Logical reasoning PrepTest 103 · Section 2 · Question 3

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Point at Issue

Stimulus Summary:
T: Modern families aren't good at child-rearing/stability, so we should return to traditional values.

J: They may be less stable, but most don't think it's a big deal, so we shouldn't change.

Answer Anticipation:
Don't lose sight of the question stem here—it specifically asks about how Trisha and Jerod disagree over something about the institution of the family.

And both of their arguments have a conclusion that makes a recommendation about that topic. Trisha believes that the family unit needs to return to traditional values. Jerod, on the other hand, believes that we should "leave . . . good enough alone." So they disagree over whether things need to change with families.

As to other points, they both agree that the family is changing—specifically, they both say that they're less stable than they have been. Jerod talks about how most feel about that and Trisha doesn't, so popular opinion about families also won't be the correct answer. Jerod calls contemporary criticisms of family overblown/destructive, and Trisha makes such a criticism, so they'd disagree over this as well, but it's not something about modern families, so it seems less likely.

With all that noted, let's look for an answer talking about whether families need to return to traditional

Answer Explanation:
Trisha believes that there "must" be a return to traditional values, so she is committed to believing that it isn't adequate as it is—disagreeing with this answer. Jerod believes we "ought to leave what is good enough alone," believing that the institution is adequate as it is. This is the point at issue between them, so this is the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
Identifying not only points at issue but also points of agreement—when they exist—can be helpful in eliminating answers. Here, there were two arguable points of agreement between the two that showed up in answers, and having already analyzed them would have made for easy eliminations!

Incorrect. Trisha believes that the modern family is "declining" in certain abilities, committing her to believing that it is changing over time. Jerod also says that modern families may be less stable than traditionally, suggesting he, too, believes they may be changing over time. This is, if anything, a point of agreement between them.

Incorrect. Only Jerod talks about what most people believe, making this answer out of scope of Trisha's argument. Even Jerod says that most people don't find the decreased stability a problem, not that most people do or don't value family.

Incorrect. Neither speaker specifically discusses survival of families. The closest we get is Trisha's contention that there "must" be a return to tradition, suggesting that failing to do so may result in the end of the family, but even that's reliant on not returning to tradition, making this answer too certain.

Incorrect. Trisha calls for family to return to traditional values, suggesting she believes it's no longer traditional (though there is a shift there between family and values). Jerod compares contemporary families to traditional ones, suggesting he, too, believes the modern family is no longer traditional. This is, if anything, a point of agreement.