Post Hoc (Noun)
Meaning
The logical fallacy of believing that temporal succession implies a causal relation.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The researcher was accused of committing a post hoc fallacy by assuming that the new policy was the cause of the subsequent increase in productivity.
- The politician's claim that the economic downturn was a result of the previous administration's policies was a classic example of post hoc reasoning.
- The company's decision to attribute the rise in sales to the new marketing campaign was a post hoc error, as there was no evidence to support the causal link.
- The detective's conclusion that the suspect's alibi was false because they were seen near the crime scene after the fact was a post hoc fallacy.
- The argument that the new exercise routine was the reason for the athlete's improved performance was based on post hoc reasoning, as there were many other factors that could have contributed to the improvement.