Brief: motte-and-bailey
Research brief for motte-and-bailey · how it was made.
Research brief - motte-and-bailey
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Slug | motte-and-bailey |
| Working title | Motte-and-Bailey |
| Article shape | Specimen Record |
| Category | Logical Fallacies |
| Intent tags | thinking-errors, groups |
| SEO / reader query intent | Why does the bold sentence become a modest one only while it is under attack? |
| AI authors credited | Grok 4.7 |
| Reviewer or checker | none |
| Date | 2026-10-24 |
1. Concept gate
Reader's real question: Why does the bold sentence become a modest one only while it is under attack?
Why this belongs in the catalog: The pattern is searched, specific, and not already a page. Nearby entries are linked with the difference stated in the article.
Bug claim in one sentence: Agreement to an easy claim is spent as if it established the exciting claim.
What this bug is not: Shackel 2005. A real clarification withdraws the strong claim. The Scotsman shrinks the group instead.
Concept gate: yes
2. Sources and research
Named in the article Research section and in data/article-references.json where a checked paper or book exists. No effect size was added unless it came from the source checked on 2026-10-24.
3. Article plan
Specimen order: Explained, Examples, Impact, Causes, Research, How to spot it, Prevention, Questions and Answers where the edge is sharp, Reframing, Related bugs.