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appeal_to_authority
Appeal to (false) authority occurs when someone cites an authority figure to support a claim, but the authority either lacks relevant expertise in the specific field, is not representative of expert consensus, or their opinion is presented as irrefutable proof rather than one informed perspective. Legitimate expert testimony is an important part of reasoning, but it becomes fallacious when the authority's domain expertise does not match the claim or when their opinion is treated as settling the matter conclusively.
A health supplement company promotes its product with: 'Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. James Henderson recommends our brain-boosting supplement for optimal cognitive performance.' The physicist has no expertise in neuroscience, nutrition, or pharmacology — his Nobel Prize was in particle physics.
An anti-vaccine Facebook post is shared widely because it's attributed to 'Dr. Michael Torres, PhD' — whose doctorate is actually in medieval literature. The post claims vaccines contain dangerous levels of toxins, and thousands of commenters share it, assuming a 'Dr.' title signals medical expertise.
A cryptocurrency trading platform runs ads featuring a famous retired NFL quarterback saying: 'I've always known how to read a game — and I can tell this is a winning investment.' The athlete has no background in finance or blockchain technology, but fans trust his endorsement and invest their savings based on his star power.
Binary (yes/no) questions an LLM must answer to identify this aspect:
Is an authority figure cited to support the claim?
Type: binaryIs the cited authority actually an expert in the relevant field?
Type: binaryIs the authority's opinion presented as definitive proof rather than one perspective?
Type: binaryAppeal to (false) authority occurs when someone cites an authority figure to support a claim, but the authority either lacks relevant expertise in the specific field, is not representative of expert consensus, or their opinion is presented as irrefutable proof rather than one informed perspective. Legitimate expert testimony is an important part of reasoning, but it becomes fallacious when the authority's domain expertise does not match the claim or when their opinion is treated as settling the matter conclusively.
Humans evolved to defer to competent authorities as an efficient way to navigate a complex world. The halo effect causes expertise in one domain to be projected onto unrelated domains. People also feel socially uncomfortable questioning someone with impressive credentials.
Ask: 'Is this person an expert in the specific field relevant to the claim? Do other experts in that field agree? Is the authority's opinion consistent with the broader evidence base?'
Pervasive in advertising (celebrity endorsements), health misinformation (doctors outside their specialty), political debates (citing economists on moral questions), and social media (influencers recommending products outside their expertise).
Use these tools to detect, analyze, or train this aspect.