Items worded in the opposite direction detect careless or inconsistent responding when answered the same way as positively keyed items.

Qualifier sensitivity

Words like always, never, most, and least change which option is correct; identifying them before answering prevents misreads.

Vigilance decrement

Sustained attention tasks show rising errors late in the session; pacing effort evenly across the test limits this decline.

Answer-every-item rule

Unanswered items usually score the same as wrong answers, so guessing on remaining items never lowers the expected score.